What to do with an empty book/diary/notebook?
See, I had bought this fab custom-made leather-bound A5 book, with posh heavy cream paper, on the spur of the moment in Venice (reputed for its "Venezian" paper). However, I dragged it with me each time I moved place and I never found the courage to use it for what it was intended for – diary writing, as I do not think I would be good at writing. Since it is in pristine condition, I thought I would give it to someone special, someone I know who would use it properly. Do you think I am making the right decision?
http://www.lyravenice.com/eng/about.htm
The website doesn’t work, but this is the shop I bought it from (Lyra, Venezia), and they make the stationary by hand, which is the one place you may want to go should you go to Venice..
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Whatever you decide to do with the book is the right thing. Someone mentioned that you are putting too much pressure on yourself; I agree. I know where you are coming from, though. I’ve picked up journals before and put them aside because I wanted them to be filled with something "special." Now I get one and write what I want to in it.
If you decide to give it as a gift, do so because you have someone special in mind who will use it. If you keep it for yourself, write what you want in it. Writing isn’t about being brilliant or prolific all the time. Writing should come from the heart.
Good luck!
sounds like a lovely gift.
I do. It sounds like a lovely notebook and I’m certain whoever receives it will appreciate it and use it well.
No, i do not think you are making right decision. I think you should use it / your first entry should be why you have delayed in using it so long. it’s a great idea and you should follow through. believe it will help you
write your fav recipes in it
yes I do, because when you give beautiful things away, beautiful things will come to you when you are in most need of them.
ps. i tried your website and it does not work, it says error…….
You might be putting a wee bit too much pressure on yourself. Your writing does not have to shake the pillars of literature; no one else will be reading it but you anyway. I’ve found after more than 5 years of continuing journal writing that it really helps to give perspective on your life and insight into what was really going on with you years ago, when you couldn’t quite see the whole picture at the time. It’s such a joy to go back and read my thoughts, worries, love interests from ten years ago – even if they weren’t written well. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you force yourself to write it the first few weeks. After that, it becomes habit. Just start out writing about what you did today. Soon you’ll see that it slowly turns into a journal of your thoughts about life, people, society, history, musings about the future. But even if it is only a recounting of your daily schedule, it’s still fun to read ten years from now. It’s just a matter of discipline at first, and then it becomes a joy. Your ability to write is not important. Good luck. Have the courage to start.
enjoy it for yourself! maybe you could write day-to-day memories and events in, add photos etc and perhaps pass it on to a child/grandchild as a special keepsake?
You should use it yourself, i had many notebooks and diary’s that i considered too good to write in, but then i thought what is the point in that ?, so i bought myself a calligraphy set and i write in them each day, sometimes its just a thought, or a poem or how my day has been and how i see my life progressing and that of my children and family too, i do little sketches next to the writing and now i think they are really special and will give my children and grandchildren an insight into how i lived and thought ?.
Enjoy the book yourself, that’s why you originally bought it !!!.
If there’s anyone more special in your life than you, then you need to rethink. I know what you mean, I buy the beautiful custom leather journals for $30 each and then come home and write on my plain black moleskins. You just have to find a wonderful topic, like weddings, celebrations, family history, something that means the world to you. Keep it, you deserve it. And if you just fill the pages with drabbles, then you can just go get another one. Hey, who needs an excuse for a trip to Europe???
Use it yourself, and don’t worry about your writing being "good enough" – as long as you understand what you write, who cares?
If you feel like a kick start, perhaps try placing inside it a card or picture which means a lot to you, and write about why it means so much to you. Before you know it, you’ll wonder how you ever didn’t write. Please, please don’t give it away – even if you don’t write in it every day, but just when something occurs to you, why does that matter? It’s your book, and you can write in it as often or as infrequently as you like! And the proper use for this book is whatever you choose to use it for.
The other thing you could perhaps do is choose a particular pen to write in it with and keep them together but in plain view if possible – that way, whenever you see them, it will serve as a reminder to write something – even if it’s only that you got a bargain at the shops!!