All posts by Sandy

Inspirations, Tips and Tricks

Journaling In the Square

Here’s an idea: why not start a journal on a pad of quadrille paper? You know the stuff I mean-draftsmen and other people with a technical bent use it to help them create drawings and sketches with proportion.  You can buy pads of the stuff at an office supply store, or even at your favorite big-box department store. You can even print it out for free at http://www.printfreegraphpaper.com.

Now that you’ve got it, what can you do with it?

Graph paper is wonderful for doodling. You can create some remarkably symmetrical images with very little effort. Just let your pen roam freely, then fill in the missing pieces to please your artistic eye.

You can sketch accurately with graph paper, too. If you are trying to capture a visual idea, you can use the guide of the graph paper to draw things in proportion.

It’s fun to put shadows onto drawings. Try shading where a shadow would go.

Take your best shot at creating decorative, graphic lettering to match your current topic and mood. No reason not to break out the markers, crayons or colored pencils to give your letters just the right touch.

Want to get really creative? How about making your own journal in a binder and adding lots of different kinds of paper to suit your mood?

Resources

10 Free iOS Apps for Journaling

Who doesn’t like a freebie?  Now you can journal wherever you may be with your iPhone or iPad. Check out these ten choices that are currently (Nov. 4, 2015) free on the App Store:

  1. Happier: Here’s a fun little app that will keep you looking on theiphoneipad bright side. Happier is a gratitude journal. Not only will it encourage you to look for the blessings in life, it also offers several other bits of encouragement, including little classes to boost your overall satisfaction with your world.
  2. My Wonderful Days Lite: This freebie is a great way to try the app, which features passcode protection, the ability to add photos, and more. It uploads your entries to iCloud, and you can print them using AirPrint. The free version is limited to ten entries per month, though, so if you’re serious about journaling you might need something more robust.
  3. iWish Diary: Record all of your hopes, dreams and ideas with iWish Diary. This free app is packed with features, such as iCloud sync, passcode protection, photo support and more. Developers feel all these positive vibes will improve your outlook on life!
  4. Stream Journal-Easy Journaling: Simplicity is the name of the game with this app. It has few bells and whistles, but is very functional. One unique feature is that it offers “filters,” a way to easily find entries based on type and subject similar to tags.
  5. iDo Notepad (Diary/Journal): This app allows you to create short notes, reminders and more that you can sort, send to others, and even export via SMS to Facebook and Twitter. Send your entries to any other app that supports text files on your device.  Looks like this one would be a really good supplement to your calendar/appointment app.
  6. Grid Diary-Questionnaire Diary, Gratitude Journal, Private, Secret and Simple: Ever get stuck with your journaling? This app’s claim to fame is as a tool to circumvent writer’s block. It uses a grid system that contains prompt questions for you to answer. Fill in the blanks and voila! You have a journal entry!
  7. Mood Track Diary: Social Mood Tracker & Mood Tracking Journal: This one is intended to help you keep tabs on your emotional ups and downs. You can graph your mood swings and end up with a visual representation of your state of mind. If you wish, share with friends or counselors. Track as often as you like, and look for patterns in your graph. It’s not really a writing journal, but could be very, very enlightening.
  8. Penzu- Free Diary & Private Journal: Penzu takes your privacy very seriously-not only can you protect entries with a passcode, you can lock the app with a PIN number and even encrypt entries. The app also features a web counterpart that you can sync with so that your entries and journal are accessible to you and only you from any device in the world.
  9. Easy Journal: Here’s another app that takes your privacy very seriously.  In addition to the locking/entry protection capabilities, it has what the developer calls “Stealth Mode” which allows you to write in a low-contrast color that prevents prying eyes from watching what you are entering.
  10. InkFlow Visual Notebook: Oh my! If you are a visual thinker, this is the journaling app for you!  InkFlow Visual Notebook allows you to not only write your thoughts but draw them. You can sketch, design and doodle anywhere on the screen. It has the bases covered in terms of tools, with many of the same types of tools as art apps.

Have you found iOS apps that you love for journaling?  Leave your choice in the comments below!

 

Making Money with Journaling

Journal Your Learning Experience

What are you learning today, right now? Are you in the process of working through a new experience? I dollarsignshope you’re writing it down as you go! Not only will you benefit from recording your experiences, but you might also be able to turn a profit from your efforts.

It’s probably already occurred to you that writing down your daily experiences with your project will create an invaluable resource for you to use next time you are in a similar situation. Has it also occurred to you that many others could benefit from your new-found expertise? If you are working through any of a host of common life problems or situations, chances are very, very good that other people would like to read about your problems, solutions, observations and instructions for next time.

The first step is to record the daily ups and downs of your project. Include tips or “hacks” that you discover to make things easier, pitfalls you plan to avoid next time around, time estimates, money estimates, ways to save, resources that others can access for supplies and advice, and so forth. Include instructions to complete each step of the project. If you are handy with a camera, document each phase with photos or video.

Now, when everything is said and done, go back over this source material that you’ve created. Put it into a logical presentation order. This might be step-by-step, it might be chronological, or it might be in some other sequence all together, just make sure it’s logical and others can follow it.  Divide it into steps or phases if your project is complex.  Add the pictures you took along the way or some sketches that clarify things.  If you choose to use others’ pictures, make sure that you can use the pictures without royalties or permission, or pay or get the permissions if needbe.

Clean up your journal entries with a little proofreading and editing. Type them up and expand on them if you need to. Is it starting to look like a “how-to” book yet? Now consider the format that you wish to present to the public.  If it would work best as a print book, look into the many Print-On-Demand services.  Try to find one that has manageable set-up and start-up costs, and make sure that whichever company you choose has the connections to help you market your book or at least get it into catalogs with the likes of the large on-line and brick-and-mortar bookstores.

You might find that your journal is best as a video tool.  That’s pretty easy to set up as well; do a bit of research on how to create videos.  You can even embed videos into ebooks on many platforms today.

And who knows, you just might be able to earn a few dollars from your journal!

Journaling Motivation, Tips and Tricks

10 Tips to Stick With It One More Day

Having trouble sticking with your plan to journal regularly? Here are some ideas that may help!

  1. Set up a routine. Choose a time of day that usually works, such as first thing in the morning, during coffee, or after the kids head to bed. Pick a time when you are least likely to be interrupted, and maybe develop a signal to help your family, friends, and partner understand that you are off-limits for 15-30 minutes.
  2. Make an appointment. That’s right, put it right in your calendar or your planner just as if you were meeting another person. Somehow things seem more official if they are “on the calendar.”
  3. Give yourself a reward for regularity. What would motivate you? For some, it’s a few moments of free time. For others it’s an extra bit of television or another round of a computer game. Whatever floats your boat is fine! Just promise it to yourself as a reward for journaling regularly, and then FOLLOW THROUGH!
  4. Choose your media carefully. While there are many, many ways to record your words and thoughts, there is likely to be a much more limited number of things that actually satisfy your soul as you write.  Experiment, and find out if it’s writing on computer, touch screen, or other device, or if it’s an old-fashioned pen put to quality paper, or just what.  You may find a favorite pen. It might be important to write in flowing cursive. Experiment a bit and discover how you can make the experience special each day.
  5. Pick a place. Where can you get away from it all and have a bit of privacy? Picking a consistent spot to journal is almost as important as a consistent time. Your special place should be comfortable and quiet, and as private as you can make it.
  6. Save your journals. It’s quite possible that they will include some ideas or thoughts that you will want to refer back to. It’s also possible that they can serve as reminders of how you solved problems, managed tough situations, or made it through emotionally rocky times in your life.  You never know when you’ll want further inspiration!
  7. Do some experiments. No one said that your journal always has to be written in the same style. What would happen if you tried some rhymed poetry or some haiku? You just may uncover a hidden talent.
  8. Go multimedia. Journals don’t have to be all written in words. Some people actually prefer journaling on blank paper or even graph paper so they can doodle and draw to their heart’s content. Try adding some pictures, sketches, diagrams or abstracts to your journal.
  9. Change your focus. If you’ve been writing a lot about your feelings, try including your observations. If you’ve been commenting on the world at large, shift to your inner self. It will liven up  your writing and motivate you to continue.
  10. Get inspired. Find some prompts that really speak to you. If convenience is part of your equation, try signing up for the Journaling Life email list. You’ll get a great free gift and 42 days of emailed prompts that land in your inbox just when you need them!

Journaling Motivation

Why Journal?

IMG_2923_v2Journaling is somewhat of a fad right now. Check any bookstore and many other types of establishments, and you’ll find multiple shelves of journals in all shapes and sizes. Some are blank books while others are guided writing exercises designed to appeal to a particular audience. There are journals with themes, with blank pages to include pictures and scrapbooking items, with record sheets for family events, and more.  It takes the preteen notion of “keeping a diary” to a whole new level.

People journal for lots and lots of different reasons, and usually for more than one reason. Do you see yourself anywhere on this list?

  • To record daily life for children or other loved ones
  • To explore personal feelings
  • To gain or maintain perspective
  • To bank successes for future darker days
  • To experiment with different styles of writing
  • To resolve inner conflict
  • To promote healing and wellness

The list goes on, and it’s as varied as there are people in the world. And your reasons may change over time. There is no “Journal Law” that says you must be consistent in your journal. So grab a nice blank book, or a book of writing prompts, or a scrapbook, or a computer or tablet, or whatever medium works for you right now, and get writing!  It’s good for the soul no matter what your motivation is!