how to begin journaling

Hey lovelies! Just wanted to share this a quick video on how to begin journaling.

Now while there are many different ways to journal, there are no wrong ways to journal! You just have to choose the type of journaling you like and get started!

There are many different types of journaling, but in this video I talk about art journaling, creative journaling and junk journaling.

I personally believe all forms of journaling are intertwined with each other, but for the purpose of making this clearer, this is how I described each type:

Art journaling is all about the art. I personally find that art journaling leans more art heavy than actual writing heavy. An art journal is a place to play and experiment with various art supplies and mixed media techniques. It is kind of like a sketchbook, but the entire thing is a finished work of art. Art journaling is expressive. It is a place to let out all your emotions and thoughts onto a page, whether literally or abstractly. Paint, sketch, draw or create collages. An art journal is a place for your art.

Creative journaling to me is journaling for the scrapbooker at heart. It is a form of memory keeping but on a smaller, intimate, less intimidating way. It is where you add photos of your life and journal your stories. A lot of creatives do this in a traveler’s notebook, but any journal will work. Creative journaling is about preserving your memories and tell the everyday story of your life, but in a fun creative way.

Junk journaling is a fun catchall for me. You can art journal or creative journal in a junk journal. The novelty of a junk journal is that it can be anything. While it leans more towards using up vintage supplies and actual junk, you can make of it what you will. A junk journal is usually a handmade journal created from different pieces of materials, like paper and fabric. These journals are often every elaborate and complete works of art in and of themselves.

The most basic supplies you’ll need to begin journaling are a journal of your choice and a pen. Any other medium will do as well. Paints, inks, watercolors. Any medium you’re comfortable with using and have readily available is the best one to use. Things like pattern paper, old book pages, stickers and ephemera bits are also great supplies to have on hand for any type of journaling. My suggestion is to get the basics and any other supply that catches your eye! The more you like something, the more you’ll love using it.

Now there are tons of places where you can find and draw inspiration from. Instagram is one of the best platforms for journalers now. Hashtags like #artjournaling, #junkjournaling, and #creativejournaling provide heaps of inspiration you can take and replicate into your own. Pinterest and Youtube are also great places to find journaling inspiration.

One of my favorite tags to follow is the #getmessyartjournal tag. Even though Get Messy is all about art journaling, the community and its members experiment and share all types of journaling. A membership to Get Messy is great if you’re committed to creating a habit of journaling and want to be inspired each month with various journaling and art prompts, tutorials, and inspiration from guest artists.

The best way to jump into journaling is to just start! There are tons of options out there to choose from but I say begin with the type of journaling that attracts you most. Play around until you get a feel of it. You may like one type of journaling over another and it’s completely fine to jump around. Again, I believe it’s all interchangeable. If you want to memory keep in a junk journal for instance, do it! If you want to add an art journal spread in your creative journal, do it! There are no rules.