ANDRE BEGIN

I picked up my very first journal at my university book store shortly after the little writer’s voice made its first appearances.

While I didn’t consider myself any kind of artist at the time, something deep inside told me to start taking note of these weird and wonderful words, ideas and impressions.

Without really questioning those whispers, I bought it and carried it with me in my book bag wherever I went.

The journal itself was a shining example of portability. With only 60 sheets of paper and vinyl protecting its cardboard covering, it was light and left lots of room in my book bag for my textbooks, my school notes and my Sony Walkman.

The first entry in the book is dated January 19, 1986 at 3:00 a.m., which was just a list of words that must have been bouncing around in my head and keeping me awake. A few pages later is a first attempt at poetry. It wasn’t a good one so I’ll spare you the details.

The journal followed me around for a few months until it filled up and was replaced by another one of similar size and weight.

When the career years started, I didn’t find myself taking quite so many notes during the day. That being the case, my journal found its place in my nightstand. In doing so, portability was less of an issue, thereby opening the possibility for something a bit more luxurious.

That was when larger, heavier, hard cover books made their way into my collection. When I was journaling regularly, I felt justified in indulging in a leather covered one to capture my thoughts.

The only trouble with the special ones was when I was asked to travel on business. This was before luggage on wheels was the norm. What better motivation to travel light when it came to hauling clothes, toiletries and any materials needed for the business trip which sometimes included a back-breaking heavy notebook computer.

That was when I went to a stationery store and picked up a more compact journal, one that I could bring with me without contributing further to the risk to my back’s health.

Juggling two journals was never an issue as it is not like I ever return to them with a pressing need to read the entries sequentially. But I am still delighted that I was able to record passing thoughts as I discovered our beautiful country.

When mobile devices joined the party, I was an early adopter when it came to apps to record my thoughts and to edit articles. With my first tablet in 2012, I made excellent use of my bus commute, writing to my heart’s content.

Nonetheless, the journal in the nightstand was a constant, which continues to this day, to avoid lighting up the room with a glowing screen when a spontaneous glimmer of inspiration might strike.

Today, as much as the Notes app on my iPhone and iPad is my go-to for recording ideas, there are still times when my creative spirit drives me back to paper.

Journals have filled the gap during power failures as well as when my mobile devices were running out of battery power. Also, in locations where mobile devices are frowned upon (i.e., certain waiting rooms) or where they need to be turned off (i.e., a plane on take-off or landing), I can pull out a smaller, more lightweight journal and still keep up with the flow of ideas. In these instances, I find little journals from discount stores are all it takes.

The only challenge is if my hands are having a bad day and writing for too long on a very small surface can lead to cramping. Thank you, arthritis!

For someone who has been carrying around a journal or keeping one in his nightstand for almost four decades, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that I have needed different styles of journals at different points in life for different purposes.

My bookshelf of old journals brings a smile to my face as I remember when and where each was used. The fact that it is such an inconsistent collection sometimes troubles the Type A part of me, but I can let it go easily enough when I know how much I have captured over the years.

At the end of the day, despite the availability of electronic forms of recording, I know I am not finished with journals. They have been and continue to be indispensable tools in my writer’s tool chest, helping me capture my brainstorms when technology is not the best option.

Did you enjoy this post? If you did, your likes and shares are most appreciated.
If you haven’t already, please check out the rest of my blog at andrebegin.blog. From there, you can click on the “Follow” button to receive future posts directly in your inbox.
Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André