Many describe journaling as an entertaining way to ease and distract oneself from the stress that normal school work puts upon them. Being able to journal on literally anything the person might be interested in is definitely a huge factor for its rising popularity among students. As simple as journaling may sound, it actually takes plenty of time and effort to master. 

Most people have made up their minds to start journaling after seeing posts and images of the spreads on social media, such as those on Instagram and Pinterest.

“It showed up on my explore page pretty often,” said sophomore Anncine Lin. “This made me want to start a bullet journal about because I thought they looked pretty.”

Besides getting inspired by social media, freshman Selina Ho had decided to start a personalized journal as she has always enjoyed planning; she believes that journaling is “a very beneficial way for [her] to plan ahead of time, and it allowed [her] to be more creative.”

Any topic is a good topic when it comes to journaling. Whether it is fashion, homework, or even idols who one is passionate about; everything can be a good form of practice for journaling.

“When I first started out two years ago, I copied the styles from other people that I saw,” said Anncine. However, as time progressed, she was able to find the journaling styles that she liked and add her own touches to create her own unique style. Today, due to the heavy workload she has in her AP courses, it has become harder for her to balance journaling with schoolwork.

“I often don’t have time to fully commit to a full spread, but these days I’ve tried to journal at least once in two days where I just write about my day or how I felt about certain situations.”

Selina also agrees with the idea of practicing every day. “Even if it’s just 10 to 15 minutes, a practice a day can improve your skills a lot in the long run.”

There are many people who began journaling under the influence of social media. However, there are still plenty of students that are hesitant about whether they should take this step. Many beginners often feel insecure when comparing the works of others to themselves. In this case, here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Remind yourself that there is no specific way to journal; there are no limits or rules on how you want to make them or what they are supposed to look. Allow your creativity to guide you and journal however you want!
• Don’t get discouraged! It is not uncommon that the first spreads can be far from one’s expected results, but with little practice every day, your journaling skills can skyrocket!
• Don’t be afraid to try new things! Just because you may have found a specific style that you liked, doesn’t mean you have to keep consistency in order to make them “look good”; trying out new styles can feel refreshing sometimes.
• Enjoy yourself! Don’t get too caught up with other people’s spreads, or rank yourself below them because you think your spreads aren’t as good. The person might’ve just started out earlier or had practiced more often. The whole point of journaling is to feel more organized or make certain works more aesthetically-pleasing in YOUR eyes; don’t worry about what others may think. Instead, use that time to practice and improve your skills!

Graphic Courtesy of ELANALYN.COM