Journaling Tips for Artists

Maybe you aren’t a writer, but your creative aspirations are more along the lines of a 
more traditional form of art, such as painting, drawing, doing digital art, or the many 
other mediums that are now available. Journaling can be equally as beneficial for your 
creative soul!

Your entire heart and soul goes into your art or creative hobby, no matter what it is, 
similar to writers. Even when you don’t realize it, what you choose to create and the 
entire creative process is related to how you feel and who you are. This is why 
journaling can impact your art so much. It can channel different parts of your 
subconscious and allow your art to go in brand new different directions.

Here are some ways to use your journal for different forms of art.

Doodle on the Pages

The first way you can use your journal for artistic purposes is to start doodling on the 
pages. This might seem like such a simple thing and that it wouldn’t make an impact, 
but it does, especially later on. Whenever you write in your journal, just make a little 
sketch or doodle on the page or the section between each different topic.

What happens is you get a visual to go along with what you’re writing about. What you 
choose to draw, whether or not you use color, the size, shape, and everything about it 
matters. People often think they just draw or create what they like with no thought 
behind it, but this is often not true.

Your subconscious knows what it is doing. You are making all the decisions with every 
creative endeavor you take on. Each piece is a part of who you are, and as mentioned 
before, the journal is just helping you do that more succinctly.

Experiment with New Art Styles

You can also use your journal to explore and experiment with different styles of art. This 
begins with just journaling about the types of art you want to do, then writing down why. 
Some people can’t just keep all of this in their head and really need to get it out on 
paper.

Once you do that, grab some art supplies and try doing it right in the journal. You can 
also use a sketchbook or even a painting pad as a journal, as the pages are strong 
enough to handle paint and charcoal, and whatever else you want to use.

Write About Your Art

Lastly, artists can use their journal to write about their art. Do this before, during, or after 
you create something. It is great to have a journal specifically dedicated to your creative 
endeavors. Write down what you want to create and why, kind of fleshing out the ideas 
like a writer would.

You can then make little sketches in your journal or sketchbook, and when you get 
stuck while creating something, come back to your journal and write about your 
experiences. Keep writing in the journal during and after it is done, and you are able to 
see the entire journey right there.


