How to Fuse Journal Writing with Art and Imagery

Journal writing is most definitely an art, but how can we use art in our writing journals?

Writers are passionate about journals and notebooks – sacred spaces where some of our best ideas manifest.

So it makes sense to use our journals to turn up the creativity. Luckily, that’s not hard to do.

Let’s look at some ways we can fuse art with our journal writing for cultivating creativity and inspiration.

The Art Journal

Artists keep journals just like writers do. But instead of filling their journals with words, artists fill them with images – sketches and paintings. Like writers, artists let their ideas pour onto the pages, and treasure their journals as a sacred creative space.

You can open up your writing journal and invite art inside. Few things go together like words and images, which are perfect complements in the realm of creativity. And since writing is an art, writing and art can live side by side in your journal, coming together to keep you inspired and motivated.

Journal Writing and Art Fusion

Here are some ideas for merging art with your journal writing:

• When words won’t come, doodle in your journal instead. You don’t have to be a trained or skilled artist to draw symbols and stick figures.
• Use your journal to sketch pictures of your fictional characters. Again, they can be stick figures. Use colored pencils to shade in their hair, eyes, etc.
• Start collecting images that inspire you. Get postcards and clip images from magazines, and then paste them into your journal.
• Use words to describe the images you’ve placed in your journal. Imagery is an important element in writing, and crafting descriptions will help you hone your imagery skills.
• Mix journal writing and art within the pages of your notebook. Draw a little, write a little. Let the words run over the pictures and vice versa.

You can add more art to your journal, too. Jot down your favorite song lyrics. Describe a favorite piece of music. Include your favorite photography. Allow all of the arts to come together by merging journal writing with other creative forms.

And don’t worry about artistry, except when it comes to words. Lots of writers enjoy other arts, but it’s impossible to master them all. Stay focused on writing if that’s your greatest strength, but allow yourself to be creative and explorative in your creativity.

Do you have any journal writing tips? Any ideas to add or experiences to share? Leave a comment.