Birth of my first Journal - know the story

Kids' screen time usage has increased since the COVID pandemic, and social interactions have declined. TV, laptops, and mobile devices had more attention in their lives than parents, friends, or relatives. When screen time was shut off for the day, there were initial angry outbursts, and then they slowly came into the real world. They were losing interest in their daily activities, and this was not healthy. I wanted the kids to be aware of themselves and what's happening in their lives, rather than giving them advice.

Since I have journaled and know its benefits, I wanted them to start journaling. But an empty book and plain pages were very hard for the kids; instead of helping them, it became a burden for them. And there were constant questions like, "Amma, what should I write?" or "Amma, can I draw or doodle?" Finally, all the journals became rough books.

During summer break, kids loved the activity books, so I thought, "Why not a guided journal?" which has simple questions and lots of free space for kids to write and draw to express themselves. With my husband's encouragement, "101 Self-Reflection Questions for Tweens and Teens" turned into a reality.

Initially, I wanted to have a pet or cartoon portrayed in the journal with different expressions and emotions, as I wanted it to be an informal book with the kids. Later, I realized that the kids could easily relate to other kids rather than pets or cartoons. That was how Tara was born.

In order to reduce screen time for my daughter, Deepshika, I requested that she illustrate Tara for the journal questions. She started to illustrate in her hand-made journal notebook. Her hand-made journal notebook was made from her old school notebook papers. After initial hiccups, she illustrated Tara in different forms and bonded with her. They had become friends, and her emotions and expressions started to reflect through Tara.

My nephew Rudy, who is a designer, was very instrumental in getting Deepshika to illustrate Tara for the journal questions. Working with him, I realized the benefits of visual journaling, so the journal, which was initially intended to be a written-only journal, became a writing and drawing journal. He spent a huge amount of time and effort on how to draw avatar parts, as he wanted all kids to try drawing. He has made them simple so that anyone can start to draw. He was both an illustrator and a graphic designer, and he made all my visions for the journal a reality.