Your Go-To Guide to Journaling

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‘Dear Naruto,’ is how I started diary entries in 2018, and since then, I’ve amassed an impressive stack of junk journals/scrapbooks. Thanks to that, I’m able to see what teenage me was preoccupied with. Spoilers: It’s mostly bullsh*t, but there were times I’d say things that I still find deeply relatable today. When I show people my journal, they always exclaim how they want to start, too. And to that I say, you can start right now! It’s way easier than you think. You just need a composition notebook, a pen, and a dream, and you’re all set. 

Sometimes, I can’t find diary entries from certain days. Truthfully, I don’t write in my diary every day. Sometimes you just don’t have time to, and that’s okay! You can always play catch-up. And if you don’t think you have anything worthy to write about, that’s okay too (but even the most seemingly minuscule days can have big impacts.) I’ve never “forced” myself to write because journaling is something you should want to do. And oftentimes I’m overwhelmed with the feeling that it’s something I have to do.

But most times, I can do a “this day last year” reflection, because I carry/carried my journal everywhere I go/went. You just never know when you have a feeling you need to get out on paper. 

What do I write about? You don’t have to wax poetically about the meaning of life in every entry, sometimes you can/should write about the little things. Why? Because your normal won’t be your normal in a few years. Write about your weekly routine, what your friend said on a call, what you ate today, lyrics you can’t get out of your head, and I promise your feelings about them will pour out. Write about everyone you meet because who knows if they’ll become a best friend.

Practice taking the pressure off by leaning into it at times. I know memory is a fickle thing; sometimes I’ll put background and additional information, things my current self knows, but the future reader (maybe me) might not. You can turn off performance mode by naming your journal, seriously. After Naruto, there was Kitty, Vanessa, and “journal,” and it’s a little embarrassing at first, but you eventually lean into the absurdity and earnestly embrace your diary as one of your best confidants. Look, being cringe is part of growing up. And if you cringe at your old entries, it means you’ve grown.

Up until now, I’ve been talking about traditional journaling, but your interest probably lies in the pretty spreads you’ve seen in your feed. Here’s how they do it: Aesthetic packaging can be cut up and used as photo frames and pockets. Receipts from shopping hauls or coffee shops are always wonderful additions to pages, but tend to fade over time. Before you throw something away, think: can this be put in my journal? Perhaps experiment with napkins and coffee holders. And don’t be scared if you have to clean food products off them, like what I had to do to glue parts of the limited-edition strawberry shortcake cup from Kungfu Tea (worth it!).

My scrapbook journey started with the HP Sprocket my auntie got me for Christmas 2019 and since then, photos have been an essential part of journaling. Thermal printers are portable and don’t require ink, and the quality of the pictures (that often come with sticky backs) are surprisingly good. Through their respective apps, you can print photos from your phone. It’s a worthy investment if you’re serious about it. My current photo printer is the 2×3 from Liene. Alternatives are getting them professionally printed (makes sure to collage photos to get the most of your print). I LOVED my results from MPIX, but I’m more impressed with the quality and price (.25 cents) of colored prints from my local library. I definitely reference physical photos more than the ones in my gallery.

I hope I gave you the motivation needed to start journaling. If you ever see me with a bag bigger than 7 inches, say hi, and I’ll show you my journal!