the beginner’s guide to journaling
Warning: Journaling may be highly addictive.
Everyone journals for a reason. Our reasons may differ from yours, or maybe we’re doing this self-reflection and documentation with the same intentions. Knowing the purpose of your actions can help guide the process, but not knowing – or even having – a reason behind your journal should not hold you back.
Dive in, or toe the water. Either way you are bound to learn a little something about yourself.
Start Here:
What type of journaling do you want to do? Pen and paper or keyboard and screen? If you’re like us and love the feel of a book in your hands, look out for our upcoming reviews on some great journals. Psst! Stay tuned for Fine Print Journaling’s handmade journals being debuted soon!
Going tech? You can open up a document and start typing away, saving your journal for only your eyes. Or, you may want to go public. Many use blogs as their journals, inviting the world into theirs, soliciting feedback and input from friends, family, and strangers. Outsiders peering in give insight we may have otherwise lacked.
Writing Tools:
If you have chosen to keep your journal bound in a book, chose your writing instrument with care. Does it matter to you if your pen bleeds through the paper? Would using colors help to organize your thoughts, emotions, and to-dos? No to both? Use anything you’d like! Yes to both or either? Be sure to stay tuned for our upcoming reviews of awesome pens!
What to Journal:
The content of your journal is beautifully, peacefully, lovingly, delightfully yours. What you write about may be determined by your purpose behind your journal.
Are you writing with the intention of being more organized? Using the bullet journal style may be best for you!
Are you writing to learn more about your true self? Check out our prompts to launch an introspective conversation between you, yourself, and your pen.
Are you exploring your artistic side? Art journaling is a beautiful way to journal your thoughts, moods, events, everything. Perhaps start with a drawing/painting/sketch a day, and see how it feels. When art journaling, be aware of paper thickness and the likelihood of your instruments to bleed through.
Frequency:
Similar to your journal’s content, how often you add entries is entirely up to you! We invite you to start with one entry each day for two weeks, to help cultivate a habit. Try journaling at the same time each day, at whatever time will consistently afford a few minutes for you to talk to yourself through journaling. Perhaps start with a 5-10 minute window. Check out our when to journal post for more insight!
Have Fun!
Cast aside any filters you hold that may inhibit the free flow of thought. Grammar, spelling, perfection in prose – none of that matters! And they may deter you from the intentions you had when you began. Nothing you can enter in your journal can be wrong. Let loose and go!
Be sure to check out our why we journal and what not to do when journaling posts for more info!
Let us know how it feels to start your journal in the comments! Happy journaling!
xxoo,
c&r