Memory-keeping: a diary with a difference ...

Where has the year gone? seems to be the global refrain this month, as we sail past the Summer Solstice and settle into July. With six months of the year behind, I've been flicking through my own version of The Documented Life Project started in January for simple memory-keeping. (You'll find the official project here at Art to the 5th.) Should you be toying with the idea of something similar, or wondering about an alternative to Project Life, I have some information and reflections for you today on this kind of memory-keeping ...

The structure

• I loved the concept of the tip-in pages: these are additonal sheets of card or paper fastened along the outside edge of a diary page with washi tap to create a flap.

• Choosing a cheap shop-bought diary and taking it apart to make a six-month diary with a spiral binding (using the Bind-It-All) was a good decision - otherwise I'd have ended up with an unwieldy Moleskin which was thin on the left at the spine and hugely thick on the right at the outside edges.

 

The contents

• The two-days-to-a-page format was just enough space for helpful memory-keeping: recording the events and the flavour of a day. Yep, there are blanks, but I'm OK with that - it takes time to make diary-keeping a habit!

• In the original project, the tip-in pages were added in advance. As I didn't follow all the mixed media prompts, a number of mine were unused; in future I'll add them as needed. What else did they get used them for? Oh, all sorts of things!

            - freebies from magazines were turned into pockets and more flaps, with additional stories inside
            - little drawings by my daughter or samples of pen-and-paper games with the grand-children
            - hand-painted booklets holding thoughts and observations
            - journalling for Ali Edwards' One Little Word project
            - snap-shots that probably wouldn't make it onto a scrapbook page but were redolent of the moment

            - dollops of mixed media experiments from a variety of on-line classes
            - postcards and special cards from family and scrapbooking friends
            - memorable quotes and pieces of poetry which took my fancy
            - any other fragments of my life I wanted to collect and hold together in one place

• It was perfect for more substantial booklets too - this recent holiday journal is the first I have ever managed to complete en route and in the field, so as to speak. It will be invaluable when I come to scrap the hundreds of photos, and contains receipts, leaflets, tickets ...

In the light of experience ...

• I'm trying a few modifications. This next one for July to December is spiral bound at the top, like a Reporter's Notebook, to make writing from left to right easier and smoother: that spiral can get in the way!

• the Leuchtturm elasticated pen-holder, bought in a stationery shop, was perfect and stayed stuck to the back inside cover like, well, glue - I am sure they could hold shelves up with whatever they used. This time, I've moved the pen-holder to the foot of the pages, rather than at the side, and it's hidden by the front cover.

• I'll be experimenting with mini-scrapbook pages: watch this space!

• More drawing/sketching would be good. The next series of Sketchbook Skool is about to start :).

What's it good for?

• It holds memories. I like capturing at least some of the details of the day. When I look back, it brings what has happened freshly and vividly into view again. And, of course, as Gwendolen remarks in The Importance of Being Earnest: “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.”

• It nourishes creativity. When days are full, a small page does not seem so very daunting. Even just making a quick pocket or flap from a bag of marshamallows keeps creativity flowing.

• It lets you try things out without lots of fuss. A quick dab of a new ink on a letter stamp to begin a paragraph; a five-minute play with a stencil and a bit of paint and you have a pretty flap to add; a technique you've read about on a blog and are not sure where to use - well, there'll be somewhere in your diary for it, and it'll be there to refer to for the future.

• It acts as preparation for other forms of scrapbooking, or digital photobooks. Stories and bits of realia are already safely stashed away and even if you never do anything more with them, you have captured and documented life as it happened, through your own eyes.

As you can probably sense, I have become an enthusiast. This diary-with-a-difference, in the midst of busyness, fractured days and unpredictability, is proving a lifeline - in more ways than one!

Hoping there's been something to grab your attention or to interest you today, and that you have a lovely weekend wherever you are ...

Comments

[Nathalie]

What an awesome project! It really reminds me of the "original" scrapbooks from long ago.

[Paul B]

Fascinating journal! I admire that you have found and continue to modify a way to journal which fits you. I could do with learning a lesson or two from you especially regards commitment and focus. Your enthusiasm is infectious. i am going to save this post and read again later and be inspired to think about keeping a diary again. Looking forward to seeing the creativity your memory keeping will produce :) Pxx

[Karen]

Such coincidences! Cheri just posted her version of The Documented Life, and I've been following the blog and several of the artists for awhile now. After several unhappy attempts at art journaling, I decided I needed a more structured approach, and am about to get underway. I'm going to use a Dylusion journal I already own, and create my own calendar pages. I already keep a daily diary, so I'm in the habit of that. For me, this is a way to explore some art media I'm unfamiliar with. We'll see how it goes, but I am delighted to see your pages, and will be happy if mine are half as attractive as yours!

[Jacky S]

I think it's important to find a way of documenting that suits you.....it was so interesting to read your post after reading Abi's one on how she is documenting her year.

[Mary]

Oh Alexa, I LOVE this!! what a creative way to journal!

[Jen Hart]

This is fantastic and I am glad you have given it a real try and are happy with it. I think this would be perfect for me before long as the children age and no longer like me sticking the camera in their zone (well we are long past that point really :-)).

Your examples and instructions are really clear and it is a lovely blog post. Thanks you.

[Prairie Jill]

Oh, this looks wonderful! I love the way you've adapted the original project to suit your needs and create these beautiful collections of memories.

[sandie]

Wow Alexa, I am in awe. Sadly my own diary has been left neglected but it's not too late to start over. I resigned from my paid work this week so I am breathing a sigh of relief and looking forward to hours that I can call my own. So thank you because your post has inspired and motivated me to give my diary new life and energy. It will show life before and after employment!
I have been very quiet on the blog front both visiting and writing. But hope to catch up and I am SO glad I a came here today you have started my morning with a big uplift xxx

[Alexa]

Sandie, I think would be a perfect addition to your camper van :).

[Susanne]

This is a fabulous post - you've shown me so much and given me lots to think about - what a creative treat! Thank you.

[Cheri]

This is so exciting Alexa! I don't know how I missed the point of your original post early in the year (I'm sure I read it, just didn't click over to the links, silly me). I only stumbled on DLP in May and fell absolutely in LOVE with the concept! I'm already thinking about next year and doing something NOT in a moleskine journal. I don't think it would be all that difficult to add my own calendar pages. Will just have to see where it goes... So now I'm hoping that you'll post lots more pictures of yours as you go along (I enjoy the inspiration) and can't wait to see how the top binding idea works out for you. Way to go!

[Lisa H]

This is a beautiful project. I love the idea of keeping a diary but have yet to find a concept that clicks with me. I'm in two minds about PL and this looks interesting too. I'm sure it's beautiful fir you to look through at the end of the year!

[Sian]

It's stuffed with "dollops" and "fragments" and postcards..what's not to love? Kind of like this post, then..which not only has given me some lovely photos to admire, but has also taken me back to the days of a school play and the friend who is joining in the postcard exchange? she was Lady Bracknell!

[Melissa Gross]

This is a great project & your tips and thoughts have been very helpful. I've been contemplating goals and projects for myself as my 45th birthday approaches later this month & am considering some type of daily diary/thankfulness calendar, so these tips have been very timely!

[Melissa]

Thanks for sharing all this with us, what a fantastic combination of creative diary keeping. I have been a sparodic diary keeper since I was a teenager and am just starting a new one, although more of a catch everything and much less creative, although you have inspired me to add a little flair now and then.

[rinda]

It's been so interesting to read everyone's recent thoughts on memory keeping. I think my blog has become a huge part of memory keeping for me in the last few years.
Rinda

[Sinead]

I love this Alexa, what a brilliant memory-keeping project! It's so great that it preserves all those memories and those little tabs are gorgeous. I completed a travel journal last year for the first time and really enjoyed it. X

[sheena x]

I love how you have found a way to journal that suits you x

[Honoré]

I am so glad you wrote this post. I too started TDL in Feb and then, somehow, somewhere along the way, it fell off my radar screen. Love the reminder and motivation to resurrect it...your post has given me an idea for using it In a different way -especially since I'm not making much progress on the Project Life front these days. Anyway, I'm going to mull my idea over a bit and I'll let you know. This is a great post. Thanks for the inspiration and the great ideas. TBC.
Cheers~

[Yvonne Yam]

Well, I'm glad that after all the tweaking, you finally found a system that works for you and your lifestyle. It looks fabulous!

[Relyn]

This is a fantastic project! I have many, many lopsided moleskines just as you described. I may have to learn how to make my own as you did. It looks wonderful.

[Becky]

What a great journal! Hope that you have as much fun with the second half of the year :)

[Missus Wookie]

Oh this is such a treasure - I'm glad you kept it up. I like the ideas of changing the format and adding in mini books such as the holiday journal.

[Linda]

This sounds like a wonderful project! Think I will look into it a bit more for myself! I am doing a PL sort of project, but the problem I find is that if I haven't got a photo I don't document the event. This sounds like a better way of making sure everything is documented. Thanks for sharing:)

[Pink Ronnie]

The tip-in pages are a wonderful idea!
Ronnie xo
p.s. Thanks for visiting my blog recently.

[Linda P]

Great post! Love the idea of the travel journal on one of the tip-ins :) I am using a 5x7 book that looks like a mini composition book. So far it has worked really well. I also decided to do the tip-ins as I went because I have several that I did nothing with!