Following on from last Wednesday’s blog post, I thought it would be interesting to compare and contrast the word count from the week leading up to Christmas when I used the intentional journaling pages with the past week in my lined journal.
I completed the intentional pages on 5 of the 7 days and averaged 137 words per day. My highest daily word count was 148 and the lowest was 123. Last week in my freeform journal I wrote an average of 258 words per day, putting in 408 on my highest day and 169 on my lowest. I wrote on all 7 days. My least wordy day in the freeform journal was “better” than the most wordy day on the intentional pages.
The above, of course, only covers quantity and doesn’t touch on quality, but the quality of journal entries is a highly subjective matter. Since the aim of the intentional journaling was to encourage me to set and complete tasks, I’m happy to say that moving back into a notebook for journaling made no difference. If I want to do a task, or need to do it, it will get done. If I don’t want to do it and nothing bad is going to happen if it’s not done, then all the tricks in the world won’t make me do it.
As far as the writing experience goes, in my journal I wrote exclusively with my little Kaweco this week. I’ve been working through a fill of Waterman Inspired Blue and am now running on fumes. Small splashes of colour have been added in Diamine Wild Strawberry which is inked up in my Waterman Exception.
I am really feeling the Kingfisher blue vibes right now and straying down a rather dangerous path of wondering whether my choice of colour for the William Hannah notebook may have been misguided. The burgundy and petrol combination was the option I liked most when I originally bought the notebook. At that time, my ultimate choice would have been navy blue leather outside and either kingfisher or crimson suede inside. Navy wasn’t available in the custom options back then or I might have been sorely tempted. Now, there is a standard option for a pebbled purple outside which I like a lot with both the kingfisher lining and the fuschia lining. But that needs to live in the land of dreams whilst me and my burgundy/petrol notebook get on with our real life. After all, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
Pam Alison Knits 
Quality is always subjective but as it is your jopurnal it is all good. BTW, I love that box. Wait, no Hemispheres?
I agree so much about quality being subjective. Since recently watching a YouTube video by Hemmingway Jones where it became apparent that he hides some cheap old spiral notebooks he used as journals in his early years behind a row of much more aesthetically pleasing bound books, I’ve had a bit of a brain-worm about how a set of really cheap reporters’ notebooks could look just as pleasing as the most expensive journals. And no, no Hemispheres in the current lineup. It can only be a matter of time, though. The Namisu Orion eats through ink like nobody’s business, so I know when I’m journaling with that I get to fill another pen quite quickly.
And the WH prices have gone up!!
Strange the way it works – I am not journaling as religiously as you but when I do, like you, I am writing more even when being brief and definitely more than when I was trying to work with the intentional pages so have to assume that the stricture of the “intentional” approach just isn’t for me.
I am currently finding that the WH doesn’t travel with me as my daily planner it remains at home on my desk. The Traveler’s Company I take pretty much everywhere and transfer entries as relevant to the WH when I get home………a bit of duplication but strangely it feels that it is working or not frustrating or irritating doing it twice. I suppose weirdly it helps fix things in my mind!
You are quite correct we do appear to be travelling on parallel paths with WH although I am definitely not looking at another one! but I am eyeing some Midori A5 notebooks.
And so it starts again – another rabbit hole………or is it the continuation of the one I’m already in!
I enjoyed the quote from Lord Peter Wimsey . In Clouds of Witness (published 1926) I was pleased to find the following from him on inspecting a crime scene: “Wait a moment. Here’s his fountain pen. Very handsome – Onoto with complete gold casing. Dear me! Entirely empty! Well I don’t know that one can deduce anything from that exactly. I don’t see any pencil about, by the way. I’m inclined to think you’re wrong in supposing that he was writing letters.”
Also, several references to Golders Green, my stomping ground.
I must admit I only listen to the wonderful BBC audio versions with Ian Carmichael, but I really should read the books. I got stuck on some rather heavy novels last year and promised myself I would find something a bit more uplifting to read this year. A read-through of Wimsey would be just the ticket.
“Just the ticket.” You already have the lingo!
I would really like to see all your notebooks you use on one photo, you seem to have lots of them. I am just content with my new ottergami bullett journal in a metallic soft pink. But i just need something to note my appointsments (very few), some birthdays and some room for mmy daily perfumes and my daily meals. Sadly i have a life where not much happens beside work, thats the problem, when you have to move too often.