Video Journaling as a Practice of Witnessing Yourself with Jason McGarva

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. I’ve kept it in the public archive because it explores documenting as a form of presence, self-reflection, and truth-telling. 

Jason’s approach to video journaling goes far beyond memory-keeping. It’s a practice of witnessing yourself with honesty and care.

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What if documenting wasn’t about remembering the past, but about witnessing yourself right now?

Jason McGarva didn’t set out to turn the camera on himself, but once he did, something shifted. What began as an experiment in video journaling became a grounding way to reflect, feel, and see himself more clearly.

In this conversation, Jason shares what it’s like to see yourself on screen without performing, and how video can become a mirror for noticing what you're really carrying.

This episode is for anyone curious about how documenting can support reflection, truth-telling, or reconnecting with the self beneath the noise.

Topics: 

• What video journaling is, and how it differs from content creation
• Why Jason started filming himself, and what shifted over time
• How watching old footage can reveal what you didn’t notice in the moment
• The tension between performance and presence on camera
• Using video to access vulnerability, reflection, and emotional truth
• Why documenting is less about memory, and more about being seen
• How video journaling can support life transitions and internal shifts
• The power of self-witnessing as a story practice

Connect with Jason + access the archived episode resources here: 

→ dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-archive