Journalling is a powerful tool for everybody and anybody – but I especially encourage writers to undertake this hobby. It can take many forms and be very personal. But what even is it? At its most basic concept journalling is writing down your thoughts and feelings, often about your day. Your brain may conjure images of teen girls stereotypically writing in their diaries in noughties movies with an angsty voice over. It can be so much more than this though. Journalling can take many forms and that’s what makes it so cool. The best thing you can do for your creativity is to find the right kind of journalling for you. Some of the benefits can include:
- Processing events and feelings
- Improving your mental health
- Reflect and grow through writing
- Helps relieve stress
- Inspiring us for our stories
- Supports goals and progress
- Develops empathy and mindfulness
So what are some of the types of journalling? I’m not going to attempt to list everything… frankly I’m not sure it’s possible. Writers are creative people – you may come up with a style of journalling no one else uses. Instead, I shall focus on a few and provide you with further links from some very amazing creators.
‘Standard’ Daily Journalling
I say ‘standard’ purely because it’s, in many ways, what people most imagine when journalling is mentioned – but that is not to say it is either boring or regular. Your day is a good starting place – to write about what has happened, how it felt, what you’ve taken from your experiences. It’s a place to vent or cry, to celebrate wins or express love. It’s a place to try free writing, to let your mind wander and breathe. Odds are you’ll go somewhere you didn’t expect and possibly even learn something about yourself. You can take time to be grateful for the big and the small – maybe you won an award, or perhaps you saw a butterfly in the sunshine. You can try ‘shadow work’ – delving deeper into things and exploring what it means, what it says about you, and how you can grow from it.
But it doesn’t have to stop there. You can go beyond your every day – especially if you feel nothing has happened on that day in particular. You can get creative with it – decorate the page, make it pretty. Each day I journal I colour code – I use a ZS12 Startraveler pen (this is not an ad, just my preference) for writing, a matching Zebra Mildliner for a decorative date at the top, washi tape and stickers to make the experience more fun. My preference in journal is either a Leuchtturm1917 or Moleskine (I like to use an A5 soft cover for journalling, as opposed to a B5 hard cover for work). I also use journal prompts to expand that creativity. Here are some ideas for you to get started:
Write a letter to death
If I were a flower I’d be…
A song that feels like a piece of my soul
Who I would be in another life
I write stories because…
Traveller’s Notebook
In case you haven’t seen, traveller’s notebooks have become quite a sensation online lately, but they’ve existed for a long time. It’s a leather cover with elastic straps inside to hold numerous small notebook/journals. You can see mine below – it’s a red authentic leather A5 traveller’s notebook with four elastics for inserts inside. I’ve decorated it with bronze corners, a vintage style clip to hold the pages open, charms that represent me, a bookmark with my initials and a key (you can just about see the key sticking out the top and an S at the bottom. It’s important to make it personal, this is all about you! Alongside my Moleskine Cahier Journals, I have also included two folders to store stickers, photos, bits and bobs I find while out and about. It’s a kind of treasure trove really – at least to me. I have four notebooks in this trove of words.
The first is titled NOTES on the front in a shaky attempt at calligraphy and this one I mostly use for any random notes that I need to take down – especially when out of the house. I’m attempting to become more analogue in my daily life on account of how much time I spend on screens. I work at a computer all day, then spend a lot of time writing novels when I’m free from work, I’m a big film and TV buff… I have a rather embarrassing screen time count each day. As such instead of using my notes app on my phone, I’m taking to the page. beyond the random notes I find it’s a good place for lists that spring to my mind. All the ideas for my birthday. Both my international and UK travel bucket lists. Upcoming fun days to look forward to.
The second is for my book projects and again, rather boringly, is entitled WRITING. While I do have a dedicated notebook (B5 Hard Cover) for each novel I’m working on to use at my desk, it’s very weighty bringing them out with me – and what if I suddenly want to work on a different book? This insert allows me to write whatever springs to mind so I can keep it safe until I’m back at my desk.
The third is my favourite, and it’s called INSPIRATION. This is the insert you can see below. It’s where I have fun making the page look beautiful and I write about anything and everything that inspires me. I even make the stickers myself so that it’s exactly what I want. Below you’ll see I’ve written about science fiction MASTER Jules Verne – one of my favourites, The Vampire – a supernatural obsession that started when I was just a tot, and The Bard himself, my absolute favourite wordsmith of all time. But I’ve also written about favourite books and TV shows, zombies, botany, the wives of literary authors and how their diaries were used for their husband’s careers, ancient navigation, and the darkness. It’s a broad scope and a place for me to honour and hone in on the things I’m really passionate about.
Finally, my fourth insert is for NATURE WRITING…
Nature Writing
Now, this is more of a niche suggestion but it’s one of my most loved, and I feel it’s especially beneficial to writers. Nature writing – some of you are probably thinking, ‘that’s boring right?’ I’m here to tell you that’s it’s really great. You’ll find a lot of nature writing in the non-fiction section of bookshops. I’m a huge fan of John Lewis-Stemple and if you have no idea what nature writing entails, why not give him a go? I’d like to share my favourite quote of his with you…
“To stand alone in a field in England and listen to the morning chorus of the birds is to remember why life is precious” – John Lewis-Stemple, Meadowland
So, I love nature and love writing about my love of nature, but why is this so good for authors? Simple, it’s all about DESCRIPTION. Want to work on your descriptive writing? On setting the scene and painting a picture? Practise nature writing. Want to get a bit lyrical and pretty with it? Nature writing. Not only is it good for helping you to get an image down on paper, but it requires you to tap into all of your senses – one of the BEST ways to immerse your reader in the story.
Go sit outside. It can be in a park, by the river, under a tree, even in the middle of the city. But sit and take some time to focus on what’s around you. Can you hear the birds? What does the air smell like? Is there a breeze? What sounds can you hear? It’s a bit like meditation initially. Sit in the calm and really let the world around you come alive. Then start writing. It doesn’t have to meet any kind of standard – it’s your notebook! But the more you write, the better it will get. And the skills you learn during nature writing can (and should) be utilised in writing your stories.
So… how are you going to get the creative juices flowing today?
I have listed my preferences for stationary in here simply to give you all a place to start looking if you’re unsure, but I want to reiterate the importance of selecting the right tools for you. The online world of blogging and social media can really influence us, making us want to emulate people we like and are inspired by – but it’s important to retain your ‘you-ness’ even while being inspired. Take what you’d like from this blog post. Maybe you’ll love the pens I covet so much, or perhaps we share a love of the same notebooks, but remember to think about what you enjoy and how this hobby will most benefit you. If you’re focusing entirely on how others journal, you won’t gain the same impact as if you work it around who you are and how you function.
Finally I’ll leave you with a few other creators to check out:
I’d love to know if you journal, how you journal, or if you’re going to give it a try!
S. M. MITCHELL 
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