Journal
a newspaper or magazine that deals with a particular subject or professional activity.
a daily record of news and events of a personal nature; a diary.
This Oxford Languages definition of the noun journal is the most common one, but then I found a definition that went further about the difference between a journal and a diary, and it made me think deeply about why I called this space Le Journal Curioso:
A diary is a book that is used to record daily experiences and events as they happen. On the other hand, a journal is a personal and intimate record of your thoughts, observations, ideas, etc.
So far, I never realised there was a difference between the words diary and journal in English. Hear me out. In French, the word journal also describes newspapers or magazines as well as “a daily record of news and events of a personal nature.” But there is no other word that distinguishes between a diary and a journal. You might add intime (intimate, private, personal in English) in front of journal to add a pinch of mystery and secrecy about that black notebook (often a Moleskine or a Paperblanks for me) in which you write either personal thoughts and/or share your day-to-day life.
It is an exercise I have always done, especially during difficult times, to organise my thoughts, vent or simply develop an idea or a project. But since the passing of M., an ex-lover who stayed part of my life for eleven years, writing is not like before. The journaling I did as easily as breathing became a practice I did every now and then, occasionally. It felt forced when I did it when, before, it had always been organic. And to be honest, I think skipping journaling has made me much less focused and straightforward about my wants and needs. And as a result, I feel a little bit lost.
Yesterday was the first time in a while I wrote in my journal, only for myself. And it made me feel relieved. My thoughts weren’t the most positive, but again, when journaling, I have always written more about what tortured me. I obviously wrote about moments of joy, but writing about my troubles has always helped me process them. I rarely come back to what I write in my journals, but when I do, there is a sense of peace because, most of the time, it just shows me that I am in a much better place in life than I was when I sat down my worries on paper. And in these moments, I feel victorious. Not successful. I make the difference between those two words because I see the struggle in victory, while with success, I feel at the finish line without having lived the good and bad. In brief, when I feel victorious, I see the journey; when I feel successful, I don’t.
All this to say that the above voice note is another way I found to journal about my writing journey, hence the name Journaling The Process. Knowing myself, it probably won’t be only about writing. I will probably broaden the topics as I go forward, so please follow me on that new adventure!
In this first instalment of Journaling The Process:
I welcome and thank you to the new curious minds who chose to be part of Le Journal Curioso’s journey. I mean, I am amazed at how, since I wrote my quite successful (and here it is the word!) story, Beyond The Myth Of The Parisian Woman, I am seeing more of you here. Writing and telling stories are really powerful, and I will never cease to be surprised by their impact. I am now starting to see more of you coming through recommendations, and it is a pleasure as much as it is a source of questions. Like, WHAT made you say, “Yes, I want to read Le Journal Curioso”, even without having read anything? I guess the recommendation tool surprises me.
I discuss Le Journal Curioso's two pillars: fashion and culture/identity. I delve into how I perceive fashion and why I felt compelled to write about it like I didn’t read about it in the media. The lens through which I see the world, that is, a Black French woman, isn’t something I have read much about. After living in Italy, Germany, and the UK, my vision of Blackness has expanded, and I want to share that through stories of Black Europeans. There are some spoilers about stories I want to write, too.
I talk about balancing my financial struggle (freelance life!) and my desire to see Le Journal Curioso become one of my sources of income. I know it is a long game here on Substack, but I won’t surrender until I am victorious (ha!).
In my last story, I did a poll to know if you would be interested in contributing to a single article, and you said yes to that idea. This is an opportunity to contribute to Le Journal Curioso without strings attached and help me reach my 2024-2025 goal (i.e. pay for my driving license) without committing to an annual or monthly subscription as I know not all of us can commit to supporting every writer and artist we love regularly.
Your support means the world to me,thank you!
Thank you for reading (and now listening to) Le Journal Curioso!
#1 Journaling The Process: Letting You Inside My Head