By Erin Vanderkarr
People journal at different times in their lives and for various reasons. For me, journaling is a very therapeutic experience where I can write out all my thoughts and ideas, about almost anything. I still have my first journal from when I was 10 years old, and it is a fun experience for me to go back and read old entries over nine years of my life and see how much I have grown since then, what things have changed, and what still relates to my life now.
I have a stack of journals in my bedroom that have been piling up because of how getting ideas down on paper helps me. A lot of them are filled with many different experiences. Reading my old journal entries helps me put things in perspective.
I love writing ideas, poems, songs, my goals in life, and more. Journaling has been one of my outlets for me to pour out my thoughts. Going back and reading my old entries is a weird experience, but it reminds me that what I write down now, I can eventually look back on and move forward. Since I also write down ideas for songs and poems, I can revisit these ideas to create new works that I want to eventually put out, or just for myself to reflect upon.
Many of my entries are personal to me and a lot of them relate to music and my experiences with music. I have also tried to write short stories, mostly when I was younger. I attempted to write science-fiction novels when I was younger but I did not have success in following through with my ideas, unfortunately. I hope to come up with new ideas soon, and that what I manifest or write in my journals will help me grow as a writer and person.