Broadly, divergent journaling is a process that allows for incorporating various journaling methods in a single location.
I am a mom, wife, and artist. But I also wear many other hats; this is part of being human. I am a daughter, a sister, a grandma, a chef, a laundress, a maid, a fashion consultant, a business owner, a writer, a therapist, a friend, a neighbor, and sometimes even an indifferent observer. This list could go on and on if we were to be honest. It’s a list I think everyone should sit and make about themselves. It helps to look at your life and see everything you are to yourself and those around you.
Being divergent means to develop in different directions, to move or extend in different directions from a common point. It also means to diverge from a standard, to be different. In my journal, I write, draw, paint, save quotes and lyrics, plan, manifest, show gratitude, track habits, keep a travel log, etc. Happily, I compile all of these things into one central location. I am different; I am divergent. I am the divergent journaler.
Defining Divergent
The definition of divergent, according to Merriam-Webster, is “moving or extending in different directions from a common point or differing from each other or from a standard.”
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of divergent as an adjective is “different or becoming different from something else.” They further explain that it is “considering many different possibilities, especially unusual ones, in a way that helps you to think of new ideas or solutions.”
In summary, being divergent means going your own way, and sometimes it seems odd or out of place to others. You may think outside of all of the boxes; you may put things together that others would not. You may be creative, but you may not be. It just means being different. I am divergent.
Defining Journaling
According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of journaling is to keep a personal journal, to enter or record daily thoughts, experiences, etc., in a journal.
Journaling has long been used by people of all walks of life. You will find the practice utilized by the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the nerds and the artists, and anywhere in between.
There are many forms of journaling, such as reflective daily journaling, planning, memory keeping, gratitude journaling, prayer journaling, etc. In the journaling community, keeping each form in individual journals is common. The bullet journal community is where these things started coming together into one location. However, many people find this structure confusing and overwhelming; some even find it daunting or intimidating.
Defining Divergent Journaling
Now you understand what divergent means as well as what journaling is. Divergent journaling is where it all comes together.
Divergent Journaling is not just the act of keeping a personal journal. It also encompasses a wide range of ideas, thoughts, methods, and experiences in one book. It’s about picking and choosing the bits of each method or technique that you like and using it. Divergent journaling is about drawing that flower on the page and then writing around it, drawing out a habit tracker you found in the bullet journal community, and maybe only using it for a couple of months. You can combine your manifestations and gratitude into one paragraph. You can do everything you want, whether or not anyone else thinks it’s ‘right.’ What is right for them certainly may not be right for you. And that, my friends, is perfectly acceptable.
What My Journal Is To Me
My journal is more than just a book. It is more than just a notebook or a journal, more than just a collection of thoughts and ideas. My journal is my friend, my closest and most trusted confidant, my therapist, and the very center of my soul. Because of this, I can pour out my soul whenever I feel the need and in any form. Sometimes, that form will be in writing, sometimes in art. My friend doesn’t judge me for what I feel or think at any given time.
The only criticism I ever face in my journal comes from myself. This sacred space teaches me things about myself, my feelings, and how I interact with others. Also, it helps me and guides me to organize my overwhelmingly sporadic thoughts and ideas. I use it to get geared up to face the day, and my journal doesn’t mind if I talk once, twice, or fifteen times a day. It is just there, patiently waiting and willing to help me when needed.
The Pressure and the Release
Over the years, I have tried out a variety of journaling methods. At one point, I had seven active journals. A daily journal, a bullet journal, a gratitude journal, an art journal for acrylic, an art journal for watercolor, a doodle journal, and a travel journal. Holy cow, I even had a commonplace book. I guess that’s eight, but who is counting, right?
The pressure of having so many books and the time it took to maintain them was something that I did not like. If I neglected one or the other for too long, I felt like I was failing. This is a feeling that should never be in your journaling experience. You can’t fail at journaling unless you don’t do it at all.
And yet, there it was. A hovering pressure, a sense of failure that needed to be released. I decided to stop. Then, I pulled in the pieces of each area that I wanted to include. Sometimes I write, and sometimes I paint. Now, I do all of the above in the same book.
In conclusion, it’s essential to understand that no matter how you journal, you are doing it right. If you only do daily journaling or bullet journaling, it’s okay; you’re alright. However, if you are using bits and pieces of different methods or techniques, then you are probably a divergent journaler, too.
So, you do you and let the world do as they will.
Happy Journaling!
Sarah G.
