BrainBook 1: Strawberries and Dreams

These are my BrainBooks. And the one on the bottom (with the strawberries) was my very first love.

There's this company called OBON and they sell the most amazing products ever. My mom introduced me to the wonders of OBON when she supplied me with BrainBook 1, and I accepted it because I thought it was really pretty at the time.

My BrainBook came to me at the perfect moment, although I didn't know it at the time. I had just gotten myself through a bout of depression and little did I know, I was about to undergo a bit of actual drama with a group of people I called my friends at the time (long story. Maybe another time).

The point is, my BrainBook was there for me in my time of need. It helped me separate my dreams from reality, but was a place for me to focus on both. Here are some pages from this book, and then, we'll talk again:

In this BrainBook, I pretty much was the epitome of the multi-polar writer. One minute, I sang praises of the writing experience. I glorified writing and being a writer and doing writerly things. And then the next, I hated it all. And then after that I hated everything. And then after that, I could care less. And then after that, I proceeded to talk to myself and ramble in stream of consciousness. 

My BrainBook consisted of three things: journals, ideas, and inspirational jargon. This is how it worked. If I had an idea, I had to journal first. I put the date in the upper right hand corner, the weather in the upper left, and then I wrote about my day--- anything that was on my mind, on my heart, or particularly boring, or particularly interesting. The goal was to fill a page if I started it. Didn't matter how many, but if I put a word on it, I would have to TRY to finish it. Then, I'd start a new page (all of which had titles!) and put that idea down on paper. It could be a brainstorm of a chapter I couldn't figure out, or an idea for a future book, or a song for a particular book, or a transcript of a phone call I had with my sisters about said book. And if I didn't have an idea, but I heard something I liked, that'll go down on a page after the daily entry. 

These things are personal, but nothing that goes down on paper is private. So it was my place to say everything I wanted to say, so long as it was everything I needed to say. 

I needed to add some of my personal life into the book to keep me rooted in the moments of angst, turmoil, and joy I felt on THAT day and in THAT instance. I needed to be free to express my anger, but I needed the constraint of a space that required me to THINK before I put anything in INK. I also needed a place where I could get all of my ideas out onto paper in an organized way so I wouldn't lose them and so I could visually SEE the dream. This first BrainBook was filled with love. It was the one that had the most of my heart. 

If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask. BrainBook 2 is coming to you next Sunday. 

Love,

Deserae

Commenting on Comments

Prerna- Couldn't agree with you more. We MUST work toward our dreams. Work is good sometimes.

Maya- Glad you were inspired! And I almost didn't believe that about Meg, either! One Hundred Rejections is a great blog. :) Definitely keep writing! And definitely keep reminding me to remind you to do it!

Sonal- Thanks, Love! You never fail to inspire me, either, so I try to return the favor when I can. :) Love ya much, Darling!

Arianna- You did?! That's fantastic! I'm glad you liked it and you're welcome. Always, always go for the gusto!