The Art of Logging Everything

There was a point where keeping a diary felt… private.

Now half the internet is documenting what they’re listening to, reading, wearing or watching. Not because anyone asked them to, but because collecting your own taste has become part of having one.

Before Letterboxd, there was Goodreads. Millions of people quietly building libraries of everything they’d read, rating books, setting yearly goals and accidentally creating a timeline of their lives through stories. Letterboxd took that same idea and gave it to film lovers.

I found Letterboxd through Charli xcx. She never made a big thing of it. She just… used it. It felt like another extension of her being online, and it made me curious enough to download it myself. I’m glad I did.

On paper it’s just a place to log films. Tick them off. Rate them. Write a review if you’ve got something to say.

In reality it’s become one of the few corners of the internet that still feels genuinely fun.

Some reviews are essays. Some are one sentence. Some are so painfully accurate they make writing a serious review feel unnecessary. Somehow an entire film can be reduced to a single sentence, and everyone immediately knows exactly what the person means.

That’s probably why the app has such a loyal community. Your profile slowly becomes this weird little archive of who you were. Films you loved. Films you hated. Films you watched because everyone else was talking about them. Looking back through your diary feels less like scrolling an app and more like remembering where you were in your life.

There’s something comforting about that.

CHVMBERS is going to spend a lot of time talking about music, fashion and film, and Letterboxd feels like the perfect place to start. If you’re already on there, you probably know exactly what I mean. If you’re not, I’d genuinely recommend giving it a go. It’s one of those rare platforms that actually encourages you to enjoy something rather than endlessly consume it.

Some people collect vinyl.

Some people collect books.

Some people collect films.

Really, we’re all just collecting little pieces of ourselves.