Our Story
It started with one question.
"Do you journal?"
In September 2024, someone I trust asked me that. I laughed. Honestly? No. I had zero interest in journaling.
But the question stayed with me. Months passed and it kept coming back, quiet but persistent, like a voice I couldn't ignore. So I started listening. I did a little research and played with some ideas. I asked myself, "What would this even look like if I did it?"
Somewhere in that process, it became real.
By January 2025, I stopped playing with the idea and started building it. That meant leaving a comfortable life in Atlanta and coming home to Chicago, because some things are too important to build halfway.
The Non-Journalist Journal was born in that move.
It's for the people who think journaling "isn't for them." The overthinkers. The feelers. The ones who don't know where to start. It has 101 pages and 103 prompts across 12 sections, so there is never a blank page staring back at you.
This isn't about being a writer. It's about being honest. And sometimes, all it takes is one question to change everything.
Desiree Hannon
Founder, The Non-Journalists | Chicago, South Side