I've been recording dreams since I was around 10, and I am on my third book. I bought a huge tomb of a blank book and have been drawing images from my dreams in this one. Also, I have regular diaries, garden journal notebooks, short stories/poem books, technical drawing books, and sketchbooks. Sometimes I throw my complete books out or just rip out and burn pages till empty then toss, as its so private. I finally decided that I should preserve them all and gift them to my twin when I am dead so she can always have me with her when she misses me.

It never crossed my mind to look at someone elses diary. Fascinating for sure…I was inspired to buy the 5 year one as I have noticed cycles in my life too.

I think I just love old books and diaries (and new sketchbooks) for themselves. I love to look at them on the shelf. As far as my own diary, like you said, I don't want to record statistics about the weather, illnesses and what I ate for breakfast. Rather, I save it for my deeper thoughts. Things that I feel might inspire and help my kids down the road when I'm gone. I hope I can get it all into one 300 page journal, so they don't feel like it's a ball-and-chain they have to carry around, but an easily wielded reminder of the mom who loves them forever and wants to leave some sage words to help them through life and on into eternity. :)

This was so interesting Danny. I have my mothers and my brothers personal diaries. They are such treasures. Both have passed away so having these little recorded moments of their lives are very special. Love journaling!

Fascinating! I'd get lost in those for sure

What a great collection! Very exciting!

That was a lot of fun! I guess I'd never thought to collect diaries and other old record types of books. I'll now be on the lookout for them.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for this video. I found it very interesting and inspirational. I've kept an electronic diary on my iPhone via the Day One journaling app for the last 5 years and it has well over 3,000 entries in it and well over 1,000 pictures. I find the recording of my life for my son and his children to remember me by one of the best things I could ever do for them.

It's so funny to me how similar our brains are! I love collecting old diaries and snippets of other people's mundane lives but also keeping track of my own in various sketchbooks and diaries. I wonder what that means about us.

I've been collecting similar stuff for years. Thanks for the new insights.

Your video was very interesting and make me wonder what will happen to my journals when I'm gone. Keep up the good work!

Amazing. I loved this. I regret now the full sketchbook I decided not to buy at an estate recently. This definitely gave me something to think about. I wonder if that high school senior who recorded the leading up to war got drafted. What stories he must have had

Great video...loved the peek into the diaries of people from generations ago. SO interesting!

Your work is certainly inspirational,I am sketching this very moment,love every minute of it,thank you fore sharing your passions.

Inspiring and very fascinating! Thanks! 😊

You’d also love the Bayeux Tapestry ( in Bayeux France) about the Battle of Hastings…… how we (the Brits) lost 😆

Fascinating, Danny. Thank you for sharing! :)

Wow, great vid! As you say, making it meaningful keeps the habit and is the tell-tale sign into our identities!

love your videos!thank you! greetings from germany)

A Rilus Doolittle. came 3rd in the 5000m trials for the 1924 Olympics.

I love these videos, this one especially. Growing up reading "Dear America" and "The Royal Diaries" shaped my outlook on journaling. I've tried a couple times to find other people interested in collecting other people's journals, but my search consistently comes up basically empty. I'm not sure if I'm somehow missing it, or if there really just isn't a community presence for secondhand journals. So far, Mr. Gregory is the only one I've found that actively collects them.

February always becomes overwhelming

Four minutes in... genius!

I would love to find an old sketchbook or diary at an antique shop or sale! I've never come across one.

Thank you for your review on diaries

I feel like we are really spoiled in today's modern society because we don't have to worry about the weather for the most part excluding the poor people in Houston right now. However I think back then they were deprived of central heating and had to work in the fields a lot and such and the weather even to travel to and from work or whatever was a huge issue. I have a diary that was written by one of my rancher relatives about 110 years ago and it was mostly weather.

Danny did your mother make you wear that sweater vest when you were in the 5th grade? I think you should do some artistic replications about all the shame and teasing you had to go thru when all the other boys were wearing levi jackets and bellbottoms. I guarantee you my friend its gonna be a best seller!!!!! And I shall be the first one to buy your art. ROFL

interesting reveiw, thanks, the "we are in war" mabye added by the seller... the ink color seems newer, and the lettering is written carefully and seperate, the lettering is somwhat different. to add dramatization and value to this little book. possible. funny even when people write full diary the review is just 2 min more than empty one. because they are not from a person that you know closely and or have a unique literary style and intersting comments. To be fair the people life sound less interesting because real news , falling in love, making big sum of money, deep critics about themselves, wont be recorded by them for privacy reason in most cases.

Have you considered using them as a backdrop to your own art? Would be interesting to use them as a sketchbook. I have mixed feelings about it myself. On one hand it seems almost blasphemous to "deface" history. On the other hand, they were given away to be sold to strangers. When you think about it, it is an interesting way to weave eras together. Thoughts?

Where did you find these?

I realize this is your channel and your opinion but I felt bad when you slighted people who just wrote about the weather. You are negating their life and the time and energy they used to write in their diary. If that’s what was all they could do or chose to do that’s up to them. You are glimpsing a moment of their life. One they never dreamed someone would read. Your criticism was not appreciated or fair.

Very inspiring