Picture book
Sometimes, when words don’t come easily, an image can express so much. Anita Chaudhuri discovers the joy of photo journalling
THE JOY OF JOURNALLING is something I discovered at the tender age of 10. I vividly recall receiving my first diary, a five-year volume with a pillar-box red cover. Best of all, it had a padlock and key. No need for the ‘Top secret: Keep out!’ stickers I was so fond of back then.
I’ve kept a journal ever since. There’s a simple joy in documenting for posterity the rocky times, as well as the happy ones. I’ve always incorporated imagery on my pages, sticking in photos cut out from magazines, ticket stubs and brightly coloured doodles, but it was only recently that I discovered the concept of visual journalling through photographer Susannah Conway’s online course, Journal Your Life.
‘The power of journalling with words and images is that it combines creativity and mindfulness with writing,’ explains Conway. ‘People get scared at the thought of writing words on the blank page. It can feel a bit like being at school, where you have to get the grammar right and maybe you think your handwriting isn’t good enough. Taking a photo with your camera phone can feel easier and more accessible than writing.’
I started my photo journal when, during lockdown, something unthinkable happened. I ran out of words. I would sit down, look at the page and… nothing. Every day, with little else to do, I would explore the area in which I had lived for decades, discovering new green spaces. I started taking my camera on these jaunts, or would use my phone to capture a different tree, flower or bird. I slowed my pace, concentrating on finding a subject worthy of my daily photo.
Looking back, I suppose it was a way of differentiating one day from the next. It also opened my eyes to so much beauty. Although I’m a keen photographer, I generally opt for gritty city shots. And yet, right here on my doorstep, were secret gardens and wonderful urban trees. Gradually, I began to observe, and consider, my surroundings and community differently. When you slow down, guess what? People are more likely to stop and chat. Something had shifted and, far from being short of words, I had much to say.
I would share my images with rambling captions on Instagram. This habit had an immediate positive effect on my mood. I later discovered that research from Lancaster University* reveals that taking a photo every day and sharing it online increases wellbeing. Participants reported greater self-care, community interaction and enjoyment of opportunities to reminisce. What’s more, a study at Yale University**
I started my photo journal when something unthinkable happened. I ran out of words. I sat down, looked at the page and… nothing