Articles can be difficult to write sometimes. Staying on topic, sticking to a word count, and having to write in cohesive sentences are all things I struggle with. In poetry writing, there is so much structure and the stakes of saying what is in your heart without sounding chiche is demanding. Then, with visual arts, one needs to spend hundreds of hours of practice and repetition before creating something comprehensible. And when everything is said and done, who is there to show it to?
Enter junk journaling: an abstract, grungy form of art expression that can be as private or as public as you choose. If you, like me, are a hoarder of old newspapers, essays, empty notebooks and other stationery that you refuse to throw out because you might need them one day, this is a perfect way to finally make use of them!
I have been junk journaling for a couple of years now. A few summers ago, I decided to redo my room, which meant taking down the postcards I had collected from my wall. I cut out flowers, mugs, lanterns, leaves, and other things I thought looked interesting and glued them to a page from a notebook that had been sitting in my drawer for years. When the page ended up looking incomplete, I took cold black coffee from my nightstand, picked up a paintbrush, and painted the pages brown. The coffee gave it an old-timey effect that I liked so much that I ended up using that technique on my graduation cap.
There is no right or wrong way to do it. It is important to remember that there are no boundaries. The journal does not have to close, the pages do not all have to be the same length, and it is allowed to fall apart. It is called a junk journal for a reason.
Something I periodically worry about when creating avant-garde art styles is whether or not they look intentionally messy. The concern is junk journals are supposed to look effortless, but sometimes, things just fall into order. The important thing to remember is that the journal is what you make of it. If it looks too perfect, rip the page in half! Scribble Sharpie all over it! Cut squares out and glue them onto other pages! There is no wrong way to do it.
Materials can vary from journal to journal, but generally, you will need a notebook, glue, something to write with, some kind of stationary (for collages), tape, staples, paint/paintbrushes and scissors. This list is not complete or final. You could take out any one of these items and still make an exceptional junk journal – even the notebook! Anyone can make a notebook with some loose paper, a hole puncher and some string!
If you need some inspiration, here are 8 ideas to add to your junk journal!
- Cut-out poetry
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Are you really going to read all of those books? If you cut out interesting words and arrange them to make a mysterious Dada-style poem, you can finally make some use of them!
- Collages
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This one is sort of a given, but collages can be so much more exciting when given a theme. Have a page with only brown cutouts, one with only plants, one that only has words, do whatever you want!
- Leaves and petals
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I’m the type of person who presses every flower they get. A page full of leaves and petals can be absolutely beautiful.
- Staple/Tape art
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Staple the entire page! Tape the edges! Form words out of the staples! There are no rules!
- Doodles
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You do not have to be a professional sketch artist to fill a page with drawings. Draw whatever comes to mind! If it ends up looking odd or sloppy, it’s called a junk journal for a reason.
- Anecdotes/Memories
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Short stories, dreams you want to remember, anecdotes can be anything!
- Drip art
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Drip candle wax, coffee, mud or anything liquid onto the page! You can even make doodles on top of them, sort of like seeing shapes in clouds.
- String painting
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Find a piece of string or thread, dip it in paint or ink, close the book around it, and pull it out! This sounds weird, but I promise it actually is a lot of fun and the results end up looking really cool!
I love junk journaling because of how limitless it is. It does not have to look perfect or even comprehensible. You can choose to show the world or keep it completely to yourself. Whenever you find yourself inspired, give junk journaling a try!