Thursday, September 18, 2014

the gathering of ideas

Sometimes when you're out and about and away from your journal, something you'd like to write about will pop into your head, or you will see something you want to record. But the problem is, you're away from your journal. So what can you do? You can carry your journal around everywhere with you, as long as you have a purse or a bag big enough for it. This is especially useful if you are going to be on a long trip or spending time in waiting rooms. However, whipping your journal out in public can be a little strange.



Another good idea is to get yourself a handy-dandy notebook (see above). It is small, inconspicuous, and personal. You can slip in in your jeans pocket or in your purse. So when you get an idea, or the beginnings of a poem, or ideas for your book, or something you'd like to record, you can take it out and jot  down what you need to. At a later and more convenient time, you can transfer it to your actual journal and elaborate on it. 



I do a little bit of both. Lately I have been slipping my real journal into my purse whenever I go out, but I also carry a little notebook around at times as well. It all depends.

Do you carry your journal with you?

12 comments:

  1. I carry my journal once in a while, if I know I'm going to be early somewhere or know I will have downtime to write for example. I'm early to a fault for a lot of events and having my journal to write in the car once I get there is a good way to kill some time. Sometimes I write on the metro if I know I won't have time anywhere else during the day. In middle school I carried my journal with me everywhere, looking back I'm really lucky that nothing bad came out of that with it getting stolen or anything. I try to be a bit more careful about that if I'm going to be around people I know. :)

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    1. Thank you for commenting; I enjoyed reading about your journal carry habits. You bring up a good point--the journal getting stolen or lost is definitely something to keep in mind when carrying it about.

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  2. I usually carry my journal with me if I know there is a chance that I'll be somewhere that I can take it out and write in it.

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    1. Thank you for commenting, Finvarra! So have you ever used the opportunity to journal while out and about?

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  3. Love your blog by the way! I read every article :)

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  4. I do the same thing - instead of a little composition book - i have a really small organizer like those pocket filofaxes but with only note paper in it to jot down important thoughts or ideas when I am out and about.

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    1. That's a good idea! I am curious; how small is this organizer?

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  5. I carry my journal with me about 80% of the time when I'm out and about but don't write in it unless I'm in a private moment on my lunch break at work or in my car. If I have a thought I wish to record at a time when I can't whip my journal out, I save a note in my phone.

    HEY! I'm in love with your new design. :) Quite lovely.

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    1. I have saved notes on my phone, too. I have even used my mom's phone and texted the notes to mine when I didn't have paper with me.

      Thank you! We're still working a few things out with it, but I love it as well!

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  6. I use my journal at home and take it with me when I am travelling, but I need some privacy to journal. I don't like to use it in public. But I never leave home without a small notebook (currently a Field Notes Expedition) and a pen to write down everything from ideas, checklists, shopping lists and all that stuff I want to remember. At home I come back to these notes and transfer everything that's relevant into my journal!

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    1. Yes, I am using a Field Notes out and about from time to time to collect ideas. You use the same system I do!

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