33 Best Journal Ideas for Expressing Yourself in 2024

Are you looking for some interesting new journal ideas so you can start putting your thoughts and ideas on paper? It's a great way to start learning how to write a book.

In many of its forms, journaling is incredibly beneficial. For example, a study from the National Library of Medicine shows that a specific type of journaling, Positive Affect Journaling (PAJ), improves mental well-being and reduces anxiety levels in people struggling with chronic conditions. That’s right, journaling has provable positive outcomes!

You might be wondering “How do I start my journal?” What should you write in a journal, anyway? We’re here with a few helpful journal ideas that are easy and fun so you can get started. Read on for our top journal ideas for adults, mental health journal ideas, and more.

Jump to Section

• Artistic & Creative Journal Ideas
• Health & Wellness Journal Ideas
• Unique Journal Ideas for Students
• Fun Journal Ideas for Kids
• Inspiring Journal Cover Ideas

Artistic & Creative Journal Ideas

1. Journaling Art Classes and Lessons

If you’re new to art journal ideas, it may be a good idea to start journaling your art classes and lessons. Just like taking notes in conventional classes, journaling after taking art classes near you will help you flex your creative muscles and retain more information so you’re ready to hit the ground running when you start your next art project.

Whether you’re painting in art classes in Boston, crafting in art classes in Los Angeles or making jewelry in art classes in Atlanta, you’ll be able to track your progress and keep track of all of the new and interesting things you learn. 

2. Portrait Journal

Are you trying to improve your portraiture? Start a portrait journal! Every day, pick a new face to draw. It can be a friend, a random stranger, or even someone you saw online. Every so often you can look back at previous portraits and see how your skills and art style have developed.

3. Comic Journal

Writing comics is one of the most fun creative hobbies there is, but it’s harder than it looks. If you want to get in the habit of making comics, start a comic journal.

Instead of writing down a daily log like in a traditional journal, draw one or several events or interactions from your day. You’ll learn how to create small storyboards and draw characters (in this case, yourself). 

4. Creative Writing Journal

Is your mind full of stories and poems that aren’t fleshed out yet? Put them in a creative writing journal. Not all creative journal ideas are for drawing or other images. 

Even if you only have a single line in your head, jot it down so you have it ready for later. 

5. Doodle Journal

Doodle journals are so much fun. If you’re looking for journal ideas for drawing, this is a great way to get started. It’s also a great journal idea if you’re trying to learn how to find your art style. It’s a low-stakes way to explore your creativity.

It’s just like a sketchbook. When you have an idea, even if it’s loose, doodle it. It doesn’t have to be good or complete. It’s just for you.  You can journal ideas for design projects or paintings without the “terror of the blank page.” This is a freeing way to draw.

6. Photo Journal

Not all journals involve drawing or writing. Photo journals are excellent for budding photographers or anyone who wants to log their life in photos. This is also great for 365 challenges where you take a photo every day as well as travel journal ideas.

Underneath the photos, you can write a caption about it. For even more fun, consider using an instant camera for an extra vintage edge. A plain notebook, like the Modern Photo notebook from Papier, is perfect for this.

7. Inspiration Journal or Commonplace Book

An inspiration journal, also known as a commonplace book, is a place to gather and record inspiring quotes, passages from books, thoughts, ideas and other pieces of wisdom or inspiration. It acts as a personal repository of insights and ideas that you can use later. 

Keep this notebook with you at all times so you can jot down anything that appeals to you! 

8. Fashion Journal

Do you have a passion for fashion? Your journal ideas “About Me” should revolve around your ever-evolving creative personal style.

Use your journal to sketch out fashion ideas, journal ideas for designs, make collages with fashion magazines and even log your own outfits. When you look back in the future, you’ll get to see your style evolve and change. 

9. Crow Journal or Junk Journal

Are you wondering what to do in a journal when you’re bored? We suggest a crow journal!

Crow journals are chaotic. It’s like a scrapbook of “things,” and some people call it a junk journal. Try a fun Wreck This Journal for guided chaos!

As far as junk journal ideas go, you can throw in old stickers, wrappers you like, photos, business cards, leaves and whatever else you can flatten and fit in there. Junk journal ideas don’t have to make sense. They’re for fun and relaxation. 

Health & Wellness Journal Ideas

10. Cooking and Recipe Journal

Are you trying to improve your skills in the kitchen? Why not journal your progress as you go through cooking classes near you or your favorite online cooking classes?

Your cooking and recipe journal will be like a personal cookbook that you make by yourself. You can record your successes (and failures) and even include photos of your tasty creations. 

Whether you’re making authentic Italian food in cooking classes in NYC, deep-dish pizza in cooking classes in Chicago or tasty tacos in cooking classes in Washington, D.C., you’ll have it all recorded in your handy cooking and recipe journal.

11. Exercise Journal

Trying to get strong and gain more stamina? Try an exercise journal. This journal idea is easy and it makes exercise more fun.

This journal is where you can record your workouts, including details like the type of exercise, duration, sets, reps and any notes about your fitness routines or results. It helps you track your progress, set goals and maintain a consistent exercise regimen. 

12. Fitness Goal Journal

There are many helpful journal ideas for adults who are trying to improve their physical health, but if your fitness journey is just getting started, a general “fitness goal journal” may be the best option for you.

You can write all of your current goals at the beginning and then track your progress. You can include photos, measurements, or any other stats that will help you see how far you’ve come.

13. Positive Affect Journal or Gratitude Journal

Gratitude journal ideas can really help you maintain your positivity. This gratitude journal from Promptly Journals is for you to focus on and document your positive emotions, experiences, and moments in your life, with the guidance of thoughtful prompts to lead the way.

Gratitude journal ideas include things like writing 5 things you’re grateful for every day or writing down the best thing that happened to you during a specific day, for example. Gratitude journals make great self-care gifts.

14. Sleep Tracking Journal

When it comes to mental health journal ideas, many people forget the importance of sleep! A sleep tracking journal is excellent for anyone who’s trying to improve their sleep hygiene and get some more shut-eye.

Record things like your bedtime routine, what time you’re going to bed and when you woke up. You could even include data from a sleep tracking app for an even better sleep journaling experience. Sleep tracking journals also make excellent relaxation gifts for your friends who struggle to get enough rest!

15. Daily Routine Journal 

Do you struggle with maintaining a routine? Many people have this problem. Writing down your routine can make it far easier to stay on track. Think of it like a planner, but with more detail.

You’ll write down everything that you have to do for the day as well as the things that you actually ended up doing. This will help you see where you may need to make adjustments and where you’re excelling. A planner, like one from the LifePlanner Collection by Erin Codren, is perfect for this. 

16. Emotion Tracking Journal

An emotion tracking journal is a tool for you to record and analyze your emotions. It allows you to identify patterns in your emotions, triggers and coping strategies, which can help you foster deeper emotional self-awareness.

You might be wondering “What are prompts for emotional detachment?” or “How can I write when my emotions are confusing?”

Guided journals, like the Remembrance Journal and Grief Journal from Promptly will use prompts to help you get your thoughts down on paper.

Unique Journal Ideas for Students

17. Habit Tracking Journal

Are you guilty of any bad habits? No judgment here. Why not start tracking your good and bad habits so you can get them under control?

Your habit tracking journal is perfect for establishing and monitoring daily habits. Create a list of habits you want to cultivate or break and mark them off each day you complete them. This journal helps you build consistency and self-discipline.

18. Mindfulness Journal

When you’re in school, time can feel like it’s always getting away from you. You need to learn how to focus on the moment and “be mindful.”

Use your mindfulness journal to practice being present in the moment. Write about your thoughts, feelings and experiences without judgment. This journal encourages self-awareness and a greater appreciation for “the little things.”

19. Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a creative way to visualize your ideas and thoughts, and it’s fantastic for journal ideas. You can use it as a catalyst for larger ideas or make a whole journal full of mind maps.

Draw lines that branch out from a central concept, connecting related ideas. It's a great tool for brainstorming, organizing information and fleshing out ideas.

You can use this in combination with other ideas, like in an art journal for fleshing out art ideas for teens, connecting bible journaling ideas in a faith journal, fleshing out stories in a creative writing journal and more.

20. Goal Setting Journal

In your goal-setting journal, you can outline your short-term and long-term goals for school, work, or anything else. This is a great journal idea for students who are new to journaling. 

Write down the steps you need to take to achieve them, track your progress, and celebrate your accomplishments. This journal helps you stay motivated and focused on your big (or small) goals.

21. Digital Journal

Some people don’t like writing on paper. In that case, a digital journal may be a better option, especially for a busy student. You could make your journal public (like a blog or vlog) or keep it private in an app.

It’s an easier way to organize your photos, drawings, writing and any other thoughts you have bouncing around in your mind. it’s great for journals of all types, from travel journal ideas to bible journal ideas and everything in between.

22. Productivity Journal

Everyone struggles with productivity from time to time. You can improve your productivity with this helpful type of journal. 

Plan your tasks, set priorities and record your achievements (or setbacks). Reflect on what strategies work best for you to stay productive. As you learn new productivity strategies, you’ll find yourself getting more and more productive over time even when you’re not journaling. 

23. Bullet Journal

Bullet journal ideas have been quite popular over the past few years. Bullet journals are incredibly versatile and bullet journaling is great for anyone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of time writing every day.

A bullet journal is a versatile journal that combines to-do lists, calendars and notes in a flexible format. Create symbols, track goals and organize your life efficiently.

It's an excellent way to keep everything in one place and tailor it to your needs. There are so many bullet journal ideas on the web, so there’s a bullet journal for everyone.

Fun Journal Ideas for Kids

24. Journaling for Your Future Self

With this unique journal idea, kids can write letters or messages to their future selves. They can talk about their current interests and dreams.

It's like sending a message through time to see how they've changed and grown when they read it in the future. It’s the ultimate journal idea for an  “about me” book they’ll love looking back at. 

25. My Big Feelings Journal

Daily reflection can be excellent for fostering mindfulness in children. A daily reflection of their feelings and emotions in a feelings journal allows for a place where a child can jot down their thoughts and feelings about their day and learn to manage them.

They can write about what made them happy, what they learned and any challenges they faced (as well as how they overcame those challenges). It's a great way to help a child practice self-awareness and express their emotions.

26. Timed Journaling

Many kids struggle to sit down and journal at first. Timed journaling can help. Kids (or parents) can set a timer for a short amount of time and write whatever comes to mind during that time.

It's a fun way to boost their creativity and practice writing without worrying too much about spelling or grammar. As long as they’re writing something, it counts.

27. Media Review Journal

It’s a good idea to have children try to analyze and understand the media that they’re consuming, even when they’re at home. This idea can help them with that. It will keep them paying attention. 

After watching a movie, reading a book, or playing a video game, kids can write a review in their media review journal. They can describe what they liked or didn't like and why. It helps them think about what they experience in the world of media while they’re still young.

28. Themed Daily Log

A daily log may be too boring for some small children, but adding a theme can make it fun. This can be a creative writing journal idea or a more realistic one. 

For example, a child could write about their day as if they were a pirate or as if they were their younger sibling. Doing this daily will help them flex their creative muscles. 

29. Dream Journal

Does your child have vivid dreams? This is a great journal idea for them. Kids can keep a journal by their bedside to write down their dreams as soon as they wake up. Dreams can be fantastical and mysterious, and recording them can be like capturing their own adventures.

They might discover patterns or recurring themes in their dreams over time. Encourage them to jot down dreams even if they’re scary or confusing.

Inspiring Journal Cover Ideas

30. Photo Collage

Photo collages are perfect for adorning your journal ideas, especially if it’s a personal journal. 

You can create a unique and personalized journal cover with a collage. Gather your favorite photos, memories, and moments, arrange them creatively and then glue or laminate them onto the cover. Every time you use your journal, you'll be greeted by those special memories. 

You can also decorate the cover when you’re done writing the journal, and use photos from the dates you were writing. 

31. Vintage Book Cover

Give your journal a cool vintage look by using an old book cover. Find an interesting vintage book (preferably at a secondhand store), carefully remove the pages and then use the cover as your journal cover. It's a stylish and nostalgic choice that repurposes something old for a new purpose: decorating your journal ideas.

32. Hand-Painted Design

Are you decorating your art journal ideas? Unleash your creativity by hand-painting a unique design on your journal cover. Painting your own cover allows you to express your artistic side and make your journal genuinely one-of-a-kind.

33. Pressed Flowers

Pressed flowers can be tedious to make, but they add a soft and natural touch to your journal cover ideas.

Collect beautiful flowers and leaves, press them between the pages of a heavy book (with parchment paper protecting the pages) until they're dry and then arrange them on your journal cover. 

Now that you’ve been reading journal ideas, which one is right for you? You can combine multiple ideas in one journal or keep several journals at once for all of your journal ideas. Journaling might change your life.

For even more fun creative ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!