37. What’s a creative journal? (And why you might want one!)
20+ journal prompts for documenting your creative journey
If your efforts at being more creative have at times felt haphazard, or you don’t feel like you’ve made much progress on the creative projects you care about, a creative journal may appeal to you.
…a what journal?
Ok, let’s back up.
What’s so great about journaling?
A hallmark suggestion of the self-care movement, the process of journaling and its benefits have been long chronicled, and include increased mindfulness, better emotional self-awareness and communication skills, better sleep, increased I.Q., and even immunity-boosting and wound healing. (Wild!) You’ve probably heard about gratitude journals as well, which work because they train your mind to actively look for all the positive things in your life, big or small, so that you can later journal about them. Turns out, when you give your brain an outlet that is inherently organizational and analytical, as writing is, it helps you make sense of the world and your life, which helps you feel calmer and more in control, which helps you attend to and manage your emotions better, which helps you be calmer… And the virtuous cycle continues!
Journaling can be as simple as writing for 15-30 minutes whenever a difficult situation arises, and it can be as disciplined as a daily Morning Pages practice. It can be long hand or on a computer or with a quill by firelight. The important thing is the act of writing something down, so if you’re interested in journaling, you can let go of any anxiety about doing it every day or for a certain amount of time or with the right notebook.
So where’s the creative part?
A creative journal, like a gratitude journal, is a specific type of journaling practice that is designed to help you do a few key things, which we’ll explore through the prompts at the end of this newsletter.
The benefits of creative journaling:
Track your creative progress and growth
Serve as a source of inspiration
Stimulate creativity when you need a kick
Document what works and what doesn’t for you
A creative journal can also be mixed media, meaning not just writing but also drawing, coloring, scrapbooking/collaging, photography, recording video or audio clips, etc. Of course, a regular journal can include those things, too, but mixed media may be more conducive to creative matters!
Maybe the idea of doing something mixed media sounds fun and freeing to you, or maybe that sounds intimidating. Regardless, you can still do all the below prompts in writing only, but feel free to let your imagination run wild with other ways to bring these prompts to life.
So grab a notebook or a sketchbook, or open a text document on your computer, or just tap on your notes app on your phone, and cycle through the below prompts over the next couple weeks.
20+ creative journaling prompts
Today, I worked on…[details of what you did on which creative projects]
Today, I felt most inspired when…
Today, I felt least inspired when…
Today, the work I was most excited to do was …
While I was being creative today, I felt…
An artist/writer/performer/etc. who I admire is…and here’s why…
A recent piece of art/writing/film/dance/etc. that inspires me is…and here’s why…
A quote that always motivates me is…
A place that always inspires me is…
I am most motivated to work on creative projects when…
I am least motivated to work on creative projects when…
The perfect environment for me to be creative is…
A creative idea I have that I haven’t had time to explore yet is…
My favorite idea for a creative project is…
My dumbest idea for a creative project…
My favorite creative project I’ve ever worked on is…
Here’s a list of everything I want to work on:
Here’s how I’d ideally like others to describe my creative work:
Here are 10 new ideas for projects:
My biggest creative challenge at the moment is…
My creative process is…
A new medium or technique I want to try or a skill I want to learn is…
A visual representation of how I feel when I’m creating is…
Create a moodboard for a project.
As you build up this practice, you’ll be able to look back on your creative journey and spot patterns, gain perspective, and rediscover things that inspire you.
Over to you…
Are you into journaling? Is it something you’ve seen help in other ways, and you’d be curious to try these prompts? Let us know!
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