Celebrated Writers on the Creative Benefits of Keeping a Diary

Why do we urge ourselves on in this way, us journal-keepers? Do we fear the constant threat of backslide in us, the urge to tinker and cover up? Are there aspects of our lives – things we do, feel and think – that we daren’t confess, even to ourselves, even in the absolute privacy of our private record? Anyway, I’m sure I vowed to tell the truth, t

Michel Foucault talked of the ancient genre of hupomnemata (notes to oneself). He called the journal a “weapon for spiritual combat,” a way to practice philosophy and purge the mind of agitation and foolishness and to overcome difficulty. To silence the barking dogs in your head. To prepare for the day ahead. To reflect on the day that has passed.

Although he initially found ‘the cult of journaling’ to be ‘a bit wallowingly self-absorbed’, Burkeman tried Morning Pages, liked it, and has since filled stacks of Moleskine and Leuchtturm notebooks with an unsystematic yet productive stream of thoughts, plans, emotions and ideas.

Reflections: Personal thoughts and lessons written in a journal or diary.

La pratique du journal permet d’affiner l’expression de ses sentiments, de ses sensations, de ses idées. Ceux qui se plaignent de ne pouvoir mettre des mots sur ce qu’ils ressentent gagneraient à écrire un journal.

You could write regularly in a notebook – or keep a diary – do you ever do that?’ ‘Not really,’ Susie shook her head. ‘Not for ages.’ ‘It might help you identify what you’re good at and what you’re interested in. You could try writing every day, about the things that happen, the things you think about. Use the diary to explore your feelings and mem