Journal Prompts for Creative People (Leave the Basics Behind)
How many people have been told journaling is a great wellness tool? I’d assume most of us have come across a journal at some point in our lifetime.
We are influenced (especially us neurospicy folks) to get the next crisp paged, beautifully covered, NEW notebook that will somehow fit all our problems.
So is consistency with journaling so difficult? Why does the journal end up in the journaling graveyard? We have a theory as to why…
What is journaling?
Think for a moment about what journaling has meant for you- what narratives have you tied to it? What does it look like if you try to visualize it?
Maybe, like most of us, it is an image of a person sitting at a desk, writing a few lines of “how they feel” or “what I did today”. While these are great prompts to start with, the majority of people with busy lives do not want to sit down and reflect every single day about the same topics. It starts to get old, or less effective as an emotional processing tool- and becomes mundane.
What Can Journaling Become?
In the art therapy world, and in mainstream art circles- bullet journaling blew up over the past 10 years as a more creative way to express things ew want to document about in life. So ask yourself- what do I want out of journaling? What am I hoping it will accomplish for me? We all have natural coping skills, and forms of self expression that evoke emotional processing for us. Think about if the normative journaling style works for you. If you answer is no, it may be time to get more creative with it!
Maybe ass different colors of pens, highlighters, sketching how you feel, getting the 1,000 sticker book from Target, adding scrap pieces of paper from things you collect over time- whatever it is, is it helping you accomplish what you want it to?
Creative Prompts for Journaling
What is something you pondered today?
What pieces of nature did you see today?
Has there been something weighing on your mind?
When was the last time you complimented yourself? What is a compliment you can write right now?
When you think about the beauty of nature, what comes to mind for you?
Who are you thankful for?
If you could chat with a celebrity, who would you choose?
If you could live in a fictional book, which would it be & why?
If you could swap lives with an animal, which would it be?
Write a short story about your life as that animal- what adventure would you take?
What 3 words describe you best right now? Do you want them to change?
In one sentence, describe something your mind drifted to today.
If you could Freaky Friday with one of your friends who would it be?
Draw an emotion that comes to mind.
Write about a memory you think is peculiar that you somehow keep track of.
What are goals you are excited to be working towards? What is helping you chip away at them?
Are there any reflections from therapy you want to summarize?
If someone did not know you at all (never met you in person or talked to you on the phone, etc), what would you want them to know?
When you think about beauty standards, what comes to mind?
What “little treat” have you been thinking about lately? What is it about that item that keeps it at the front of your mind?
If you could have a day, uninterrupted, what would you do?
If you were alone in a forest, what would you finally want to say out loud?
Draw your current fear- is it symbolic? A person? Place? Idea?
Draw a brave version of you- ready to take on the fear to lead a more authentic life.
If social media did not exist, what form of communication would you use the most to connect with other people? (If you do not use any social media, what would you use if texting was no longer an option?)
What is a quote you embody?
What question would you want to ask yourself lately?
Use one color to create a piece of art.
Draw a made up creature- what would it have for eyes, ears, limbs, etc.
Think of your little self- if you could write letters to each other what would they say?
Self reflection helps us be realistic with what we are more likely to be consistent with. If art and creative writing helps you be more consistent with journaling- go for it! There are hundreds of prompts out on the internet, including this list, to get started. The biggest hurdle is once you start; How can you keep yourself accountable and consistent in skills that help your wellness journey?
