DIY Journal

Writers, and other people too, get lots of advice about the importance of keeping a journal and what might go into it. Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way has helped many people connect more deeply to their own creativity, including notably through daily free-writing known as “morning pages.”

But what’s been inspiring me and my creativity lately is making the journals I’m writing in. With the help of a few free online workshops and youtube videos, I’ve been experimenting with various options and having a lot of fun. So far I’ve created a sewn sketchbook for art and writing, which gave me a whole new appreciation for bookmaking and the craft that goes into it. Mostly I’ve been creating no-sew journals. These run the gamut from blank cards I glued together and tiny journals made from one sheet of paper to accordion journals made from strips of paper (you can add a cover too!) and my latest made from a bunch of leftover envelopes. Next, I want to experiment with making a journal using lined paper. The options are endless.

So why should we bother making our own journals? It’s so easy to purchase them, and there’s a huge selection to choose from. I’ve discovered lots of good reasons to make my own but there’s one primary benefit for me. The process of crafting the journal itself deepens my connection to what I’m putting inside it. When I pick up a journal I’ve made, I just enjoy holding it and looking at it. The journal itself becomes not only a container for what I’ve made but also an expression of my creativity and a reminder of it.

Maybe you’ll be inspired to create your own journal. Or maybe you’ll want to start small and alter the cover of a journal you purchase to personalize it. More than anything, though, I hope you’ll give a little extra reflection time to the container for your creativity, for the place where you jot down your words and doodles and other creations. How might you enrich your writing process and your overall creativity with a few changes to the physical book you write and create in?

Yours in spirit,

Sandra

P.S. Last month, I shared with you that I’ll be offering a monthly poetry workshop focused on process (four sessions total). You can check it out here and register if interested.