Like almost everything in our world, journaling has evolved over time. In its early days, journaling was like a daily report of what is going on in our individual worlds. Journaling methods like this gave us Anne Frank’s diary, so they obviously have their merit. However, in our new age of social media and Pinterest, things have become increasingly colorful and creative. If you have already committed to the traditional journaling and can sit down and write in a notebook daily or even weekly, then keep it up! I admire you! It takes a certain kind of dedication to consistently stay on top of something like that. These few tips might give you some ideas on how to expand your craft and add a new twist. However, if you’re like me and journaling sounds really great for the first few days and then it gets lost in a drawer somewhere to never be touched again, maybe these tips and ideas will help to keep you interested.
1. Wreck this Journal-This book gathered a huge following around 2012 and we are using it in our Fall camps this year! Written by Keri Smith, each page has a set of vague instructions on how to destroy the journal. Ideas can include anything from “take this journal into the shower with you” to “fill this page with only 4-letter words”. The idea is to push you out of your comfort zone and actively participate in the world around you. The tag line for this book is, “To Create is to Destroy” — Athentikos LOVES how that lines up with our curriculum! The ISBN is 9780399161940, or you can just search the title online and find it at your local bookstore. If you’re a fan of Pinterest, you can search “Wreck This Journal” and find endless interpretations of each of the instructions.
Here are a few websites that might help you:
http://www.wikihow.com/Creatively-Ruin-Your-Wreck-This-Journal
https://www.pinterest.com/explore/wreck-it-journal/
http://www.trinaisartsy.com/2012/04/wreck-this-journal.html
(Just so you know, the following link does include some bad language.)
http://ideasforwreckthisjournal.tumblr.com/
2. Bullet Journaling– This is the newest craze of 2016 and I’m going to warn you, it looks intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be!
According to a Buzzfeed article I read, Bullet Journaling is perfect for:
- People who have a million little to-do lists floating around
- People who are into goal-setting and habit tracking
- People who like stationery, journaling, scrapbooking, beautiful pens, etc.
- People who really love planners or people who wantto really love planners.
- People who would really like to keep a journal but are having trouble sticking with the habit
But that doesn’t mean you have to fulfill any or all of the requirements in order to participate. The idea is to let your brain spill out onto paper so it’s not so jam packed all the time! Your to-do list, your grocery list, important events for the month. I have even heard people using it to stay on track with things like exercising. You can go to http://www.bulletjournal.com to learn more about Bullet Journaling or, like Wreck This Journal, you can simply google away and find tons of pictures from different people trying it for themselves.
So why the journaling craze? Maybe it’s because it’s good for you! The American Psychological Association (APA) has an article on their website (link here: http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun02/writing.aspx ) which goes into detail about just how much writing can benefit people, psychologically and physically. This blog can’t solve all your health issues by telling you to write, obviously you need to have mental health and physical health practitioners on your side to make sure you are at your very best. However, we can say that writing has the power to make you feel good and can help you to interpret your emotions and experiences which is why we are so excited to share these ideas with you!
It’s important to remember that the people posting photos are often well-practiced in the art of journaling. Many of them have hobbies that include calligraphy or design. These journals aren’t about making things perfect. Wreck this Journal is designed with destruction in mind and Bullet Journaling is for people who want a fun way of staying organized. It’s important that you have a sense of ownership over your journal. If you create it the way you saw someone else do it because you think it has to be that way, you’ll be let down by the results. The journal will only be great if you stay true to who you are when you use it.
So a few tips for creating a journal for you to love:
- Invest in your favorite writing utensils (Pens, pencils, markers, crayons, etc.)
- Find a size that works for you. Small and portable, large and spacious, or somewhere in between.
- Stickers are fun and take no artistic skill. Find some with your favorite characters or colors.
- Set attainable goals for journaling. Writing everyday might seem impossible at first, but if you start with once a week, it could get easier.
- If you have kids, feel free to include them! Give them a page per week (or on whichever schedule works for you) and ask them to decorate it for you for inspiration. You could also write them notes and let them respond. Including your kid(s) can help keep you on track with writing as well as inspire your kid(s) to practice their creativity.
Good luck with your journal! Let us know which method you’re going to try or if you’ve got another option that works best for you. We’d love to hear about your experiences with journaling.
