Journaling has been a hobby I’ve had all my life. Though the way I journal now looks much different than the way my childhood self would etch into the paper of my fuzzy notebook with my glittery gel pen, I still find that same whimsical feeling of self-expression in each spread I create. Here are some of my favorite types of spreads to incorporate into my journal that make me feel more organized and creative!
Movie Reviews
I love feeling like I have a physical copy of my Letterboxd account! For my movie review journal spreads, I like to print out the movie poster and a few visually appealing screen caps. I also really love going to support a local movie theater, and having a movie ticket to glue on the page. I include my rating of the film out of 5 stars, as well as a 2-3 sentence blurb explaining why I rated it that way. Writing down quotes from the movie is also a great way to interact with the screenplay, and I also tend to remember the movie better if I have specific moments written down.
Grocery Lists
I feel like having dozens of untouched recipe videos in your Instagram and TikTok saved folders is a universal experience. Recently, I started going through all the recipes I have saved and writing down the ingredients required to make each dish. This has been really helpful in planning my grocery shopping on a week-to-week basis because I can see what recipes have overlapping ingredients, so I don’t have to overbuy and waste money or let food items go bad. This has also helped me become less reliant on my phone in public, since I have a physical copy of my grocery list instead of using my notes app or social media.
Writing Excerpts
Copying pieces by other writers into my own journal is something I learned when I began keeping a commonplace book. A commonplace book is a “journal where you write down information you want to remember or revisit”. This can include important personal information (e.g., addresses, phone numbers, birthdays, etc) as well as more academic content (e.g., class notes, definitions of unknown words, facts about historical figures, etc.). In my commonplace book, I liked to write down poems I liked, as well as excerpts from essays or novels. This is another great way to reduce phone usage in public, as it provides a curated selection of readings that you would actually enjoy, instead of scrolling to cure boredom. It is also a great way to memorize poetry, since you will always have the same poems to reread from your journal.
Fashion Inspiration
My absolute favorite way to use my journal is to create fashion inspo pages. As much as I love scrolling through fashion videos and taking inspiration from certain influencers, I find that it’s still important for me to search for inspiration in a way that is completely uninfluenced by algorithms. Cutting out images from old books/magazines, printing screen caps from stylish movies, and even printing out photos of yourself in clothes you love are all great ways to create a fashion spread that is unique to you. I like to take my journal to the thrift store with me to see if I can find any items I have printed!
Journaling is the perfect hobby if you are looking for something that increases productivity and organization, or if you are just looking for an analog way to express yourself. In our world, that is becoming more and more digital by the moment, having a physical copy of the things that bring you joy is a great way to stay grounded.