- Question.
How much of this is all gonna be public?
Like if I write in there about
my deepest, darkest fantasies,
will this be displayed to the people of YouTube?
(upbeat piano music)
- So I was thinking about my first time journaling,
and I was in sixth grade,
and I'd written this journal,
and my friends found the journal,
and read it out loud,
and laughed at me,
so I through the journal in the trash.
- I kept several journals as a child.
I would write who my crush was,
and what I wanted to do to my enemy.
- I'm coming in as a grown woman,
with no journaling experience.
- I had this rad Farrari notebook,
and like every other journal I've ever had,
I did about three entries,
and then that was the last entry.
- Kinda hoping that maybe I'll at least
fill up half the book.
- I'm excited to journal,
because this is gonna be retribution
for my stolen journal,
when I was abroad, in college.
- [Allison] Olay, it's journal time.
I'm in my bedroom.
There's my journal.
It's happening!
- I'm hanging out in the back of my mini-van,
and I'm about to do
my first entry,
in my journal.
- So far, it's been kinda tough
cuz I'm outta practice, my hand hurts,
and I'm not exactly sure
what I'm supposed to be writing about.
- I have usually been journaling so far,
in the evenings, in my dining room,
which is where I am now.
- Hmm. I haven't been doing that well.
I'm gonna be honest.
- (energizing music)
- [Colin] I spend way too much time sitting there going,
"I should be journaling! I should be journaling!"
Don't you guys do that?
- Oh. It just comes out.
It's like word vomit for me,
and drawing vomit.
I'm just like all over the place in this thing.
And then my cat plays with this string,
and it's so cute and amazing.
(laughter)
- At first, it was like, what do I want to write about?
And then it's just kinda like coming out of me.
- I mean, it is interesting to have a journal,
which feels like the offline, most inner thoughts,
versus like all the social media that I work in.
- "To me it's seems like Instagram and Twitter,
"and all of those things are such a carefully,
"architectured version of how someone
"wants to present their life.
"And journaling, essentially, at least for me,
"about the messy, complicated,
"not-so-sunny thoughts."
- You know, Hillary got that journaling
versus Instagram thing in my head,
and I haven't stopped thinking about that.
And she's totally right.
It's very, very introspective.
- Journaling is the opposite of Instagram.
and I've never journaled before,
and I've definitely Instagrammed before.
And it's interesting to do both, in the same day.
- I'm a journaler at heart.
It's just a way to create every day,
in some type a way.
"When did you stop dancing?"
"When did you stop singing?"
"When did you stop being enchanted by stories?"
"When did you stop finding comfort
in the sweet territory of silence?"
I think the question I would ask myself is,
"When did you stop creating?"
I'm enjoying just kinda taking
this time for myself every day.
- So I've been journaling a lot
in my van, parked places.
I like to do it,
cuz new environment is kinda inspiring.
- My boyfriend is recording with his band right now,
and I'm doodling in my journal.
It's really fun to draw and write in my journal,
while I'm around such creative and inspiring people.
- So I think I'm getting a little bit better
at this journaling thing.
I've realized I can write down the weird dreams
that I have about Tina Fey.
- I've been trying to have a little bit more fun
with the journal,
and do drawings and stuff.
But it also just feels like a chore, all the time.
Just like my nightly home work assignment,
draw in the journal.
- This one I think you'll enjoy.
- "I am so overwriting,
in this damn book, all the time."
- I quit!
So I'm not that into journaling.
What are your reasons you don't like it?
- I write nothing important.
- It's like, "I bought a projector, today.
"Let's see how I like it.
"I've been trying to figure out the best way to set it up.
"I need a screen."
Why did I write that down?
You know, in retrospect,
I wish I'd a hired a journaling ghostwriter.
- I think the number one thing I learned,
I don't want to journal to like, reflect on my life.
I think it's more fun
to talk about silly, weird stuff.
"Red ink. Red book. Red shorts!"
I was writing this while wearing red shorts,
with a red pen, in a red book,
so I was really excited about that.
I realized that being looser
really allowed me to have more fun with it.
- Instead of going through Instagram,
or going on Twitter or whatever,
I would doodle in my journal for a second,
and I liked that a lot.
- I learned there's a reason
I haven't been journaling, for so many years,
cuz like journaling is not my fav.
- I think my big take-away
was that journaling should be used as a sketchpad
for your ideas, and your thoughts.
A place to let your mind wander.
- I feel like there'll be another period after this
where it'll make sense to journal again.
- Well I love that my cat loves the string.
That's like my favorite thing ever.
My cat loves journaling, just as much as I do.