I did The Artist’s Way for the first time back in 2021. The 12-week creativity workbook asks you to do a few things every week, like taking yourself on artist dates and keeping up a morning pages habit.
I was living in Portland’s Northwest District at the time, a convenient short walk away from Oblation Papers and Press, a stationary store (truly, the stationary store). They stock vintage typewriters, beautiful pens, and the best journals. The back of the store has a clear partition that lets you peek into their letterpress process — a dream.
Those constant visits to Oblation for morning pages notebooks helped me fall in love with a more sustainable form of journaling. I know that journaling doesn’t feel like it’s for everyone, but I think that’s only because we aren’t setting ourselves up for success.
If you’ve been wanting to pick up the habit, here are some things to consider:
Size matters — The one time you’ll think smaller is better. It’s much easier to keep a habit that doesn’t feel insurmountable. Start with something like a 3x5-inch Field Notes if you’re starting to build this new habit.
Pacing matters more than timing — I think of journaling like running; you don’t start by running a 5k. Stay flexible, and start small. Journal for a minute and promise to stop once it starts feeling bad. This will make it more likely for you to return to the page again.
Consider how you think — Often, people get caught up on what to write or if they’re doing journaling “right.” There’s no wrong way to journal, just bad fits for who you are. For instance, I run anxious, so too much structure isn’t helpful or aligned with what I want to get out of journaling, so instead, I free-write. A blank page and pouring out all of my thoughts works for me. Think of whether that works for you or if you would benefit more from a structured journal like a Therapy Notebook.
Decide why you want to journal — Journaling prompts are one way to guide your habit, but you can also do this by thinking about why you want to journal in the first place. Maybe you’re journaling to capture a fun new time in your life (a new chapter in your career, for instance), or maybe you want a space to collect all your random thoughts or ideas. Whatever the reason, deciding your intention may help.