Very many moons ago I made a wooden ’journal’ or even a ‘telephone message pad’ for my wife for Valentine’s Day. Painting it and then distressing the look by applying sandpaper to rub back the whole ‘painted on two different coloured layers’ look. Then subsequently Briwax-ed the finish. It was fun working with wood which was recycled. I would love to now house handmade paper inside totally. However, inside are 3 small past message entries from my daughter at a younger age and 2 from the grandchildren. All other pages are blank. So will leave it as it is. My wife’s daily writing is in her diary. So this was never a journal possibility in reality. I buy a diary for her every Christmas. So she never used this wooden impractical gift with intent. She loves the application of my making this sentiment though.

YOU CAN TAP ON ANY SMALL PHOTOGRAPH WITHIN THE BLOG AND IT WILL ENLARGE TO REVEAL ALL THE PHOTO. THEY ARE IN GROUPS OF COLLECTIVE SEQUENCE TO BE SWIPED TO THE SIDE TO LOOK AT. CHEERS.

In using one simple diary for recording, I do admire those who can keep a sense of keeping new stationery at arms’ length. I see all forms of wonderful paper in the form of journals, notebooks, pads, separate sheets, etc.. in shops or online and I am useless. I buy it. Plain paper abounds on my shelves and in my bag and in The Den and under the stairs and……well everywhere. Mostly in the form of journals, notebooks, notepads, etc. I even get wallpaper lining paper to cut up and use by making little books from it. A tiny little bag inclusion to house paper for quick notes has been a leather tied with shoelace cover made from an old cut up leather bag. It simply covers ripped to size handmade paper. I suppose I am a bit of a fuddy-duddy for little quirky inclusions in my life. Comfort blankets in reality.

I found out two pieces of leather this morning and an old piece of hessian from a Victorian chair I stripped down years ago. Photo above. It should result in a nice journal cover with the hessian glued into the inside presentation of the leather cover. Bit of pyrography on the cover would be nice too. Maybe the Skwiggle Dragon.

Many of my bought journals, notebooks, etc. have been blank for a fair few number of years now. So maybe loose paper with these covers is more practical. My saving grace is that I hand a fair few of the bought stationery to my granddaughter who fills them all very quickly. She loves to simply fill blank pages with all types of artistry or words. Must be from her Mum (my daughter). She was the same when growing up. My daughter’s writing has a unique flow exhibiting a unique beauty and magical shape. It got me thinking to how we change our writing style as we become more confident in our word expression. I have my brother’s books of lyrics and poems he wrote. Kev’s writing style was totally ’out of the ordinary’. Very Bolanesque in it’s flamboyant quirky nature. An art form all on it’s own. Words apart. He died when 21 so it is a precious and valuable memory keepsake. And so this ability to put down written words and record in our own unique hand writing styles got me thinking.

Many of us use a keyboard today. Due to social media, mobile phones and iPads, tablets, email, work related recordings, etc.. In this situation it is evident that our unique nature in the form if handwritten letters production is never really seen often now. I remember the styles of my colleagues’ writing in the notes. The doctor who filled a page with about a dozen large written words. The nurse who’s writing needed a magnifying glass in order to read the content. The dyslexic nurse who struggled to express thoughts onto paper. The consultants who needed our pharmacists to translate their scrawling notes’ inclusions. I despaired that such important consultant information was not available for my own eyes, or my colleagues, to actually read and understand.

When in the role of a nurse, writing by hand in notes was obviously a daily occurrence. Long inclusions at times meant a tired application at the end of, and during, long 12 hour shifts. And 12 hour shifts ended up longer anyway. Could be by an hour or two at times. Usually a ballpoint was used by most of the nurses. However, I used a fountain pen because their tactile resonance was a whole different ballgame. I realise now with hindsight that the medium of fountain pen and ink assisted in balancing the turmoil of the nursing day to a more tolerable ambience. Strange, but true. And I have searched for research into this in the past. Writing and actual type of pen usage and chosen ink colour can provide benefits to well being.

Nowadays , in writing own personal recordings, now that the days are no longer containing writing in patients’ notes and getting writing overload, there is spontaneity. Whilst mostly writing to seek lyrics for songs, there are times where words allow emotions to bloom and blossom. Or just simply write for the joy of writing nonsense at times. Applied thought can stay with nursing days. Letting letters flow for fun can be enormously therapeutic. Nonsense goes hand in hand with considered writing too.

There are psychological benefits to putting pen to paper. There are also physical and social benefits too. Relieving stress, improving IQ, aids to motor skills and brain stimulation. Imagine getting a hand written letter in the post! The thrill of news from family or friend. Remember Pen Friends?

Now in my new retirement status and having adopted the value of choosing my own daily aims, there is the ability for the continuation of having no limitation time wise. Recording days’ happenings, writing lyrics/thoughts/blogs, aims/ambitions and intended day’s planning and interventions by hand has allowed a new arena to begin. Journals and diaries were always in the picture for my pen use. But not to a great degree. Simple and short personal diary/journal recordings at times. Now it is exciting to begin to expand as more time in application to building the Frail Autumn artistry is an intended project. In a year’s time it will be grand to sit and read over those recorded words and lyrics that will be applied to the project.

Pen and ink musings give reflection, new ideas, a different creative bent, a new found soulfulness. My personal journal will hopefully begin to become insightful again. Or just plain Summery nuts. Writing songs is a chord strummed, followed by another, then a search for appropriate melody to hang words on to then realise the song’s lyrics and in front of you is a pen and sheet of paper to scribble down hopeful creative ideas, then crossing out, changing words and re-read and sing over from the start.  Typing is deleting and getting it right with no vision of what once was. The process is as fun as the final piece.

The Wooden Journal? Maybe it will stay blank. Or maybe not. Does it matter? Not really. It’s tactile, I enjoyed making it, my wife still loves it and it sits as an ornament in reality. And it still has 3 little hand written treasures inside. Akin to the cassette tapes I found where our daughter and son were singing Christmas carols at 5 and 3 years old. Little time capsules that can never be replaced.