Journaling & Field Notes

Is Journaling a Hobby? And Is It the Same as Keeping a Diary?

Yes, journaling is a hobby, and a cheap one. Here is how it differs from a diary, why people stick with it, and how to make it social in Marikina.

Yes. Journaling is a hobby in every sense that matters: you do it for its own sake, you get better at it, there is gear to collect if you want to, and there are other people who do it too.

Journal or diary?

People use the words loosely, and that is fine. Roughly:

• A diary records what happened. Tuesday, it rained, I met Paolo.
• A journal is wider. It can hold what happened plus lists, plans, sketches, tickets, questions and half-formed ideas.

A diary is one kind of journal. If you write "today I" and nothing else, you are doing both.

Is it an art?

It can be. Art journals, junk journals and decorated spreads are a real creative practice, and some are beautiful. But a plain notebook full of messy handwriting is just as valid. You do not need to be good at lettering to keep a journal that matters to you.

Why people keep doing it

• It costs almost nothing.
• It needs no schedule and no partner.
• It gives you a record. You will not remember this month. Your notebook will.
• It slows your thoughts down to the speed of your hand, which many people find calming.

A hobby that can be social

Journaling looks solitary, but journal people love a table and a pot of coffee. Read what we found about journaling clubs in Marikina, try café journaling, or come write at our studio. If you want a notebook with a purpose, the Marikina Field Notes gives you a subject: the city itself.