How Journaling Helps with Creativity

Let’s start with the basics – which is why and how journaling can actually help with your 
creativity. Keep in mind this is not just for artists and writers, but all types of creative 
people, and people who don’t feel creative and want to explore that part of themselves 
more.

Here are just some of the ways journaling can help, but really this list could be miles 
longer. Starting journaling yourself is the best way to see all the many ways it can help 
you.

You Unleash What is Holding You Back

One of the first things you might notice when you start journaling, is that a lot of things 
come up you haven’t thought about before, or at least not in a while. This is where that 
magical “clarity” and “self awareness” comes in. These are two things that people 
discuss often in terms of how journaling has helped them.

The trick here is to be 100 percent honest when you journal. If you are concerned 
someone will find it and read your inner feelings, then keep it safe! Make your journal 
private. Don’t let anyone see what you write, and if you fear they might get curious, 
never write in it when other people are around. That way they have no idea you are 
using it. 

By being honest with yourself, you tap into what has been holding you back and what 
you might be hiding even from yourself. This is what people are talking about when they 
say clarity. The mind and subconscious are powerful things, and often times you have 
thoughts and ideals far back in your subconscious that need a little coaxing.

These thoughts are shy and might take a little convincing, but once you start journaling 
to reveal them, something magical happens. You not only understand yourself a little 
more, but you discover what was holding you back in a creative capacity. 

When you get to know yourself more and who you really are, you discover your inner 
creative soul and are able to express that much more freely.

You Can Sketch in Your Journal

Aside from just writing in your journal, keep in mind that you can also use it for creating 
the art itself. If you are an artist or want to be more artistic in your creative endeavors, 
use your journal! You can start creating different types of sketches on full pages of the 
journal, or just to describe what you are talking about.

Drawing in the journal provides additional advantages as well. When you are writing 
about something complicated, and find it easier to sketch your feelings instead of put 
them into words, journaling is great for that. 

It can also help you to explore different emotions through your sketches, by seeing what 
direction your art goes under different circumstances. You can also use different types 
of art medium and materials to express yourself even further.

Ideas Come to Life with Journaling

Another amazing benefit of journaling for your creativity, which we will explore more in a 
later section, is that your ideas often come to life. You can explore them, get them out 
on paper, and either write or sketch them out.

It is not uncommon for your brain to be filled with different ideas, but with no real way to 
express them, they either pile up, or you end up forgetting about many of them.

Don’t let this happen! Start using your journal to write down every single idea you have, 
creative or non-creative, and you will be surprised by how much you can actually flesh 
out these ideas. They soon become something and you are able to let your creative 
nature explore even more.

It Becomes a Part of Who You Are

Journaling and creativity truly go hand in hand, and they just become a part of you. You 
put your heart and soul into journaling in the same way you do any creative endeavor. 
You become someone that is more free with their feelings, isn’t afraid to hide their 
emotions, and has found a new and healthy way to express themselves.

Clarity Often Precedes Creativity

As mentioned previously, journaling can bring you a lot of clarity. When you have more 
clarity and self-awareness, you know a lot more about yourself and what motivates you. 
This in turn can help to promote more creativity.

This process is gradual, so don’t expect a miraculous change overnight. However, the 
more you journal and really get to know yourself, the more you will see what motivates 
you to succeed, and where your inspirations for being more creative come from. 

Maybe you understand when and why you like to write, and what you want to create 
with art or other creative aspirations. This can also help when you need to be more 
creative in your job, no matter what that job is. Or if you just want to boost your creativity 
in your everyday life.

