Helen Colebrook is back with another hit journal! Journal with Purpose: 101 Layout Ideas is the second book from Journaling genius, Helen. Including over 100 layout ideas, AND 500 prompts to help get those creative juices spilling over every page.
Journaling is huge right now, and it’s no surprise. Throughout the last year and the covid-19 pandemic, adults across the world have taken a pen to paper to document and record what has happened. They’ve also understood just how important a creative outlet is, and that even in a new and scary environment so much can be learnt about yourself by keeping a journal.
Now, enough about the pandemic, let’s talk journaling!
What is journaling?
Journaling is often mistaken for ‘just keeping a diary’ but it is so much more than that. Think of a journal as a scrapbook for adults, except it’s only as much glueing and sticking as you want it to be, and much more about mindfulness and living in the moment. Think of journaling as keeping a short, memory-filled book of your life, from your perspective. From photos to mini sketches, to ticket stubs and even dried flowers – you can include so much.
Why Journal?
The benefits are endless, but here’s the top reasons journaling is good to do:
- Mindfulness
- “Me Time”
- Provides an opportunity to reflect on the day/week/month
- Can help you establish a routine
- Creative outlet – even if you’re not ‘arty’
- Captures memories in a unique and personalised way
- Great for relaxation/stress relieve
- Provides a level of confidence & self-identity
- It’s great fun – think of all the craft goodies you can include too! Washi tape galore!
So you’ve decided you want to start journaling. Now, where to begin?
You need a few basic items before beginning, of course, if you’re already into crafting, you’ll likely have these around the house, if not, we’ll pop some suggestions at the bottom of this page too.
The basics:
- A sturdy journal with good quality paper so inks don’t leak onto the next page, you can find one of these online, or in your local post office/stationary shop.
- Pens (fine liners are recommended but whatever you prefer is ok)
- Pencils
Next, you’ll need some prompts to get you going, as mentioned above, Helen’s new book includes over 500 prompts, (and you can get your copy here), but for now here’s a few:
- “What’s something you’re grateful for today?”
- “What’s one thing that made you smile this week?”
- “Name one thing you love about this time of year.”
- “Name 3 things you’re looking forward to.”
Now, you’ve to your basics, and some prompts, you really need to nail the layout, so your journal looks good and reflects you and the things you love. Here’s some from Helen’s new book to give you some inspiration: 
Now you’ve got all the basics to get you going with your new Journal, here’s some links to Helen’s books, which will help you really immerse yourself into the world of journaling:
Journal with Purpose: 101 Layout Ideas
You can see more from Helen on her YouTube Channel here. You can also see more from us (David & Charles) on our socials: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest.