My Journaling Background
I am a student of fun art and Graphic Design! I got my Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design in 20015, have taught and worked in the arts and design field for 15 years, and I'm super passionate about teaching arts in the community and sharing fun techniques to enhance your journaling methods! Have questions? Ask away (via social media or email me at: willowseast@gmail.com)!And the best part? No experience needed! These 10 tips are beginner-friendly and will help you express yourself in your own unique way.
While I do recommend our Willows East Intuitive Journal to help organize your daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly spreads, you should feel free to use ANY notebook you like and share your pages with us in the W.E. community!
1. Stay True to You!
It's important to celebrate YOU in this journal. Use your own handwriting (even if you think it's messy). Consistent handwriting will look beautiful, even if it isn't flowing cursive and "swoopy" letters. Add elements that celebrate happiness and peace in your life. If that's a skull and crossbones and/or photos of your cat, paste 'em in!2. Add Headings and Fonts
There's no "perfect" way to design a journal. You shouldn't worry about composition or putting anything in the "wrong place" on the page. That said, you can add variation to your journal with larger headings or big quotes that pop off the page. You can write them in your own handwriting, only larger, or search for fonts online that you like, that are easy to copy. |
| Found on Pinterest |
3. Add Color
Add color to your headings or page elements! Highlight an important line or message for the week, in your favorite color. Or, before writing headings, you can outline a heading box with a highlighter or colored pencil. I love using kids' watercolors in my journals to add a bright, washed-out background (note that pages will probably wrinkle with watercolors, which I like for an antiqued effect). If you paint over your text (and want your text to show through the watercolor), test your pen first to make sure it's waterproof, so you won't smudge your writing. You can also add coloring-book pages to your journal for decoration and relaxation.
4. Antique Your Pages
If that's your thing! Similar to the watercolor method I mentioned in item #3, you can paint your pages with (very) strongly prepared tea and coffee. I prefer to make a small dark roast cup of coffee (about 1/2 cup), then add 3-4 tea bags. Paint your pages and let them dry before writing on them, or paint over (waterproof) ink on your pages! Test a small strip of separate paper, and let it dry, if you're concerned that the effect might be too light or dark.
5. Doodle
Doodling is a really fun way to add some elements to your journals, and the Tarot cards are filled with symbol inspiration to get you started. You can even use the symbols from the beginning of the Willows East Intuitive Journal and there are some other symbol ideas on our Pintest page, linked in item 9 below. For example, one week, I had a common card that kept coming up in readings -- the High Priestess. I drew the moon symbol from that card in my journal as a reminder of her presence and my spiritual journey.6. Sigils
Creating your own symbols can be really fun. It's also powerful to add visuals and focus-images to your journals for meditation, etc. You can use the system I've included here for creating your own sigil, or create your own! |
| Moon Glyphs on Pinterest -- Sigil How To on Pinterest |
7. Paste in Found Images
Search magazines or old books for images or phrases that resonate with you. Photocopy, trace, or cut out the originals to paste in your journal. You can also use stamps and stickers, of course! Circle price tag stickers can be used to denote Tarot card symbols, etc.! Check out our Free PDF Download of Tarot cards and antiqued journaling card!
8. Add Layers and Fold-Outs
If you don't want to take up valuable writing space with images or drawings, tape them to the side, top, or bottom of the page, using the tape as a "hinge," so you can fold out photos while keeping your text underneath.
9. Find Inspiration
Search Pinterest for "tarot journal" or "art journal" -- styles or element ideas that you feel you can easily incorporate into your own journal that represent who you are. Also, check out our Intuitive Journal Pinterest Board for ideas!10. Be Free!
Try not to be afraid of making "mistakes." In the design field, professionals like to say, "Less is more," but in the journaling field, I believe that "More is more." Muddy up those pages fearlessly! Scribble on them and color in the spaces. Draw with your eyes closed, even! We're not designing a "perfect page" or putting our work on exhibit.Remember: we're infusing our energy into these pages, so that when we sit down with our journal, we train our brain and spirit to connect with it and find peace and beauty in the beautiful expression of ourselves.
More Inspiration!
