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.
sandy sanchez
I’m Sandy Sanchez, a writer and brand strategist living in Brooklyn. I’m currently a Senior Copywriter at Headspace. I love vintage home goods, cooking hearty dishes, and writing about interiors, style, and everyday delights for my newsletter, Small Pleasures. You can also read my writing on Architectural Digest and Clever.
origins & evolution
I started journaling when I was 5. I was gifted a small Winnie-the-Pooh journal on a family trip to El Salvador. Unfortunately, I threw away my journals from the ages of 5 to 14 because I was scared that my family would read them and it’s one of my biggest regrets! I then occasionally journaled digitally on Tumblr from 14 to 20. And since then, I’ve been journaling in physical notebooks again.
language
I mainly use the terms “journals” and “notebooks” and haven’t used “diary” in a while!
process & current journals
If I’m doing a longer journaling session, I tend to journal first thing in the morning or at the end of the day. But I’m journaling now more than ever, and I enjoy doing it across multiple notebooks, both at home and when I’m out. I used to only have one dedicated place to journal, and now, I’m having fun with different journals that serve different purposes.
Main journal: This is where I do long-form journaling and document my daily life. I write in this journal (almost) daily.
Small Pleasures notebook: This is where I document the pleasures of life. I write in this weekly.
Book of Noguchi: This is a book where my partner and I write about and sketch our dog, Noguchi. This includes notable moments with him, his new quirks, things he loves, and more. I write in it a few times a month.
Book of Moments: This is another joint notebook with my partner and I where we journal about significant or memorable moments that happened while we were together. We take this everywhere we go. We write in it about once a month.
Work journal: This is a notebook where I jot down my goals, ideas, and important things that happen in my career. I write in this one every couple of months.
Planner: I have a small Paper Republic planner that I use every day. I attached a small notebook to it and that’s used for on-the-go thoughts, things I love (like movies or shows I watched), and any observations I noticed while being somewhere. This goes with me everywhere.
I also have one Notes page on my phone called “Wins and Acknowledgements” where I document things I accomplish daily, so that’s kind of like a journal, too. But each journal mentioned above is physical. Clothbound, leather bound, smooth, textured, brown, pink, red — my journals are of all different colors and textures. I’ve found them in various places. I love Moleskine, and recently LEUCHTTURM1917 notebooks, but my favorite journals I have are from Florence! I bought a bunch of notebooks when I was spending a few months over there. Nothing compares to those notebooks. They also smell amazing — fresh and warm.
utensil of choice
When I first started journaling, I loved using Le Pen in Black. Then, I moved on to the Micron 005 (.20mm) pen. And now, I use the Pilot G-Tec-C4 after hearing another writer friend talk about it. It doesn’t bleed and writes so smoothly.
purpose
I’ve always loved documenting things. I love being able to look back at old movie tickets, letters from friends, and entries from years ago. Journaling allows you to mark specific moments in time. Some of my favorite books to read are actually just the journals and diaries of artists from decades or centuries ago, and it’s fascinating to see what life was like during those times. Journals are a declaration that you existed and had feelings and experiences. It’s the most special thing.
rereading
I do reread, but not very often. Maybe a couple times a year. Sometimes I’ll read old entries from my current main journal, especially if I’m almost done with it and I get curious about how I started the journal. Other times, I’ll read entries from years ago, and it always feels strange to read them and forget that I even wrote what I did in the first place.
a recent entry
I wrote this down after a bad dream, seconds after opening my eyes, so I wasn’t fully conscious:
Feb 6, 2025
Thursday
6:44am
I woke up from the weirdest dream. I was on a trip but I was confused about why I was there. The people were strange and aggressive when I tried to ask them questions. I wanted answers! They said Noguchi had been dropped off somewhere but I told them I needed him back. I missed his smell. I didn’t know what to do. I just woke up right now.
@evaberezovsky
evaberezovsky.com
evapberezovsky(at)gmail(dot)com
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Thank you so much for having me!! 🌷
This is so so so wonderful. I love Sandy’s writing practices! I think physical writing is the most important thing anyone could do, besides being kind to others. ❤️