Dear Diary; My Journals Are More Than Blank Books

Since I was 13 Years old I would write in Diaries for my personal development and emotional wellbeing. Technically I was given a robotic diary that would lock but back then I didn't know how to use it. It was during my Individuation teen years that really called for diary writing and I would write more than just the crushes I was having. Intitially it was about getting all my emotions out and also about things that were happening in my life. Everything seemed new and therefore most things needed to be written about. I was also able to write about things that people would judge me for or not understand.

When I was writing in my 20's I wrote more and more about my life, emotions and experiences. These were my most important years to write about as they were early stages of my degree and the struggle for independance. At this time I started to write about more complicated experiences, poetry, spirituality my art and academic thought.

When I started living with my partner, the formula to my writing changed. I wrote less about emotional discontent, neurosis and romantic endeavours and started to write more about myself. Without the constant search for romantic ideation my mind was free to properly explore my relationship with myself, the world and my practise. Little did I know that my practise would explore notions of the self and identity so heavily as it's pivotal point but it does make a lot of sense.

I had a lot of distractions from my true self in the first 27 years of my life. My mind was mostly occupied by escaping controlling toxic relatives and romantic escapism. From 28 onwards as I got stronger in my sense of self I also found the roots of my practise: The rise of the Self to Reach Personhood. In psychology these concepts are rooted in humanist psychology and Feminism is a big part of this premise as well.

My Journals are a sentiment to the fact that writing has been integral to my personal wellbeing and my artistic practise. Although people might not always want to use them as diaries the original sentiment still remains the same. Directing self kindness towards others shows that empowering ourselves also empowers others and it's important to foster this kind of community through my practise. We are never alone as long as we stick up for ourselves and one another.