how to start journaling (& keep going): notes from a prolific diary keeper

Journals laid out over a colorful checkered rug — 17 of my completed journals laid over a colorful checkered rug

i love journaling!!!

ask me why & i’ll rave to you about what an expansive tool journaling can be.

journaling can be a safe container for your most overwhelming emotions & intense experiences.

it can be a practice in creative self-expression.

journaling can even be a place where you get to know yourself better, deepening your self-knowledge in the safety of solitude & privacy.

your journal can be a place to process your experiences & emotions, make meaning, experiment with archetypes, get to know your shadows, & of course, document your day-to-day life: what you’re thinking, feeling, & doing.

basically: journaling can be whatever you want & need it to be.

i’ve found journaling to be a transformative practice & i want you to make that process as accessible as possible to you, creating a supportive & sustainable relationship/routine/ritual with your journal.

choose your player (or how to pick your journal)

your journal doesn’t have to be fancy (although it can be if you want it to). you can write in a simple notebook or composition book. pick a journal that you’ll use.

personally, if something isn’t pretty & pink & #aesthetic, i probably won’t use it. i also know that i need dot grid lines & numbered pages. those are what make a journal something i can return to day after day after DAY.

what do you need from your journal? does it need to have a certain type of lines, cover color or material, or be made with a particular paper? what will make journaling most accessible to you?

ps: your journal can absolutely be your notes app, a word doc, or notion page. if typing or using voice-to-text or voice notes is what your journaling practice looks/sounds/feels like, go for it!

&/also it doesn’t have to be either/or. your digital journal can compliment your analog journal & vice versa. i use a combination of my notes app & a word doc with my analog journal, an A5 lilac hardcover leuchtturm1917 with those amazing dot grid lines & numbered pages (+ table of contents!)

keep in mind when choosing a journal that when writing in it feel accessible & pleasurable, you’ll create more ease in a prolific journaling practice.

but what do i write about?

now that we’ve discussed how to choose a journal, let’s talk about what to write about. i know that figuring out what the f*ck to write about can feel overwhelming (at least it definitely does for me!) here are some ideas to get you started. as always, take what’s useful, adapt what might be, & leave the rest behind.

write about your day. what did you do? who did you talk to & about what? how are you feeling? what’s been on your mind? what questions are you exploring? what ideas are you hoping to expand upon?

write lists. to-do lists. to-read lists. lists of things you’ve done, read, watched, etc. bucket lists. lists of things you love. lists of things you hate. lists of ideas. lists of favorites. lists of quotes. lists of things you want to do. brain dumps. brainstorming sessions. wish lists.

write in visual language. make a collage. paint in your journal. write big quotes & decorate them. paste in found ephemera. make a mind map. draw. doodle. illustrate your day. create a comic. get creative & weird with it, babe.

planning. daily/weekly/monthly planning. quarterly planning. creative or work project planning. future visioning. dream storming.

see also: you can totally use journaling prompts for inspiration.

five final tips

last but not least, let’s go over some lil things, tricks, & tips that have helped me become a prolific journal writer.

mix it up, be creative, get weird. journaling can be an expansive & creative practice. explore different types of journaling: the morning pages (a la the artist’s way by julia cameron), art journaling, creative journaling, bullet journaling. mix things up & try doodling, drawing, or painting if you usually express yourself with words. or writing in a different form, such as poetry, prose, etc. it’s your journal, you can make it into whatever you want. so why not get experimental, creative, & weird as f*ck with it?

accessibility above all. making your journaling practice accessible (whether that’s using your notes app, microjournaling, or placing your journal front & center on your desk when you go to bed) does wonders for making journaling actually happen. another aspect creating ease is making it FUN & pleasurable!!!

above all, make it fun. how might you make journaling more pleasurable for yourself? like, if something ain’t enjoyable, i’m probably not going to be into doing it, especially on a daily basis for years… so how can you make journaling fun for you? for me, this looks like using my creative supplies, like stickers, washi tape, & colorful markers, as well as experimenting practices like creative or art journaling & making simple + fun paintings, collages, & other such messes in my journal. speaking of which…

embrace messiness. for those of us who are perfectionists (*raises hand*), it’s hard to accept that nothing, including our journal, will ever be “perfect” because perfect doesn’t actually exist (& if it did, it would be boring as f*ck). you’ll smudge your ink, cross out words, spell things wrong… & it won’t be the end of the world. in fact, it’ll totally be okay & maybe even will help you grow!!!

start small. experiment with journaling a few times a week, a few days a month, or for a few minutes every other day. starting a new practice can be fun & exciting but let’s be real, it can also be overwhelming - & you don’t need to make this process even more overwhelming by making it an intense & demanding commitment. keep it casual, keep it lightweight, keep it small; at least while you’re starting out & building this practice out, okay?