I'm working on replying to all of your comments, but I just wanted to say...I am blown away & heartbroken by your stories. I genuinely had no idea how often this breech of trust occurs with journaling. I want you all to know that you are deserving and worthy of a SACRED and PRIVATE place that is entirely YOURS. Sending so much love to each and every one of you
My Mom used to look through my room in every spot to find my journal. And not only that she was reading it, when I came home from school, she used to ask me why I wrote this and that and that she's mad at me for thinking/writing that. No space in my room was safe. The only way to prevent that was not writing at all anymore.
Domi Blanche I am so sorry that happened. I only had my mum flip through it once and just that cut. (longer story) I know I don't know u but so much hugs.😯🙁😢
Overall Adventures I'm slowly starting again. And since I know most people around me only speak German, I just journal in English. Best way to keep my thoughts private. Plus, I lock my apartment door, even if my parents get mad at me. (We live in the same house but I have my own apartment there) After discussing about privacy for years I gave up talking about it and just do what I can to keep them out of my apartment. And it helps pretty good.
I haven't shared this horror story with many people... but during my first experience being an au pair, my host mom read my diary. Not only that, but I had brought it to the language school she worked at. She taught english in spain. She let her students read it, and I didn't know that they had all read my diary until weeks later. Definitely one of my worst memories. After I left that situation (there was more going on than just that), Iwould get prank calls from the students reciting passages they had memorized. Even writing about it now makes me sick to my stomach. For a long time i not only didn't journal, but I felt ashamed at the thoughts I had put down on paper. I now journal a lot and I'm glad I overcame that fear. Im glad this video exists. and I hope it helps someone to avoid what I went through.
I am lucky enough to have never had anyone read my journal. I grew up with 5 siblings and I would share my bedroom with 3 other siblings, but my parents were SO strict when it came to privacy. They would always teach us that anything anyone wants to keep private, has to be respected and remain secret. And they would NEVER let anyone of us get away with sneaking on someone else's journal. I thank them for that. All my diaries might have been exposed on my desk but no one would ever open them. My husband now does the same (although I wouldn't really mind sharing my scripts with him, I usually think out loud around him lol!).
First of all, thank you so much for sharing this story! I think that is such an incredible life lesson/moral teaching for kids and I'm SO glad that your family honored one another
Maria I. I really wish I had parents like that. My parents are the kind who will say stuff like "a good parent doesn't let their kid have secret stuff" or "it's a parent's responsibility to know about everything their child says or does"
Maria I. There were years of my life where my room didn't have a door simply because my parents thought I would do something bad or private, no have said many times that they would take my devices and give them back when I move out if they found me with secret pictures or text messages or accounts.
My mom and my family used to look through my journals/diaries. When I said that they had no respect for me and my privacy they said that I was being disrespectful and kids aren't allow to have privacy. My mom also said that I'm just a kid and adults are allow to do anything. Urghhh, it's just so annoying;-;
The worst thing happened to me. My parents read my journals and they had pretty ugly secrets (eating disorders and self harm...(thank goodness I didn't write down the worst stuff) Let me tell you, it was horrible, and they actually made things worse😂 So I invented my own new symbols for letters, I memorized it pretty easy and now I write with my symbols. 😂😂😂
hello, Sophia! I need this system too, can I ask your advice or help? Where do I need to start to invent my symbols? Thank you for the idea, it's wonderful!
I have had friends in the past (and current) who do not understand that people have personal things that they like to keep to themselves. these friends would always steal my journal or sketchbook out of my backpack when I wasn't looking and I would turn around to see them flipping through it. If people ask it's not so bad, I have nothing to hide. It's just that you trust invades your stuff behind your back it hurts.
Wow, this really breaks my heart. I am so sorry to hear that and I totally agree - breaching this code of privacy really feels like a betrayal of trust. Do they respect you when you ask them to stop?
I had a friend who actually stole one from me a few years back and never returned it. It was pretty obvious it was them and still deny it up to this day
Kitty Moz Same, my current friends are like the "popular" ones and they're pretty much extroverts and I don't want to see them in this certain way but it's like they live off of teasing and embarrassing people easpecially each other. but i love them nonetheless
I used to make journals and express all my feelings through writing. One day my mom found it and shared it with my dad. I got yelled at for saying stuff about them that was “not true” and “selfish”. And one time when they found it they said “if I ever find out you are still saying stuff like this we will send you to a mental hospital” keep in mind it was just feelings about how I wished I could just disappear from all the bad things in my life. But they took it as “I wanna die” which couldn’t be further from the truth. And eventually I just gave up writing. Once and a while I would Wright down some stuff about my day but I’d throw it away after. I’m 19 now and I still don’t journal because I’m scared it will be found.
I write my journal in English. To you this might seem the normal thing to do, but to me, most of my family (especially mom and dad) doesn't understand English. I started writing a diary in english from the first place so that nobody understands what is written in it haha. My friends understand english, most of them understand that my journals are private, if they don't I just simply make it clear for them. Besides, I basically always carry my journal with me so, I'm good for now
Wow! I've always wanted to write a journal in another language, and I actually wrote some entries in German a LONG time ago! Haha, but I had to spend an hour on google translate with three other bilingual dictionaries though! Totally worth it!
I know French + Korean including English and my mother tongue and I write the things that are confidential to me in some of those languages. A plus of being multilingual
There's always a part of me that wants to write in my journal whenever I want, like, in school, as example. But my classmates are always around me asking what I'm doing, just looking over my shoulder into my journal, asking where I write about. I'm never alone, and when I'm home I forgot what I wanted to write about, or the magic of it is gone. It's annoying.
My high school friends and I had a designated journal that we would share in class (similar to passing notes) but it was a physical notebook. People definitely wondered what we were up to, but it was awesome to be able to journal in school, even though it technically wasn't 'private' :)
I totally know what you're talking about! What I started doing at school was if there were people around that would try to read my journal, I would use q cards as "fill in" journals for some of my "at school" entries. Then I'd tuck them into my pencil case and glue them into my actual notebook when I got some alone time. There were some classmates of mine that would literally try to steal my journal from my desk or bag to read it, not realizing how personal and important they are to me. So, this way I felt a bit safer in class and i could write down ideas that i didn't want to forget. I'd either leave my journal in my bag or locker. And I always carry q cards anyway, so it was normal to have some on my desk at all times :)
Looking through this comment section and seeing everyones stories about how someone they thought they could trust makes me so sad. But, seeing your comments trying to help them through it warms my heart. You're one of the most genuine, kind hearted, respectful person on youtube. All of your videos brings me so much joy. I love your videos and you are such an inspiring person to me. Keep doing what you're doing, and thank you so much for doing it
Oh the teenage years, lol!!! I was hesitant to put the burning ritual in the video because I've never actually burned a journal before, but I've heard that some people love it!!
Yeah a part of me is like, cool I understand why I did it and it was awesome. Another part of me would LOVE to read it today. Nothing is ever really lost though, if it lives inside you, as long as you honor and remember that moment in time :)
I was in high school when I broke up with my first boyfriend just because he read all of my journal. I was upset at that time and blame myself for journaling. I was frustated because I always thought that journaling was the main reason for my broken relationship. I stop writing journal since that time and afraid SO MUCH to start journaling again. After 7 years, I started feel that I need to go back to my journal. I’m an introvert person and journaling helps me so much through difficult time. I collect some motivation and courage to start journaling, and it’s worth it. I began journlaing again since the beginning of this year and I feel so much happier. I realize that privacy is the important part of journaling and everyone deserves privacy and to be happy. Thank you so much for sharing this inspiring video. Always love your content :)
I have to remind myself sometimes that the people I would be worried about reading my journal have zero access to it unless they broke into my apartment. haha Not that I'm constantly trash talking people, but yeah, there are occasionally some things in there that would be.... impolite to say in person. haha I think people are naturally curious about what is in someone's journal. I know if my boyfriend was keeping a journal, I'd be SUPER curious. I wouldn't snoop and I wouldn't wonder if he was hiding something, but I'd be really curious about what's on his mind, unfiltered. I keep my journal out in the open right on my nightstand. I know my boyfriend wouldn't snoop without asking, but just in case he's curious, every now and then I'll read him a little snippet, or point out a cool picture I drew, or mention the general topic of my entry for that day, etc. I doubt he feels excluded, but it's still kind of my way of including him in my journaling so it doesn't feel like a big, off-limits secret. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back, right? haha I don't know what I'm saying. Anyway, I don't know if it's for this reason or not, but he's becoming more and more helpful with my journaling as well. For instance, last week he found a scrap of wrapping paper that I had used to wrap his sister's baby shower gifts and as he was going to throw it away, he stopped and said, "Wait, do you want this for your journal?" YES!!!! hahaha How sweet! I hear that often from him now, "Do you want this for your journal." or "I thought you might want to put this in your journal." He teases me about it too, but it's cute and sweet. :) Okay I went off on a tangent. Your videos make me happy. :) I'm a pretty new subscriber and I find myself going through withdrawals during the week waiting for your next video. Thanks for these videos, I love them so much! And thank you for being you! ❤
The exact same thing happened to me as a teen, except it was done by my older sister and her friend. My parents would also look into my journal and confront me about what I had written. I began to censor my journal, leaving out the things that really mattered to me, the things that really affected my spirit and my life. Since I moved away to university, I feel I have that freedom back again, to write anything without judgement or embarrassment - a great feeling. Thanks for making such wonderful content, your videos brighten my day X
WHAT?! I am so shocked and sorry that this happened to you lovely! I just don't understand that breech of privacy/trust :( I'm SO glad that you don't let it stop you from journaling now in university!!! Thank you for sharing with us
Before I started truly journaling, I wrote really sad and dark poetry. Of course, this was when I was in sixth grade so my depression and anxiety were at their worst times thanks to hormones. I was also going through a minor "emo" phase, but I'm glad I never went full-out with it lol. I was writing in a very basic green notebook, wire bound, no lock. During school my best friend would always get super curious as to what I wrote in it and what I was thinking, and it would get the best of her and she would take it from under my desk to read it under her breath until I realized she had it. She got over doing that after many times of me scolding her to the point of me angry-crying, and now I've come to trust her the most after all this time. It was different when I got home. When I used to write down ideas such as pancake flavors or character names, I would put them in a voice password kids journal. At one point in the middle of the night my mom came in my room and tried to get in my journal, she got very mad at me and threatened to get a hammer to break open the cover and told me "you're a kid, so you're not allowed to have secrets. Your secrets don't matter." Of course I cried that night and did everything in my power to hide my green poem book. It would go in my closet, sideways behind my other books on my bookshelf, my underwear drawer, even in my pillowcases and between my mattress and box spring! I finally got a proper journal with a lock, taking the same measures to hide it as the green notebook. Those two books had my darkest thoughts in them and if I didn't have the fear of my parents, I would have burnt the journal a long time ago! Anyways, now that I only have a few pages of that journal left I'm not as worried about it anymore and I sometimes find it funny, and I erased the poetry from the green notebook and am covering the obvious text that's etched in the page from my heavy hand with watercolors. Journaling has been quite a trip for me, and keeping it secret has been a whole other effort lol. I'm pretty happy that I've stuck with it anyways, and I'm also happy that I found this TH-cam channel as it serves at motivation to keep journaling. Lol, congrats to literally anyone who read this novel of a comment, you deserve a cookie!
just yesterday i had to take one of my friend's journal out of the hands of one ouf our class mates. ,I told him that that object is private and personal and he said that he doesn't care and i felt really pissed off like WHY????
Last year I started a new job, one I've recently ended up leaving anyway, and at that time i had IMMENSE anxiety so I'd take my journal to work and write about what I was anxious about just to free my mind and feel better. Well, as I'm writing, one of the managers comes over just to chat and starts reading what I'm writing and decides to comment on what he saw and reading parts out aloud as he tried to give me "advice". It made me feel horrible having someone I barely knew think that they could read/look at something that (I feel) is obviously private. Never took my journal to work again when I still worked there
I love this video. One "art scar" I have and it implies to journaling is one time I was in class and I finished my test and I had no homework so I pulled out my journal to write and my teacher came over and took my journal and ripped the page that I was writing, and gave it back to me. I was so heartbroken and indignant because I was so sad for the lack of respect for my thoughts in my notebook.
CreativeJourney Wow.....I would have reported that teacher for destroying personal belongings. That's Beyond unacceptable!!! All he needed to do was remove the journal from your desk and return it after class. He should lose his job.
I know if my Mom found that I kept a journel, she would open it. She would look everywhere for it. I tried writing in the middle of the night about a year ago, and I got caught, but I hid the journal, she just thought I was doing something bad and I got in trouble. I'm really scared to make a journal, but I don't have anyone to talk to. It's effecting me badly, I found myself getting teared up over little things that should be a big deal at all. I feel like a bomb waiting to explode, I'm even crying as I type this, I don't know how to get rid off this stress. I feel trapped, how I can I hide a journal without getting caught? If my Mom found I kept a journal, it would start a fight, and she would be angry if she knew my real feelings. What can I do?
Oh darling, I am so sorry to hear this. I have a few ideas, but I'm not entirely sure what your situation is like at home. What if you write on loose leaf paper and keep it in your backpack or binders for school? Or perhaps hide the scraps of paper under your mattress? Another option is to write in your note section of your phone! It sounds like you really need to write, but you can always tear up the paper or burn it (safely) afterwards so no one can re read your entries! Sending so much love your way
Annoleam you could write online - locked WordPress account or Journaling apps with security settings. Unfortunately that's less spontaneous than just picking up a pen and paper.
Dear don't worry we both r on the same boat you can mail me at janyaustin@gmail.com if you need anyone to talk to.. Remember there is always someone who cares for u😊
Write on notebook paper and then burn it that is what I do to try and get over really dark thought so that nobody will every know what they are and it is very Therapeutic and it has helped me to get over things that I don’t necessarily want to write in my journal
i recently picked up journaling, I think its really fun. I know this isnt the case for others but when i learn a language, i write my thoughts (in that language). from where i am from (america) everyone speaks english. so when i write in arabic (since im learning that language) nobody can read them!
* trigger warning * Actually, since people are sharing their stories, I'd like to share mine. I am going into my sophomore year of college now, but in middle school, I was horribly depressed. There was nothing actually wrong with my life, but my best friend was going through things I didn't know how to handle, and I was also facing the scariest question I have ever asked myself, that of which is, -who am I-? I self-harmed and have only told three people openly, where no reaction was pleasant but also not crushing. I had support. And one of those supports was journaling. I started in sixth grade, and it's so fun to read back on how my gym teacher was the laziest person and who my friend's crush was and why I didn't like math. But I also wrote about self-harming. I don't have brothers or sisters, and only live with my mom. I hid my diary under my bed. So in 7th grade, the worst time for me that I can remember, I spent the night with my friend. I came home the next day and my mom had read my diary and plainly asked about my wrist, scars, friends; it was absolutely humiliating. I felt so violated. I was so full of rage. She still hasn't apologized to this day, but I don't believe she even knows she did something wrong. She certainly isn't a bad person. But I can't forgive that, because occasionally, about once every 6 months, she'll make a sly comment. "This is so crazy it makes me want to cut my wrists" "At least it's a tattoo and pretty, not ugly cutting scars" I also cringe at the words cut, cutting, cutter-oh my gosh. Once, recently, about a month ago, she even said something about me having cut in the past in front of one of my best friends, Karley. Karley doesn't know about it, because I feel that she doesn't need to, but I trust her all the same. When my mother mentioned it I was like OH.MY.GOSH. and gave Karley a quick look and changed the subject. Karley never mentioned it (she is so sweet and obviously knew I was uncomfortable), but my mom has no idea or concept about what I went through. I no longer am depressed or self-harm, but I will always be ~anal~ about people even possibly reading work that is only intended for me to read.
Omg I'm soooooo sorry that happened to u th-cam.com/video/6H52-brhfi4/w-d-xo.html hope this helps it cirtainly helped me with my mental health issues . When I'm alone I know Allah knows what I'm going through as one of his names is the preciever so he doesn't just observe but understands and understand you better than u understand urself so u r never alone and know that we are all loved and he has gifted us with a beautiful opportunity also this guy's voice just makes me happy to be alive :)
When I was 13, I had a "friend" who read one of my old journals and spilled all my insecurities, but I never thought of quitting because of it. Nowadays, I would actually be excited if someone asked about my journals and I would be happy to show them in person. I also wish I knew more people who are keeping a journal - it's really rare where I live (Croatia). Reading these comments, I'm surprised to hear about so many parents invading their teenagers' journals and privacy - if only my parents were half that curious back then! They never showed any interest for the journals and my deep thoughts.
Good for you lovely! I feel the same way - I wish that more people in my daily life would ask about my journals! They are so much fun to talk about!!! I couldn't agree more - my parents never showed an interest in my journals and I'm genuinely shocked/heartbroken over some of these stories :(
Oh, wow, loaded topic! I've been lucky enough in my life (save for one instance at camp at age 15) that I've never really worried about anyone reading my journal. I've always kept one. I have a footlocker full of them in storage, and another box overflowing at my parents' house, and another at my own house. My partner has strict instructions to destroy them in the event of my untimely death. However, I HAVE considered burning the oldest ones because at times they feel like a burden. There's probably a lot in that footlocker that needs to go up in flames. I used to be terrified of "losing" my journals -- but now I'm less attached to them and to "things" in general, so the giving away of art/creations is something I've given thought to recently. Great video, so much to think about! xoxo
I usually end up journaling during or after your videos. I have a page in one of my journals just labeled "Tina's Wisdom" that i write some of the tidbits that I really like of what you said haha. Also I just get creative energies watching your videos so I get right in the journaling mood. I also feel the same way about journaling in public. I want to ask people what they are writing but I'm a bit afraid they would snap at me for being nosy. I also want people to ask me because I'd love to just chat with them.
Really?! OH MY GOSH this melts my heart!!!!!! I don't even know what to say!!! Maybe we just need to start a journaling class so everyone can talk about journaling together :) :) :)
funny story. since I was a child I would watch the Barbie movies right. and there's this one about Barbie writing a diary? since then I started writing my own diary. and by the time I was around 12 or 13 I had a good number of those little diaries with those little padlocks. then I stopped keeping a diary once I was around 14 I had recipes, stories, drawings etc in all of my previous diaries but sadly around the age of 16 I destroyed and threw them out so that no one could ever see what my innermost feeelings were like at that time of my life. I'm suicidal and I tried to kill myself but I got talked out of it (obviously) so I didn't want anything left of me once I was dead and gone from this world. I'm almost 19 now and it makes me sad that I had so many beautiful things documented in those diaries and I don't have them anymore. I want to start journalling again and try to keep record of my thoughts or at least have an occassional rant to let things out.
I've been keep a journal since I was 11 and I feel really lucky that my family respects privacy. My parents always told me they would never read my journals unless they had cause to be worried about me and I really appreciate that. I think the idea to write a specific journal to burn it is a great ideas by the way. I think it would be amazing to just write everything negative that you're feeling or that has happened to you or things that are weighing you down and then to just watch it go up in flames and make peace with it all.
I used to think I hid my journals really well, untill my mum said something that I'd only written in there, got a bit suss after that haha I'm kinda annoyed at myself because after that I would destroy every journal I kept? I was embarassed then but it'd be cool to look back now I think. Now I've started journalling again I make sure I'm extra superrrr careful with them! These were some really cool ideas, I might have to go find a cute basket now 😂 awesome video as always! 💚💕
I journal and have taught journaling and this fear is so prevalent, I always write on first page these are my thoughts and feeling and are non of your business, if you still feel the need to violate my space read at your own risk the real consequences are you have crossed a boundary that will not be forgiven thus ends my trust in you. Ask yourself is it worth it?
LOVE THIS! I think it is so great to have a grounding quote/image on the first page to remind yourself why you are doing this! I should have included that in my newest video!
ladyslipper The first page is an all about me front page. I'm an 8th grader and it's common things like fav food, TV shows, movies, friends, name, current age, birthday ect ect if anyone wants this list u can DM me on IG @nahitsrenee
An alternative to burning a whole journal is to rip out and burning certain pages. When I rip out the pages I like to do it a little messy. It's a reminder for future me that things weren't always sunshine and rainbows but less painful than seeing or reading what the entry was.
I do burn my journals every few years. I make it a way to let go of the past. I have the good memories inside my mind and the rest can be let go because better will be coming. I've released a lot of anger and old hurts that way so I feel better and then I can forgive and move on. :-) So glad I found your videos! :-)
You are so right in that your journal is your sacred place to write your dreams, desires, frustrations, where you let go & be yourself in expression. Thanks for sharing this meaningful story. No-one should invade your utmost private journals. Thank you.
I used to journal a lot when I was 12. Because my parents found my journal and read its contents, I stopped journaling . I was scared of them invading my privacy again. Now that I've found your channel, I might just try journaling again and putting all my thoughts through writing. Thank you for this video. 😊
If you keep your journals your whole life, when you die someone will read them. Worth thinking about, that's reality. I'm 66 and think about this a lot. For some reason, this thought bypasses young people. I'm lucky in that one of my daughters is interested in my art and genealogy. She will be the gatekeeper.
I had a talent for writing in school but after my writing got me sent to the guidance counselor I stopped expressing emotions. Now I have to relearn. I started a bullet journal but I am trying to move towards a thoughts and feelings type thing. Thanks for your encouragement.
i find myself coming back to these videos when i’m feeling uninspired or when i haven’t journaled in a few weeks. these videos get me back into my passion. thank you, dearest tina ❤️
I've always written in non-readable cursive in my journals as a safeguard in case my brother tries to read my journal. Most young people have never learned how to read cursive or have a great difficulty doing so, and so that's why I do it.
At school I write in my notebook everysingle lesson after I finish my work (I just write stories but it's still private) and this one time when I was 13 id done all the work and was writing when the teacher took it off me without a word and at the end of the lesson she gave it back and said "Some of the stuff you write is very disturbing and inappropriate" which made me feel sick because she thought she had the right to read it all..
That's why I do not take the risk of bringing my journal/diary to school. If I were to bring it, the only place I'd write is in a bathroom stall (a little gross) but it's pretty much the onlt private place
I used to worry about someone finding my journal a lot. More so when I'm old or gone. What helped me feel sooo much better is writing a "letter" to a stranger, as if I absolutely KNOW someone will find them and read them. I write things like, "maybe you'll be able to relate to some of the things in here" or "I hope you don't think I'm weird and gross". I even write as if my future children might read them. I'll write, "I hope you still think I'm cool, and that your mom isn't weird". lol It just makes it seem a bit funny and more relaxing. Cause we're all human and go through some of the same things, have some of the same thoughts, etc..I have one note that's suuuuuper personal, and I would hate for any family member or friend to read it. So I write a warning sign that says," DO NOT READ! Very personal. If you're rude enough to read anyway, DON'T talk to me about it." so yeah.. sorry for this long comment. haha
i remember when I was in 7th grade during homework hour in boys and girls club i was writing in my journal. Then one of the staff watching us came up to me and took my journal and started reading it. i was so shocked i just stood there while he confiscated it and took it to his office to show my dad when he picked me up. when i saw my dad's car i made sure the staff wasn't in his office before i took my journal and just walked out of the school and into my dad's car. and that was my last day in boys and girls club and the last time i had a journal without a lock.
When I was ten years old, I had one of those little diaries with a lock and key on them. I thought it was cute, and wrote quite a lot in it. But I guess I didn't do a very good job of hiding the key, because one time my brother (who is two years older than me) managed to unlock my diary and read all the things I wrote in it, especially an entry regarding a boy that I thought I liked at the time. Luckily for me, my cursive handwriting was really sloppy back then. And when he tried to call me out on it and embarrass me in front of the family, he didn't even pronounce the boy's name right. I was relieved, but at the same time, yeah...he went through my private journal. Not cool. Long story short: I stopped writing in that diary, and it was a few more years before I got the courage to start journaling again. There was another instance when I was in high school-- well, it was more like a close call, really. I used to constantly carry a composition notebook around with me to jot down story ideas and prompts whenever I'm struck with inspiration, and I wasn't too keen on anyone else reading it (though, to be fair, anyone who'd read it and not understand how my mind worked would be reeaallly confused, as my musings tended to end up a jumbled mess when written down). One day in my art class, one of my friends at the time saw it on my desk while I was working on a painting. She asked me if it was my journal, and since I was too occupied with my project at the time, I just said yes, not paying much attention. However, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her grab my book and start to open it. I swear, I've never moved so fast in my life than in that moment. I managed to snatch it out of her hands before she had the chance to properly read it. She was so shocked by my actions and asked me why I didn't want her to read it, in which I just told her that it was private before I put it away in my backpack. I guess she thought that since we were friends, she was entitled to read my notebook, but there are some things that are for my eyes only. No one else. Nowadays, I still carry my journal around with me, and when I don't, I either keep it hidden among my many, many shelves of books, or under all of my papers and junk in my desk drawer.
People don't understand that you get unmotivated when someone comes at you full force telling you what it can and cant do in the privacy of your own mind
When I was like 12, my mom wouldn't stop finding and reading my diary no matter where I hid it, so I invented my own complex code and would use it in all my diaries. They look like incoherent doodles, but I still have the journals and can still read them. haha
I write a lot also and I have journals filled with writing, poetry, deep quotes, all of that. Most of them are finished and they are filled thickly and I write ALOT about my trauma and my mental health and how it effects me and in my personal opinion it's really deep, I usually show my therapists, phycologist and the other one who prescribed medicine, I forgot how to spell it omg. But my biggest fear is someone reading it, that doesn't understand mental health nor trauma and I know not everyone is gonna understand and that's alright, I just don't want them to find it and start judging me about it. So I show a couple close friends and the therapist squad (lol) I love writing though. And I hope to watch more of your vids, sorry! I just had to put this out, I saw similar things to mine, love yaaa💕💕💕
I have so many journals I don't know where I could hide them all; I'm on book 63 now. I thought I could trust my family not to read them, but my mum has told me she would possibly read them if she was worried enough about me... she's implied several times that she would if she thought I was suffering from mental illness or on drugs or otherwise in danger and wasn't telling her - out of concern, of course. Problem is, my journals are filled with stuff relating to my difficult mental health! I can't explain away all of it as teenage angst, unfortunately. It makes me feel like I have to put up an overly happy front all the time at home so she won't think she has reason to invade my privacy. I can't lock my bedroom door from the outside and I can't lock any of my drawers or cupboards :/
When my sister did this, I began punching holes on my journal and tracing laces in a complicated way. Also, I switched from my mother language to writing in English, which she hated. Worked both ways, she did not dare open them and I improved my english!
Hi Tina, i started a journal last year, because it was a very difficult year for me. Now i still do it because it helps me sooooo much. My journal is for my eyes only. Love your channel, you are so inspiring. Thank you so much for your all vídeos. Hugs all the way from Portugal. :)
I recommend creating your own written language that only you can understand. It works for me. i leave my diary just lying around with the pages open and i dont have to worry cos whoever reads will only see gibberish. 😄
As someone with a journal, i found this video very informative. My journal contains things that nobody on earth knows, and i really liked this video. Thanks!
Oh gosh, that feeling of betrayal is so visceral! 😖 I totally agree with the idea of our journals as foundational safe spaces-- I'd be interested to hear your experiences/thoughts on the flip side of this theme too someday, (or maybe it's more of an evolution of journaling experience as a fellow longtime writer)--- have you ever read pieces of your journal to a trusted friend or allowed someone to look at certain pages when you were at a loss for words in an intimate moment? For me, it's been immensely healing to bring past or present journals and go through pages with my therapist when we are working on really deep, hard stuff and I have trouble articulating verbally what I actually have really clearly written and reflected on. I'd love to hear a sort of "journaling journeys" branched off from here, where we can or might go (if we so choose of course!) beyond the fear as the captains of our own journaling ships, so to speak. 😋 Much love always!!! Sorry I leave such long comments... my heart refuses to let me be concise when I feel such a strong connection to what you share!! 😉💕
YES! One of my high school friends (who also journaled regularly) and I would randomly pick a day (ex. May 1st) and both read our entries to each other over the phone to compare/contrast how we experienced that day. I'm actually thinking about that for a little youtube series - reading all of my May 1st entries from middle school thru now! I love your references and images - journaling ships :) :) :) I LOVE YOUR LONG COMMENTS
I've journaled for years & never really worried about anyone reading them. I used to keep all my finished journals locked in a trunk, though, back in my angsty high school days, so it was much harder for people to get at them. Now, I keep them proudly on a bookcase & refer back to entries every so often. When I got together with my fiancé, I worried about leaving him alone in my apartment because he's a self-admitted incredibly nosy person; he used to ask if he could read my journals all the time so he could "get to know" me better. I explained how sacred & personal my journaling practice is to me & he on the spot promised to never read them since he then knew how important the process is to/for me. Sometimes, though, I wonder if he does read them when I'm not around because I can ramble on about something & then he's suddenly talking about the same subject a few days later. It's definitely weird. Also. Right after I graduated high school I was working through The Artist's Way & as a ceremony to honor my journey & the work I was doing on my self & my creativity, I burned all my old journals; I felt they were a weight holding me to a time in my life when I was very dark & not at my best. It was the best thing, creatively, I've ever done for myself. I felt so free afterwards! It was a long process, took an entire afternoon & early evening, but wow did I feel amazing! I don't know if I'd do it again, I use my journals now as reference books in a way, but the experience was definitely a major cathartic moment in my life I look back on very, very fondly now.
Hi Kerry! Thank you SO much for sharing your story and I'm sorry I'm so late at replying! My dream is to have all of mine on a shelf one day, but it just isn't the right time for me right now. Weird - but it sounds like you guys have a solid foundation of trust & love, so I'm sure it's all good
I saw the title, and was immediately compelled to click on it, since just like most of the others, I had my fair share of privacy breach. My classmates loves to read my personal journals, casually flipping through it no matter how much I ask them not to. Then they'll judge me for anything they read in it.
Someone used to snoop an read my journals without my permission whenever i would leave the house an i wouldnt know about it for a long time! I didnt know that was happening until i heard them try to use my personal journal/personal feelings against me just weeks after i would write in it!
My mom supports me with journaling She loves the whole ideas with making memories and being creative in my own way. I sometimes show her some things I would glue in my journal and she would approve of it looking nice and stuff
Hello! I just wanted to say that I love your videos and your ideas and thoughts about journaling! Most of the time my family will be respectful of my privacy when I journal. It was only one time when my little sister read my journal in front of my friend that I was having a sleepover with to embarrass me- I was very upset at that time, so now I have found ways to hide my journals better. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Thank you so much for sharing your story! It sounds like we had a similar experience with siblings reading our journal! I'm glad that you didn't let it stop you!
when i was 15 thats when i first started keeping a journal. i wrote all my feelings down about my father, things he have done to me, my crushes at school, literally just everything. i wasnt too scared to write it all before then one day when i was at school my mom texted me and told me my father is 'cleaning' my room and when i got home i can tell he found my journal and read it. you know whats even worse bout it? he ripped all the pages thats bout him. everything. i just kept on crying. he even gave me money and told me to just buy a new one. After that i just never felt the same bout writing in my diary bc he would do it again no matter how hard i try to hide it. my mom gave me a suitcase and he broke the lock just so he can read them again. i always have to lock my door whenever im going out but idk how he can still get inside. sigh it was just so bad. now that im 19 i got stronger and im still healing so im back to writing again because its helping me alot to let all my emotions out. im so happy that im getting better now.
I had someone read my journal a while ago (I was 12 at the time) and they laughed at what I had written. Yeah. That pretty much messed me up. I don't take it out in public for that reason. I can only write when I'm in my apartment. I live alone so privacy isn't a huge concern anymore.
My friend and I do journaling together and we kind of take them everywhere and all of our other friends know that that is our space😂 then if someone touches out journals we both yell DONT TOUCH MY JOURNAL but I love so much how much we respect and trust each other
Tips for some people here having problems with their privacy Make your own alphabet. I know it sounds hard but it will be totally worth it. You can also get inspired by the alphabet of different languages. I did this and now no one can understand wth im writing even if they try to understand it 😂😂😂
Do you journal as a dialogue? do you ask yourself questions and then let the response come? I'm playing with it more and more, some interesting things pop out.
ladyslipper have you considered doing this with your non-dominant hand? As in, answering questions w/your non-dominant hand? It's a really great tool for self-revelation.
I have wrote down in some of mine, a kind of letter to who finds it, that say I'm gone and you are reading things I'm sorry if anything it offends them but this journal was here to express my thoughts!
You're such a joy, I am so happy to see your videos and I don't normally comment and don't share on social media but just feel so amazed with everything you post that I feel to come out from my comfort zone and say something!
I leave my journal lying around my room and it has no protection really but I trust my family and should hope none of them would read it But I used to use it only for art and they were allowed to look in it and since then I started writing more personal stuff I sometimes wonder if anyone's read it and I worry that they might have but oh well
why have I never thought about locking it up? ugh. I have been feeling so stuffed and horrible on a daily thing because I had people looking at my journal. I will write weeks later because that's in the "past". I'm totally into spy stuff too, why have I not? update: after hiding one journal. I decided to do a personal journal writing to myself and have already started and already love it. I'm so excited to finally feel free to write all my thoughts and feelings. GOD! this was well timed in my life. THANK YOU
YES YES YES. Oh my gosh, this makes me sooo happy!!! I feel like hiding your journal is the PERFECT way to enact your spy interests! I'm sooo glad that I found you at the right time :) :) :)
I have just discovered your channel and I think I'm in love already 😍 you really are beautiful and you have amazing eyes ❤ I'm 18 and I used to write when I was younger (maybe I was 12 or something) and I carried it like everywhere with me. So we went to our relatives in an another city on a vacation and we had to stay at their house for couple of days and I left it at the house and went out for like two hours and I made sure that I hid it very well in my bag but when I came back I knew that the people in the house have read it and actually made fun of me cause I was young and every single one of had silly thoughts at that age and I got really mad because of it and I think I haven't written anything since then but deep inside me I love writing and actually I've written some pieces of fanfictions bs haven't completed it. It's like I've been hurt so I can't write again, it's being cursed or something. Especially, when you don't have any *close* friends to talk to and barely trust anyone and bottle up feelings. I think writing is the only way to feel better and let it all out but I can't write anything. One second I have tons of ideas to write about and the second after it when I decide to actually to grab a pen and a journal and write it all, it all disappears, and I think it's a serious problem because I've had (and still have I guess) depression and anxiety and I can't talk with anybody. What can I do?
just found your channel and not only i love your videos but the comment section as well! it’s such a supportive community! and i also have the same fear of people finding out what my “true self” is like. normally people like to invade other’s privacy because: 1, they think you’re writing shit bout them. 2, they want to get to know you and your journal is basically a biography of you (they maybe curious/interested in you or they just want to humiliate you). i’m very afraid of my thoughts getting exposed. to anyone. i got some pretty dark stuff in my head and journaling is an escape and a thought vomit process that i quite enjoy. so yeah. fear.
My step dad use to go through everything, including like my backpack and seriously just everything but he's not around anymore and my mom respects my notebooks and sketchbooks
my mom respects my space and my dad doesn't care what so ever! But... at school I don't really have any friends and ALL I do is write in my journal. So when people ask me what I am journaling about I freeze up and walk away..
i have a journal and i literally write EVERYTHING in it.But i found out that my mom reads it,i cant hide it. She literally searches for my journal when im at school,one day i caught her looking for my journal and i asked "what are you looking for?" and she said that she was looking for her phone. But her phone was in front of her the whole time 😂😂 one day she was reading my journal and when i got back to school she started asking why i wrote such a thing,and why do i think about that. She became angry and would always see what i wrote in my journal. Every sentence,and every word. So i stopped writing im my journal. Seriously,in my house there is no privacy. If you do something you cant expect that no one is going to find out. i should probably start writing again but lock my journal and then put the key somewhere where she 100% wouldn't be able to find it.
I'm sorry for the fact that a lot of people can't have privacy. I'm very lucky in the sense that my parents really respect my privacy, and I could actually leave it in any place in my home.
once, my dad picked me up from track practice and as i was chatting away, he stops me and says "i found your journal." my heart sank, because i knew that the stuff inside that was personal and my deepest thoughts. i had wrote about how i was constantly arguing with my mother. in that entry, i had called her mean names and written vile things about her, but in that moment, i felt all those things. anyway, my dad began to chastise me and tell me how its wrong to think and express that way, and that if something had happened and it might've have been my mom who found it, how differently the situation would've played out. i understood what he was trying to say, but i couldn't get over the fact that he just read my journal and didn't even apologize for invading my space like that. moral of the story, i rarely ever write down my deep thoughts anymore, and when i do, i shred the page after the anger/sadness is gone.
My experience: A while back I tried journaling on my phone with one of those password diaries. One day, my parents asked to see my phone and they found the app. They were already mad b/c I have a password on my phone (my excuse is that my school's domain doesn't let unprotected devices sign into school accounts) so when they found a passcode on that, they were royally pissed. Thank goodness the two have different passwords otherwise they might have gotten in. I forcibly took my phone back and have never let them even try to open my phone again after that. I deleted the app and just started writing a diary again today, this time in an actual notebook. Currently, that journal is hiding in one of my purses, but I'm going to hide it soon in one of those boxes book sets come in because I have some on my shelves and I already have tons of books, so the box won't look out of place.
The only time this has happened to me was in my first year of uni, last year. After a choir rehearsal we were all in the pub, as usual, and because I don't drink and I didn't know anyone well yet except one friend who had already left, so I was drawing in my journal - I tend to write or draw when I'm nervous, and I had hoped that I could draw quietly in the corner until maybe the conversation turned to something that I knew how to join in with. Unfortunately, the guy sat next to me was drunk and he saw me drawing and he asked to see my journal, and he wouldn't let up when I said "it's kinda personal" and so I eventually said "I guess you can look at the pictures, but I'd rather you didn't read what I've written"... He proceeded to read it all ALOUD to the rest of the choir who were there. He wouldn't give it back, even when I tried to actually take it back forcefully. I know he was drunk and probably didn't fully realise that it would upset me, but man it still kinda hurts. I was in a bad place generally then so my journal was particularly angsty as well.
Hi Tina! This video was so helpful. Always wanted to start a journal, but I always afraid that someone would found it. Since a couple of weeks I started to keep a gratitude jar, but I feel that too many of my feelings are not expressed that way...I think I'll start a journal after discovering this channel
Once, one of the friends of my mom read my journal. She told my mom about the content, and they discuss it togheter, without me. They discuss MY LIFE without me. After that, my mother started to sneak trought my things to find the notebook. I didnt know that time, so I couldnt hide it. She found the notebook. She read it. The worst of all was that she got mad at me because I was deeply sad. She didnt even try to help me... And she never apologize for that.
oof all these stories are heartbreaking :(. I've been journaling since about 6 years now and nobody ever read my journal. Since I'm the only one journaling in my family they do seem kinda interested sometimes but not to the extend that they'd actually read it. I would be okay with them asking me what I'm writing about, but since we all really respect each other's privacy I feel like they are "afraid" to ask me if that makes sense. But I'm really glad that I'm 100% sure that they'd never ever take my journal and read it. So I can leave my current journal on my desk without having to worry about it :). I hope y'all find a place to hide yours. Journaling is such a great thing to do and everyone deserves a private place like that to just be themselves. Everyone should respect that.
Since I was a child i used to journal but my mom, dad and brother would -even if I hid it- read my journal so I stopped. Now I want to start writting again.
I remember in high school keeping my journals (all of them lol) in my locker in an old book bag. My parents were not very big on privacy and my mom would periodically go through my room (and clean it most of the time ahaha) and I just couldn't risk her, or anyone really, reading my journals at that time in my life. I wasn't a very happy teen on the inside but I wasn't in a place at that time to share those emotions with other people. Now as an adult, I don't really care lol. Also it just me and my boyfriend now and he's not really a snoopy person. Still I keep my journal under my bed, for easy grabbing in the morning and I just like to have it close to me.
Twenties decade is coming or age first decade as adult. I once kept my journals behind my pillows sleeping there my first writing desk I turned into a headboard books sitting on mattress
No one even asked me about what i was writing. they would read it anyway even when they knew it was wrong. They would try to use my personal journal against me, without even thinking about how i felt about it. I was made out to be such a monster by those people. An that i didnt have a right to my personal feelings,thoughts, an opinions. How do I deal with people like that?an the Worse of it all was done by people within my own family!
This type stuff also happened with my phone too! They would take my phone an read my messages an listen to the voice recordings of my messages an use those against me as well, or they would ask /demand I hand over my phone. An they tell me I was lying an making shit up. It also caused problems between me an those members of my family that did that. Or it caused problems between my brother an mother when my mom would intervene or anyone else intervened on my behalf!
My brother found my diary when I was in elementary school...I got teased big time for liking a boy. I'd written all about it. I hated that feeling. So embarrassing. I've also been on the other side...I've read my sister's diary more times than I care to admit, though she never found out. Sigh. Now...I'd never ever do that. It's just wrong, and I still feel guilty, even though I'm different now and I truly understand why it's wrong. I read some things I wish I hadn't, too. That's the price of violating someone's privacy. You really can't unread something that you shouldn't have. Lesson learned.
My family doesn’t have boundaries. They’d read my journal, I’d cry and me crying is a problem for them. Then they complain why I say things like my mom puts me down and I don’t like it. But in her and everyone else’s mind, she didn’t do anything wrong so I shouldn’t have a problem. I can’t even verbally articulate my feelings without someone saying I’m being difficult
I journal since i was little, but, when i was 15 or so i got into this weird phase and just throw away all my journals. I'm 18 now, and i'm starting again in this journaling world, and i'm just so curious about all these thing i wrote, what my thoughts were back then and i regret like crazy throwing them out.
My number 1 tip is to get a travelers notebook. It is leather that holds notebooks. You can put a lot in there, so you can blend it in with your planners and other things. Hope this helps!
When I was a kid I tried to keep a journal, but I had a hard time keeping up with it regularly. However, the last straw for me as a kid was when I started keeping an art journal/daily writing journal and hid it under my mattress. My parents found it and read it out loud to me, asking who various people were or how I felt about writing certain things. The drawings were also really private, involving a lot of things that a "Young male going through adolescence" would draw. It was absolutely awful.
When she said to lock up the journals i literally thought of putting a padlock on the notebook like literally. Honestly your voice is so soothing, like i can actually listen to your words. Compared to other channels, they talk so fast and you'd get stressed out til you don't wanna try making a journal anymore
I'm working on replying to all of your comments, but I just wanted to say...I am blown away & heartbroken by your stories. I genuinely had no idea how often this breech of trust occurs with journaling. I want you all to know that you are deserving and worthy of a SACRED and PRIVATE place that is entirely YOURS. Sending so much love to each and every one of you
Overall Adventures I just bought 2 new journals but I have nothing to write about do you have any advice?
Help Me write whatever you want in your journals..it’s yours...express yourself however you wantz
Remember that you do not need to journal everything. There are things I will neither write about nor talk about, except my wife or counselor.
My Mom used to look through my room in every spot to find my journal. And not only that she was reading it, when I came home from school, she used to ask me why I wrote this and that and that she's mad at me for thinking/writing that. No space in my room was safe. The only way to prevent that was not writing at all anymore.
Domi Blanche I'm sorry that had to happen to you😡
Domi Blanche I am so sorry that happened. I only had my mum flip through it once and just that cut. (longer story) I know I don't know u but so much hugs.😯🙁😢
This literally breaks my heart. How do you feel about journaling now?
same thing happened to me
Overall Adventures I'm slowly starting again. And since I know most people around me only speak German, I just journal in English. Best way to keep my thoughts private. Plus, I lock my apartment door, even if my parents get mad at me. (We live in the same house but I have my own apartment there) After discussing about privacy for years I gave up talking about it and just do what I can to keep them out of my apartment. And it helps pretty good.
I haven't shared this horror story with many people... but during my first experience being an au pair, my host mom read my diary. Not only that, but I had brought it to the language school she worked at. She taught english in spain. She let her students read it, and I didn't know that they had all read my diary until weeks later. Definitely one of my worst memories. After I left that situation (there was more going on than just that), Iwould get prank calls from the students reciting passages they had memorized. Even writing about it now makes me sick to my stomach. For a long time i not only didn't journal, but I felt ashamed at the thoughts I had put down on paper. I now journal a lot and I'm glad I overcame that fear. Im glad this video exists. and I hope it helps someone to avoid what I went through.
she's a disgusting person.
That sounds like a literal nightmare! I am so sorry that happened to you. :(
I’m so sorry ☹️
Reading these stories get me mad like why would u do that😂❤️
im so sorry, thats so messed up
WOW
that's out of a movie
i'm sorry that happened to you
at least they're in a different country?
I am lucky enough to have never had anyone read my journal. I grew up with 5 siblings and I would share my bedroom with 3 other siblings, but my parents were SO strict when it came to privacy. They would always teach us that anything anyone wants to keep private, has to be respected and remain secret. And they would NEVER let anyone of us get away with sneaking on someone else's journal. I thank them for that.
All my diaries might have been exposed on my desk but no one would ever open them. My husband now does the same (although I wouldn't really mind sharing my scripts with him, I usually think out loud around him lol!).
First of all, thank you so much for sharing this story! I think that is such an incredible life lesson/moral teaching for kids and I'm SO glad that your family honored one another
Maria I. I really wish I had parents like that. My parents are the kind who will say stuff like "a good parent doesn't let their kid have secret stuff" or "it's a parent's responsibility to know about everything their child says or does"
Maria I. There were years of my life where my room didn't have a door simply because my parents thought I would do something bad or private, no have said many times that they would take my devices and give them back when I move out if they found me with secret pictures or text messages or accounts.
Maria I. This is amazing, your parents raised you well :')
Wow that's great
My mom and my family used to look through my journals/diaries. When I said that they had no respect for me and my privacy they said that I was being disrespectful and kids aren't allow to have privacy. My mom also said that I'm just a kid and adults are allow to do anything.
Urghhh, it's just so annoying;-;
oh this is so hard to hear, I'm so sorry. Do you have a way to lock up your journals?
Katherine Zhg Use an diary app. :)
We r on the same boat
Katherine Zhg why don't you just buy one of those password journal...toys? They have them at Walmart
Use invisible ink
The worst thing happened to me. My parents read my journals and they had pretty ugly secrets (eating disorders and self harm...(thank goodness I didn't write down the worst stuff) Let me tell you, it was horrible, and they actually made things worse😂
So I invented my own new symbols for letters, I memorized it pretty easy and now I write with my symbols. 😂😂😂
@Ethicia exactlyyyyyyyyy
Other people: I know English and Spanish
You:
Omg I used to do that! I totally forgot it! Thank u I will go back to my code to write... Thank you so so much!
I write in japanese letters 😂
hello, Sophia! I need this system too, can I ask your advice or help? Where do I need to start to invent my symbols? Thank you for the idea, it's wonderful!
I have had friends in the past (and current) who do not understand that people have personal things that they like to keep to themselves. these friends would always steal my journal or sketchbook out of my backpack when I wasn't looking and I would turn around to see them flipping through it. If people ask it's not so bad, I have nothing to hide. It's just that you trust invades your stuff behind your back it hurts.
Wow, this really breaks my heart. I am so sorry to hear that and I totally agree - breaching this code of privacy really feels like a betrayal of trust. Do they respect you when you ask them to stop?
I had a friend who actually stole one from me a few years back and never returned it. It was pretty obvious it was them and still deny it up to this day
Kriss Cheen that really sucks, I'm sorry :(
Kitty Moz Same, my current friends are like the "popular" ones and they're pretty much extroverts and I don't want to see them in this certain way but it's like they live off of teasing and embarrassing people easpecially each other. but i love them nonetheless
not that extroverts are bad (heck I'm an extrovert sometimes) and i'm pretty sure they dont actually live off of such a shallow reason
I used to make journals and express all my feelings through writing. One day my mom found it and shared it with my dad. I got yelled at for saying stuff about them that was “not true” and “selfish”. And one time when they found it they said “if I ever find out you are still saying stuff like this we will send you to a mental hospital” keep in mind it was just feelings about how I wished I could just disappear from all the bad things in my life. But they took it as “I wanna die” which couldn’t be further from the truth. And eventually I just gave up writing. Once and a while I would Wright down some stuff about my day but I’d throw it away after. I’m 19 now and I still don’t journal because I’m scared it will be found.
Man, that's rough. 😞
I am so sorry that happened, i am sending hugs and love towards you❤❤❤
I write my journal in English. To you this might seem the normal thing to do, but to me, most of my family (especially mom and dad) doesn't understand English. I started writing a diary in english from the first place so that nobody understands what is written in it haha. My friends understand english, most of them understand that my journals are private, if they don't I just simply make it clear for them. Besides, I basically always carry my journal with me so, I'm good for now
Zouari Hana haha I'm doing the same !
Wow! I've always wanted to write a journal in another language, and I actually wrote some entries in German a LONG time ago! Haha, but I had to spend an hour on google translate with three other bilingual dictionaries though! Totally worth it!
Ooh that's smart! I'm an English speaker currently learning Spanish so maybe I could write my journals in Spanish both for privacy and practice!
I know French + Korean including English and my mother tongue and I write the things that are confidential to me in some of those languages. A plus of being multilingual
Omg, such a good idea.
There's always a part of me that wants to write in my journal whenever I want, like, in school, as example. But my classmates are always around me asking what I'm doing, just looking over my shoulder into my journal, asking where I write about. I'm never alone, and when I'm home I forgot what I wanted to write about, or the magic of it is gone. It's annoying.
My high school friends and I had a designated journal that we would share in class (similar to passing notes) but it was a physical notebook. People definitely wondered what we were up to, but it was awesome to be able to journal in school, even though it technically wasn't 'private' :)
Overall Adventures that's a wonderful idea! Maybe I will try it with my friends sometime :)
Fenna Granger, get a regular composition notebook or something and pretend that you're writing notes or something
Aspen Jones, that's an great idea! Thanks for helping :)
I totally know what you're talking about! What I started doing at school was if there were people around that would try to read my journal, I would use q cards as "fill in" journals for some of my "at school" entries. Then I'd tuck them into my pencil case and glue them into my actual notebook when I got some alone time. There were some classmates of mine that would literally try to steal my journal from my desk or bag to read it, not realizing how personal and important they are to me. So, this way I felt a bit safer in class and i could write down ideas that i didn't want to forget. I'd either leave my journal in my bag or locker. And I always carry q cards anyway, so it was normal to have some on my desk at all times :)
Looking through this comment section and seeing everyones stories about how someone they thought they could trust makes me so sad. But, seeing your comments trying to help them through it warms my heart. You're one of the most genuine, kind hearted, respectful person on youtube. All of your videos brings me so much joy. I love your videos and you are such an inspiring person to me. Keep doing what you're doing, and thank you so much for doing it
I regret burning my journals when I was 18.. I was such an impulsive rebel lol
Oh the teenage years, lol!!! I was hesitant to put the burning ritual in the video because I've never actually burned a journal before, but I've heard that some people love it!!
Yeah a part of me is like, cool I understand why I did it and it was awesome. Another part of me would LOVE to read it today. Nothing is ever really lost though, if it lives inside you, as long as you honor and remember that moment in time :)
TRUE THAT!! I think I need to practice that a bit more - sometimes I wonder if my journaling is an inclination to grasp time?
I’m 12 and I found mine from 2015. Yes, my handwriting sucks but that’s okay! I was so innocent 👿🥺
I have some burnt pages on one of my journals before i stopped and thought better of it
I was in high school when I broke up with my first boyfriend just because he read all of my journal. I was upset at that time and blame myself for journaling. I was frustated because I always thought that journaling was the main reason for my broken relationship. I stop writing journal since that time and afraid SO MUCH to start journaling again. After 7 years, I started feel that I need to go back to my journal. I’m an introvert person and journaling helps me so much through difficult time. I collect some motivation and courage to start journaling, and it’s worth it. I began journlaing again since the beginning of this year and I feel so much happier. I realize that privacy is the important part of journaling and everyone deserves privacy and to be happy. Thank you so much for sharing this inspiring video. Always love your content :)
I have to remind myself sometimes that the people I would be worried about reading my journal have zero access to it unless they broke into my apartment. haha Not that I'm constantly trash talking people, but yeah, there are occasionally some things in there that would be.... impolite to say in person. haha
I think people are naturally curious about what is in someone's journal. I know if my boyfriend was keeping a journal, I'd be SUPER curious. I wouldn't snoop and I wouldn't wonder if he was hiding something, but I'd be really curious about what's on his mind, unfiltered.
I keep my journal out in the open right on my nightstand. I know my boyfriend wouldn't snoop without asking, but just in case he's curious, every now and then I'll read him a little snippet, or point out a cool picture I drew, or mention the general topic of my entry for that day, etc. I doubt he feels excluded, but it's still kind of my way of including him in my journaling so it doesn't feel like a big, off-limits secret. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back, right? haha I don't know what I'm saying. Anyway, I don't know if it's for this reason or not, but he's becoming more and more helpful with my journaling as well. For instance, last week he found a scrap of wrapping paper that I had used to wrap his sister's baby shower gifts and as he was going to throw it away, he stopped and said, "Wait, do you want this for your journal?" YES!!!! hahaha How sweet! I hear that often from him now, "Do you want this for your journal." or "I thought you might want to put this in your journal." He teases me about it too, but it's cute and sweet. :)
Okay I went off on a tangent. Your videos make me happy. :) I'm a pretty new subscriber and I find myself going through withdrawals during the week waiting for your next video. Thanks for these videos, I love them so much! And thank you for being you! ❤
I like that you share a little bit of it with him so that he feels included in such a personal part of your life.
Raven Lenore that is so cute :)
Raven Lenore That's exactly what happened with my boyfriend ❤
Your videos are like a warm, comforting hug. Much needed. xxx
Aw
My mom read my journal when I was a teenager and I've never felt "safe" to express myself fully again. Any way to get that back?
No...but you can Buy a new journal with a lock...and key
@@helpme9766 Or one with a passcode
Shadow work and healing inner child, Yes I know I am late
Same
One with lock and key keep the key with you!!
The exact same thing happened to me as a teen, except it was done by my older sister and her friend. My parents would also look into my journal and confront me about what I had written. I began to censor my journal, leaving out the things that really mattered to me, the things that really affected my spirit and my life. Since I moved away to university, I feel I have that freedom back again, to write anything without judgement or embarrassment - a great feeling. Thanks for making such wonderful content, your videos brighten my day X
WHAT?! I am so shocked and sorry that this happened to you lovely! I just don't understand that breech of privacy/trust :( I'm SO glad that you don't let it stop you from journaling now in university!!! Thank you for sharing with us
Before I started truly journaling, I wrote really sad and dark poetry. Of course, this was when I was in sixth grade so my depression and anxiety were at their worst times thanks to hormones. I was also going through a minor "emo" phase, but I'm glad I never went full-out with it lol. I was writing in a very basic green notebook, wire bound, no lock. During school my best friend would always get super curious as to what I wrote in it and what I was thinking, and it would get the best of her and she would take it from under my desk to read it under her breath until I realized she had it. She got over doing that after many times of me scolding her to the point of me angry-crying, and now I've come to trust her the most after all this time. It was different when I got home. When I used to write down ideas such as pancake flavors or character names, I would put them in a voice password kids journal. At one point in the middle of the night my mom came in my room and tried to get in my journal, she got very mad at me and threatened to get a hammer to break open the cover and told me "you're a kid, so you're not allowed to have secrets. Your secrets don't matter." Of course I cried that night and did everything in my power to hide my green poem book. It would go in my closet, sideways behind my other books on my bookshelf, my underwear drawer, even in my pillowcases and between my mattress and box spring! I finally got a proper journal with a lock, taking the same measures to hide it as the green notebook. Those two books had my darkest thoughts in them and if I didn't have the fear of my parents, I would have burnt the journal a long time ago! Anyways, now that I only have a few pages of that journal left I'm not as worried about it anymore and I sometimes find it funny, and I erased the poetry from the green notebook and am covering the obvious text that's etched in the page from my heavy hand with watercolors. Journaling has been quite a trip for me, and keeping it secret has been a whole other effort lol. I'm pretty happy that I've stuck with it anyways, and I'm also happy that I found this TH-cam channel as it serves at motivation to keep journaling. Lol, congrats to literally anyone who read this novel of a comment, you deserve a cookie!
Where is my cookie
Also ur mom is so mean for saying ur secrets dont matter ew
just yesterday i had to take one of my friend's journal out of the hands of one ouf our class mates. ,I told him that that object is private and personal and he said that he doesn't care and i felt really pissed off like WHY????
GRR. I'm so glad that you defended your friend!!! Do you think he understood after you took it from him?
Last year I started a new job, one I've recently ended up leaving anyway, and at that time i had IMMENSE anxiety so I'd take my journal to work and write about what I was anxious about just to free my mind and feel better. Well, as I'm writing, one of the managers comes over just to chat and starts reading what I'm writing and decides to comment on what he saw and reading parts out aloud as he tried to give me "advice". It made me feel horrible having someone I barely knew think that they could read/look at something that (I feel) is obviously private. Never took my journal to work again when I still worked there
I love this video. One "art scar" I have and it implies to journaling is one time I was in class and I finished my test and I had no homework so I pulled out my journal to write and my teacher came over and took my journal and ripped the page that I was writing, and gave it back to me. I was so heartbroken and indignant because I was so sad for the lack of respect for my thoughts in my notebook.
WHAT?! I literally cannot believe this. My heart is breaking, that is so horrible :(
I know right! Sofia Strawberry
CreativeJourney Wow.....I would have reported that teacher for destroying personal belongings. That's Beyond unacceptable!!! All he needed to do was remove the journal from your desk and return it after class. He should lose his job.
That's horrible, you should totally have told someone.
If that was me I would be throwing hands 😂
I know if my Mom found that I kept a journel, she would open it. She would look everywhere for it. I tried writing in the middle of the night about a year ago, and I got caught, but I hid the journal, she just thought I was doing something bad and I got in trouble. I'm really scared to make a journal, but I don't have anyone to talk to. It's effecting me badly, I found myself getting teared up over little things that should be a big deal at all. I feel like a bomb waiting to explode, I'm even crying as I type this, I don't know how to get rid off this stress. I feel trapped, how I can I hide a journal without getting caught? If my Mom found I kept a journal, it would start a fight, and she would be angry if she knew my real feelings. What can I do?
Oh darling, I am so sorry to hear this. I have a few ideas, but I'm not entirely sure what your situation is like at home. What if you write on loose leaf paper and keep it in your backpack or binders for school? Or perhaps hide the scraps of paper under your mattress? Another option is to write in your note section of your phone! It sounds like you really need to write, but you can always tear up the paper or burn it (safely) afterwards so no one can re read your entries! Sending so much love your way
Annoleam you could write online - locked WordPress account or Journaling apps with security settings. Unfortunately that's less spontaneous than just picking up a pen and paper.
Annoleam I'm the same way... stuff that shouldn't be a big deal stresses me so much 😢
Dear don't worry we both r on the same boat you can mail me at janyaustin@gmail.com if you need anyone to talk to.. Remember there is always someone who cares for u😊
Write on notebook paper and then burn it that is what I do to try and get over really dark thought so that nobody will every know what they are and it is very Therapeutic and it has helped me to get over things that I don’t necessarily want to write in my journal
i recently picked up journaling, I think its really fun.
I know this isnt the case for others but when i learn a language, i write my thoughts (in that language).
from where i am from (america) everyone speaks english. so when i write in arabic (since im learning that language) nobody can read them!
* trigger warning * Actually, since people are sharing their stories, I'd like to share mine. I am going into my sophomore year of college now, but in middle school, I was horribly depressed. There was nothing actually wrong with my life, but my best friend was going through things I didn't know how to handle, and I was also facing the scariest question I have ever asked myself, that of which is, -who am I-? I self-harmed and have only told three people openly, where no reaction was pleasant but also not crushing. I had support. And one of those supports was journaling. I started in sixth grade, and it's so fun to read back on how my gym teacher was the laziest person and who my friend's crush was and why I didn't like math. But I also wrote about self-harming. I don't have brothers or sisters, and only live with my mom. I hid my diary under my bed. So in 7th grade, the worst time for me that I can remember, I spent the night with my friend. I came home the next day and my mom had read my diary and plainly asked about my wrist, scars, friends; it was absolutely humiliating. I felt so violated. I was so full of rage. She still hasn't apologized to this day, but I don't believe she even knows she did something wrong. She certainly isn't a bad person. But I can't forgive that, because occasionally, about once every 6 months, she'll make a sly comment. "This is so crazy it makes me want to cut my wrists" "At least it's a tattoo and pretty, not ugly cutting scars" I also cringe at the words cut, cutting, cutter-oh my gosh. Once, recently, about a month ago, she even said something about me having cut in the past in front of one of my best friends, Karley. Karley doesn't know about it, because I feel that she doesn't need to, but I trust her all the same. When my mother mentioned it I was like OH.MY.GOSH. and gave Karley a quick look and changed the subject. Karley never mentioned it (she is so sweet and obviously knew I was uncomfortable), but my mom has no idea or concept about what I went through. I no longer am depressed or self-harm, but I will always be ~anal~ about people even possibly reading work that is only intended for me to read.
What does anal mean?
Omg I'm soooooo sorry that happened to u th-cam.com/video/6H52-brhfi4/w-d-xo.html hope this helps it cirtainly helped me with my mental health issues . When I'm alone I know Allah knows what I'm going through as one of his names is the preciever so he doesn't just observe but understands and understand you better than u understand urself so u r never alone and know that we are all loved and he has gifted us with a beautiful opportunity also this guy's voice just makes me happy to be alive :)
When I was 13, I had a "friend" who read one of my old journals and spilled all my insecurities, but I never thought of quitting because of it. Nowadays, I would actually be excited if someone asked about my journals and I would be happy to show them in person. I also wish I knew more people who are keeping a journal - it's really rare where I live (Croatia). Reading these comments, I'm surprised to hear about so many parents invading their teenagers' journals and privacy - if only my parents were half that curious back then! They never showed any interest for the journals and my deep thoughts.
Good for you lovely! I feel the same way - I wish that more people in my daily life would ask about my journals! They are so much fun to talk about!!! I couldn't agree more - my parents never showed an interest in my journals and I'm genuinely shocked/heartbroken over some of these stories :(
Oh, wow, loaded topic! I've been lucky enough in my life (save for one instance at camp at age 15) that I've never really worried about anyone reading my journal. I've always kept one. I have a footlocker full of them in storage, and another box overflowing at my parents' house, and another at my own house. My partner has strict instructions to destroy them in the event of my untimely death. However, I HAVE considered burning the oldest ones because at times they feel like a burden. There's probably a lot in that footlocker that needs to go up in flames. I used to be terrified of "losing" my journals -- but now I'm less attached to them and to "things" in general, so the giving away of art/creations is something I've given thought to recently.
Great video, so much to think about! xoxo
You are brilliant Lisa. For real. Thanks for the comment friend
I usually end up journaling during or after your videos. I have a page in one of my journals just labeled "Tina's Wisdom" that i write some of the tidbits that I really like of what you said haha. Also I just get creative energies watching your videos so I get right in the journaling mood.
I also feel the same way about journaling in public. I want to ask people what they are writing but I'm a bit afraid they would snap at me for being nosy. I also want people to ask me because I'd love to just chat with them.
Really?! OH MY GOSH this melts my heart!!!!!! I don't even know what to say!!! Maybe we just need to start a journaling class so everyone can talk about journaling together :) :) :)
Yes! I want a journaling class! Btw I started journaling because we kept a journal in kindergarten before I could even write. That was 20 years ago
funny story. since I was a child I would watch the Barbie movies right. and there's this one about Barbie writing a diary? since then I started writing my own diary. and by the time I was around 12 or 13 I had a good number of those little diaries with those little padlocks. then I stopped keeping a diary once I was around 14 I had recipes, stories, drawings etc in all of my previous diaries but sadly around the age of 16 I destroyed and threw them out so that no one could ever see what my innermost feeelings were like at that time of my life. I'm suicidal and I tried to kill myself but I got talked out of it (obviously) so I didn't want anything left of me once I was dead and gone from this world. I'm almost 19 now and it makes me sad that I had so many beautiful things documented in those diaries and I don't have them anymore. I want to start journalling again and try to keep record of my thoughts or at least have an occassional rant to let things out.
One time I was writing in my journal during a free period, and then I look up and my teacher was reading above my shoulder. I was so annoyed!
Hannah E that's totally inappropriate :(
Totally inappropriate!!
I've been keep a journal since I was 11 and I feel really lucky that my family respects privacy. My parents always told me they would never read my journals unless they had cause to be worried about me and I really appreciate that. I think the idea to write a specific journal to burn it is a great ideas by the way. I think it would be amazing to just write everything negative that you're feeling or that has happened to you or things that are weighing you down and then to just watch it go up in flames and make peace with it all.
YES! Thank you so much for sharing and I'm so happy to hear that your parents were supportive of your creative space
I used to think I hid my journals really well, untill my mum said something that I'd only written in there, got a bit suss after that haha I'm kinda annoyed at myself because after that I would destroy every journal I kept? I was embarassed then but it'd be cool to look back now I think. Now I've started journalling again I make sure I'm extra superrrr careful with them! These were some really cool ideas, I might have to go find a cute basket now 😂 awesome video as always! 💚💕
omg let me know if you try the basket!!! I've been trying to figure out how to make this work on my own bed haha :)
I journal and have taught journaling and this fear is so prevalent, I always write on first page these are my thoughts and feeling and are non of your business, if you still feel the need to violate my space read at your own risk the real consequences are you have crossed a boundary that will not be forgiven thus ends my trust in you. Ask yourself is it worth it?
LOVE THIS! I think it is so great to have a grounding quote/image on the first page to remind yourself why you are doing this! I should have included that in my newest video!
ladyslipper Write that in the first page of every journal so anyone who's tempted can read.
ladyslipper The first page is an all about me front page. I'm an 8th grader and it's common things like fav food, TV shows, movies, friends, name, current age, birthday ect ect if anyone wants this list u can DM me on IG @nahitsrenee
An alternative to burning a whole journal is to rip out and burning certain pages. When I rip out the pages I like to do it a little messy. It's a reminder for future me that things weren't always sunshine and rainbows but less painful than seeing or reading what the entry was.
Ooooh YES! I didn't even think of this!! I like to burn separate letters sometimes, but ripping out a page is both satisfying & rebellious :)
I do burn my journals every few years. I make it a way to let go of the past. I have the good memories inside my mind and the rest can be let go because better will be coming. I've released a lot of anger and old hurts that way so I feel better and then I can forgive and move on. :-) So glad I found your videos! :-)
You are so right in that your journal is your sacred place to write your dreams, desires, frustrations, where you let go & be yourself in expression. Thanks for sharing this meaningful story. No-one should invade your utmost private journals. Thank you.
Thank you lovely
I used to journal a lot when I was 12. Because my parents found my journal and read its contents, I stopped journaling . I was scared of them invading my privacy again. Now that I've found your channel, I might just try journaling again and putting all my thoughts through writing. Thank you for this video. 😊
If you keep your journals your whole life, when you die someone will read them. Worth thinking about, that's reality. I'm 66 and think about this a lot. For some reason, this thought bypasses young people. I'm lucky in that one of my daughters is interested in my art and genealogy. She will be the gatekeeper.
I had a talent for writing in school but after my writing got me sent to the guidance counselor I stopped expressing emotions. Now I have to relearn. I started a bullet journal but I am trying to move towards a thoughts and feelings type thing. Thanks for your encouragement.
why did you get sent to the guidance counsellor for writing, may I ask?
i find myself coming back to these videos when i’m feeling uninspired or when i haven’t journaled in a few weeks. these videos get me back into my passion. thank you, dearest tina ❤️
I've always written in non-readable cursive in my journals as a safeguard in case my brother tries to read my journal. Most young people have never learned how to read cursive or have a great difficulty doing so, and so that's why I do it.
That's a GREAT idea! A natural safeguard mechanism :)
i do the same thing!!! i also do it with christmas/birthday lists lol
At school I write in my notebook everysingle lesson after I finish my work (I just write stories but it's still private) and this one time when I was 13 id done all the work and was writing when the teacher took it off me without a word and at the end of the lesson she gave it back and said "Some of the stuff you write is very disturbing and inappropriate" which made me feel sick because she thought she had the right to read it all..
woah. I'm so sorry to hear that :( that is totally inappropriate of your teacher.
That's why I do not take the risk of bringing my journal/diary to school. If I were to bring it, the only place I'd write is in a bathroom stall (a little gross) but it's pretty much the onlt private place
h0l0gr4m_ yeah unless your school has surveillance cameras hidden everywhere in the school.
I used to worry about someone finding my journal a lot. More so when I'm old or gone. What helped me feel sooo much better is writing a "letter" to a stranger, as if I absolutely KNOW someone will find them and read them. I write things like, "maybe you'll be able to relate to some of the things in here" or "I hope you don't think I'm weird and gross". I even write as if my future children might read them. I'll write, "I hope you still think I'm cool, and that your mom isn't weird". lol It just makes it seem a bit funny and more relaxing. Cause we're all human and go through some of the same things, have some of the same thoughts, etc..I have one note that's suuuuuper personal, and I would hate for any family member or friend to read it. So I write a warning sign that says," DO NOT READ! Very personal. If you're rude enough to read anyway, DON'T talk to me about it." so yeah.. sorry for this long comment. haha
i remember when I was in 7th grade during homework hour in boys and girls club i was writing in my journal. Then one of the staff watching us came up to me and took my journal and started reading it. i was so shocked i just stood there while he confiscated it and took it to his office to show my dad when he picked me up. when i saw my dad's car i made sure the staff wasn't in his office before i took my journal and just walked out of the school and into my dad's car. and that was my last day in boys and girls club and the last time i had a journal without a lock.
that must be awful
I’m so sorry :(
When I was ten years old, I had one of those little diaries with a lock and key on them. I thought it was cute, and wrote quite a lot in it. But I guess I didn't do a very good job of hiding the key, because one time my brother (who is two years older than me) managed to unlock my diary and read all the things I wrote in it, especially an entry regarding a boy that I thought I liked at the time. Luckily for me, my cursive handwriting was really sloppy back then. And when he tried to call me out on it and embarrass me in front of the family, he didn't even pronounce the boy's name right. I was relieved, but at the same time, yeah...he went through my private journal. Not cool. Long story short: I stopped writing in that diary, and it was a few more years before I got the courage to start journaling again.
There was another instance when I was in high school-- well, it was more like a close call, really. I used to constantly carry a composition notebook around with me to jot down story ideas and prompts whenever I'm struck with inspiration, and I wasn't too keen on anyone else reading it (though, to be fair, anyone who'd read it and not understand how my mind worked would be reeaallly confused, as my musings tended to end up a jumbled mess when written down). One day in my art class, one of my friends at the time saw it on my desk while I was working on a painting. She asked me if it was my journal, and since I was too occupied with my project at the time, I just said yes, not paying much attention. However, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her grab my book and start to open it. I swear, I've never moved so fast in my life than in that moment. I managed to snatch it out of her hands before she had the chance to properly read it. She was so shocked by my actions and asked me why I didn't want her to read it, in which I just told her that it was private before I put it away in my backpack. I guess she thought that since we were friends, she was entitled to read my notebook, but there are some things that are for my eyes only. No one else.
Nowadays, I still carry my journal around with me, and when I don't, I either keep it hidden among my many, many shelves of books, or under all of my papers and junk in my desk drawer.
People don't understand that you get unmotivated when someone comes at you full force telling you what it can and cant do in the privacy of your own mind
When I was like 12, my mom wouldn't stop finding and reading my diary no matter where I hid it, so I invented my own complex code and would use it in all my diaries. They look like incoherent doodles, but I still have the journals and can still read them. haha
I write a lot also and I have journals filled with writing, poetry, deep quotes, all of that. Most of them are finished and they are filled thickly and I write ALOT about my trauma and my mental health and how it effects me and in my personal opinion it's really deep, I usually show my therapists, phycologist and the other one who prescribed medicine, I forgot how to spell it omg. But my biggest fear is someone reading it, that doesn't understand mental health nor trauma and I know not everyone is gonna understand and that's alright, I just don't want them to find it and start judging me about it. So I show a couple close friends and the therapist squad (lol) I love writing though. And I hope to watch more of your vids, sorry! I just had to put this out, I saw similar things to mine, love yaaa💕💕💕
Once my friend tried to sneak a peak into my journal and I got really protective. I literally chased her until we were both tired and sweaty.
I have so many journals I don't know where I could hide them all; I'm on book 63 now. I thought I could trust my family not to read them, but my mum has told me she would possibly read them if she was worried enough about me... she's implied several times that she would if she thought I was suffering from mental illness or on drugs or otherwise in danger and wasn't telling her - out of concern, of course. Problem is, my journals are filled with stuff relating to my difficult mental health! I can't explain away all of it as teenage angst, unfortunately. It makes me feel like I have to put up an overly happy front all the time at home so she won't think she has reason to invade my privacy. I can't lock my bedroom door from the outside and I can't lock any of my drawers or cupboards :/
When my sister did this, I began punching holes on my journal and tracing laces in a complicated way. Also, I switched from my mother language to writing in English, which she hated. Worked both ways, she did not dare open them and I improved my english!
Hi Tina, i started a journal last year, because it was a very difficult year for me. Now i still do it because it helps me sooooo much. My journal is for my eyes only. Love your channel, you are so inspiring. Thank you so much for your all vídeos.
Hugs all the way from Portugal. :)
Thank you lovely
Thank you :)
Overall Adventures I keep a journal as well
I recommend creating your own written language that only you can understand. It works for me. i leave my diary just lying around with the pages open and i dont have to worry cos whoever reads will only see gibberish. 😄
As someone with a journal, i found this video very informative. My journal contains things that nobody on earth knows, and i really liked this video. Thanks!
If that’s the case buy a lock and keep for your journal
Oh gosh, that feeling of betrayal is so visceral! 😖 I totally agree with the idea of our journals as foundational safe spaces-- I'd be interested to hear your experiences/thoughts on the flip side of this theme too someday, (or maybe it's more of an evolution of journaling experience as a fellow longtime writer)--- have you ever read pieces of your journal to a trusted friend or allowed someone to look at certain pages when you were at a loss for words in an intimate moment? For me, it's been immensely healing to bring past or present journals and go through pages with my therapist when we are working on really deep, hard stuff and I have trouble articulating verbally what I actually have really clearly written and reflected on. I'd love to hear a sort of "journaling journeys" branched off from here, where we can or might go (if we so choose of course!) beyond the fear as the captains of our own journaling ships, so to speak. 😋 Much love always!!! Sorry I leave such long comments... my heart refuses to let me be concise when I feel such a strong connection to what you share!! 😉💕
YES! One of my high school friends (who also journaled regularly) and I would randomly pick a day (ex. May 1st) and both read our entries to each other over the phone to compare/contrast how we experienced that day. I'm actually thinking about that for a little youtube series - reading all of my May 1st entries from middle school thru now! I love your references and images - journaling ships :) :) :) I LOVE YOUR LONG COMMENTS
I've journaled for years & never really worried about anyone reading them. I used to keep all my finished journals locked in a trunk, though, back in my angsty high school days, so it was much harder for people to get at them. Now, I keep them proudly on a bookcase & refer back to entries every so often. When I got together with my fiancé, I worried about leaving him alone in my apartment because he's a self-admitted incredibly nosy person; he used to ask if he could read my journals all the time so he could "get to know" me better. I explained how sacred & personal my journaling practice is to me & he on the spot promised to never read them since he then knew how important the process is to/for me. Sometimes, though, I wonder if he does read them when I'm not around because I can ramble on about something & then he's suddenly talking about the same subject a few days later. It's definitely weird.
Also. Right after I graduated high school I was working through The Artist's Way & as a ceremony to honor my journey & the work I was doing on my self & my creativity, I burned all my old journals; I felt they were a weight holding me to a time in my life when I was very dark & not at my best. It was the best thing, creatively, I've ever done for myself. I felt so free afterwards! It was a long process, took an entire afternoon & early evening, but wow did I feel amazing! I don't know if I'd do it again, I use my journals now as reference books in a way, but the experience was definitely a major cathartic moment in my life I look back on very, very fondly now.
Hi Kerry! Thank you SO much for sharing your story and I'm sorry I'm so late at replying! My dream is to have all of mine on a shelf one day, but it just isn't the right time for me right now. Weird - but it sounds like you guys have a solid foundation of trust & love, so I'm sure it's all good
I saw the title, and was immediately compelled to click on it, since just like most of the others, I had my fair share of privacy breach. My classmates loves to read my personal journals, casually flipping through it no matter how much I ask them not to. Then they'll judge me for anything they read in it.
I really love your journal videos! I have written a journal myself and when someone reads it I'm always TERRIFIED!
Thank you Anna
Someone used to snoop an read my journals without my permission whenever i would leave the house an i wouldnt know about it for a long time! I didnt know that was happening until i heard them try to use my personal journal/personal feelings against me just weeks after i would write in it!
My mom supports me with journaling
She loves the whole ideas with making memories and being creative in my own way. I sometimes show her some things I would glue in my journal and she would approve of it looking nice and stuff
Hello! I just wanted to say that I love your videos and your ideas and thoughts about journaling! Most of the time my family will be respectful of my privacy when I journal. It was only one time when my little sister read my journal in front of my friend that I was having a sleepover with to embarrass me- I was very upset at that time, so now I have found ways to hide my journals better. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Thank you so much for sharing your story! It sounds like we had a similar experience with siblings reading our journal! I'm glad that you didn't let it stop you!
when i was 15 thats when i first started keeping a journal. i wrote all my feelings down about my father, things he have done to me, my crushes at school, literally just everything. i wasnt too scared to write it all before then one day when i was at school my mom texted me and told me my father is 'cleaning' my room and when i got home i can tell he found my journal and read it. you know whats even worse bout it? he ripped all the pages thats bout him. everything. i just kept on crying. he even gave me money and told me to just buy a new one. After that i just never felt the same bout writing in my diary bc he would do it again no matter how hard i try to hide it. my mom gave me a suitcase and he broke the lock just so he can read them again. i always have to lock my door whenever im going out but idk how he can still get inside. sigh it was just so bad. now that im 19 i got stronger and im still healing so im back to writing again because its helping me alot to let all my emotions out. im so happy that im getting better now.
I had someone read my journal a while ago (I was 12 at the time) and they laughed at what I had written. Yeah. That pretty much messed me up. I don't take it out in public for that reason. I can only write when I'm in my apartment. I live alone so privacy isn't a huge concern anymore.
My friend and I do journaling together and we kind of take them everywhere and all of our other friends know that that is our space😂 then if someone touches out journals we both yell DONT TOUCH MY JOURNAL but I love so much how much we respect and trust each other
Wish i have a friend like that too. Lucky you.
Tips for some people here having problems with their privacy
Make your own alphabet. I know it sounds hard but it will be totally worth it. You can also get inspired by the alphabet of different languages.
I did this and now no one can understand wth im writing even if they try to understand it 😂😂😂
Do you journal as a dialogue? do you ask yourself questions and then let the response come? I'm playing with it more and more, some interesting things pop out.
ladyslipper have you considered doing this with your non-dominant hand? As in, answering questions w/your non-dominant hand? It's a really great tool for self-revelation.
I sometimes play with dialogue and always find it such a delightful experience...but I should really do this more!!
ooooh I want to try this!
ladyslipper I unconsciously do this whenever I write
I have wrote down in some of mine, a kind of letter to who finds it, that say I'm gone and you are reading things I'm sorry if anything it offends them but this journal was here to express my thoughts!
YES YES YES. Love this
You're such a joy, I am so happy to see your videos and I don't normally comment and don't share on social media but just feel so amazed with everything you post that I feel to come out from my comfort zone and say something!
Oh, you are so very kind
I leave my journal lying around my room and it has no protection really but I trust my family and should hope none of them would read it
But I used to use it only for art and they were allowed to look in it and since then I started writing more personal stuff
I sometimes wonder if anyone's read it and I worry that they might have but oh well
why have I never thought about locking it up? ugh. I have been feeling so stuffed and horrible on a daily thing because I had people looking at my journal. I will write weeks later because that's in the "past". I'm totally into spy stuff too, why have I not?
update: after hiding one journal. I decided to do a personal journal writing to myself and have already started and already love it. I'm so excited to finally feel free to write all my thoughts and feelings. GOD! this was well timed in my life. THANK YOU
YES YES YES. Oh my gosh, this makes me sooo happy!!! I feel like hiding your journal is the PERFECT way to enact your spy interests! I'm sooo glad that I found you at the right time :) :) :)
I have just discovered your channel and I think I'm in love already 😍 you really are beautiful and you have amazing eyes ❤ I'm 18 and I used to write when I was younger (maybe I was 12 or something) and I carried it like everywhere with me. So we went to our relatives in an another city on a vacation and we had to stay at their house for couple of days and I left it at the house and went out for like two hours and I made sure that I hid it very well in my bag but when I came back I knew that the people in the house have read it and actually made fun of me cause I was young and every single one of had silly thoughts at that age and I got really mad because of it and I think I haven't written anything since then but deep inside me I love writing and actually I've written some pieces of fanfictions bs haven't completed it. It's like I've been hurt so I can't write again, it's being cursed or something. Especially, when you don't have any *close* friends to talk to and barely trust anyone and bottle up feelings. I think writing is the only way to feel better and let it all out but I can't write anything. One second I have tons of ideas to write about and the second after it when I decide to actually to grab a pen and a journal and write it all, it all disappears, and I think it's a serious problem because I've had (and still have I guess) depression and anxiety and I can't talk with anybody. What can I do?
Maybe install a lock on it or buy one with a very secure lock:)💗 keep the key with you at all times.:)
just found your channel and not only i love your videos but the comment section as well! it’s such a supportive community! and i also have the same fear of people finding out what my “true self” is like. normally people like to invade other’s privacy because: 1, they think you’re writing shit bout them. 2, they want to get to know you and your journal is basically a biography of you (they maybe curious/interested in you or they just want to humiliate you). i’m very afraid of my thoughts getting exposed. to anyone. i got some pretty dark stuff in my head and journaling is an escape and a thought vomit process that i quite enjoy. so yeah. fear.
My step dad use to go through everything, including like my backpack and seriously just everything but he's not around anymore and my mom respects my notebooks and sketchbooks
my mom respects my space and my dad doesn't care what so ever! But... at school I don't really have any friends and ALL I do is write in my journal. So when people ask me what I am journaling about I freeze up and walk away..
Just tell them it's none of their business
i have a journal and i literally write EVERYTHING in it.But i found out that my mom reads it,i cant hide it. She literally searches for my journal when im at school,one day i caught her looking for my journal and i asked "what are you looking for?" and she said that she was looking for her phone. But her phone was in front of her the whole time 😂😂 one day she was reading my journal and when i got back to school she started asking why i wrote such a thing,and why do i think about that. She became angry and would always see what i wrote in my journal. Every sentence,and every word. So i stopped writing im my journal.
Seriously,in my house there is no privacy. If you do something you cant expect that no one is going to find out.
i should probably start writing again but lock my journal and then put the key somewhere where she 100% wouldn't be able to find it.
Or Keep the key on you at all times. That would be it impossible.
I'm SO sorry to hear this :( Can you buy a small lock box to put it in? Or perhaps leave it at school/work?
naw kids nowadays steal backpacks and go through them.
I'm sorry for the fact that a lot of people can't have privacy.
I'm very lucky in the sense that my parents really respect my privacy, and I could actually leave it in any place in my home.
So glad you made this. My parents read my journal they told me it was open but I know it was under my pillow
Oh my gosh, this breaks my heart!!! :(
You have to buy a lock and key for your journal if you want it to stay private
once, my dad picked me up from track practice and as i was chatting away, he stops me and says "i found your journal." my heart sank, because i knew that the stuff inside that was personal and my deepest thoughts. i had wrote about how i was constantly arguing with my mother. in that entry, i had called her mean names and written vile things about her, but in that moment, i felt all those things. anyway, my dad began to chastise me and tell me how its wrong to think and express that way, and that if something had happened and it might've have been my mom who found it, how differently the situation would've played out. i understood what he was trying to say, but i couldn't get over the fact that he just read my journal and didn't even apologize for invading my space like that. moral of the story, i rarely ever write down my deep thoughts anymore, and when i do, i shred the page after the anger/sadness is gone.
My experience:
A while back I tried journaling on my phone with one of those password diaries. One day, my parents asked to see my phone and they found the app. They were already mad b/c I have a password on my phone (my excuse is that my school's domain doesn't let unprotected devices sign into school accounts) so when they found a passcode on that, they were royally pissed. Thank goodness the two have different passwords otherwise they might have gotten in. I forcibly took my phone back and have never let them even try to open my phone again after that. I deleted the app and just started writing a diary again today, this time in an actual notebook. Currently, that journal is hiding in one of my purses, but I'm going to hide it soon in one of those boxes book sets come in because I have some on my shelves and I already have tons of books, so the box won't look out of place.
The only time this has happened to me was in my first year of uni, last year. After a choir rehearsal we were all in the pub, as usual, and because I don't drink and I didn't know anyone well yet except one friend who had already left, so I was drawing in my journal - I tend to write or draw when I'm nervous, and I had hoped that I could draw quietly in the corner until maybe the conversation turned to something that I knew how to join in with. Unfortunately, the guy sat next to me was drunk and he saw me drawing and he asked to see my journal, and he wouldn't let up when I said "it's kinda personal" and so I eventually said "I guess you can look at the pictures, but I'd rather you didn't read what I've written"... He proceeded to read it all ALOUD to the rest of the choir who were there. He wouldn't give it back, even when I tried to actually take it back forcefully. I know he was drunk and probably didn't fully realise that it would upset me, but man it still kinda hurts. I was in a bad place generally then so my journal was particularly angsty as well.
Hi Tina! This video was so helpful. Always wanted to start a journal, but I always afraid that someone would found it. Since a couple of weeks I started to keep a gratitude jar, but I feel that too many of my feelings are not expressed that way...I think I'll start a journal after discovering this channel
Once, one of the friends of my mom read my journal. She told my mom about the content, and they discuss it togheter, without me. They discuss MY LIFE without me. After that, my mother started to sneak trought my things to find the notebook. I didnt know that time, so I couldnt hide it. She found the notebook. She read it. The worst of all was that she got mad at me because I was deeply sad. She didnt even try to help me... And she never apologize for that.
oof all these stories are heartbreaking :(. I've been journaling since about 6 years now and nobody ever read my journal. Since I'm the only one journaling in my family they do seem kinda interested sometimes but not to the extend that they'd actually read it. I would be okay with them asking me what I'm writing about, but since we all really respect each other's privacy I feel like they are "afraid" to ask me if that makes sense. But I'm really glad that I'm 100% sure that they'd never ever take my journal and read it. So I can leave my current journal on my desk without having to worry about it :). I hope y'all find a place to hide yours. Journaling is such a great thing to do and everyone deserves a private place like that to just be themselves. Everyone should respect that.
Since I was a child i used to journal but my mom, dad and brother would -even if I hid it- read my journal so I stopped. Now I want to start writting again.
I remember in high school keeping my journals (all of them lol) in my locker in an old book bag. My parents were not very big on privacy and my mom would periodically go through my room (and clean it most of the time ahaha) and I just couldn't risk her, or anyone really, reading my journals at that time in my life. I wasn't a very happy teen on the inside but I wasn't in a place at that time to share those emotions with other people.
Now as an adult, I don't really care lol. Also it just me and my boyfriend now and he's not really a snoopy person. Still I keep my journal under my bed, for easy grabbing in the morning and I just like to have it close to me.
Twenties decade is coming or age first decade as adult. I once kept my journals behind my pillows sleeping there my first writing desk I turned into a headboard books sitting on mattress
No one even asked me about what i was writing. they would read it anyway even when they knew it was wrong. They would try to use my personal journal against me, without even thinking about how i felt about it. I was made out to be such a monster by those people. An that i didnt have a right to my personal feelings,thoughts, an opinions. How do I deal with people like that?an the Worse of it all was done by people within my own family!
This type stuff also happened with my phone too! They would take my phone an read my messages an listen to the voice recordings of my messages an use those against me as well, or they would ask /demand I hand over my phone. An they tell me I was lying an making shit up. It also caused problems between me an those members of my family that did that. Or it caused problems between my brother an mother when my mom would intervene or anyone else intervened on my behalf!
i love your room it's so aesthetic
My brother found my diary when I was in elementary school...I got teased big time for liking a boy. I'd written all about it. I hated that feeling. So embarrassing.
I've also been on the other side...I've read my sister's diary more times than I care to admit, though she never found out. Sigh. Now...I'd never ever do that. It's just wrong, and I still feel guilty, even though I'm different now and I truly understand why it's wrong. I read some things I wish I hadn't, too. That's the price of violating someone's privacy. You really can't unread something that you shouldn't have. Lesson learned.
Same thing happened to me with my brother. They're the worst when they're at that age. :P
My family doesn’t have boundaries. They’d read my journal, I’d cry and me crying is a problem for them. Then they complain why I say things like my mom puts me down and I don’t like it. But in her and everyone else’s mind, she didn’t do anything wrong so I shouldn’t have a problem. I can’t even verbally articulate my feelings without someone saying I’m being difficult
I'm so sorry to hear this. It sounds like having a private writing outlet would be helpful
Do you have a travel journal if so please could you do a video on travel journalling! 💜💜
I keep my journal camouflaged in my bookshelf lol
I journal since i was little, but, when i was 15 or so i got into this weird phase and just throw away all my journals. I'm 18 now, and i'm starting again in this journaling world, and i'm just so curious about all these thing i wrote, what my thoughts were back then and i regret like crazy throwing them out.
the things i write in my journal is things that i cant even tell my bestfriend
If that's the case buy a lock for it.
My number 1 tip is to get a travelers notebook. It is leather that holds notebooks. You can put a lot in there, so you can blend it in with your planners and other things. Hope this helps!
I hide my true emotions by poetry or figurative words and codes. So that they will have a hard time figuring out what I'm pointing.
When I was a kid I tried to keep a journal, but I had a hard time keeping up with it regularly. However, the last straw for me as a kid was when I started keeping an art journal/daily writing journal and hid it under my mattress. My parents found it and read it out loud to me, asking who various people were or how I felt about writing certain things. The drawings were also really private, involving a lot of things that a "Young male going through adolescence" would draw. It was absolutely awful.
When she said to lock up the journals i literally thought of putting a padlock on the notebook like literally.
Honestly your voice is so soothing, like i can actually listen to your words. Compared to other channels, they talk so fast and you'd get stressed out til you don't wanna try making a journal anymore
I always love your videos. your energy is so optimistic and calming. i hope you are having a good day.
Thank you
I just found this channel and i feel like this is a safe place for insecure ppl that like to write and do beautiful things!!!
I am obsessed with you I love your videos. You gained a new subscriber. I've been binge watching your videos all day. Keep up the good work.