For almost three weeks I have been writing in a paper journal in the evening or sometimes in the morning. The first attempts were a struggle: hand pain, handwriting was awful and pen was not the best. But after five days or so once all that settled, I again feel the therapeutic effect of it.

Two pages in a standard notebook – what happens, what I feel, what’s in my mind, sometimes with chosen topic. And important – there is no try to make an ideal journal, just raw thoughts.

It differs from digital journaling by content and by effect. When I type, it’s faster and literally a freewriting technique, when I type with max speed, forgetting punctuation marks and skipping errors. Everything to make the speed of writing as close as possible to the speed of thought.

When I write a sentence by hand, my thoughts race ahead several sentences, and then there’s a pause as I observe the very act of writing. I’m paying attention to the handwriting, to line breaks and this itself became a new layer in journaling. Not just result thoughts, but also a process. Really, I get more enjoyment from this, when I deliberately slow down and make my handwriting better. But still I mix up block and cursive letters even within the same word.

Also I often forget about writing in the digital journal because when I open the laptop, there are many other things to do. When I sit at the table and open the notebook, there is only one choice – to write (or to draw, but not in this one).

Did I get new insights? Mostly no, however I sometimes remember or come up with new tasks or ideas. But I can see more clearly my blind spots, my weak points and so on. Those 10-15 minutes are kinda relaxing also and give me a moment of closure if I journal in the evening.

Will I continue? Absolutely yes now. Later? We’ll see.