How to use a Journal

Journaling can be fun relaxing and can be a best friend when they are available. You can write your daily life in them, big events, use one for just your poetry or drawing, or some other hobby you are into (Themed) There's Gardening Journal, Reading Journals, baby & pet care journals. Some only write others draw or do both. Then there's some who put trinkets like photos, movie and concert tickets etc. You can write quotes, lyrics of songs you like, doodle anything you want. There's a journaling ideas section, as well as a few to find your preferred journal type. Locking journals, Leather bound, there's an assorted list as well and the pocket journal.

This lens it to help you get started, show you various ideas as well as prompts for general journal topics.

Currently I started a new journal more of a summary as I have back & hip pain so I include a scale of how much pain I'm in, what I eat, the weather, What I've done more or less in the day as well as entertainment and thensome, I also try to include any dreams I had at night as well.

I've split the lens into 3 parts. There is now a 2nd and 3rd page- theme journals and ideas you can click on them to see if they are finished yet.

What kind of journal will your's be?Theme Journals & Travel kit ideas

The videos included here will help you (I hope) with all forms of journaling; from the usual way of just writing down your thoughts, ideas poems etc, to Art, Visual and Smash book styles. Any any other sorts I cannot think of at the moment.

If you need more help I have a link to my Blog's version of this (some is the same but mostly different) I do plan to remove some of the videos from here and put them on there so it's a little more balanced as the page was not originally made on this site (but on squidoo) so I am trying to cut down on load time for you. You can also hoover on the menu there for Journaling References as well as Theme journals.

I also have a Pintrest board for Bullet Journaling as well as Journaling Smashbooks as well You can find it under @kymoDragon

Use your imagination The below is just the basic supplies

1. What to write it in

   *journal, binder, computer file (encrypted on a flash drive)

   
   

2. pen mechanical pencil, colored pens typewriter or keyboard
3. glue or tape (or both) Mounting squares (found in Scrapbooking section of craft stores)
4. rubber stamps (best if using as a Bullet journal)
5. pictures, ticket stubs, & other souvenirs
6. Ruler (even if its a mini)
7. Go Green...

   REpurpose items!

   did you use all the paper out of a small spiral notebook?

   You can get binder rings from Staples, office max etc BIG offiice supply store & just put a few of them through the holes

   where the spiral band was & you can add paper and such to it as you need. If not then there's the option of the more expensive spiral binding punch, and having to that whole thing out & back in each time you want to add to it.

   
   

   
   

I have a Mead Five star 9 1/2 x 6" binder that would be great for a journal (I wanted to include one here, but I couldn't find a listing) The great thing with binders for journals is, you can add more paper when you are almost out, there's folders etc you can include to put letters, cards, photos and so on you want to keep. Heck if you want to lock it... you can always try a hole punch (or just poking a hole w/ a reamer) & put a small lock on it!

Binder Journals are great as you can pretty much include anything you want on the page clippings etc, and should have enough of room that it does not wreck the binding of the spine, like with the others.

Another reason to consider using a binder for your journal, is

1. It's easier to travel with (es. the 6x9 ones) I have a binder that has handles & some pockets in it in a denim style actually I think there's a pocket for pens and pencils, and a spot for the old school square disks

2. Hole punch for binders & single punches easier to stash paper bits like ticket stubs etc in a flash

3. You can keep adding to it instead of constantly having to go find a new one. (You'd be surprised how much a binder will hold!)

4. Parents this is a great idea to put your child's work in throughout their school years. Drawings, Pictures best report cards. You can even include disks or a high gig thumb drive of pictures (with folders for each year) and videos.

If its going to be an art journal, travel, or scrapbook (or maybe all of the above) you can also include an assorted type of pages and colored pages like this:

I have to admit I have been sort of hording journals of various sorts and sizes. Spiral Notebooks, Composition books with a cover design (not the usual marble look or it's the marble but in a blood red color) The thin ones you can find in a dollar store,that are good for a short story or a long letter, some that were gifts from friends & well you can just checkout my video(s) of my used as well as blank journals to see. (frankly I might have to update my blank journals video, as I have some new ones to show off!)

I would be so happy to find a journal something like this

Some also keep a Journaling Kit for when they travel This can be kept (depending on the items aside from these) in a basic

sized pencil case (remember those Plastic/Vinyl ones? that size) a cosmetic case or even a document case.

Ideas to include for a travel kit:

-- idea is mini pens in a few different colors aside from the basic blue or black.

-- If you are traveling... make a trip to the craft store & pick up a few scrapbooking embellishments with the travel theme, as well as Picture mounts the ones that go on the corners.

-- Stickers or other scrapbook items to fit what theme(s) cities, states or countries you will cover.

--Colored pencils markers etc

There's allot of things you can do with a journal. Whether you just want to keep track of what you did each day, or just for important events. It can be a theme like for road trips & travel, Your baby growing up and things especially stories and songs you sang to them when they were infants to sleep.

topics to write in a General journal

-Bucket list - these are things you want to do or try before you die. It can be places to travel, Skydiving, food to try and more.

-Favorites page write & draw everything on this page that is a favorite. your favorite band & logo (or just the logo) naes you like (if any better than your own) movies and so on

-recipe you find

-quotes song lyrics you hear

-the pros & cons of...

-write a short story

-reviews on Books, Movies & TV etc.

-smash ticket stubs & other such type sentimental items inside (esp. if its a travel journal)

I have more journal recommendations available on my Blog's version of this page

No matter how You Journal, I think a great Idea is using a stamp for the date (unless of course the book is already dated or has a template)

They make calendar format, days of the week, and a variety of others, as well as time and weather if you talk of your day or a certain part of it.

I know there are Smashbook stickers (I think they are by K and Company) and sometimes you can find washi tape with the Days, months and sometimes with numbers, and holiday themes.

I previously mentioned Colored Pencils, Pens and Markers. Honestly I don't like the look of the markers or pens as much as I do the pencils, but the pens are mostly for color coding or use instead of highlighting. That's another thing... a highlighter is a good idea as well as a mini for a travel kit.

There is a mechanical pencil I purchased on amazon I think it was 1mm so its a thicker lead and you can buy the tube of colored leads! (instead of having a box of pencils. (much more mobile)

You can find Stencils specifically for bullet journaling especially if also used as a planner.

they also make stickers that can be used in planners as well as any variety of journal.

I like to change things up depending on my mood, but I have also been trying to incorporate bullet journaling into my journals, well least more so in 2017 I started to do so. 2018 my journal will be both Bullet planner and journal. For Bullet journals most like the pages with the dots, I will use any journal I like. I did however start with a journal that has the grid pages, which I usually find in Barnes and Nobel.

You can find a Bullet Journal as well as a Journaling/smash-books board on my Pinterest

the junk journals ideas you might want to skip 8 minutes ahead.

But you don't have to choose one from here, I've included a few other sections for specific types like locked ones, then there's an assortment at the end. There's also the option to use a binder as a journal & one for small moleskin books.

for more fine journals page 2 * Page 3 Theme Journals

Junk Journal Finale, Paper Dolls, Organizing Ephemera Part 1 at 18.17 the person FINALLY goes through one of the journals instead of just yapping the whole time)