Victoria does it. I do it. Marieke Berghuis is huge into it. Irina Troitskaya makes her living from it. And Jason constantly blogs about it and even creates the goods to do it. So I ask you, do you journal?

I maintain several. One is a written one, a “diary” of sorts that I’ve actually been writing since I was 7 years old. Then there are the more artistic journals where I draw and paste words and images that tell a story of what I’m feeling at that moment. These are a bit more personal, so I don’t share them with everyone. Finally, there are my inspiration books that contain hundreds of clipped pages that inspire me or my work. These I freely share with anyone that is interested.

Victoria Smith of SFGirlByBay

Aside from being an amazing spot to catch all of your thoughts, dreams, fears and I-can’t-believe-I said-that moments, journals give you an outlet to plug into, a place to collect everything that you ’see’ in your head and translate it into the pages of a book through words, images from magazines, photos, stamps, ticket stubs, fabric and paint swatches, wrapping paper, anything that can help you tell a story or create something to inspire you. You can create books according to category, i.e. bedrooms, baths, living rooms, outdoor spaces or by object, like art, chairs, or whatever it is that you are passionate about.

Marieke Berghuis of Treats + Treasures

Russian Illustrator Irina Troitskaya

I encourage you to start a journal of your own. You’ll absolutely love doing it. If you don’t like to write, and many people don’t, then go for more of a visual journal like some of those shown above. It’s quite relaxing to sit down and cut + paste your thoughts into books. You’ll be surprised by how much you’ll learn about yourself. If you’d like to get started, click here for a DIY guide on how to create your own Look Book.

Have fun, explore, enjoy, JOURNAL!

22 Responses to “Journals As Inspiration”

1 jamie commented:
April 5th, 2007 at 4:48 pm

I do it! I have my online blog; a “want” book {a binder with cut outs and such off all the things I *love* and want}; and an “inspiration” book {where anything that inspires me day-to-day goes in for work, personal or anything inspiring!}
2 Caroline commented:
April 5th, 2007 at 5:18 pm

Great Idea.
I’ve always thought about making an inspiration book, but soon forget.
It’s a great idea for me when I see cute things that inspire me for my jewelry line then I soon forget about it and the magazine gets tossed…
Thanks for a great idea!
3 Another Shade of Grey commented:
April 5th, 2007 at 5:34 pm

I do it online. :) I guess that’s what my blog is for…Never considering doing it in tangible form.
4 christine commented:
April 5th, 2007 at 6:01 pm

I’ve been a longtime fan of your site and I am especially giddy over this post, as I’m a long-time journaler too.
I’ve been keeping a diary since I was a wee girl, brought it to the web in ‘99 and now keep my thoughts and ideas in a little moleskine. I sometimes share those doodles and collages on Flickr, but the thoughts are usually private. I finally also started an inspiration binder, and I love pasting little bits of color and life into it.
5 Anonymous commented:
April 5th, 2007 at 7:09 pm

I LOVE journaling :) I had to stop working in an actual book because my pages were so fat they busted the binding – but I still consider my collages a form of journaling :)
6 Meg commented:
April 5th, 2007 at 7:16 pm

that anonymous posting was by me. it ate the link to my collages…
its now linked to my name :)
7 suzannemarques commented:
April 5th, 2007 at 7:23 pm

wow. your journal is out of this world. i wish i could draw beautifully. i would love to start one. i think i will, though i’ll have to cut & paste photos instead of draw i guess.
8 Mel commented:
April 5th, 2007 at 7:26 pm

I used to journal quite a bit, but found myself going on longer and longer lapses after I married. How often do you usually make entries/keep them up?
9 sia commented:
April 5th, 2007 at 8:26 pm

I love peeking at blogs where people post their {paper} journals and/or online findings.
I’ve been drawing in notebooks for quite some time but never uploaded any of them to my {dutch} website or blog, until recently.
Liz {abstract the day} encouraged me to post bits and pieces of my notebook online.
So far, I have posted three pics and I received some lovely comments. Still, it feels like I’m naked in front of a crowd…
10 alyson. commented:
April 5th, 2007 at 8:27 pm

I love love love journaling. I started a journal of magazine clippings and drawings when I was in college. it beats having piles and piles of magazines! plus, it’s fun to look back at and swoon over the pretty pictures and giggle at some of the things I thought were “so cool” then.
11 J Lee commented:
April 5th, 2007 at 10:32 pm

its such a great way to get your ideas down on paper or anything you may have handy. i love scrapbooking photos so journaling inspirational design would be the next step i suppose.
thanks for the post.
12 decor8 commented:
April 5th, 2007 at 11:05 pm

I’m so pleased to see that many of you are either journaling, or are inspired to get started. :) Yay!!!
13 IMEDAGOZE commented:
April 6th, 2007 at 12:30 am

I did a little ages ago, during times before kids. I can’t remember where it is now… oh well, definitely somewhere in my apartment. But mine was nothing like all the wonderful journals you featured here. That’s for sure! :)
14 Heather commented:
April 6th, 2007 at 7:41 am

Wow, great entry, fantastic pictures. I love journal writing, too. ;-)
15 Krysta commented:
April 6th, 2007 at 2:24 pm

I just started a decorating inspiration book when I moved into my very first place (in Dec).
I love the beautifully full, free flowing format books you have posted here, but I find my perfectionist self to be meticulously lining up images at perfect angles, and not daring jotting notes… I think I will have to start a more free form journal for my whole life. This was quite inspiring
16 erin scissorhands commented:
April 6th, 2007 at 7:27 pm

would you believe that even though i make and sell coptic bound journals, i have yet to make myself one?!
i finally pulled one that was “me” out of a stack of unsold ones…and i have tons of clippings for it…but have yet to assemble the thing! maybe i will start that right now :)
17 Jamie commented:
April 6th, 2007 at 9:29 pm

I have made journals like those for a long time, since grade school. I thought I was the only one doing it! None of my friends were/are, it’s so nice to see that I’m not so nuts for cutting up magazines and glueing the pages into a book for later! Thanks!
18 John Trosko commented:
April 8th, 2007 at 3:53 pm

I don’t know if I’lll ever start a journal, but I do use a posterboard twice a year.
I save and cut pictures out of magazines and do a paste-up of the past year’s accomplishments (as the pictures reveal) and then months later, I do another one. For the second one, I do a board that looks forward. What do I want to accomplish this year.
Both are great, don’t take too much time, and I can put the bad things behind me, and look forward to only the good.
- John
19 Irina commented:
April 9th, 2007 at 6:13 am

Thank you for writing about me:) Read your blog regularly.
20 mary commented:
April 9th, 2007 at 3:09 pm

Your journal is absolutely beautiful, there’s a lot of care in it! Mary
21 AnastasiaC commented:
April 11th, 2007 at 11:40 am

very inspiring!! I should get my clippings out….
22 Rare Autumn commented:
June 8th, 2007 at 10:20 am

This post is just so wonderful and inspiring. I literary look at it every day and I’ve wanted to write something about it for so so long (http://rareautumn.blogspot.com/2007/06/journals-as-inspiration.html). Thank you so much for posting!

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