13 Getting Started
22 Why Do You Journal?
30 On Writing Every Day
60 My Journaling Journey
66 Travel Sketching Tips
84 Collecting Ephemera
28 DIY Projects
64 Collecting Moments in Transit
110 Finding Inspiration
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER THREE
Definition of Terms 14 Famous Diarists 16 Personal History 18 What is a Journal? 20 Why Do You Journal? 22 Tools and Materials 24 Workspace 26
Collecting Moments in Transit Travel Sketching Tips
Getting Started
DIY Projects
Journal Cover 28 Inner Pockets 29 Watercolor Palette 30 Washi Organizer 31
CHAPTER TWO
Documenting Daily On Writing Every Day 30 Daily Journaling Types
Goals and Highlights 36 Goals and Highlights Activity 38 Food 40 Food Activity 42 Lists 44 Lists Activity 46 Dailies 48 Dailies Activity 50 Prompts 52 Prompts Activity 54 Embellishments 56 Fonts 58 Dividers 59 My Journaling Journey 60
Travel Journaling
Travel Journals
64 66
Japan Scandinavia Central Europe Singapore Taiwan Hong Kong Southeast Asia Philippines
68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82
Collecting Ephemera Scrapbook Style Journaling Tips Tips on Documenting Your Trips
84 85 86
CHAPTER FOUR
Featured Artists Googly Gooeys Mikka Wee Kaila Ocampo Robert Alejandro Gaby Gloria Reese Lansangan Mall Licudine
90 92 94 96 98 100 102
CHAPTER FIVE
Honing Your Habit Frequently Asked Questions Finding Inspiration Keeping a Journal Finding Your Journaling Style Taking Photos Enjoying the Process Journaling Challenge Credits and Resources Acknowledgments About the Author
106 110 112 113 114 116 117 120 121 122
I
sn’t it fascinating how we tend to hold on to supposedly mundane things? A random photograph or ticket stub that could evoke a memory long forgotten, like an afternoon of laughter with friends, or an epic adventure. Or how our minds seem to churn out thoughts and ideas that would only make sense once we jot them down somewhere. And as we go on, we collect and ponder on moments that eventually define who we are, what we do, and why we do them. Journaling allows us to communicate with our inner selves. It’s a form of expression where you record your thoughts, memories, and experiences through images or words. Artists, writers, entrepreneurs, scientists, and people from all walks of life use journals as a tool to put their ideas together or to make sense of their everyday lives. A journal is an avenue for self-reflection. It’s the best friend that helps you get to know yourself better. It’s a compilation of stories, memories, and the little things that make life great. And over time, it becomes more than just a repository of your personal experiences—it also serves as a reminder that the best part of life is not about where you’re going, but where you are right now. This book was made to help you unleash your inner creativity through journaling, exploring various ways to record memories, and encouraging you to be more curious about the world around you. Each chapter talks about the different aspects of journaling: from the basic tools you’ll need to start your journal to the history of journaling to why you should journal. You’ll learn the different ways of documenting your daily musings; collecting moments and stories in transit as you travel the world; finding a journaling style that works for you; and eventually, honing the habit of keeping a journal. Whether this book serves as your daily dose of inspiration, your travel companion, or an all-around reference on the art of journaling, may you find more meaning in the every day as you record your moments on paper in the way that speaks to you the most. Here’s to you making art, sharing stories, and discovering yourself in the process. I look forward to seeing your own journals. Enjoy! Always be creating,
The habit of writing a journal or in a diary
A daily record of personal news and events
Deciding on and making arrangements in advance
Recording something in written, photographic, or other forms
making a detailed and refined representation of a subject
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making a freehand, looser form of drawing
To record a series of events in a factual and detailed way A person who writes in a diary Also called “plein air painting,” a phrase borrowed from the French equivalent meaning “open (in full) air”; sketching or drawing on location During the course of a journey; on the way
Collectible items that were originally expected to have only short-term usefulness or popularity Writing without stopping or lifting your writing instrument for only about ten minutes Arrangement of material on a page or in a work, the way in which text or pictures are set out on a page
re An account written by a public figu s nce about his/her life experie An exact period in time uding, The use of different materials incl lor, erco but not limited to, ink, wat pencils, and pens s or Abbreviations and symbols of note se sen e mak not ht mig reminders that er writ the pt exce rs othe to rd Quick sketching shorthand to reco s enough information to jog memorie
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A book you create for yourself
A gateway for ideas
As a personal record of your experiences, thoughts, and ideas, a journal makes you an author. Being able to narrate experiences, observations, and moments in your everyday life defines your purpose.
Keeping a journal is a tool for unloading ideas and dreams. It helps articulate your thoughts properly and makes it easier for you to process ideas when you write them down. The best part? The possibility of seeing these ideas and dreams come to life.
A progress keeper The best part of journaling is having a space to track your progress. Whether it’s sorting out your future goals and plans or practicing creative habits, a journal shows how much you’ve improved over time.
A reason to celebrate life
A form of self-expression
Call it cliché, but keeping a journal reminds you of the most important person in your life—you. It gives you a reason to celebrate life and appreciate the beauty of being your true self. It makes you grateful for every day.
Whether it’s crafting, drawing, writing, or taking photos, journaling is a great way to unleash your inner creativity. It’s literally a blank canvas, and it’s up to you how you want to tell your story.
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Journal cover Here are some ideas on how to customize your journal cover and make it uniquely yours.
Special covers Keep your notebook protected by getting a journal cover. Most covers come in leather or polyester fabric, and have compartments inside where you can store your materials.
Craft party
Get creative with your craft stash and decorate your journal using stickers, labels, washi tapes, stamps, and paper cutouts.
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Hand lettering For a more personal touch, hand-letter your favorite quote on the cover. Make sure to measure your notebook first and create a draft on a separate sheet of paper. Use permanent ink to make the design permanent.
Inner Pockets
Create your own pocket inserts for storing receipts, tickets, and miscellaneous souvenirs inside your journal.
Materials:
double-sided tape small envelope scissors stickers and washi tape
Instructions:
Cover the face of the envelope with doublesided tape and stick it on your notebook’s inside cover. Label the envelope accordingly for easier reference. Decorate and design with stickers and washi tape.
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T
he idea of keeping a daily journal came about during my early teen years. I was very shy and quiet, so it became an
avenue for self-exploration. The more I wrote, the more I understood myself. On another note, I couldn’t seem to stop myself from collecting stickers, stationery, tapes, and notebooks of all kinds—and what better way to put them to good use than by journaling? To be honest, I’ve never been consistent in keeping a daily journal. In fact, among all the creative activities I do, this seems to be the hardest to maintain. Through the years, I’ve hopped from one style to another and in essence, I’ve realized that it’s what makes journaling a fun
experiment. The common misconception of keeping a daily journal is that everything has to be in a unified format.
Working on your entries As you start working on your entries, it’s important to do a bit of warmup, especially when doodling or drawing. Practice by leveling up your observation skills and drawing things you see on a regular basis. Daily journaling can be a combination of different types of art, especially when put together in a layout. The best way to begin is to draw whatever subjects or elements you’d like to include on the page. This will help establish the layout; you can use the illustration as the starting point of the layout. Then, add words and other embellishments of your choice. As you put pen to paper, don’t be too conscious on the quality of your output.
Daily journaling is an avenue for progress and improvement as you habitually update your pages each day. It’s okay to make mistakes; there’s always room for improvement.
Creating your own experience Daily journaling is a habit anyone can hone, but the most important thing is being happy with your work as you create your own pages. There are no limits! A daily journal can be anything you want it to be. Whether it’s diary-style, heavy on illustrations, or list-based, daily journaling gives you an avenue to express yourself on a personal level, making it an experience unique to everyone. The goal is to create your own experience and in doing so, enjoy the process so that you look forward to drawing and writing in your journal.
Finding beauty in every day Each day is different for every one of us, and that’s what makes our stories unique. Documenting daily gives us insights on our day-to-day musings and a glimpse into how we look at life. The challenge to constantly find beauty in the every day is where journaling comes in—it is a way to discover the little things that make each day memorable.
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Here are samples of embellishments you can use. These make great additions to your journal page layouts. Enjoy!
Borders
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Arrows
Ampersands
Banners and Boxes
Use banners or boxes for dates, highlights, and important events.
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