5 Uses Of A Journal

Hello Everyone!

Today, we’re talking about journals. This one isn’t a follow up to a My Bullet Journal Journey series, although, I highly recommend you check those videos out, so you can get inspiration for your own bullet journals. No, what I’ll be talking about today will be about journals in general; why start one, what you can do with one, and how you can start one (honestly, the last one is simple, just start one).

There are several good reasons why you should start a journal, not just a bullet journal, but an actual diary. Of course, it takes time to get into the habit of using one, and you will need to set aside at least 20 minutes, if you want to write down a lot of thoughts and fill an entire page of them, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s look at 5 uses of a journal, although there are many more.

1.   Organisation And Planning

So, I mostly use my journals for this. Many a notebook has been filled with bullet points of notes that I go back to, when I need ideas or reminders of the things I need to do, especially for Feather’s Charm and her future. Journals can be used to also note down important appointments and events in your calendar, like a birthday, or a special occasion, or even a work event or holiday. Journals don’t need to only be about putting your thoughts to paper, it can be a way of helping you organise your life and track your daily habits.

Now, you don’t have to make a bullet journal to do this. In fact, you can grab a pre-printed journal in your local stationery store, bookstore or even a crafts store. They are everywhere. Essentially, if you just want to make a note of what you are going to do during the day, then these journals will be perfect for you. If, however, you want to customise it, make your own layout and designs, then a bullet journal is more ideal. All you need is a dotted or squared notebook and you can go crazy. Fill it with whatever you want, whether it’s scrap paper and stickers, or doodles, watercolour and actual paint. Whatever you want to create, you can.

2.   Gratitude And Introspection

Most of the time, a journal is used to write down your thoughts, whatever they may be, but sometimes, it’s difficult to know where to start. If you find it difficult, maybe use gratitude prompts, to start things off. Gratitude is a good way to start journalling your thoughts, because then it will help you realise all the positives in your life, before looking at the things that affected you throughout your day. You don’t always have to start with gratitude prompts, you can always look at what went well for you, during the day, and go from there.

By using gratitude prompts or positive thoughts, you make sure that when you look back on all the things you’ve written down, you remember all the good in your life, before looking at the things that might not have gone the way you wanted, or things you may need to improve on, further down the line. Essentially, a gratitude journal helps remind you to stay in the present, and not look back at the past, as obsessively, as you probably would, without a journal. Sometimes, you can release that negativity by remembering all the positives.

3.   Travel Memories

This is where the line between a scrapbook and a journal blurs. When you go travelling, no matter where it is, you’ll always have some memory of it. Sometimes, you might want to remember the things you did, like going to see a play, or experiencing the local culture. You might have photos in your phone that you’ll know you’ll never look back on. By making a travel journal, you can keep those memories alive.

You don’t have to work on it, during your travels, you can work on it, when you get home, but by using one, you can look back on your photos with fond memories, as long as you print them out and stick them in your journal (I mean, that should be a given). That way, your photos don’t end up just sitting in your phone’s history, until you decide to delete them in the future (because let’s be real, you will eventually have to – your phone’s storage isn’t unlimited).

4.   Ideas And Brain Dumps

Have you ever walked down a street, or sat in a waiting room, and let your mind just wander? It’s most likely you have, and when it does, a brilliant thought suddenly pops up, and you have no one to talk to, or you don’t have anywhere you can write it down? That’s where a journal comes in. It doesn’t have to be a proper journal, or planner. It can just be a regular notebook. Sometimes, the most brilliant ideas come to us at random times, and you just need somewhere to note it, so you can come back to it later.

That’s why it’s always a good idea to have a journal on hand. It doesn’t have to be a full A4 or A5 size, they are sometimes too bulky to put in your handbag, or pocket. A small A6 or even a pocket notebook will do. They may be notebooks, but they are essentially journals, once you date them and write your ideas down, and these notebooks don’t have to be reserved for notes, you can doodle in them or write down reminders. I kind of call them the “everything” journal, because there’s no rhyme or reason to them, because I write down random thoughts, ideas, and notes that suddenly pop into my head. By keeping a pocket journal on hand, I don’t forget or lose those thoughts, and even if I don't always go back to them, chances are, there will be a day I do, and that random idea could help me out, if it's relevant to a problem I'm stuck on.

5.   Art And Creativity

The last use of a journal is literally my whole personality. It is essentially a progress report of my arts and crafts journey. I have at least 5 bullet journals in my storage boxes that are filled with different types of doodles, stickers, washi tape, paintings and other mixed media art that I’ve developed over the years. What started as simple calligraphy task boxes has now become a whole journal spread that uses patterned paper, paints, stickers, washi tape, and yes, doodle art. There are notes on the side, stuck on top of the decorative edges, and covering the tasks boxes I use, all because I use my journal for so many things.

 It's not just about all the previous uses of my journal, it’s about developing and refining my artistic and creative skills, so I can continue to create, inspire and be inspired by my own art. Yes, you can use sketchbooks for art, but, side note, sketchbooks are also another form of journalling (prove me wrong!). You’re creating art and using your creativity to progress in your skills. Journals don’t always have to be written, it can be painted, drawn, doodled, scrapped together and whatever other manner of art you can think of. It’s not a “one size fits all” situation. It’s about what you can make of it. So, like I said before, go crazy! Use that spray paint can, you have in the corner. Unwind some yarn and glue it to the page. Essentially, be a child again and make a mess. Your inner child will thank you for it.

How Do I Start Journalling?

You start, by starting. Pick a theme or a prompt, or even an idea and just start writing, painting, doodling or drawing. You don’t need to start with a “Dear diary”, you can create a spread, and think about what habits you want to track, or doodle a silly image, and write your thoughts next to it. It doesn’t matter how you start, as long as you do. Just use those notebooks for whatever comes to mind, and let your creativity take over.

Not only that, but you can also use several journals for the same thing. In fact, I sometimes repeat the same note or task in many different ways, like noting a task on an online calendar and then writing it down in my bullet journal . I do this, not because I want to include it in a journal for the sake of it. I do it because it helps solidify the task, idea or note. From what I remember, it is scientifically proven that the repetition of writing the same note helps store the memory of in your brain a lot better, than if you were to be reminded with an alarm. So, don't be afraid to use your journal to note the same thing, over and over again, to help your memory.

And yes, I do use my phone’s calendar and notes apps to help me. Sometimes, in the moment, I forget I have a pocket journal, or I actually forget to bring my pocket journal with me, so I type it on my phone, and when I get home, I immediately start writing it down in some of my other journals, especially my bullet journal, because that’s the one I go back to all the time. Journalling isn’t just a form of release or creativity, it can also act as a memory booster, when everything else doesn’t work. So, if you ever have any doubts about starting your own, maybe use that as your reason to start one.

What Are You Waiting For? Start Journalling!

Honestly, journalling is a healthy habit to start, and is recommended by many therapists, so it makes sense that psychology plays a factor in this too, but that’s a story for another time. I’ve talked enough as it is. So, I’m just going to leave you with this:

START JOURNALLING! It doesn’t hurt!

In all seriousness, I’m going to go and make the outline of my next bullet journal spread, and film next month’s one too. While I do that, please don’t forget to like, subscribe, comment, share and follow me, here on Feather’s Charm, on my YouTube channel, on my other social media channels (Instagram, Twitter/X, TikTok), and on Patreon. Your support really helps me make more content like this for you guys.

And as always be kind, be creative, and be unique.

I’ll see you later!

Feather, out!