My Love of Journals

When I was a young girl, like many other women I am sure, I kept a diary, but I did find it boring recording the daily events, what sports matches I was playing in, or who I had a fight with, or who I fancied at school, so my diaries transformed into journals instead. My first journal was a scrapbook journal, writing about the places I was going, the people I was meeting and keeping all the little bits and pieces reminding me of the occasions when I had so much fun.
Over the years my journals became more personal and included drawings, cuttings from magazines and anything that would express the way I was feeling. I have kept journals for almost 40 years and still have most of them. Don't ask me how I have managed to keep them with the amount of moving I have done over the years, but perhaps they became as important to me as photo albums so I took special care of them I don't know, but I am glad I still have them.
When my 3rd marriage came to an end in 2005 I buried myself in my journals it was the only place that I felt safe, where I could hide, explode, weep, reminisce about the past that had been so painful for me. I was seeing a therapist at the time, but I was so deeply depressed I didn't have the energy to talk. I needed help but I was exhausted from talking. One day I gave my journals to my therapist and asked her to read them, which she did and as a result she encouraged me to write my book... the rest is history as they say.
I have seen many therapists over the years and could never have done without their wisdom and support, but I wouldn't be where I am today if it were not for my journals and my art either. The three of us became firm friends - therapy, art, writing.
For a long time I have been wanting to share not only some of my own journals but also the journals of other artists that I have enjoyed, either for their content, art, style of writing, creativity, inspiration or what ever.
There are many famous celebrities who journal Oprah probably being the most well known with her Gratitude journals but there are many more and I try my best to buy them for my own collection. I will share some of those too in the weeks to come.