January 9th, 2019

My Digital Journal

Writing has always been therapeutic for me. But, surprisingly, I've never had a long-term diary or journal. In elementary school I occasionally was gifted (or bought) those cutsey diaries, usually the ones that came with that flimsily little lock and key any person could easily bust open with a slight bit of force. But as soon as I'd start putting down my thoughts for a few days, I'd find myself wanting to rip all the pages I'd just filled back out. Eventually the diary would get pushed aside and, later still, I'm sure my mom disposed of the unused book.

The problem, I found, was that the very idea of a diary was just not at all appealing for me. Diaries were meant to hold your secrets. They were meant to be hidden away and not to be read by anyone. It was where you drooled over your latest crush, complained about whatever annoying thing your friend was up to, and confessed your sorrows while holding back those salty tears. Now, there's nothing wrong with this of course. Diaries can be very beneficial for those of us who just need something to spill all our thoughts into. But, for me, that wasn't the case. The idea of having such a book—a book that, most likely, would be filled with complaints and whining and grief and longing—was just, well, gross. What would I ultimately do with a book full of things I'd be horrified if anyone else read? It's not like I'd be looking to go back and reread the entries. And, as stated, it's not like I would be sharing it with anyone (or passing it down to my kids). So, what was the point?

The idea of keeping a "journal" sounded much better to me. Now, most people probably see diaries and journals as one in the same. And, maybe some of you with diaries choose to call it a journal instead—since, honestly, it's a lot more "adult" to say that you have a journal versus a diary. But to me there's a clear distinction: while diaries are meant as an outlet for our deepest secrets and emotions, meant to be hidden away for our eyes only, a journal was a collection of memories and moments, meant to document one's life and be shared with others.

The 21st century has brought us so much in terms of advancement and technology. Now, instead of waiting to have a disposable camera developed and only having limited copies of the captured images, I can digitally take, send, upload, and post my photos with just one click of my thumb. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and I definitely stand by that. Of course, I am still a lover of English, literature, and books galore. Words are powerful—I know that. But reading a biography about a person's life and seeing photos from a person's life are two very different things.

When I decided to make this blog originally, it was just meant to be a place to store and display my photos. After completing Project 365 and clogging my poor follower's feeds on the daily via Instagram, I decided to continue my photo journey through a different platform. And, thus, my blog came to life. Another year passed with a daily photo (or more, usually!) from me, each blogged here in it's own post. As time passed, the purpose for this blog changed and new elements grew. Along with each photo, I started adding captions or quotes. Sometimes I included entire paragraphs or full-blown stories about the photos. It was exciting to see two mediums I was passionate about—photos and writing—coming together to tell a story. And not just any story, my story.

There came a point when I finally realized the real purpose that had now developed behind my blog: to document my life. This blog has become a digital journal for me. It is a collection of all kinds of pictures, stories, and memories that make up Jordan Rachele Donelson's life. It is my happy place; full of smiling faces, silly stories, and heartfelt confessions. I cannot say that there is one thing I've posted or written that I wouldn't want other eyes to see. This blog is a piece of me—something I can happily look back over with nothing but warmth. I am excited to continue to add more memories with each and every post. Although sometimes I can slack behind, it is something I never want to neglect or abandon. This blog has become such an important possession of mine (which is funny, since I will never actually be able to physically hold it!). One day, years and years from now, I hope I can look back to find a website full of thousands of memories all waiting to be remembered.

Why I Made A Blog

Those of you who follow me on Instagram probably noticed at some point that I was doing Project 365 (or, as far as 2016 goes, Project 366). The concept of Project 365 is simple: take one picture per day for a whole year. Now, this seems like a pretty easy task. But honestly, it's not. Some days you might forget. Some days you might not feel like you did anything worth taking a picture of. Some days you feel like you're posting the same photo again for the 3rd time that month. Well, despite all that I did do it! And honestly, I am so happy I decided to take the challenge.

When I started this project a year ago, I never imagined that it would not only serve as a way to remember every detail of my year, but also helped me to realize and understand what was truly important to me in my life. Why do it? Honesty, taking one single photo a day is a big undertaking with a huge payoff. Imagine being able to look back at any single day from the past year and being able to recall what you did, who you met, what you learned, etc etc. It's a great way to document special moments, record progress, show your accomplishments, and so many other things. Plus, taking a photo a day will make you a better photographer, even if just a little. ;) Looking back at all the shots I snapped makes me smile; to see all the places I went, people I shared moments with, and experiences I was so lucky to have... It really makes me reflect back with a happy heart.

The best part about Project 365 for me, is how it causes you to take so many more photos than you typically would. Because you have it on your mind that you need to take a photo for that day, a lot of times you'll find yourself going out of your way to take photos in situations you normally wouldn't. Some of the photos I specifically remember not wanting to take, or being nervous to take. But now, I'm so glad I did. We should never be afraid to snap photos. No matter who you're with, where you are, or what you're doing, taking a photo is always a great idea. (Even if there sometimes might be signs stating you should do otherwise. ;)) I've captured so many silly moments, so many tender moments, so many special moments...and all because I felt more encouraged to make sure to have my camera ready to snap some photos.

I encourage anyone to try your hand at Project 365 this year. At times it might seem hard, or discouraging if you miss a day, but trust me when I say that it will definitely pay off in the end and you will be so glad you did it. Some advice for those of you who do decide to give it a shot: Never be afraid to take a photo. There's never a "bad" time to document a moment. Some of my favorite photos happened because I randomly pulled out my phone and snapped a few shots. I have so many wonderful pictures with people that I love because I made sure to "get my photo for the day". :)

This year, I plan to resume Project 365 again myself—though my Instagram followers will probably be glad to know I won't be posting every single photo on my account this time around. (I know my daily posts probably got to be a bit much at times, lol.) I wanted a special, specific place to post these daily photos to, so I created this blog to hold all of my memories! Along with a daily photo, I will try to write at least a little something to accompany my photos as well—whether it be a quote, a recap of events, or just some thoughts. I want to get back into my writing again and this seems like a perfect opportunity to help! I am very excited to turn this blog into "my" little space, unique to me. It will be full of photos and memories and all kinds of lovely things that represent everything and anything that is my life. I am happy to have a place to "store" everything as well as a place I can always go to and look back or reminisce. :)

I am not sure if I will continue the "photo a day" challenge after this next year's end—as I mentioned, it truly is a lot of work! But I do promise to always continue to update this blog with anything relevant (or, not so relevant ;)). This is my new digital diary of sorts, and I look forward to looking back one day (in, say, ten or twenty years) upon a blog stuffed full of moments and memories!

NOTE: If you're seeing posts dating back before this one and are feeling a little confused... 

Today, January 1st, 2017 is most definitely the very first day this blog was created. But in addition to posting this year's Project 365 photos here, I decided that I also wanted to go back and add all my photos from this past year to the blog as well. There's a lot to post, so it'll take me some time to get all of it on here, but eventually at some point I plan to have all of 2016's photos up on this blog as well. I can edit the date on a post to whenever I please, and it makes most sense to have the posts' dates correlate with the day the photo came from, hence why there will be posts predating this first initial one. :)

I don't think I'll be going back any further than 2016 as far as posting old photos goes (but it's me, so who really knows lol). I have also been writing out my Yearly Summaries for the past few years now, so maybe I'll go back and type up a few of those for memories sake to add here, too. :) We'll see!