Journaling

Synchronicity is a funny thing. I've been reading and thinking about the practice of keeping a journal recently, and not just a write down your innermost thoughts kind of journal, but an illustrated journal that celebrates the day to day bits of one's life. Much of this was sparked by finding Jana Bouc's blog, and similar sketching blogs by artists and amateurs alike.

I was listening to a piece on National Public Radio this afternoon on Charles Darwin. It's part of a series called "Speaking of Faith", and the guest of the show, James Moore, is a biographer of Charles Darwin who was placing Darwin's ideas into historical context. There's a webpage devoted to the show that has images from Darwin's notebooks, with commentary by David Kohn. And I was thinking about how science used to be filled with this same kind of journaling. Before the age of the camera, naturalists sketched and contemplated the details of nature in a different way.

And the difference is really about time. About taking the time to observe and contemplate, which requires a bit more patience and attention than just snapping a photo. I suppose I am particularly drawn to the idea of taking time to sit and sketch my daily world because I'm so overwhelmed with work and other obligations right now. But I think the universe is telling me it's time to sketch a little more. The image above is a sketch I made sitting in front of the Palace of Legion of Honor in San Francisco. It's a small start.