For the first two weeks of June, writers of every genre across the globe are participating in the global #1000wordsofsummer2024.* Totally free. Totally up to each writer what s/he aims toward and achieves, any day, any number of days.
Daily writing/journaling is not a problem for me. T’is a habit I’ve had nearly all my life – since maybe I was 2.5/3 years old, could hold a crayon and/or pencil, scribble letters and eventually words on a piece of paper. Journaling/Writing is how I start my day. Is how I’ve begun the day, daily since the mid 1990s…
My initial plan for this two weeks’ #1000wordsofsummer2024 stint was to establish a writing practice to end the day. Such a practice eludes me – I’ve been trying, off-n-on since 2019 (?) … I’ve even dubbed it Ten.10.X. The idea: identify ten things that represent the day, ranging from the weather to activity to thoughts, surprises, events, etc. So, I told myself: “Turn the calendar page to June and have at it!”
Well, I turned the page but I didn’t “have at it.” The seven o’clock hour usually signals that my day is rapidly approaching a full-on wind down. Shower. Dress for bed. Gather reading and WRITING materials and settle in for the balance of the PM. Occasionally, I’ll manage to watch TV, 8-ish to 9-ish but I usually fall asleep. And I DON’T write Ten.10.X. The thought rarely (ne’er?) crosses my mind! [Growl! Growl! Growl!] What’s a person to do?
Try a DIFFERENT approach. What a novel idea! (And the author – c’est moi- falls out laughing at her own witticism). The problem isn’t I don’t have the desire or the stuff to implement Ten.10.X, it just doesn’t cross my mind. So, I’ve concluded that my approach is all wrong. I need to focus on establishing a new habit: Interstitial Journaling So, instead of just writing a daily “to do” list, I create an evolving list- a daily “done”diary, record, tracker, ongoing summary of the day’s activities, accomplishments, inspirations, discoveries, postponements, words of wisdom, creative ventures, etc., written down throughout the day at specific intervals …
Perhaps I’m making this project more difficult than it really is. I will soon find out, providing I actually implement and experiment with the process. Clearly it’s a process I can create and control. I’m the boss of me! I turned to a page in my Full Focus Planner and this quote at the top of the page greeted me: “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt.
Or as Gretchen Rubin says: “Onward!”
Time will tell.
Cheers~
P.S. This post is 469 words … and the photo of the lovely flower was in my iPhone photo library. I took the photo several years ago and Apple, in its infinite wisdom, decided to profile it today!
*There is a FAQ : 1000wordsofsummer.substack.com/ on Jami’s substack Craft Talk.
Morning Glory Studio 
What a beautiful photo of that bloom. Gorgeous! What an interesting project – 1000 words in June. You are an inspiration with all the creative ways you find to write and journal.
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I’m intrigued by the idea of an evening practice, especially one that looks back at the day, but I know I don’t have the energy or inspiration to make it happen. I’m at my best in the morning, occasionally the afternoon, but come about 5pm, I’m in wind down mode, too! Keeping a record throughout the day sounds like a nice compromise. Good luck with the new habit!
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I often feel guilty that I have not kept up with my journaling practice, but your post has helped me to think of writing in a different way. I may not sit down with pen and paper each day, but I still do quite a bit of writing in fits and starts all during each day.
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I am with you on the morning sweet spot for writing. It is as if the day and a blank page are the perfect pair… each inviting to “begin” in the best way. I wish you luck in finding a rhythm to accomplish your evening writing as well! Perhaps the idea of the evening and that filled page need a little “closing” at the end of the day?
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I’m intrigued by Interstitial Journaling, I will check out your link. I’m reading Writing Down Your Soul for Get Messy, one page writing to ‘The Universe’ and one page a reply from the Universe. I have my workbook form 2018 and I am AMAZED at the Wisdom on the ‘from the universe’ entries. Truly. Amazed. I haven’t committed to this writing for June yet, it feels really ‘big’, I’m (re)reading the book in small bites. I find I ma doing more art than journaling these days and would like to combine them much more than I have. My only evening writing is my gratitude journal which is often a list of ‘thing’s from my day interspersed with gratefuls. It works. I’m also doing Liz L’s Five Things for June and really enjoying capturing these simple moments. 😉
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