Journaling Supplies for Creatives

Journaling feels like an old and new art form. I love the expansive artistic potential that journals and journaling brings. I think something magical happens when we put pen to paper.

If you ever feel like that or want to spice up your journaling life, I would like to share some of my journaling routines with you all. I find journaling to be a very personal thing, but I love how so many bloggers open up and share their journals with their readers. Journals are the original blogs, and I hope to inspire us all to get back to our blogging “roots” and see what happens when we unite paper and ink.

I’ve found that journaling is a very powerful creative act. It’s one of the ways I connect with myself and my inner thoughts, as well as release creative energy. Most of all, it’s so much fun. Here’s what I do to create a relaxing and creative journaling routine:

1. Start with a journal you love.

There is so much that goes into finding a good journal. I never took journaling seriously until I found the perfect journal. I’ve mentioned in previous posts how I love my black Moleskine notebook with plain pages in a soft cover. I also found a classic blue lined journal at Target that works for my longer journal entries and notes I take during seminars, church or travels.

To find your perfect journal, test out what it feels like. Try opening it, laying it flat, bending it a little bit. Experiment with plain or ruled pages. Find a notebook that inspires you. Learn more about how I found a perfect notebook, both for writers and designers.

2. It’s all about the pens.

Unless your a pencil girl, it’s all about the pens when it comes to journaling. I personally love the Papermate Flair Pens and Pilot G-2 ballpoint pens for writing. Although I’m not too picky, I am glad I found these types of pens. The Papermate pens are great for their colors and I love the Pilot pens for writing quick notes and journal entries.

If you want to get a little funky, you can experiment with brush pens or calligraphy pens. Despite my attempts, I haven’t become an expert hand-letterer, but a little practice can’t hurt!

3. Three words. Magnetic page markers.

Game changer here, friends. I haven’t been into book marks or anything like that before when it comes to reading, but these magnetic page markers have become my new favorite things for reading and for journaling. I love marking important pages with them, such as my running list of blog post ideas or my to-do list or my goals. They are easy to use: just clip them on to a page in your notebook and you can easily find it later. I found these adorable punctuation ones that I would say are very appropriate for us writers and grammar folks out there!

4. Add some texture with Washi tape.

I can’t stop talking about Washi tape – if I have a stocking full of that stuff this Christmas, I would be a happy girl. The uses for Washi tape are limitless: tape in special notes or photos or just spice up a page in your notebook. If I’m being honest, I just like to use it because it looks pretty. (And it looks like I tried to be creative, even though all it is is tape.)

5. Mix it up.

Journaling doesn’t have to be just words. Include photos or scrapbook paper or cards from friends. Doodle one day instead of journaling. Or instead of writing long paragraphs, try expressing your thoughts in a word cloud. Write down lyrics or quotes that mean something to you. Create a list of songs that you love right now.

All these things are the details we love to remember years from now.

[bctt tweet=”Get inspired when you journal with these journaling supplies for creatives!”]

It’s a win-win. Journaling allows us to be creative in the moment as well as create memories that will we remember years from now. I hope you are able to dive into this organic, creative medium to open up your thoughts and explore your place in the world. Take a break from technology. Let’s get back to running with the words. There is no backspace. There is no undo in life. Creative friends, let’s journal. Let’s live. Let’s live for the moments we can’t put into words.

What is your journaling routine like?