What types of journals are there?

There are so many different types of journals out there, and there really is no wrong way to journal! The type of journal you should keep depends on why you want to journal, what your goals for journaling are, and how much time and energy you have for journaling. Take this quiz to find out what type of journal you should keep and then check out the information below for journaling ideas based on your quiz results.

Journal Type - Lyrics Journal

Lyrics journal with blue, yellow, and pink image of modern stylized person with headphones and yellow sunglasses with the words "lyrics on my mind" written on forehead. Journal is sitting on circular table near headphones.

A lyrics journal is a type of music journal that’s designed to help you connect with your intuition and inner guidance. A lyrics journal is also a great choice if you don’t have a lot of time to commit to journaling. To keep a lyrics journal, whenever the lyrics from a song pop into your mind, jot the lyrics down in your journal next to the date. When a song lyrics pop into your mind, this is your subconscious talking to you! Writing it down will tell your subconscious, “Hey, I’m listening!” Think about why the lyrics might have come into your mind. Do the lyrics relate to something you’re going through or something you’re processing? You can write about why you think the lyrics came into your mind in your lyrics journal, or you can just write down the lyrics. At first the connection the lyrics have to your life might not be clear at all, but eventually, if you keep up your journaling habit you will recognize patterns that will explain why some songs pop into your head. This type of journaling also teaches you to pause and pay attention to what is going on internally with you, so it’s a quick and fun way to get into the practice of connecting with yourself throughout the day. If you want a journal specifically designed for this type of journaling check out the lyrics journals in the shop. Want to give this type of journaling a test run? Download this free lyrics journaling printable!

Journal Type - Quote Journal

Spiral quote journal with blue-green cover and gold-colored text that says "quotes" above a gold colored line. Journal is sitting on wood table next to mug of coffee.

When a passage in a book, a line in a poem, or words in a movie or television show strike a chord with you, write the quote down alongside the date in a quote journal. Reflect on why the quote appeals to you. Quote journals are an easy way to start getting in touch with your intuition, and once you’ve kept a quote journal for long enough they’re also a fun way to see various themes that have arisen at different times in your life. A quote journal can also serve as a memory journal of sorts because as you re-read the quotes you’ve written down you’ll remember the time in your life when you came across the quote. If you want a journal specifically designed for this type of journaling check out the quote journals in the shop. Want to give this type of journaling a test run? Check out this free quote journaling printable.

Journal Type - “One Line A Day” Journal

A one line a day journal is a great way to get into the habit of journaling or to fit journaling into a busy schedule. In a one line a day journal you write down one line each day in response to the same journal prompt.

Here are a few examples of prompts for a one line a day journal:

"Today I felt..."
"Today I am grateful for..."
"Today's best moment was..."
"The hardest thing about today was..."
"Today I learned...";
“Today I want to accomplish…”

Depending on the prompt you choose, your one line a day journal can become a gratitude journal, memory journal, productivity journal, or journal to help you process your emotions and experiences. A one line a day journal is also a fun journal to quickly review in the future to get a sense of how things have changed over time. Check out the one line a day journals in the shop, or test out this type of journal with a free one line a day journaling printable.

Journal Type - Memory Journal

A memory journal is a wonderful way to document the moments of your life and to see patterns in your experiences. A memory journal can also be a beautiful keepsake to revisit later in life. A memory journal is also a good journal type to choose if you’re not sure how much time you have to commit to journaling; you can keep a memory journal regularly, or you can write in your memory journal when you have particularly important or meaningful life moments. You can also use a memory journal to document childhood memories or memories from earlier in life that come to mind. A memory journal is a great type of journal to keep if you’re interested in memoir writing because a memory journal will eventually contain plenty of ideas to help you brainstorm for a memoir. A memory journal can be used with or without journal prompts, but journal prompts can be a fun way to expand your memory journaling practice. Check out the memory journal prompts here, and if you’re looking for a memory journal you can find memory journals in the shop.

Journal Type - Shadow Work Journal

If you want to dig deep with your journaling practice a shadow work journal is a great type of journal to choose. Shadow work is a term that comes from psychologist Carl Jung and it’s all about making aspects of ourselves that are unconscious, conscious; or in other words, bringing things that we don't know about ourselves out of the shadows and into the light. When we become aware of our shadow self, then we have the ability to make conscious decisions about how we live life rather than being driven by unconscious forces. This is how we meet our shadow self and integrate our shadow self so that we can live our lives with a sense of wholeness and authenticity. When something is unconscious, however, that inherently means that it’s difficult for us to see. Using journal prompts for shadow work is one way to work on learning about your shadow self. Learning about how we project our shadow self is another important part of doing shadow work. You can learn more about shadow work here, or check out the shadow work journaling prompts here. If you’re looking for a journal to do your shadow work in, check out the journal shop.

Journal Type - Dream Journal

Journal featuring a cover with green and gold art nouveau image of a woman's face encoiled in snakes. Journal is sitting on a wood table next to candles.

If you love symbolism and want to get in touch with your intuition while learning more about yourself, dream journaling is a wonderful journal type to choose. Encoded in dream symbolism, our dreams have messages for us, from us. Keeping a dream diary helps you learn to make sense of your own unique dream symbols, and it tells your subconscious, “Hey, I’m listening, I want to hear what you’re saying.” Over time, you’ll remember more of your dreams and your ability to interpret your dreams and apply that interpretation to your daily life will improve. You can learn more about dream journaling here. If you’re looking for a dream journal, check out the dream journals in the shop.

Journal Type - Bullet Journal

Bullet journaling is a versatile type of journaling that allows you to combine your artistic side with the written word. Bullet journaling is also a great journaling type to choose if you’re interested in journaling to enhance organization and productivity. In a bullet journal, you create a theme or topic for each page or set of pages. Some pages you may fill in completely right away, but for many types of bullet journal pages, you’ll return to the page over a period of time to keep track of something related to the page’s topic or theme. Here are a few theme ideas for a bullet journal:

Personalized black three ring binder with white sans serif text bottom right cover that says "Sarah's Journal"; blue rectangle with white text says "add your name"

A habit tracker to keep track of a habit you’re working on (drinking water, exercising, mediating, etc.)
A mood tracker to keep track of your daily moods
An exercise page to track your workouts, reps, or weight
Reading journal pages to keep track of books you’ve read or books you want to read
A monthly recap spread to summarize each month of the year

You can find free printable template bullet journal pages here, and all of the journals in the journal shop have a spiral version that can be ordered with bullet journal pages. If you’re into the aesthetic and practicality of bullet journaling but not into doing the artsy part and creating your own drawings in your bullet journal, use bullet journal printables in a three ring binder. You can also find three ring binders in the shop! Want to give bullet journaling a test run? Download this free printable dot paper for bullet journaling.

Journal Type - Morning Journal or Evening Journal

Front of pink journal with pattern of white, orange, pink, and navy blue foliage, white text in center says "Home Is Me". Back of pink journal with pattern of white, orange, pink, and navy blue foliage with oval opening in center with white personali

If you want to use a journal to process your emotions, thoughts, or your day, a morning or evening journal is a great journal type for you. You don't need to write in your journal everyday for journaling to be beneficial, but it can be helpful to set aside a time of day that works well for you for journaling. In a morning or evening journal you can write about what you're thinking and feeling, what you're looking forward to, and what you're worried about. You can also use journal prompts to get ideas about what to write about if you want to dig a little deeper! A morning or evening journal is a versatile type of journal. In addition to writing about your day and your thoughts and feelings, you can record memories, analyze an important dream, write about what you’re grateful for, and do some shadow work exercises in a morning or evening journal. Check out the journaling prompts to get writing ideas for your morning or evening journal, and if you’re looking for journal check out the journal shop!

Journal Type - Blackout Poetry Journal

Hardcover black journal, large white sans serif text on cover says "Black Out Poetry Journal"

A blackout poetry journal is a fun journal type choice if you enjoy creative writing and want to get in touch with your intuition. You might have also heard blackout poetry called erasure poetry, found poetry, or redacted book poetry. To create blackout poetry you just need a book page and a pen or marker. Cross out words until you're left with a poem (or even some nice prose). To keep a blackout poetry journal, write out your blackout poems in the journal and then write about why you think the particular words on the page jumped out at you. The act of creating blackout poetry forces your mind to wander and work in a way that naturally brings about connection to your subconscious and intuition. You can learn more about how to create blackout poetry as an intuitive journaling exercise here. If you don’t want to ruin a book page, you can use a free blackout poetry book page printable. If you’d like a journal specifically for poetry, wander over to the shop and check out the poetry journals.