into the journal: khin oo
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This feature series examines how and why people journal, because no two practices are identical. Appreciating the journal as a sacred inner world for uninhibited wandering and wondering.
If you have a journaling practice that you’d like to share about here, email me at evapberezovsky(at)gmail(dot)com.
khin oo
My name is Khin. I was born in Burma, grew up in small towns in the Midwest, and now live in Minneapolis with my husband and two cats. My Instagram is @kedicaprese.
origins
I began journaling around age ten, when I first had my own bedroom.
language
I like the word “journal” because it seems most open to different purposes.
routine
90% of the time, I’m journaling on the couch next to my cat Fernanda. I think she can sense when I’m feeling contemplative. She’s plastered to me now as I type this. Once in a while I’ll journal at a bar or coffee shop.
I try to journal three times a day, one page each time. The first entry is about my dreams and/or stream of consciousness writing. For the second entry, I use a prompt, usually from Wilde House Paper. They have thoughtful themes like purpose, flow, creativity. I love how they’re all different ways to circle around the same thing. The third entry is part of my bedtime routine. The questions I ask myself often change, but for now, they are just “What was the highlight of my day?” and “What do I want to let go of before bed?”
purpose
Journaling is a way for me to commune with myself. It’s the space I allow myself to ask “Why?” over and over on paper until I get to the core of what I’m really feeling. Journaling helps me see that when I’m feeling things like fear, envy, rage, disgust, etc., they’re usually covering up something else — a wish I’ve never said out loud or a value I’ve never acknowledged.
I think of my brain as a computer, and journaling is how I write the code for new software. For example, if I want more play in my life, I’ll use journal prompts about play, and I think of that as writing the play software. As I go about my days, the software is running in the background, and my brain is subconsciously oriented towards play.
It’s also how I make sense of my dreams. Last year I read Carl Jung’s Memories, Dreams, Reflections, and Man and His Symbols, and they had me thinking and talking about dreams nonstop. My first entry of the day involves as much dream writing as possible — the content of the dream, my interpretation, as well as shifts in mindset or potential actions inspired by the dream. I think of dreams as memories I make alone, and the most valuable source of information about my inner life.
evolution
When I was a child, I journaled out of necessity. I didn’t have many people to talk to. Now I journal because I want to talk to myself. It feels essential to my health. Last year, I journaled more than I ever had before, and I’m convinced it rewired my brain to be more optimistic and calm.
medium & material
Right now I’m using a Maruman Mnemosyne spiral notebook. I found it on a New York Times list of best notebooks. The paper feels a little plastic-y. I’m still looking for the perfect journal.
I’m also using Wilde House Paper’s 2026 Intentional Planner. In addition to pages for monthly, weekly, and daily planning, it has space for guided journaling, with a new theme every month. I love that it asks you to choose one word to be your intention for the year. I chose “solitude.” Every day there is a box to check off after you’ve done something to honor your intention. Thanks to the checkbox, I have been spending a lot of time at home, reading Anna Karenina.
preferred utensil
Pilot G2 0.7. I guess the pen community on Reddit doesn’t approve, but I’m already picky enough about too many things.
rereading
I do reread my entries, at least once. I recently reread all my entries from 2025. I always expect to cringe when I look back, but instead I come away feeling a lot of tenderness for my past self. It feels like rereading a novel. I know how it ends, but I still get swept up in the emotions and uncertainty, almost like it’s the first time.
a recent entry
My last entry was a response to this journal prompt: “What small choices do I make repeatedly that either support or pull me away from alignment?” I wrote it around 7 pm on the couch, with Fernanda cuddling me.
We’re such fans of Into the Journal and feel honored to be part of Khin’s routine.
Our journaling courses are designed for exactly that moment when your journaling practice starts to feel a little stale and your seeking a fresh injection of inspiration. As Khin said, “they’re all different ways to circle around the same thing.” That’s the heart of it. Journaling is you, circling back to yourself again and again. Our courses and the prompts within them help guide you there.
It’s the space where your inner world meets your outer one. Truly so grateful to be included!
I’ve been loving reading these insights into other people’s journaling practices. My cat was also very attuned to when I was feeling contemplative!