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If you’re looking for a way to jumpstart your creativity, then keeping a journal is a great place to start.
This can be anything from a simple notebook where you write down your ideas, to something more elaborate that includes sketches and drawings.
The key is to come up with new ways to spark your creative ideas.
In this blog post, we will share 30 creative journal ideas that will help you be more creative in your journal.
Journalling as a Creative Outlet
There’s no doubt that journalling can be a great creative outlet. It can help you process your thoughts and feelings, work through problems, and even just get your ideas down on paper. But sometimes it can be hard to know where to start. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys creating beautiful things, then keeping a journal can be a great way to document your creative projects and use up some art supplies in the process!
How To Be More Creative With Your Journal
There are a many things you can do to be more creative with your journalling. Making your journal unique is a great way to experiment and express yourself creatively and keep your journalling interesting.
When most people think of journals they often think of a “Dear Diary” style of writing that involves a lot of working though past traumas. But what if you just want to document your life visually or practice creative writing exercises? A creative journal puts more emphasis on artistic expression and can be used for a number of different purposes.
Your journal is the perfect place to try out different styles of art or writing. If you’re feeling stuck in a rut, why not try something new? You can experiment with different mediums, such as painting, drawing, collage, or even photography. And if you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of books and online resources that can give you some journalling inspiration.
There is no wrong way to journal so don’t feel you have to do things a certain way or that you can only fill it with your best ideas. It should be a safe place to let your subconscious mind run free.
Creative Journal Ideas Vs. Creative Journal Prompts
You may be wondering what the difference is between creative journal ideas and prompts. After all, both involve using your creativity to journal in some way, right? Well, let’s take a closer look.
Ideas for creative journalling can involve anything from specific art projects or ways to decorate your pages, to simply giving you ideas of things to write about. Prompts, on the other hand, are more like jumping off points to get you thinking creatively. They can be anything from a single word to a complicated prompt that asks you to imagine a scene or write from a certain character’s perspective.
Ultimately, it’s up to you what you want to use to fuel your creative journalling practice. Sometimes, all you need is a little prompt to get your juices flowing. Other times, you may prefer having a list of ideas on hand that you can dip into when the mood strikes you. There’s no wrong way to do it – just do what works for you!
Read on for 30 ideas to get creative in your journal and add some visual interest or fun artistic elements to your pages.
Creative Journal Ideas
- Experiment with different mediums. If you usually just write in a notebook, try drawing or painting your thoughts instead. Experiment with the type of journal you use. If you enjoy writing but find it a little too restrictive, try using a sketchbook instead.
- Use washi tape or other decorative materials to decorate the cover of your journal. Decorating your own journal is a great way to make it feel more personal and unique.
- Keep a supplies box handy so you can easily grab whatever you need to get started. Fill it with your favourite journalling supplies so you always have everything on hand.
- Allow yourself to experiment and play around with different techniques. The goal is to have fun and let your creativity flow!
- Use different sizes and types of paper to add variety to your journal pages. Stick them into your journal in creative ways.
- Create different sections for different types of journalling, such as a section for sketches, a section for writing, and a section for collages.
- Try different drawing styles or different types of journalling such as scrapbooking or a short story journal.
- Start a gratitude journal. This is a good idea if you’re trying to add more positivity to your life. Gratitude journalling makes you look for the silver lining in all things and you’ll start to see the world in a more positive light if you fill out your journal at the end of each day.
- If you really want to get the most out of your journalling, try combining different methods and prompts. For example, you could write about three things that made you happy today and then illustrate them. Or you could try painting a scene from your favourite memory.
- Use colour. Adding colour to your pages can really help to brighten them up and make them more visually appealing. If you’re not sure where to start, try using different colours for each day of the week or for your mood. Fill a page with your favourite colour or for a little bit of a challenge describe a colour without naming it.
- Get inspired by nature. Take your journal outside and write or draw inspiration from your surroundings. This could be anything from the trees and flowers to the animals you see. Collect flowers to press in your journal as a memento of your day.
- Collect mementos from your day to day life. If you’re looking for a more creative way to journal, try adding in things like ticket stubs, leaves, or pieces of fabric. Adding bits of ephemera can be a fun way to add texture and interest to your pages.
- Don’t be scared of blank pages. If you’re not sure how to start, sometimes the best thing you can do is just start writing or drawing. The more you do it, the easier it will become and the more ideas you’ll have. Try sticking in some newspaper scraps with washi tape or painting a background on the page to get you started.
- Add variety. The more varied you are with your journalling methods, the more likely you are to keep it up. One of the best ways to stick to your journalling habit is to mix things up and try new things often. Paint, sketch, stick, and write, adding variety will keep you coming back to your journal and help you to find new ways to express yourself.
- Turn old books into your new journal. If you have old novels you don’t mind using for the purpose, turn them into a base for your journal. You can paint, stick, or gesso over the top of the pages to make them blank, then start adding your own creative touch.
- Create a vision board for your journal. If you’re not sure what you want to achieve with your journalling, try starting your new journal with a vision board. This is a great idea to focus your thoughts and get inspired.
- Get inspired. Read some of your favourite books or poems or look at some of your favourite artists work before your journalling session to see how they can inspire your journalling.
- Make a mess! There are no rules when it comes to journalling, so let your creativity flow! Sometimes the messier the better, especially if you’re not sure where to start.
- Let go of expectations. Don’t try to make everything perfect. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a plan or any idea where your journal will take you each day. Just go with the flow and see where you end up!
- Make your journal into a flip book by drawing stick figures in the bottom corners of each page.
- Keep it private. Your journal is for you and you alone, so don’t be afraid to write down whatever comes to mind. It should feel like talking to your best friend and you shouldn’t feel self-conscious or like you have to censor yourself.
- Don’t edit yourself. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar, just write whatever comes into your head. This is your journal and there are no rules!
- Set aside some time each day. One of the best ways to make sure you stick to your journalling habit is to set aside some time each day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. If you can, try to journal at the same time each day so that it becomes part of your daily routine. Experiment with different times of day like first thing in the morning or at the end of the day to find what works best for your own journalling practice.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment. You never know what you’ll come up with until you try!
- Relax and have fun. journalling should be an enjoyable experience, so make sure to take some time for yourself. The most important thing is that you have fun with it and enjoy the creative process.
- Don’t feel you have to journal every single day. This pressure to create can lead to a creative burnout where you don’t use your journal at all. Go easy on yourself and enjoy the process.
- Use a different theme or colour for each month. Sometimes limiting your choices can help you to be more creative. So try using a different theme or colour for each month and see how it goes.
- Keep it positive. Use your journal as a place to focus on the good things in your life.
- Draw or write about your favourite things, your favourite season or food for instance or favourite quotes. Your journal can become a useful tool to fill with interesting things that reflect your unique personality and experiences.
- Start with a prompt. If you’re struggling to get started, try using prompts. These can be anything from writing about your favourite thing today to listing things you’re grateful for.
When you journal regularly it can be difficult to come up with new topics or ideas. It’s easy to get stuck and seem as though you’re going over the same thing every day. Creative journalling is a great way to expand your horizons and see the world in new and different ways. By using new and different techniques, you can open yourself up to new possibilities and find inspiration and opportunities in the everyday.
If you’ve kept a writing journal for a long time and have become bored of the usual journal writing prompts, hopefully these creative journalling ideas have given you some simple ideas to try adding to your practice.
The best way to find inspiration and new possibilities when it comes to journalling is to experiment with different techniques. This will help you to open yourself up to new ways of seeing the world and can be a fun way to express yourself creatively. So if you’re feeling stuck, try out some of the ideas we’ve suggested and see where they take you!
Final Thoughts
We hope these ideas have given you some inspiration and you’ve found some new ideas for being creative in your journal. If you enjoyed this post we’ve put together 101 creative journalling prompts that are sure to get your creative juices flowing. There’s something for everyone here, whether you want to draw or paint more or improve your writing or storytelling skills these prompts will improve your imagination and help you to come up with plenty of new ideas for things to journal about.
