Preview 
Note to Self: On Keeping a Journal and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Samar O’Shea
The March Mini-Challenge (Devised here by Ms Nymeth) for the Dewey Challenge is to read something NEW to me. A piece of this challenge is to pair up with another mini-challengee and ‘discuss’ or do something, as long as we post about it.
My partner is Jessica of The BlueStocking Society! I’m quite excited to pair up with such an impressive blogger. We compared our goodread.com “to-read” lists and came up with this book. It’s nonfiction – which I read a lot of but it’s also a writing how-to (I think) and I have not read much of this subgenre. I know that I have never read any journalling books – which I guess could be a subsubgenre? Yea, whatever. So, that is why this book is new-to-me. Jessica mentioned that she would like to read more nonfiction so if I’m to guess, this will be new-to-her for that category. Golly, I’ve not read any Samara Shea (until I prepped for this post; you can access her blog from Amazon.) so that also would make this new-to-me.
I had originally placed this on my wishlist due to a 4 star rating by my friend over at the 1330V.
The product description says this:
Keeping a journal is easy. Keeping a life-altering, soul-enlightening journal, however, is not.
I’m not sure I agree with this. It sounds too absolute, too black or white. I’ve been keeping a journal off and on since I was 12 and though many times I have written many pages a day and sometimes barely a page over the span of a month, these scratchings of ink on blank paper are my way to connect with my self and get outside of myself. They are also a way for me to crawl into my own head and look around. Sometimes my journals are sparse and barely a place to keep to-do lists and sometimes, when I travel, they are exceptionally vivid and captivating recollections of where I’ve been, what I’ve seen and the emotions those places evoked within me. I have barely-legible dream descriptions written in the middle of the night and I have obnoxious ramblings as a result of a bit of too much wine before taking pen in hand. I have written letters to my future self and have attempted to discover the child I used to be. I have bawled and cried and laughed and been extremely silly. I have worked out problems every which way and through and I have celebrated my daily living as well as the big accomplishments. These books cover my many crazy years of scrawling my experiences of the mundane and the lively.
[Yes. I will really need to lock these away and provide instructions of what to do with them upon my death. Burning, is what I'm thinking.]
So, will I learn anything by reading this book? Oh yes, I’m sure I will. And, will I argue or agree at the conclusion that not all journal-writing is life-altering and soul enlightening? Is the question one of purpose? or results versus process?
We will see; I will just have to wait and find out.
I don’t keep a journal and yes, I do think keeping a life-altering, soul-enlightening journal would be difficult. Sometimes it’s difficult to be honest with ourselves.
Sure, and sometimes seeing that we aren’t honest with ourselves, we see something else entirely. I’m a big proponent of journalling for any and all reasons.
I think all of us who blog keep a journal. Not that my blog is either soul-enlightening or life-altering, but it is a lot of work.
I think my blog would be more journal-like if I didn’t think so many people (including my mother) would be reading it!
I’m excited that you’re reading my book Care! From what you describe, it seems that we journal in very similar ways: sporadically. I’m also like you in that some days I write eloquent, insightful passages and other days I write a mundane to-do list. Both are essential in getting to the center of yourself. I look forward to finding out what you think of Note to Self.
Also, I agree with Softdrink that blogging is journaling (albeit slightly different.) There is a chapter on blogging in the book. You can also access my blog here: http://www.LetterLover.net
WOW! An author visit! Thank you. I look forward to finding out what I think of your book, too.
I look forward to being more aware and conscientious of my journalling – this should help.
It’s nice to virtually meet you ladies!
Cheers,
Samara
This sounds like an interesting read…I just might have to search it out. I’m a journaling wanna-be. I tend to only keep an actual journal during the really tough times. But I do write down stories, and musings, and insights on papers and stick them in folders…and then sometimes use them in scrapbooks. I’ve always wanted to be a disciplined journal keeper, but just can’t seem to get there.
Ah, one of the first steps is to acknowledge that anything can be journalling and to not have any ideas of what it is SUPPOSED to be or SHOULD be. Permission NOT to write every day is the second step. For me anyway. Like the rules for brainstorning: Anything goes – no judgements.
What makes a journal soul-enlightening or life-altering? I’ve always thought that the practice of thinking and writing in a journal was the important part, the just getting your thoughts down part. I personally hate rereading past journals because I always feel silly, I’m not sure why, but at the time of writing I find journaling extremely cathartic.
Yes, exactly.
I have kept a journal all my life (ok, since age 7) but I stopped writing as much soon after I became a mom. That’s why I started blogging, initially. It’s true that I don’t blog anything I wouldn’t want the world to read. Hadn’t thought about that.
Once I started blogging, my journal became a huge to do list! I journal in creative spurts these days.
I’ve kept a journal, off and on, for as far back as I can remember and I do think of blogging as “journaling” in a way. We often share little stories from our lives, the same kind of anecdotes I occasionally have written by hand. I do screen a few things, though.
Absolutely! I don’t know if I screen (uh, yes I DO.) but I sure edit a ton more on this blog than in the journal – it’s a mess.
I agree with Bookfool that blogging is a kind of journaling. I never kept a “diary” as a kid, and I regret not keeping a journal of some sort through the years. Actually, although not the same, I have kept all the hand written letters I’ve received in my life. On the odd occasion I re-read them, I am able to somewhat see myself through the eyes of someone else, and track what I might have been doing. Good post.
Hi Grad, welcome! My young days of “Dear Diary” always had lists – usually of songs, top 40 – and they are a hoot to read. Unfortunately, I didn’t seem to record the books I read – at least not in a list. My high school journals are odd but my college ones are full of DRAMA.
A journalling book! That would be new for me too. I hope you and Jessica have tons of fun!
I do keep a journal…or multiple journals. I have since my pre-teens, really. Not all of it is soul-searching, especially now that I’m older. But I find that writing about whatever just helps me be more aware of how I feel about things. And that makes me feel more alive.
We’ll have fun; it’ll be interesting to see our different takes on the ideas, I’m sure. I love your analysis: be more aware and thus feel more alive. Yes!
Glad you posted this. I have a small obsession with handwritten notes and read her book “For the Love of Letters” last year. Great little book that made me want to journal despite the fact that I do so maybe once a year. Maybe this will give me a little inspiration.
Hi Christina – I love to send letters, too. I’ll intend to look at all of her books – thanks for the rec (and the link!)
I’ve never kept a journal. I’ve started about a hundred and then gotten bored shortly after the first post. I always hear other things calling: computer games, books, tv, Care (especially Care, whose call can be quite alarming)!
Like whatchamacallit said, our blogs are our public journals. We use books as an excuse to get others to read about our lives and love of reading and to give us validation. My blog would be totally different if it weren’t for the support of viewers like you. Thank you.
Chartroose – HEY! COME READ MY BLOG!!!! Is that how it sounds? I love your blog, ya know.
I think any kind of journal keeping is difficult. Of course, I wouldn’t even know how to keep a “life-altering, soul-enlightening” journal, so it’s got to be even more difficult. I used to write in a journal all the time, before I started blogging. Nowadays, even remembering to jot down lists and brief notes in my journal is difficult.
Maybe I’ll learn just that – how to write a soul-enlightening journal! I certainly don’t want the opposite.
For me the challenge is to keep a journal. I’ve always wanted to journal daily but after awhile I miss a day here and a day there, then suddenly it’s been a year and I couldn’t find the damn journal if my life depended on it.
Whether it’s life-altering or soul-enlightening is rather hard to say, it would all depend on what the specific person wants their writing to represent.
My grandmother has kept a journal of sorts since she was in her teens. Her goal was to keep a record of daily happenings (at least a paragraph long) some entries are much longer though. She is 76 years old and has not missed a day. To her it is merely her thoughts on daily life, but as these journals will be passed on to me, they are so important and beyond value for me.
Sorry for the rambling on there, hope you and Jessica both enjoy your reads and have fun with the mini-challenge
Ramble anytime. Your gma sounds like a wonderfully awesome woman!
So glad you are picking up this book! I know there are tons of books out there on journaling but I thought the author really made this unique in that she openly talks about her experiences and shows the reader how journaling works.
And, yes I do keep a journal. I’ve been journaling for years and love it. Have fun with your mini-challenge. I think that’s going to be great!
I’ll be posting more (and including a link to you!) as I go through my journalling experience this month.
It sounds like your journal is life-altering and soul enlightening! I keep to-do lists in my journal also. It feels like a journal keeps you grounded.
How great is it that Samara O’ Shea left a comment? =)