Keeping a Daily Record

I’ve been thinking about the value of keeping a daily record–both as a creative exercise and also as a way to find more value in the (sometimes mundane) everyday. In December, I posted a picture of an ornament from our tree on Instagram for each day leading up to Christmas. It was great for several reasons, but the two most important that I found were:

I had to think about the value of a very simple object each day.
It was a daily creative exercise that I could check off my list in less than a minute or two.

There are many different ways people can keep a daily record. Chronicle Books has several different One _____ a Day journals for gardeners, cooks, and doodlers alike. This Perpetual Calendar from 1Canoe2 is interesting because it has a card for each day and a line for each year offering the user the ability to think back while documenting the day. Likewise, this Q&A 5 Year Journal from Paper Source asks the user to answer the same questions for a 5 year span. It seems like such an interesting way to document personal evolution, doesn’t it?

In looking back through some of my own notebooks and sketchbooks I found this quote from a talk Debbie Millman gave to Knoxville’s AIGA in January of 2012 right after she had written How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer…

It takes a really long time for
meaningful things to happen.

As I read that quote today and looked back through my notes of her talking points, I think what she was speaking to was the fact that life is a process. Design is a process. We are in constant flux, and it is often difficult to see the big picture while you’re in the middle of the day-to-day.

But if you start to look closer at your day-to-day, I think there are some interesting things to be found. Two other notes that I found meaningful from that talk said…

Say yes!

Be aware of how you limit yourself.

So here are a few thoughts about keeping a daily record.

It is good to take note of where you are each day. What you’ve done and what you’re thankful for, what records you’ve listened to, what books you’re reading, what you cooked for dinner.

Forcing a habit that might seem uncomfortable at first is a great way to break through creative block. Record a little bit about your day (regardless of whether it’s a picture on Instagram or a line in a journal) and you may find yourself coming back to it later and seeing a little inspiration. David Sedaris, one of my favorite writers, has kept a journal for over 30 years. In 2009, he did a Q&A with readers of The New Yorker and said this…

I’ve been keeping a diary for thirty-three years
and write in it every morning. Most of it’s just
whining, but every so often there’ll be something
I can use later: a joke, a description, a quote.
It’s an invaluable aid when it comes to winning
arguments. “That’s not what you said on
February 3, 1996,” I’ll say to someone.

Use a daily record to help you see the bigger picture. Look at the details. Are there patterns? Can you see mistakes you’re making? Limits you’re putting on yourself. Do your priorities begin to emerge?