When Words Don't Work - Keeping a Creative Journal Practice

Julie Kuhn
Nov 14, 2024
5 min read

Updated: Oct 27

You know the kind of journalling where you pour your heart out onto the page, all your thoughts, feelings, and worries in ink - well today, I’m telling you about my world of creative art journalling. Think mixed media, line, shape, colour and self-expression. If you're imagining yourself doodling in a notebook and wondering how on earth that counts as self-awareness or therapy, you're on the right track!

First, let me share what I believe creative art journaling is... and what it isn't.

What Creative Art Journalling Is (and Isn't)

Creative art journalling is a process that combines traditional journalling with the creative elements of art materials. I love that it's about soooo many things, such as letting your creative side loose on the page, having fun, finding calm, feeling grounded or releasing energy and emotions. But for me the best thing is using it as a tool for self-awareness especially when traditional journalling doesn't work - because it doesn't for everyone!

Now, what it isn't is a masterpiece in the making.

Forget perfection, forget what you think "art" and "creativity" should look like because what it is about is YOU and your open and honest expression and not about creating a piece to hang in a gallery and no, you don’t need to be an artist to benefit from it.

This is about the process, not the product.Its a simple and totally pressure free way to connect with your self.

It's about grabbing a pen, pencil or whatever you have to hand, choosing colours and tools, if you want to, and bringing it all together on the page.

Why Creative Art Journalling?

For me Creative art journalling is like my own personal therapy with an extra splash of colour and play.

It taps into different brain parts, which helps me to uncover emotions and insights that might be buried or fast asleep.

Think of it as a tool that can help your unconscious speak in shapes, colours, and textures.

It is especially helpful if you find it hard to express feelings with words.

But it’s also so much more than that… you get to know who you are, what you like, and don’t like, release perfectionism, understand your expectations, and have fun - just playing.

Also, if you’re a counsellor like me, it’s not only a great tool for self-awareness, but for grounding, finding calm, and even using in supervision and when it feels right, it can be a powerful resource to offer your clients too

Here are some of the benefits

Unlocking Creativity: It’s not just about dealing with your emotions; it’s also about unleashing your inner self. Creative art journalling helps you think outside the box.
Stress Relief: Like traditional journalling, it can provide a space to vent but it adds a creative spin that allows you to externalise your stress visually, which can be incredibly cathartic. When I feel stressed, as soon as I get an opportunity to take a break I down tools and grab my journal and creative tools and release that stress on to the page.
Enhanced Self-Awareness: Engaging with a journal in this way can help you notice patterns or offer insights you might not have reached with words alone. I think it’s a powerful way to help you see yourself more clearly and know more of who you are. I often create some prompts for myself and reflect on my whole process when I've finished creating.
Problem Solving: Sometimes, simply writing about a problem doesn’t help to find a solution. I find that when I connect to the paper using shapes, colours, and lines, I can often see the problem from a new perspective - literally – think mind maps. As I mentioned before, at the end of my creation, sometimes the same day or even at a later date, I use a set of reflective prompts to help me explore my process.

Tips for Making Creative Journalling a Habit

Building any new habit can be tricky, but creative art journalling is so freeing that once you get going, it often becomes something you look forward to – well at least that’s how it is for me.

1. Think small, it feels less overwhelming. Try using an A5 journal or working with small squares to keep things manageable

2.Set Aside “Creative Minutes”: Start with just five minutes a day. Over time, you might notice yourself naturally wanting to spend more time on it

3. Keep Your Journal Visible and Accessible: Leave your journal, or a bundle of small squares out where you’ll them daily—whether that’s on your desk, your bedside table, or with your morning cuppa. Having it in sight makes it easier to pick up on a whim.

4. Make It Personal and Flexible: Some days, you might just jot down a word or scribble a shape, while other days you’ll have the energy for an elaborate collage. Let your journal adapt to what you need in the moment rather than feeling like it has to look a certain way each time.

5. Create an ‘on-the-go kit’: Have a few of your favourite supplies handy so that you don’t have to rummage around trying to find stuff. I have things like a couple of mini acrylics, a water-fillable paint brush, a cheap and small tin of watercolours, a few collage papers, some printed words and some coloured paint pens. Oh, and my must-haves are a white gel pen and black uniball pen. I keep them all in a small bag next to my journal or squares so that I have something available whenever I need it.

6. Try Weekly Themes: If you enjoy a bit of structure, consider setting a theme each week. For instance, focus on colours that represent “calm” one week, or explore “gratitude” using shapes and doodles the next. Weekly themes can add a fun touch to the practice without boxing you in.

7. Embrace Imperfection: Some pages will look chaotic, random, or half-finished and that’s the beauty of it. Embrace the messiness, knowing it reflects your ever-evolving self.

Why Stick With It?

Creative art journalling is a practice that grows with you.

For me, as I’ve kept at it, I’ve noticed subtle changes in how I connect with myself and process my experiences.

This method has helped me to find new perspectives, release tension as well as my inner child, given me lots of fun and importantly for me it has brought creative insights that have surprised me. It’s like giving your subconscious a way to “talk” without words, a space to explore, play, and understand yourself on another level.

So grab that notebook, get a few colours, and get started. You don’t need a masterpiece, just a page, an open mind, and a willingness to let your inner world spill out however it wants.

A last word or two…Sometimes the act of putting our thoughts on paper whether it's written or creative, can stir up difficult feelings. If you find yourself facing such hurdles, remember that you’re not alone. Don’t hesitate to reach out for support, perhaps to a trusted friend, or even consider a few sessions of counselling.