As people who publish our writing and art on digital platforms it can be easy to forget the important step of writing just for oneself.
When I was in my early 20's I didn't have a smart phone and barely participated in social media. As a result my journals were also full of emotional rants, collage-d art, and drawings. My life was far from ideal, but, I do appreciate those journals and the snapshot of that experimental version of myself.
About six months ago I started to document the changes of the seasons in my journal. It is just as simple as creating a title spread for each month, writing out the name of the month, and gluing some of my favorite finds characteristic of the season.
In the future I wish to have loads of curated notebooks and personal journals to look back on each phase of my life. So I set to work creating a book that reflects where I am now; living a simple life in our rural cottage and the surrounding forest.
The journal starts in October when I took a trip home to North America. Just before leaving for my trip I found three four-leafed clovers in the pond by our cottage and took them along as good luck charms. From my mom's garden I collected oak leaves and other tokens of fall.
Back in South America the season of the herbal harvest's had begun. November is a very abundant time and I documented here the harvest of Ginkgo, flowering tips of Linden, and a sprig of Jasmin flowers. With the brightness of spring I also felt the presence of ephemeral beings all around and added these faded images of fairies as well as an image of the mythical Melusine.
January, though bright and sunny was also very dry. The summer rains came a bit late this year and this section of my journal reflects that the only flowers in abundance were the daisies.
Then the rainy season arrived! All the flowers I had planted months back began to bloom and take over the garden. Cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers grew past the crops and have been a beacon for all the local butterflies. Never before had I dedicated so much space to just growing flowers. I am glad I did as this may very well be my last summer gardening here.
Now that it is March the weather is still very hot and there are plenty of flowers though the first signs of autumn are making an appearance. This transitional time is my favorite of the year and I am excited to document this and the seasons to come as they will be my last in this particular plot. All the more reason to make a splendid display of the blossoms and leaves of the months to come.