2nd Annual Light City Baltimore Event Ends In Success (Doc’s Castle Picture Gallery)

Baltimore’s annual week-long art festival that incorporates a mixture of lights and sculptures ended this past Saturday with a success bringing out more participation from businesses and festival-goers throughout the city.

The event was held starting at the peak of evening hours and ending just in time for bedtime; between the hours of 7p to 10p. For nine nights, visitors enjoyed parades, tasty cuisines, entertainment, and beautiful sightseeing in the heart of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

According to an article found on Baltimore’s news station website WJZ, “Estimates show that roughly 470,000 people attended the 2017 Baltimore Light City festival during its nine-night run. That’s a 17 percent increase from the previous year.”

The festival brought lots of revenue for the hotels and businesses in the downtown area. Businesses, like Hotel Monaco, even partnered up with Light City organizers with intentions to attract Light City attendees. Shahram Khan, general manager of Hotel Monaco says they provided hotel deals, and in return, it was a win for the hotel.

Each glowy night was a spectacular experience for art lovers and foodies. Simply through walking the Inner Harbor’s square, visitors were able to experience the exhibits lined up just a few steps from each other.

For those who were unable to visit the light exhibits in the downtown Inner Harbor, Doc’s Castle Media captures the moment for you. View the opening night of Light City Baltimore below.

Dates for next year’s Light City Baltimore will be discussed later this week. To keep up with Light City Baltimore updates, subscribe to www.lightcity.org or follow them on Instagram at @LightCityBmore.

Did you attend Light City Baltimore? Tell us your favorite attraction in the comments below.

Listen to #LoveandHipHop Baltimore Featuring #StrongWayRadio and #DocsCastleMedia on Embrace the Crazy Podcast by Whiskey Girl (Gallery)

Doc did something out of her element over the weekend. Dun, Dun, Dun. Doc’s Castle Media was a special guest alongside the owner of the Strong Way Radio brand on DC’s favorite Whiskey Girl podcast, Embrace the Crazy, to discuss the topic “Love and Hip-hop.” It was an interesting show, indeed, and I’m sure many of my readers will know why.

Most people who know me, know that I’m not very open with my love life. I’m far from the mushy type. Many may recall me being more of a goofball than a love bug. Until more recently, I’ve even gone as far as YEARS since posting a single photograph online of myself with a fling. But apparently, times have changed for Doc because exclusively for the DC Whiskey Queen, I’ve opened up my love life as an open romance novel for her podcast and it wasn’t bad at all.

As stated on WG’s Whiskey and Poetry Blog,

WG is a blogger, self-published author, spoken word artist and single mother with a full-time professional career in the nonprofit mental health arena. She lends her unique voice and perspective to her own WG’s Embrace the Crazy blog as well as MyTrendingStories.com. In addition to writing, her true passions include public work and serving as a mouthpiece to address mental health issues within the black community.

Embrace the Crazy podcast is a series of audio shows hosted by Whiskey Girl on her website WhiskeyandPoetry.com and Soundcloud. The series focuses on a plethora of topics ranging from hip-hop and poetry to mental health and “staying woke.” The sky’s the limit on her show.

While Karlito and I interviewed on the Embrace the Crazy podcast with Whiskey Girl, we covered topics on hip-hop and love, such as the Karlito and Doc love affair, couples collaborating with their brands, Nicki Minaj and Remy Ma beef, how local artists should prepare for hip-hop showcases, and much more. Listen to the full podcast below by visiting Whiskey Girl Souncloud.

After the podcast, the three of us did a raw photoshoot. Because I had so much fun, I thought it would only be right to share the photos on Doc’s Castle Media with the hashtags #BlackLove and #RelationshipGoals to fit the mood. View the gallery for Love and Hip Hop Episode of Embrace the Crazy Podcast below.

http://soundcloud.com/user-167368140/love-and-hip-hop-baltimore

How do you feel about couples collaborating on projects for their brands? Do you think it can be done? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Have you heard Doc’s interview with MDMA Cobain on CutThaCheck Podcast? Listen to Episode Four on Doc’s Castle Media.

Rockview Entertainment Presents the Inauguration Concert in Queens, NY (What Indie Support Should Look Like)

Doc’s Castle Media had the opportunity to leave our regularly scheduled program to experience something we’re very familiar with outside of our comfort zone last weekend. Doc attended a hip-hop showcase in New York City, and there’s so much to be mentioned about why my experience out of town is worthy of being shared with Baltimore city hip-hop heads.

The Inauguration Concert was hosted my Rockview Entertainment, an independent entertainment group in NYC that specializes in the branding of New York City music artists. Taina and Jus Write are two New York artist of the brand’s roster that came to the showcase that evening. A majority of the Rockview Entertainment events feature local talent from all over NYC. But some artists travel from farther distances to perform.

As a part of the entourage for Baltimore recording artist Jae Duckett, I came to work my talent covering the event by taking photos and experiencing the essence of the show. We came with a total of 9 people. All of us bearing cameras and media equipment in support of Jae. We did this to show the people of the big apple how we roll. We go hard for Baltimore. But do we really?

I wasn’t the only media present at the Inauguration Concert. There were three internet radio shows present; Lyve Lyfe Radio, WVMR, and Baltimore’s own Strong Way Radio. But what took the icing on the cake was Shani Kulture from Hot 97 dropping by in full support of the showcase, as well.

Shani Kulture delivered a message of positivity that was well needed. He encouraged each and every artist’s’ passion for what they do. Coming from someone currently working in mainstream media with large notoriety, encouragement felt like it had come spewing from the fountain of youth. There’s no doubt admiration was projected at it’s finest from prospective talent in the audience that night.

The evening was full of energy and driven individuals. Simply off the atmosphere alone, you’d feel good about what you’re apart of, which is why I needed to write about this particular showcase for Doc’s Castle Media.

Where are these kinds of shows in Baltimore that have this energy?

Not to knock Baltimore too much, there are plenty of notable showcases and shows that receive a good amount of support from locals; like TheMixx Festival hosted by DTLR and The 2nd Anniversary of Baltimore Beat Club hosted by The Lineup Room. We even have shows like Baltimore Crown Awards that celebrate the successes of artists striving to share their passions in the city. But there are many shows that are “ghost,” without even a handful of spectators insight. Baltimore lacks the artist at the shows showing brotherly genuine support. I always ask why is it this way?

If Baltimore could take just a pinch of energy felt that night at the Inauguration Concert, I’d know it’d be another proud moment and a step forward towards the #NewBaltimore that we idolize in 2014 when there was buzz in the atmosphere of a new generation of artists changing how we celebrate indie artists in Baltimore. If we gained the energy felt during the Rockview Ent. show, we might actually have a chance to climb out of the barrels this city seems to be too familiar with.

If I were to suggest some things that happened in New York that Baltimore artists should invest in doing, there wouldn’t be much I’d need to share. Simply showing up and show out for your friends is all that’s needed to be done.

Each artist in the building that night came with an entourage of supportive friends. Similar to attending a high energy sporting event, all friends cheered on their artist like no other. The night started off with each group of friends showing love solely for who they came for. But by the end of the night, the love shown spread into a huge circle of love. Everyone became one, with the help of the evening’s special guest Shani Kulture encouraging everyone to support all of their peers. He reminded the audience that performing in front of strangers isn’t easy. These artists had the courage to entertain the room. Shani basically told us to show our respect and listen to them.

Maybe artists in Baltimore don’t understand that concept of support at all. We ask our friends to come to our shows and end up partying with strangers. Every time we get to a point when we feel like we’re crawling away from the barrel of constant hate, we get pulled back in by those who are the closest to us. Trying to gain support in Baltimore is a never ending battle familiar to anyone who wants to pursue a dream.

“We are better off moving to another state to get ahead,” says a majority of dreamers spotted in the Baltimore arts scene. They say it as if other cities, like Atlanta, GA, and Los Angeles, are the chosen “mecca” lands, getaway places for serenity and peace, for their passions and talents.

This is not so if we’d just support everyone where we are.

Otherwise, my surroundings in NYC made me hopeful to see a concert like the Inauguration Concert replicated in my hometown. There were enough Baltimore natives there to experience the night’s vibes. Hopefully, those people can spread its essence somehow, or maybe I could be reaching.

Why do you think Baltimore artist struggle to gain support from their peers? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Did you catch the visuals for Boutzie’s Intoxico? Watch the music video for Intoxico feature Flu_x and Jimmy Apoet on Doc’s Castle Media.

Anti-Trump Protesters Face-Off Trump Supporters Outside Annual National Guard Convention in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor (A #DocsCastle Recap)

Earlier in the week, Donald Trump visited Baltimore City to campaign to National Guard members as they attended the annual National Guard convention in Baltimore Inner Harbor. While visiting the charming city, the Republican candidate was confronted yet again with a crowd of strong opposing sides; both Trump supporters and peaceful protesters in front of the Baltimore convention center.

At 11:30 AM, the rally outside of the convention was scheduled to begin and was reported by news outlets such as Fox 45 News and WJZ CBS Baltimore. Though Trump was not expected to speak during the convention until 1 PM, all the action took place on public property in front of the National Guard Convention.

Across from Pratt Street on the opposite side of the Convention Center stood the Trump Supporters with their vote Trump and “Make America Great Again” signs. There they stood, a group of majority white-collared professionals sprinkled in with a few ignorant rednecks who arrived in a white and blue school bus, foreign to natives of the city. Adjacent to their street corner of choice at the intersection of Charles and Pratt Street, stood the hopeful and high-spirited protesters with their many signs expressing their freedoms of speech.

For a total of four hours, the groups battled to get their points across. Trump supporters reciting policies that Trump promises to implement once in the office while protesters chant “Fuck Trump.” The atmosphere was at odds.

For the most part, the rally held Monday morning was peaceful. But as expected, there were Trump supporters who became too passionate and chose to resort to violence to get their message across. One supporter hopped on his bicycle riding at full speed towards the protesters in hopes his salivating mouth would gain its relief, as he aimed halt spit in the direction of a protester’s face. He did not succeed. Baltimore City police officers intervened pulling the Trump supporter away from the crowd.

The heat was on the moment protesters viewed police officers protecting the supporters instead of being the protectors of everyone. Even while Trump supporters aggressively wiggled their way towards protesters, Baltimore police continued to remind the day’s freedom fighters to remain calm and away from the Trump supporters. Frustrated by this, the majority of Protesters left the opposing corner of Charles and Pratt to be on the same side of the street where Trump Supporters stood.

For the remainder of the event, a political whirlwind rested between Bank of America and Baltimore Convention Center until crowds died down. Trump was never spotted.

Donald Trump did not speak publicly to crowds outside the convention center. But he was spotted in Dundalk Baltimore, MD on social media.

More Photos from September 12, 2016 Protest:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=docscastlemedia&set=a.1163777070328226

How do you think Donald Trump should have responded to the rally that took place outside of the Baltimore Convention Center? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

#BmoreBeatClub Celebrates 2nd Anniversary Outdoors In Front of Hundreds at Annual Festival (A #DocsCastle Recap)

The Bmore Beat Club lit the corner of Charles Street and North Avenue over the weekend with their 2nd Annual Celebration at The Ynot Lot. Hundreds gathered at the lot participating in festival activities by watching producers, rappers, and MC’s collaborate in a hip-hop experience unique to Baltimore’s Art Scene.

Bmore Beat Club is an open mic organized by The Lineup Room with a purpose of bridging relationships between MCs and producers. It’s not your commonly found Open Mic in Baltimore, either. At BBC, producers bring their best compositions to the forefront while rappers reveal their true lyricism in collaboration with producer’s beats. Everything is done on stage in front hip-hop fans. This unique experience takes you back to a time when hip-hop was first birthed in New York City, but BBC delivers with its own Bmore twist.

Over the weekend, locals made cameo appearances in celebration of BBC’s second year running. Baltimore artists such as DDM, Icon Tha God, Chase Ultra, Doowy Lloh, Donnie Breeze, and many more graced Ynot’s corner with a fiery presence and lots of thriving energy. The night’s turnout was beyond what was expected, and the crowd welcomed the raw talent with love and respect.

It was just a tiny hump during the show, but The Lineup Room continued to prevail. There were miniature electrical malfunctions that may have stolen 10 minutes of the festival’s time. But evening’s innovators turned downtime into time travel, as rappers quickly formed a circle center of the crowd sparking an old school cypher. It was a spectacular save, and the night was at hip-hop’s original state, once again.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=docscastlemedia&set=a.1151727191533214

At that moment, the turn-up became real and electrifying performances of talent from different corners of the city showed everyone what they had to offer. In seeing all the positivity, there was no doubt the open mic was a success.

The Lineup Room awarded the winner of the open mic with an EP record deal, 100 CDs, music video, and public relations services. A great package for the determined and goal-driven recording artist.

The open mic ended promptly at 11 PM, but the celebration was far from over. Bmore Beat Club after party was held at The Crown, just 3 doors down from The Ynot Lot. So event-goers could mingle some more and not make huge commutes outside of the Station North art grounds.

Bmore Beat Club is an ongoing open mic held every second Thursday of the month. If you’d like to feel what an original hip-hop experience in Baltimore is like, be sure to stop by Maryland Art Place in downtown Baltimore for Episode 25 on September 8th. Stay updated with other opportunities by The Lineup Room by following their Facebook and Instagram page at @lineuproomstudio.

Did you know Bmore Beat Club Open Mic was not the first of event of its kind? Read about my experience attending Beat Trip on Doc’s Castle Media.

Writers In Baltimore School Ends Summer Writing Program with Bang for Annual Reading Celebration at Red Emma’s Bookstore and Coffeehouse

Each year, Writers in Baltimore School recruit middle and high school students into a one- week summer reading and writing program to help promote proficient reading and writing skills within Baltimore City Urban youth. To end their annual closing ceremony this year, the student’s mentors and writing coaches encouraged students to read projects they worked on throughout the summer to their family and friends a Red Emma’s Bookstore and Coffeehouse on North Avenue.

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Students took turns performing front and center at Red Emma’s mic to recite their best work on various topics. Beautiful and thought-provoking pieces on subjects such as love, respect, and inspiration. Some students even opened up to sharing their thoughts on deeper topics like heartbreak, death, and injustice. These youngsters showed their versatility with words.

The students of Writers in Baltimore School let their listeners in on what’s happening in their heads. While listening to this talented group’s thoughts, I had to take a step back and admire what these kids were contributing. As adults, we can easily overlook what these students care about. We forget that the decisions that our society makes affects them, as well. Hearing the stories and poems of how these students felt about their communities and culture stuck with me.

Our children’s future matters. They’re our decision-makers for how we will live later down the line. So what happens in our society should make enough sense for them to understand because they live in cohabitation with the rest of us. I sometimes wonder how these kids end up getting the short end of the stick from the adults who make the decisions for them? To think when we make decisions to discontinue grading homework in our Baltimore County Schools or when we abolish after school programs and recreational centers because of lack of funding, how it can do more harm, than good. Writers In Baltimore School programs bring us back full circle in reminding us that the youth is who matters.

Writer’s In Baltimore’s mission as stated on their Facebook page states:

“WBS seeks to provide middle school students with a vibrant environment for literary development through in-school, afterschool, and summer creative writing workshops taught by Baltimore writers and college students. Compared to higher income peers, the reading assessment scores of low-income Baltimore students drop significantly between grades 5-8. WBS believes that by supplementing low-income students’ middle school language arts learning with an intensive program in literary reading and creative writing, these students can enter high school with a renewed interest in literature. WBS steps in where the traditional language arts classroom falls short by giving students a smaller, more participatory setting to hone reading and writing skills.”

It could be cliché for me to say this quote, but I can wholeheartedly attest there is truth behind the phrase, “Reading is fundamental.” Reading can take a person places they’ve never been. It can make people experience things they’ve never done, and provide opportunities once someone unlocks knowledge from the pages read. While listening to the students talk of the summer books they read, and of the short stories and poems they wrote, I learned what each individual had experienced personally. I believed their summer classes changed them in a way that helped them grow. The experience was fundamental.

Writers In Baltimore Schools hold a variety of workshops; in-school, after school, song-writing, and theater themes. Would you say programs like WBS are helping our community and youth? Share your thoughts below.

1st Annual Social Media Conference #WhenThePressLinkUp Held In Nation’s Capital (A #DocsCastle Recap)

Self-starter journalists from around the Baltimore and DC Metropolitan area came together for a 3-day weekend conference to share knowledge and resources at the first annual When The Press Link Up event at the University of District of Columbia in Washington, DC. The event was held as a networking gathering for underground media to come together and share tips for how they create content, share stories, and build a brand following.

The event was hosted and organized by journalist and owner of PRWiz, LLC, Mindy Jo. According to the event’s website:

“The purpose for When the Press Link Up is for aspiring and current social media enthusiasts and entrepreneurs to gather, network, and engage in dialogue. An opportunity to learn new techniques through educational workshops, awhile enhancing current creative content productions. The goal of When the Press Link Up is to establish a scholarship fund to aid Media Arts students in the United States, along with assisting Teach for Madagascar nonprofit education program.”

At this year’s conference held the weekend of August 5-7, 2016, When the Press Link Up established a $500 book scholarship for a Media Arts student attending the University of the District of Columbia. Currently, donors can contribute to the event’s GoFundMe account. Students who are interested will be required to submit an essay no later than September 9, 2016. (Contact PRWiz, LLC or email whenthepresslinkup@gmail.com for more information about opportunity.)

The conference was a very resourceful opportunity that Doc’s Castle Media took part in. I was the welcomer for Saturday’s festivities. So I opened the event greeting everyone and sharing my thoughts on the current climate in Baltimore since the death of Freddie Gray, and since charges been dropped in his case in late July. I also shared a few words about Baltimore’s new addition to police brutality victimization, Korryn Gaines.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=docscastlemedia&set=a.1143502759022324

Attending When The Press Link Up was an eye-opening experience. It brought me to the realization that though we all come from different places, there are similar problems occurring in our neighborhoods. We must work together to try to report a truth that will bring positive change. Most journalists in attendance were chasing stories off pure passion and weren’t getting compensated for any of it. That tells me most journalists that attended are like me. It’s good to know that I’m not the lone wolf working to make a change simply through writing about it. There are more people willing to go above and beyond to share all sides of a story, rather than the side that’ll gain profit.

Events like When The Press Link Up brings us together to brainstorm ways of resolving community issues. Days prior to the conference, a victim of police brutality Korryn Gaines was killed in Baltimore County, Maryland. During When The Press Link Up, underground media discussed meetup spots in Baltimore where they could get involved with what was happening to help her family and friends protect her story. Most importantly, the journalist discussed how to listen out for clues to tackle stories by large media outlets who provide us with information. We learned to determine the difference between having information fed through mass media to represent “fact” versus being shared to form an opinion within the community. We networked and congregated on our perceptions of what we believed to be true journalism. The event seemed to have met its mission purpose.

I was a little disappointed in the turnout. There weren’t enough people there that registered for the conference who wasn’t already a creator or entrepreneur of their own brand. Everyone I met already knew the basics of building a social media brand. Similar to my early years of blogging when I saw nothing but the performers in venues with a small audience, the conference room that housed When The Press Link Up was as deserted as open mic night at local Baltimore arts venue on Charles Street The Depot. Yet again, I was at another event where there’s a lack of support from the community? It did nothing but bring my frustrations towards a society that does not support what’s going on around them because of their lack of community awareness. It’s always the events that have the potential to bring societal change that gets overlooked.

[Read Baltimore’s Too “Cliqued Up” to Have Supporters on Doc’s Castle Media.]

According to PRWiz, LLC, this will not be the only time When The Press Link Up will happen. The event will be held again in the future for more media entrepreneurs to share their experience in media. I hope that I’ll be invited to the next one, and there’ll be a larger audience yearning to gain new knowledge of what it takes to be an underground social media journalist.

Do you follow any social media journalist on your social media sites? List a few that you know in the comments below.

Free Comic Book Day: Go Visit Collectors Corner Now! (A #DCM Recap)

Title: Free Comic Book Day: Go Visit Collectors Corner Now! (A #DCM Recap)

Feel free to enjoy this lovely surprise every year and partake in the festivities of Free Comic Book day with Collectors Corner.

Each year comic book stores throughout the state of Maryland participate in the largest celebration for comic book fans in the mid atlantic region. Free Comic Book Day is a day dedicated to the celebration of the illustrators and writers who give us the best pieces of their imagination.

This weekend I grabbed me a plethora of free books. I already read them all, and proclaimed my favorite to be Bob’s Burgers out of the bunch. That was predestined, of course. I swear I’m glued to the screen each chance I get to watch the Bob’s Burgers television series. To hear that there was a comic book simply sealed the deal.

As I learned about Free Comic Book Day at the very last-minute, I’m glad I crawled out of bed that Saturday morning because I witness a special part of each comic book’s universe in the span of an hour. My comic knowledge excelled from knowing about only two universes to now knowing of eight. I use to think there was only Marvel and DC. Now I can categorize characters into universes such as Springfield, MacFarlane, Tintin, and Hanna-Barbera. I always could, but now I know I can.

Collectors Corner is an awesome store to venture to if you want to literally feel like you are a part of a new world. The store is set up into sections, where a customer can easily find their favorite world to get lost in. Apparently, I got lost eyeing the Pop Collector Vinyl figures section, astonished by the fact a John Oliver, host of HBO comic review series “Last Week Tonight,” has an official Pop figure.

The event also sponsored tickets to see the new Captain America film Civil War. The first 100 people to arrive at 9 am for the event were giving free tickets to see the movie.

Every person in attendance received five free comic books, and if you didn’t want to accept the comics offer specified for the day, Collectors Corner managed to rally up some classics. Lines grew very long circling the entire store, as the most important offer available was of twenty comic books given to the ultimate lovers of comics.

I am not ashamed to say I did not get in that line.

People also took the time to dress up as their favorite superheroes and villains.

Free Comic Book Day 2016 was the 15th annual event. With all those years to attest, I’m certain they’ll be yet another great Free Comic Book Day in 2017.

Who’s your favorite comic book character? Leave a comment below.

One Year After Baltimore’s Uprising (A #DCM Recap)

It was around this time a year ago when Black Baltimore Youth decided to take a stand against social injustice as a result of death to Baltimore native Freddie Gray. One year ago, the city was at unrest as media from around the world had their cameras focused on the city’s reaction.

First at an uproar, then later turned uplifting, the riots became like a light switch flicked on gaining the attention of billions. Baltimore had all eyes on them as its citizens showed the world what’s truly happening in the city while public officials, like Mayor Stephanie Rawlings – Blake, left the citizens with “space to destroy.” Many have wondered would it be this be time for a revolution; will there be a change in the fight against systematic racism?

Read: The Real Revolution Will Not Be Televised #ILoveBaltimore on Doc’s Castle Media

During the 2015 Baltimore Uprising Protests, people gathered at the historical intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and North Avenue with a mission to show whoever watching the truth. Hundreds of people met with the same purpose against police brutality and social injustices. It was in front of the burning CVS Pharmacy, we designated a landmark for many of the Uprising’s protests. On the corner of Penn North Station, a revolution was sparked but is the flame for Black deliverance still lit?

A year later, there still remains an urgent call of attention to those same social injustices. Every day, there are signs that let people in on these still prevalent social needs. There are activists continuing on the search for ways to fight for funding towards a corrupt Baltimore City education system. By December of 2015, crime rates skyrocketed way past the usual records leading to more than 300 homicidal deaths throughout the year. There remain blocks-upon-blocks of vacant homes untouched since the riots in Baltimore during 1968. The homeless continue to be pushed out of tourists friendly areas in shame to prevent an unwelcoming presence for visitors. The city is the same.

On April 28, exactly one year following the Baltimore rising protest, another protest was held in honor of Freddie Gray, Tyrone West, and more recently 13-year-old African American student who was shot by a police officer on school premises after withdrawing a replica handgun.

Did you see the Million Man March Gallery? Read Face of Liberation (Million Man March Gallery) on Doc’s Castle Media.

My Confessions on Being A Chronic Journalist

Journaling could be the window of success.

As promised before in my blog A Life Brand New, one of my goals for 2016 is to write more inspirational posts. By sharing more about myself and allowing my readers in on more about my life, I hope to inspire more people to look within themselves to becoming better people. I want more people to do more to live fulfilling lives. So my first blog to inspire will be sharing one secret about myself that I have which I believe contributes to majority of my successes throughout life.

I am a “chronic journalist,” and I love it!

What is Chronic Journaling?

Chronic journaling is the act of writing in a journal or notebook on a consistent and very regular basis. It’s like leaving your very own breadcrumbs to finding a better plan for tackling issues, both big and small, in your life. It’s the busy mind’s way of thinking out loud, except it’s done on record and makes it easier to remember things.

There are so many benefits to keeping a personal notebook to write in on a daily basis. If someone was to take on the hobby of chronic journaling, life could turn into a routine, and easier to navigate to new task or goal. Dreamchasers could learn how to better organize by creating series of lists; like shopping lists, to do lists, or brainstorming lists. The journal could be used to hold new business ideas for the ambitious individual. It could be used for seizing boredom giving someone something to occupy their mind while they’re on idle from their most daunting duties. Some people even carry journals to collect pictures and quotes that inspire and motivate. Journals are used as your personal assistant and can be the tool to harper so much more potential for yourself.

Journaling Is A Big Part of Me

Journaling matters a lot to me because of the backstory of how I started making it into a hobby. I started doing it as mimicking behavior from watching my favorite 90s cartoons keep journals. I watched shows like Hey Arnold, Doug, and As Told By Ginger-all shows who main characters had diaries- and thought how awesome it would be to read about my life someday, reminiscing about memories. I started my diary entry phase in elementary school while I was young, very shy and quiet. Those were my days of literally talking about what I did throughout the day. You could only imagine how boring those entries were. Who’d want to listen to an 8 year old talk about getting grounded for going outside when their parents wasn’t home when they specifically told her to stay in? Not even me.

Glad I outgrew that phase.

As I’ve matured onto my puberty years, my writings had more meaning and purpose. The pages in my books developed more meaning because of new surroundings. During those years, my Journaling became a getaway from friends who had various types of personalities. Most of my friends were very dominant and outspoken kids, whose ideas were the height of the era. I didn’t think my thoughts mattered to others back then. I was more comfortable being observant and reserved as I learned more about people and how they communicated. I wasn’t sure of my own ideas and feelings, and I’ve always had that notion to wait until I was certain about my thoughts or how I felt before I decided to speak. Journals helped me to sort out my problems and how to tackle my daily little life struggles.

I have journals of all sorts from sketch, composition, notepads, diaries, pocket books and blogs.

It wasn’t until I’ve gotten older that I realized that what I loved to do was common amongst the world’s greatest thinkers, as well. There are many successful people who are known to carry a journal to write down their most precious ideas, savoring them for later opportunities to pull whenever life shows it’s ready for the next bright idea. While reading a blog from Art of Manliness, I learned of many famous people who turned to their trusty pocket notebooks for an outlet to brainstorm for great works. Famous people like Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, George Lucas, and so many more used their books to harper their greatest ideas. Some of those ideas were used to change how we did things and our entire way of life.

Journaling Saved My Life

Now as an adult, I consider my journal habit as a chronic habit I’m unable to quit without there being repercussions for delaying my routines. It’s not a bad thing to have such a habit. It contributes to a lot of my success. But what I enjoy the most about it is its ability to give me a proud feeling whenever I look back to it’s pages and find that I’ve finally completed something I’ve planned on for months, or sometimes years. Even while going through something emotional and I’ve used my journal to help grieve, it feels great to look back and know that I’m no longer feeling that pain anymore. I’ve found a way to turn my hurt into something beautiful.

Journaling helped me get through my best and more importantly worse of times. Journaling brought me to blogging, which kept me out of trouble as I’ve always had a hard time choosing the correct friends to hang with. Blogging was my escape from the drama and gossip that my peers took an interest in. Instead of indulging in continuing gossiping with the people around me, I focused my mind on learning how to journal online by creating Doc’s Castle Media. It’s why you’re reading this today.

Journaling has never been a stressful task to do. I’ve always loved it. I loved having a moment to myself to meditate with my own thoughts. It makes me more aware of me and that’s a capability many people lack. I take pride in it. From experience I know journaling should be introduced to the youth because helps to gain self-awareness. In a world that’s becoming too busy by its inhabitants to teach their children in public schools systems the power of getting to know oneself, journaling becomes a great self educator. I attest to it, and if there ever was a time a class could be taught on journaling, I’d love to help teach it. I’m waiting for that day.

Conclusion

My only goal for each journal I’ve started was to fill the pages with my thoughts because this is how I see myself being heard. When I write, people listen. This is how I’ve always gained respect. It’s how I’ve always gotten people to notice me. Through writing, I believe I can live forever because even when I’m gone, people will still be able to hear my thoughts. I always thought when you found that thing that could make you feel like you can live eternally, you’ve found a passion and a gift.

To me, It’s not enough to write on your own, or whenever the time is right. My journals became the window of success through frequent follow up observations. Any dreamchaser would allows their blueprints to become their motivator, organizer, or friend. By literally writing anything that comes to mind and faithfully sticking to it, I’ve allowed my books to become my blueprints to lead a more successful life. I would encourage anyone to take up this hobby because it’s therapeutic. Every page filled makes you feel good that you’ve gotten a thought out of your mind and on “concrete” paper. To be a chronic journalist, it keeps me and the people working around me in order. I thank my habit and others do as well.

I am a chronic journalist. #MyThoughtsMatter.

Would you consider chronic journaling as a good way to help accomplish some of your goals? What helps you to achieve? Tell me about your habits. Leave in the comments below.

Would you like to learn how to become a chronic journalist? Be sure to come back to learn tips for how to become a chronic journalist on Doc’s Castle Media.