Can You Really Boost Your Creativity Through Journaling? Music, Mixed Media and More

While a creative journal can really help to develop and nurture creativity, it can be difficult to know where to start. There are also going to be times when a certain journaling method may stop working for you for a while.

Being flexible with your journaling style will enhance the potential for that hidden creativity to emerge. But like with anything creative, it’s often good to have a little structure at the start. Inspiration will come but it usually needs a little helping hand.

Whether you’re looking to start a creative journal, or you’re simply looking for a new method to try out, below you’ll discover some awesome journaling ideas.

Drawing

If you’re a graphic designer or an artist, drawing in the journal is the best idea you can follow. You don’t need to have a specific subject in mind. Simply pick up a pencil and start drawing.

It isn’t about drawing something perfectly either. It doesn’t matter how the drawing looks, what matters is that you’re taking the time to just let your creativity flow. When you stop focusing on the rules and just draw whatever comes into your mind, it can really help you get out of a rut.

Record your hopes, fears and anxieties

Another great creative journaling idea is to write down your hopes, fears and anxieties. Although this is close to how a standard journal is kept, this type of creative journaling can really help to combat writer’s block.

When you record your feelings and plans in this way, you explore how you feel and what you are experiencing at the time. This really nurtures your creativity and can give you great insight and ideas for your writing.

Use mixed media

While written journaling can prove extremely useful, especially for a writer, often mixed media journaling works better.

Mixed media journaling is basically using different types of content. So, for part of the journal you’ll jot down your ideas, then you can use pictures, ticket stubs, cut-outs from magazines and potentially even drawing to inspire your creativity. 

Use the power of music  

Have you ever noticed just how much of an impact music can have on your creativity? It can really help to stick on some uplifting or inspiring music while writing in your journal.

You’ll find that as the music plays, you’ll start to experience numerous emotions. Thoughts will also automatically pop into your head – write these down. It can also help if you listen to the music through headphones as this will block out all other noises, allowing you to become fully immersed in the music.

There are a lot of journaling ideas you can use to boost your creativity. The above is just a small sample of the ideas you can try out. Don’t feel like you have to stick to one specific method either. If an idea stops working for you, simply move onto the next. 

For me, journaling to music really gets things moving.

Feelings and ideas I never even knew I had seem to come out of my gel pens like magic! And different types of music bring out totally different thoughts and feelings.

For you, it might be having the freedom to use a mixture of writing and sketching that gets those creative juices flowing.