Journaling For Beginners

It's no secret that I love journaling. I've been doing it since I was a kid and have been consistently keeping journals since the year I turned fifteen. I started with simple personal journal entries and diary-keeping. Over the years, my journaling practice has expanded to include art journals, gratitude journals, spirituality journals, junk journals and more. Much of my journaling falls under the category of creative journaling and scrap journaling, which we'll discuss more in a bit. But first, let's cover some basics.

The Basics

What is journaling? Simply put, journaling is the act of documenting your thoughts and feelings. Notice that there is no mention of fancy journals or notebooks, or even any mention of words or paper in that description. One can journal through art, photography, video, and digital or online methods like blogging. But the most traditional method of journaling is writing in a physical notebook, and this is the method I started my journaling journey with.

What's the difference between a journal and a diary? While diary-keeping can be a part of journaling, a journal and a diary are not exactly the same thing. A diary is typically a record of events while a journal is so much more. A journal can record events but is primarily used for documenting thoughts and feelings, as stated above. A journal can also include your goals, plans, hopes and dreams for the future, as well as lists, charts and trackers pertaining to your life, and practically anything else you want! 

Why journal? Journaling is a great way to express yourself and process your thoughts and emotions. It can be a great tool for regulating mood and for practicing self-care. Different kinds of journals can benefit you in so many different ways. If you want to express yourself creatively, you may wish to start an art journal, scrap journal or other creative journal. If you want to boost your mood and focus on the positives, you may enjoy gratitude journaling. Or maybe you want to get more organized and keep track of various aspects of life; in that case, a bullet journal may be the perfect tool for you. There is a lot of joy in beginning a new journal and there is also a lot of joy and satisfaction in finishing a journal as well. I also find joy in looking at and reading through my old journals. It's a little glimpse into my past and it's interesting to see how I've changed and evolved. These joys are another great reason to try journaling. 

Let's Get Started!

Picking a journal type. First, ask yourself, what kind of journaling do you want to do? Personal journaling? Art journaling? Gratitude journaling? Bullet journaling? Something else entirely? You can journal about whatever you want, and that may seem daunting to some. One cool thing about journaling is that you don't have to pick just one kind! You can try all different kinds of journaling. But if that's overwhelming, just go with whatever you are gravitating towards or feel will be the most beneficial to you. Everyone can benefit from a personal journal and I think personal journaling is the best jumping-off point when it comes to starting your journaling practice. 

One helpful way to figure out what kind of journal(s) you want to work on is by making a list of things you want to do with your journal. Do you want to write about your thoughts? Plan for the future? Draw pictures? Keep track of books you've read or what you've been eating? Chart your progress on a current project? Journals can help you do all of these things and more. You can use one journal for everything or you can dedicate different journals to different subjects. And don't forget: even though we're talking about physical notebooks and journals a lot, there's no reason why you can't journal through video or digital art or Microsoft Word or the notes app on your cell phone or anything else. Do what works for you! See below for some ideas for types of journals you can try.

Types of journals to try:

• Personal journal. Document your thoughts, feelings and life happenings.
• Bullet journal. Organize your life with lists, charts and trackers.
• Gratitude journal. Count your blessings by writing gratitude entries, giving thanks for anything and everything that you're thankful for.
• Art journal. Document your thoughts and feelings through art!
• Spirituality journal. Document your spirituality practices and spiritual growth, write prayer entries, make study notes, and more. 
• Food journal. Keep track of what you're eating, plan meals, document recipes, and more. A food journal is a great way to balance the joy of food with practicing mindful eating. 
• Reading journal. If you love to read, a reading journal can be a great way to keep track of all the books in your life! Make notes about what you're reading or have read, make a To Be Read list, write your own book reviews, give star ratings, keep track of favourite authors and everything else reading-related.
• Dream journal. Document and dissect your dreams. The best time to do this is right after waking up. 
• Vision journal. Similar to a vision board, but in journal form! Fill a notebook with photos, magazine clippings and anything else that inspires you or illustrates the life you want to live. 
• Junk journal. A junk journal is typically a journal made with found and recycled materials (I made mine out of an old notebook and some scrap paper) and filled with "junk" that might otherwise be thrown away - I've incorporated paper scraps, damaged stickers, ticket stubs, receipts and other ephemera into mine. A junk journal can be filled with almost anything you like!
• Scrap journal. Just like it sounds, a scrap journal incorporates scraps (think: magazine clippings, scrap paper and mementos) and that is really the only rule! Scrap journal spreads can pertain to your life or can be completely abstract. The choice is yours.
• Creative journal. Any journal can be a creative journal! Incorporate doodles, stickers, paper scraps, mementos and anything else you want into your journal to make it a creative journal. 

Assembling your tools. Once you know what kind of journal you'll be working on, you can begin assembling supplies. If you'll be doing any writing, a good pen is a must-have. I advise against using pencil for any important writing, as it fades over time. For art journaling or any kind of creative journaling, you may wish to assemble paints, markers, crayons, coloured pencils, stickers, washi tape and the like. For any scrap journaling, you'll need glue (I recommend glue tape!) or double-sided sticky tape. Scissors come in handy with many kinds of journaling too! 

Let's Begin!

Breaking in your journal. Many things may hold you back from beginning your journal. Maybe you're worried it won't be perfect. Maybe you don't know what to write. Maybe you're worried about ruining a perfectly good new journal. My advice is to just go for it. Don't let these fears stop you. Your journal won't be perfect, but it also won't be anything if you don't start it. With each entry, you will get closer and closer to whatever it is you're trying to achieve. If you're stuck and don't know what to write, just start small. Write about today's weather or what you ate for lunch or about a movie you recently watched. Not every journal entry can be thrilling and full of juicy gossip. And if you're worried about ruining a perfectly good new journal, remember that journals aren't made to be blank slates forever. A journal fulfills its purpose when it is used and loved. So really, you can't ruin a journal by using it, no matter how many times you may misspell or cross out a word. 

Finding/making time to journal. Finding or making the time to journal can be an issue. But as with many things in life, I think if it is a priority, we will find a way to make the time for it. Life gets busy and many of us are juggling a lot. But if journaling brings you joy or otherwise benefits your life, it is so very important to set aside some time for it. If you want to journal on a regular basis, try not to pressure yourself to journal every single day, thereby making journaling a chore. Regular journaling can mean weekly journaling, every-other-day journaling, or whatever works for you. You may find it helps to set aside a certain time to journal - maybe ten minutes when you first wake up, or while you eat lunch, or thirty minutes before bed. Or maybe you find it easier to journal whenever you snatch some time or inspiration. It's just about finding what works. If you're on the go a lot, try taking a journal with you. I have a journal specifically for when I go out and I store it in a pouch in my bag, along with a pen and some supplies. It's the perfect thing for keeping occupied during wait times. 

My mom's journaling tip: try keeping your journal somewhere handy and within plain sight, like on your bedside table. This may make it more likely that you'll pick it up and spend some time with it. 

In Closing

I hope this post gave you some ideas and inspiration! Your journal can be whatever you want it to be, so just have fun and express yourself! I'd love to see your journals and journal spreads, so feel free to share those with me. The best way to do so is on Instagram. And don't forget to drop a comment below if you want to share about your own journaling practice. I'd love to hear about it! 

Thanks for reading!

Hugs,

Marady 

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