the write things: my journal

I am obsessed with things and objects of all sorts, but very few compare with my sentiments about my journal. For years, I jumped from journal to journal. Many were gifts (Thank you, to each of you who have given me a journal! They are some of my very favorite gifts!), and many were special finds on this trip or that, and the hunt was half the fun! Those 75+ journals represent every size, every style, every phase of my life since I began keeping track in this way. I love their range and variety; I love the way those journals catalog my life both inside and out! And it always felt like a part of my process: the way that I could start fresh with each new journal. But for the past nine months or so, I have grown quite attached to a new journal-system:

My new journal is a refillable faux-leather notebook made by Graphique de France, which is a company I have admired for many years, ever since I was assigned to manage the "Gifts and Stationery" department at Borders on State Street. But I had never indulged in any of their journals for myself - I simply admired them on the shelves and made sure they were prominently displayed to find their eventual owners. When my life recently changed directions and I decided to focus more specifically on my writing, I found a different Graphique de France journal at a Papyrus store. That journal was Tiffany blue, also faux-leather, and had the word "Journal" engraved in gold on the front cover. Instead of being refillable, its pages were bound inside. That journal somehow felt more "serious" and was a great companion as I began my new journey. I loved it so much that I went back to see if I could find a different color! My local Papyrus store did not have what I was looking for, so I settled for this one instead. I can not believe I ever loved it less than I do now...

The gold cover feels fancy, and is made from high-quality faux leather, which feels substantial and somehow "professional," and is lovely for my conscience, too! The paper quality is AMAZING, which is something that is really, really important for my aesthetic sense while writing. I like my pen to travel a certain way across the paper to keep my thoughts flowing.  And I am absolutely charmed by the paper's gold edges. You can find more info about the journal here. 

And to my surprise, I have fallen completely in love with the notebook-refill system! They really are the most sophisticated notebooks. They contain 144 pages, and I have an unofficial goal of filling one per month, which pushes me past my usual morning pages and challenges me to free-write more often! I order them in multiples, and watch for sales on the Graphique de France website to get the best deal I can. There are different sizes of refills, and many different colors and styles of covers, as well! Here is a new blank refill notebook: (don't you think it is excited to meet its words soon?!)

I am especially obsessed with this little "post" emblem on the front page of the journals. I have no idea what the significance is, but I like to imagine what it could mean!

One other thing I appreciate about this journal is that the "pockets" in the cover allow me to store bits of paper or additional notebooks inside. This notebook by Rifle Paper Co. fits perfectly inside the back cover of my journal! 

I have found new uses (like the one above!) for the assorted blank journals that are still waiting to be filled. I will often think of a specific purpose for a new journal, since I do best when keeping my thoughts as organized as possible, and it is as special as ever to make that important choice of which journal will be perfect for my purpose! And I think sometimes it allows those journals to stand out even more, to represent new themes or pursuits in my life as I associate those new thoughts with a specific cover or the paper inside. 

This journal has been a steadfast companion since we made our acquaintance in the shop nine months ago. I have converted to the notion of its consistency, the way it stays the same, even as the words and pages take turns living inside. I still feel just as excited to begin a new blank journal, but I don't feel as much nostalgia as I did before, to let the former take its place among my other filled journals. The consistency of this journal reminds me of the consistency within myself as well: the single, focused dream I have embraced as my purpose. It reminds me to write.