Your 2023 Mega List of Creative Journaling Ideas
Are you ready for this? If you already know how to journal and are a part of the global journaling community, you may feel like you were born for this Ultimate Resource for Creative Journaling Ideas! I’m always looking for new things to write, draw, and design in my journal. Be it a notebook, diary, or actual journal of some kind, you will find everything you need in this post to spark inspiration for creativity.
To get a better grasp of how to best use these fun, cute journaling ideas, let’s start from the beginning!
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What is Journaling?
I’m telling you, I never get tired of describing journaling because it’s multi-faceted. Journaling is primarily writing down your journey through life via your thoughts, your tasks, your memories and adventures.
Journaling can be wide-open or very specific. There is so much you can do with journaling and that’s why I created an Easy Guide on How to Journal. It includes my story about secret journals, how you can get started and create a regular routine for writing.
When people journal it’s usually because they want to share, remember or know something more about their experience. This spills into a discussion on the benefits of journaling, and believe me, there are many. From depression to blood pressure, journaling has positive physiological and psychological effects.
Everything Your Need to Know about the Amazing Benefits of Journaling
Types of Journals You Could Keep
I love lists of things and I thought it would be fun to list out all of the types of journals you could keep. So essentially this is a list of categories, but even within the category you could be creative to make your own.
For example, a reading journal could be a journal of the specific book you are reading and your thoughts or feelings about it.
But also, you could have a reading journal listing books you’d like to read (TBR), books you already read, and books you are currently reading, all in order by genre.
So take these creative journaling ideas and use your imagination to make your own.
- Bullet Journal
- Travel Journal
- Dream Journal
- Budget Journal
- Art Journal
- Fashion Journal
- Book Journal
- Reading Journal
- Coding Journal
- Music Journal
- Science Journal
- School Journal
- Junk Journal
- Work Journal
- Language Journal
- Lists Journal
- Homemaker Journal
- Kitchen Journal
- Food Journal
- Fitness Journal
- Headache Journal
- Mood Tracking Journal
- Quote Journal
What Should I Write in My Journal?
In case you are a total beginner, let’s start with the major categories of what people write in their journals.
- Plans
- Hopes
- Dreams
- Ideals
- Schedules
- Memories
- Notes
- Details
- Frustrations
- Brainstorming and Mindmapping
99 Cool Things To Write About to Unlock Creativity
How to Decorate: Creative Journaling Ideas
Another thing to think about before diving too deep, or really the thing that will enhance your journaling experience probably the most is designing it.
There are lots of tools and methods for designing and decorating your journal and journal pages. Things like title designs, borders, fonts, and hand lettering are some things that can really make your journal fun and aesthetic. Here are some other decorative ideas:
- Color coding
- Craft jewels
- Highlighting
- Adding Photos
- Foil Stickers
- Adding print-out words or cutting words from magazines and gluing them in
- Print out memes, emojis, or other cute graphics to add to your pages
- Sticky foam pieces, placed strategically, to create a 3D illusion of lift
How to Start: Daily Journaling Ideas
Now you are ready to start exploring your ideas.
Starting is probably the hardest thing with journaling. However, it is also the easiest information found about journaling – how to start journaling. These creative daily journaling ideas will definitely get you inspired and easily transitioned into journaling the fun way.
Gratitude Journaling
Daily Log for Reflection
Write Down Goals
Recap events and activities
Fitness Journaling
Food Tracking
Journaling for Self-improvement
- Skills
- Education
- Self-confidence
- Mental health
- Memories
- Accomplishments
16 Pack Composition Notebook Bulk, Kraft Cover Lined Blank College Ruled
Strawberry Fields Fabric Journal
WRITECH Gel Pens Journaling Highlighters
Mr. Pen- Double Tip Highlighters
Writer’s Block: Best Journaling Ideas
Have you ever had writer’s block? When you go to finish that report or write a story and you just cannot think of what to write or how to express it, you have writer’s block. But here are a few creative journaling ideas to combat it.
- Set a timer
- Don’t worry about spelling or grammar
- Use visual props
- Write your currents
- Brain dumping
100+ Journaling Prompt Ideas
Forget 100! On this blog I have actually written over 500 journal prompts! You definitely will never be without journaling prompt ideas here (get started with 20 prompts below).
However, since I’ve written so many that you can read on the blog and download prompt journals for free, I will not create another lengthy list here.
Maybe you’d like some quick starter prompts right on this page. If so, here are 20 ideas to get your mental wheels moving:
- Something someone said or did that made you smile.
- What are your goals for the coming season or quarter? Write a plan to reach them.
- Describe a challenge you are facing
- Your vision for today
- A list of your friends and what’s unique about each
- Something you’ve noticed about yourself
- A highlight from your day
- What could have made today better?
- A childhood memory
- Write about someone you admire or see as a mentor
- A letter to your future self
- A letter to your past self
- What was your life like this time last year?
- Write about something in your visual field. Where did you get it? Do you like it?
- Think about a recent mistake or failure. What did you learn from this experience?
- What are three things I am grateful for today, and why?
- Describe a recent challenge or obstacle in your life.
- Who are your top 3 friends? Why?
- Who are your top 3 least liked people? Why? Is there anything you can do to make that better?
- If you could have a conversation with your younger self, what advice or wisdom would you share?
Grab this! 365 Day Journal Prompts for Moms
You can also check these out!
Journaling Topic Ideas
Even after you pick the type of journal to keep, there are more creative journaling ideas you can do with each! I just wanted to give some general ideas that fit under these journal topic categories – this is in no way exhaustive.
As I keep saying, keep your eyes open to whatever may spark inspiration to you!
- 5-Minute Journal
- Starting a Diary
- Sketchbook
- Habit tracker
- A question a day
Bible Journaling ideas
- Photo-a-day journal
- Song lyrics
- Coding formulas
- Clever comebacks
- Quotes
- Storywriting
Aesthetic journaling ideas
- Scrapbooking
- Junk journal
- Hand Lettering or Calligraphy
- Have a relaxing drink nearby when journaling (some relaxing drink ideas include boba tea, fruit-flavored tea, warming spice tea, warm milk, hot cocoa, coffee, etc.)
- Cozy Self-Care Journaling (Fall edition)
- Secret superpowers
- Printables for journal pages
- Character profiles
Prayer journaling ideas
- Writing prayers
- Prayer request tracking
- Praises!
Mental health journaling ideas
- Affirmation
- Gratitude list
- Reflective journaling
- Mood Log
- Personality Traits, Pet Peeves, etc.
- Thoughts of God and Eternity
- Last night’s dreams
- Today’s to-dos
- Devotional recapping
Nature journaling ideas
- Outside experiences, paths, patterns
- Star mapping and constellations
- Identifying birds, bugs, butterflies, etc.
Journaling Ideas to Rebuild Who You Are
Need some ideas to build confidence, direction, or insight into who you are, were or will be? You can use these creative journaling ideas:
- Habit tracking
- Vision Board
- Affirmations
- Goal tracking
- Brain-dumping
- Letter to Self
- Hobby List
- Favorites
- Future Goals List
Get Your 30 Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery here
Getting Serious: Community and Career Journaling Ideas
The last place I really want to address is how journaling can touch the lives of others.
I will admit that this blog is primarily about helping moms organize, express, and cultivate simple moments through journaling and planning. So when I talk journaling, I’m looking at it from that view, a more personal view of writing for stress relief, capturing moments throughout the seasons, and being more organized in our minds and homes.
However, that is not the end of the story for journaling.
As I’ve mentioned before, there are many people, famous and common, who have written medical journals, law journals, science research journals and more.
Journaling can be a whole career in itself, but it is also used in a variety of organizations and educational situations. Perhaps you want to use your journaling to impress ideas or historical facts – it’s definitely doable.
Here are some more serious but creative journaling ideas for you.
Join a journaling society
Get published in a research journal
Use journaling to branch into a career in writing
Become a blogger!
Use journaling for professional development (analyzing your work day, taking notes during conferences or training, mind-mapping, and more)
And that’s it! This is my fantastic 2023 Mega Creative Journaling Ideas List! If I missed anything, check out the FAQs below or leave me a comment.
FAQs
There are absolutely no formal rules. However, there are lots of ideas out there that you can attend to but the main idea is to express yourself and have fun.
Simply put – get a journal and write. But if you need a little more to go on and you haven’t checked out my easy guide for beginners, do so now.
Everyone has their own reasons for journaling, but if you don’t here’s one: peace of mind. Collecting your thoughts, making life connections and having a free space to be you.
Great list! I definitely need to get back into journaling. It’s such a positive habit to maintain.