I started journaling in the Hobonichi Techo Cousin because I wanted a record of my life and my favorite memories, but I soon discovered that journaling held the potential for so much more than that. Including my thoughts, feelings, hopes and dreams made the process therapeutic. I’ve never been particularly in touch with my emotions, so that didn’t come easily at first but I made gradual progress over a few years and started to use journaling prompts to stretch myself further.
And then there’s the creative side of journaling. I’m a neat freak and I certainly wouldn’t describe myself as artistic but, as I fell further down the journaling rabbit hole, I started to want to make my pages look pretty as well as neat. I started to use decorative stickers, stamps (coloured in with my Tombow dual brush pens), photos and screenshots (printed on my HP Sprocket) and newspaper/magazine cuttings.
When it came to actually drawing something myself from scratch though, I didn’t have a clue, and that’s when I fell even deeper down that rabbit hole and started reading about journaling. Like most people who are into planning and journaling, I love books too. (We just love all things paper, right?) So, I suppose reading about journaling was a natural and inevitable progression. And wow, did I discover some awesome and inspirational books!
Let’s dive in…
In Cute Hand Lettering, Cindy Guentert-Baldo teaches us to hand letter as beautifully as the experts in the planner and journaling communities. There are tutorials, example pages and prompts to inspire daily experimentation and provide a toolbox of journal-lettering ideas.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is a classic and an absolute must-read for everyone with a pulse! It will take you on a journey to discover and develop the artist within you. The 12-week program of exercises and explorations will bring insight and help you to get in touch with your own creativity, highlighting what is holding you back and showing you how to move forward.
In The Bullet Journal Method we learn from the creator of the method himself – Ryder Carroll. The bullet journal method is a powerful goal-setting and time-management system for anyone trying to organize their lives and become consistently focused and effective. This book is absolutely chock-full of inspiration.
In The Art Journal Workshop, Traci Bunkers breaks down the entire working process of journaling with step-by-step photos and instructions from start to finish. You’ll learn how to use different media such as paint, photographs, and collage, while following journaling prompts and exercises to help you dig deeper and enrich the journaling process and experience.
In How to Draw Cute Stuff, Angela Nguyen teaches us how to draw anything and everything—people, animals, and things—and make it cute. And it really is easy enough that even non-artists like me can follow the step-by-step how-to sequences.
In Layers of Meaning by Rakefet Hadar, we learn the artistic language of visual journaling, in which we use mixed-media techniques to express the soul, ignite passion, and enable healing and inner freedom. This special book invites us to a fascinating world where we reconnect with our inner artist and learn to create ‘soul pages’ using simple techniques and gentle prompts for inner observation.
Creative Journaling by Renee Day is bound to spark your creativity with tips, tricks, and creative ways to transform your notebook. There are 52 projects, all beautifully presented with easy-to-follow instructions. You’ll learn to work with watercolors, acrylic paint, brush pens, and much more as you make your journal uniquely yours.
In Beyond Bullets, Megan Rutell provides fun, colorful and creative suggestions for your bullet journal. Going beyond basic tools, this book offers tips, tricks and creative ways to transform your notebook into a treasured life companion.
