Overwhelmed by journal options? This guide breaks down the essential features, including size, paper type, and design, to make your journaling experience a joyful and inspired one. Also, pre-made layout journals may be a helpful start, such as my Sacred Motherhood and Chakras Unlocked journals. Both have been well-received, and they offer deep spiritual and personal growth.

left silent at the keys – morning thoughts

I almost feel like the delay of yesterday’s writing being pushed into the afternoon has thrown me off, today. I am sitting here, staring at my screen, and wondering where inspiration is. I have, quite literally, been swinging my chair around and staring at my bookshelves, waiting for it to emerge. Where are you, elusive inspiration?!

I feel myself slowly shifting into a new genre of reading interest. Being a mood reader is a kind of curse, because, in my excitement, I often make these great big piles of what I wish to read and then I grasp, in a panic, to hold onto that genre so I can hopefully get through the books before the next one takes over. I find I am moving out of a parenting and nature interest into a spirituality and writings on writing (books about books and writers, essentially) interest. I can feel it. It sits on the precipice. It’s going to happen, I know it. It always happens when I leave a pile of books sitting for too long.

I spent a lot of this morning discussing with Instagram Connections about the riddle of the algorithm, and how they – like me – are following all the “IG rules” in order to see growth but are, in fact, seeing far less exposure and engagement than usual. I do not think there is a code to break, here; I think IG will push who they want when they want, partially by chance, but partially by content preference. I am truly done investing more than I am capable on that platform because it simply leads itself to less joy. There is no passion, that I feel, when I participate in social media content creation. Those who do and see growth and development, kudos to you for finding your space and investing in your growth in that space. I will leave it up to the Universe and the fates, as my work, particularly my healing work, has always been successful through word-of-mouth rather than anything else.

Okay, let’s dive back into journaling together…

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how to select the best journal for you

It can feel very overwhelming to enter into a craft, hobby, or office shop and see the multitude of journaling options and brands you have to choose from. And so many of us – myself included – buy these beautiful journals that sit on our shelves untouched because we worry about ruining them. So, how does one select the best journal for their needs? Well, of course it begins with knowing what kind of journaling you wish to do, and from there, I’ll take you down other important items to consider.

I won’t be inserting any affiliate links into this article because I don’t have the time or energy for that; you may have to Google some brands, yourself — sorry!

• Size – I am putting size first because I do think it is the most crucial element to successful journaling and purposeful writing. Firstly, you need to consider whether this is something you plan to take with you or intend to keep on your desk at home. Then you need to consider how much space you need for creativity work and how much you require for writing. If a journal is just for writing, you may find a large sizing to be overwhelming or that it demands too much of you, so you turn away from it. If you have a small, pocket-sized piece, you may feel that you have no room for decorating the pages.
  
  For reference, A5 is a standard journal size, and B6 is a personal favourite (not too big, not too small).

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• Paper Type – You may have never considered it before, but paper type is immensely important. It determines the flow of your writing and the success of any glue or tape or stickers you paste onto the pages. If paper is too thin, you’ll have bleeding issues. If paper is too thick, your creative journal might bulk up too quickly. I have a few favourites:, and, of course, most are Japanese:

1. Tomoe River: Tomoe River paper can be found in HOBONICHI notebooks and is highly regarded for its incredibly thin and lightweight yet durable paper. It is known for its exceptional ink resistance and smooth writing surface. Many fountain pen enthusiasts appreciate Tomoe River paper for its ability to showcase ink colors vividly without bleed-through or feathering. I enjoy Hobonichi notebooks for writing more than crafting, though many people find Hobonichi journals to be the best of the best.
   
2. Midori: Midori’s MD Paper series is particularly popular for its high-quality, creamy colouring, archival quality, and fountain pen-friendly paper. This is a personal favourite for all kinds of journaling – writing and crafting. A very popular brand of journals called Traveler’s Notebook by the Traveler’s Company contain Midori’s MD paper.
   
3. Rhodia: Though it’s technically a French brand, Rhodia is manufactured in Japan. Rhodia pads and notebooks are celebrated for their high-quality, smooth, and acid-free paper. I like this one for note-taking and list making.
   
4. Sostrene Grene Paper Products: Do you have a Sostrene Grene where you live? If you’re in Europe, chances are there isn’t one very far from you. It’s not only one of my absolute favourite homegoods store for the products and quality of their items, but also for their papergoods that are soft, feminine, gorgeous, and of great quality. I’m currently using two Sostrene Grene journals right now.
   
5. Leuchtturm1917 – This is a German brand of paper products and I’m a very big fan of how smooth pens glide along their paper, along with how specific you can get with the paper weight in each notebook (80gsm is a personal favourite).

While Moleskin does make some beautiful notebooks, it’s not a personal favourite of mine. I don’t find that their paper is worth the price of their journals and it isn’t particularly resilient for the type of journaling I do in it.

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• Paper Format – Since we are on the topic of paper, it’s important to consider what kind of format is best for your journaling intentions. You have a few different kinds to choose from: lined, blank, dotted, or squared.
  
  Believe it or not, I hate lined journals. I absolutely despise them. I think they limit creativity and they look ugly. I am using one right now but it’s primarily a collage journal so I cover it up anyway. I also hate blank pages because my writing is too messy to begin with and I’m not an artist. My favourite notebooks are dot grid notebooks or square grid pages. Not only are they ideal – to me – for neat and steady writing, but they are not imposing and are great for creatively working on the space.
  
  It’s also important to consider whether you’ll need planner-style formatting in your journal like a calendar square or weekly vertical spaces, as well as whether you prefer white or off-white paper to write and create on.

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• Binding Strength and Durability – Pay attention to the binding strength, especially if the journal will be used extensively. A well-bound journal ensures that pages stay intact over time. I have had my books stuffed beyond comprehension but I have never had a journal break at the binding!

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• Design – You need to love the design of your journal or you’ll never be inspired to pick it up and write in it. This means that when you are choosing a journal and have narrowed down every other category, consider how the colour or design on the front resonates with you and your mood, pay attention to the brands that allow you to personalize the journal (especially when buying online), whether you prefer hardcover or softcover, and some journals even have prints and designs on every page which make it even more inviting and exciting to write in.

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• Lay-Flat Binding: This may not be important to some people but it’s a really important factor for me and it helps to increase my personal joy with the journal. This feature means that the book stays open and lays completely flat on it’s own, without using clips or weights to hold the journal down. This makes it easier to write and provides you with a seamless creative experience without the irritation of bent pages. I love it. Hobonichi and Midori are products that are especially known for this. It’s a bit harder to find with hardcover journals.
  
  Consider that rings make it difficult to be creative and are not ideal for left-handed writers, and binder journals are adjustable and allow you to pull the paper out to work on it, but also the pages may rip out.

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if journaling still feels overwhelming…

If all of this feels a little overwhelming and you’re not sure you’ll have the strength or time to start, you can always begin with a journal with layouts already made for you, with prompts to help kickstart your journaling journey. In fact, I made and self-published two — and they’ve been loved by so many people!

Sacred Motherhood Spiritual Journal

My journal, Sacred Motherhood, is an undated A5 diary that has six months of diving deep into your motherhood experience from a sacred level.

This journal includes:

• 30 different daily reflections to encourage your spiritual journey through motherhood (repeated every month)
• monthly overviews to help foster deep contemplation
• month-end mandala activity
• space to record card pulls and channeled messages
• gratitude work
• and more!

I genuinely believe that there is nothing more healing for your inner child and your human growth, overall, like raising a child – whether that child comes from you, is adopted by you, fostered by you, or born of a surrogate. Motherhood is a spiritual gift that leads you towards endless abundance, so long as you are able to find your own learning and healing within it all.

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Chakras Unlocked Journal: A Journaling Pathway to Inner Harmony

Chakras Unlocked – a journaling pathway to inner harmony is an A5 undated six-month daily journal that helps you dive in deep in order to achieve balance and alignment.

Each day of the week, a different Chakra takes focus. The reflection of the day is intended to bring healing and introspective work to that specific Chakra.

This journal also includes:

• 60 unique prompts focused on the seven chakras and your spiritual growth
• moon phase tracker with daily intentions
• day-by-day deck and card pull reflection space
• monthly reflections
• gratitude work
• a meditation challenge
• and more!

Set your vision and intention for your journal and begin your transformative journey towards alignment and balance! Dive-deep into the shadows of yourself and bring about healing to your sacred energy spaces so that you can live your most fulfilled life.

Both of these journals reached NUMBER ONE on numerous Amazon New Releases Bestseller Lists!

They can be found on the corresponding Amazon website for your particular country.

I think this is where I stop for the day. Perhaps tomorrow I can narrow down journaling essentials, and a few favourites from my own collection… Who’s ready to dive in?

xx C

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Superstition and spiritually protected do not go hand-in-hand; broke a mirror the other day and life is still lucky.