Creative Process of Journaling

Hey magical souls,

The creative process (routine) is not my favourite topic because sometimes I have trouble understanding it myself, or I change it often. So, before I change it again, I would like to describe to you my writing routine, which helped me become a consistent journal writer on Instagram, where I post once a week. It may be early to call myself a creator, but if you want to know how do my routine looks like, keep reading.

1. Date

Of course, I don't remember everything, so to orient better in my journal, I always start with the date at the top. The organisation is key, and the more monotonous pages you choose, the harder it will be to search for a concrete note. It's maybe an obvious thing, but it's good to mention it (for awareness).

2. Ideas of spread

Because I'm a creative person who likes to decorate my pages so I imagine in advance how I could arrange the page. However, when I began journaling, I didn't have this habit so advanced, and that's why I have been using a few ways.

I placed some stickers in advance and later started adding small illustrations. If I wanted to edit a text in some way, I searched on Pinterest for a few references. Nevertheless, what I did in most cases was that I imitate the styles of my favourite artists such as Cheyenne Barton, Fran or Jusuf.

There are countless ways how you can arrange your spread, but I have been using those 3 "methods".

3. Feel, see, write

The writing itself is the hardest but, at the same time, the best part of the whole routine. I don't have an exact time when I usually write, and simply when I have an idea or feeling, I grab my journal and start writing. However, I rarely create something from nothing (even though sometimes it looks that way). When I want to write but don't know what to write about, I can choose to form a few things.

I can choose a prompt which is a question/statement that serves as an idea for what to write about. In the last two months, I have been using the prompt calendar by Rachel Greig, where is a prompt for every day.

Sometimes I can't find a good one, so I try to create an esthetic. All I usually need is a lit candle, a change of place or tea.

But sometimes I just want to write about my favourite topic. Those who were watching me for some time know, that mines are foxes, witchcraft and recently a notes about weather. Of course I don't write down everything.

4. I will keep this for myself

I have been writing a large number of notes of all kinds and forms since a last year and it's the reason why I keep some of them for myself.

If you are a content creator, it's even more essential because you don't want to share everything with your followers. You can do so by skipping double pages or f.e. blurring the areas. A great example of blurring is leselo.bydenisa, who uses the technique of blurring very well.

5 Don't want, don't write

I'm just a person. I can enjoy something and let it be just for myself without the need to write it down. No entry, not a dot, nothing.

It's OK to have a clouded mind. Many famous writers like Neil Gaiman and Haruki Murakami have strict routines in which they have a set time for relaxation. We don't have to sacrifice all of our free time to writing because, in the end, it can easily turn against us. When you don't feel OK, it's visible even in your entries.

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Thank you for reading this article and if you have any questions write me in the comments. I will see you next time!

- Vilém