The Great Diary Project – V&A Museum of Childhood
Dolls, daydreams and diaries… we all remember what it was like to be little. And this summer the Museum of Childhood in London is celebrating all those things and more with an inspiring showcase of story-themed exhibitions and displays designed to take us on a trip down memory lane.
One of the many highlights is ‘The Great Diary Project’ which features diaries from 1813 to 1996 and focuses on the lives of children at particular moments in history. From tales of bedbugs during the Napoleonic Wars to coded accounts of wild teenage behaviour during the Blitz, it’s a fascinating insight into how attitudes have changed over time and how peoples’ unique voices can be captured so beautifully in this very private kind of writing.
This got me thinking about my own diaries; there’s something quite special about my old coloured notebooks, key-locked journals and well-worn moleskins. Inside, their pages are brimming with my inky words, random doodles and sentimental keepsakes that document my journey through life.
Treasured memories; my own diaries, journals and scrapbooks
I keep a journal because for me, jotting down my thoughts, feelings and ideas (often over a glass of wine – or two!) is quite therapeutic. It’s good to get everything out of my head, and once I have, I can relax and move on. Emotionally that’s very cleansing.
Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, agrees. She says that journaling is a great way to overcome your ‘blocks’ in life and she suggests writing at least three pages of your thoughts every morning to clear your mind of clutter. This can be anything that pops into your head, from feeding the dog and dropping the kids off at school to what you need to buy from the supermarket. Julia says that by freeing your headspace in this way, you allow yourself to be more creative, expressive and happy.
Psychologists have proved that journaling is good for your health on many levels. In fact research shows that spending just five minutes a day writing down what you’re thankful can boost your immune system, lower your blood pressure, help you sleep better, increase your memory function and improve your wellbeing by more than 10%.
Dear diary… what do I write? Remember that your diary is for your eyes only. A journal is yours to create – anything goes! What words and ideas are waiting to spill out onto your page? What moments do you want to capture right now? What stories can you tell? If you need inspiration, these suggestions might help you put pen to paper…
- Summarize your day: Capture this day in your life. What did you do? Who did you see? What did you talk about? What did you think and how did you feel? What were the highlights? What are you looking forward to doing tomorrow?
- Count your blessings: Note down three things you’re grateful for each day.
- List it: Your ‘to-do’ lists may not be the most inspiring things in the world but if writing them down helps you to clear your head, do it! List fun things too – films you’d like to see, countries you’d like to visit or new skills you’d like to learn. Use them to inspire and motivate you.
- Record dreams: dreams can be incredibly insightful and they can also be plain crazy. Jot down whatever you remember – who knows there may be messages or lessons in there somewhere.
- Set goals: writing down what you want to achieve is the first step to accomplishing it. Start small with what you’d love to achieve today or this week, or go big and write down what you want to happen this year, next year or later in your life – and make a plan. Refer back to it and monitor your progress.
- Note inspiring quotes and pearls of wisdom: Sometimes you read or hear something that speaks to your soul. Write it down! Why does this resonate with you? What’s the message?
- Review it: Books, movies, classes, theatre shows or festivals… whatever you like! What’s your take on it? Which bits did you like best? What would you have done differently?
- Record precious moments: fun times with family and friends, holiday memories, worldly observations, outlandish ideas – anything that you’ll want to revisit in the future. And don’t forget to stick in photos, letters, ticket stubs, wristbands, cards and other little mementos too.
- Give your inner world a voice: drawing can be a transformative experience. When you doodle absentmindedly, you relinquish control of your left-brain and allow your right brain to take over – and that’s when magic happens! Let go, sketch to your heart’s content and you might be surprised by what you discover.
The journal of the 21st century
You’re right… paper doesn’t sync, you can’t back it up and it can’t be shared digitally, so if you prefer:
- Create a simple document on your computer to record your thoughts
- Invest in a Dictaphone and keep an audio diary
- Keep a video diary
- Write a blog
- Use Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr
- Make entries in journaling apps like: Askt – free; Collect – free; Day One – £2.99/$4.99; Hey Day – free; iDoneThis – free; Momento – £1.99/$2.99; or My Wonderful Days – £1.99/$2.99
Handwritten, typed, audio or visual it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you capture the amazing memories and experiences that make your own story so special.
Go on… make today the day you start writing a diary. In years to come you’ll be so glad you did.
The Great Diary Project runs until October 2014, V&A Museum of Childhood, Admission free; museumofchildhood.org.uk
