Words Matter

I have started a short 3 part video series on YouTube exploring ways to incorporate text and journaling on our pages. When I looked back through my videos I noticed that there are lots of episodes exploring techniques, colours and journal spreads but I haven't really talked about the words and meanings behind the pages. That struck me as odd as, for me, the words on a journal page are just as important as the art....I guess that is why we call it art journalling!

Of course there are some forms of journalling which focus more on the written content - decoration and imagery plays a supporting role and there are other forms of journalling which may contain no words at all and are solely intended to develop an art practice - sketchbooks can be a good example of this. However, for me, both the story and the art are intertwined - each giving added meaning and impact to the other. My art journal is a place where I like to express emotions, reflections and stories with a combination of words, colours, textures etc. Is that the same for you?

For example, on this page the sentiment carries equal weight with the focal point and the theme is reinforced by the warm colours and 'bokeh' style circles.

In my first video I explore ways to incorporate 'quiet journalling' on your page...sometimes we want to express ourselves but not have those thoughts visible on the final page. The act of writing out our thoughts can be a really mindful practice and quite often it will provide the seeds of inspiration that shape how the page develops. Check out the 3 techniques that I share for hidden journalling in the video!

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In part 2, we will explore ways to add words and sentiments to the top layers of our journal pages to give them meaning and impact. There are lots of ways to do this and I share some of my favourites!

This is a good example of what I explore in the first 2 videos - a focal sentiment which has been inspired by a journal prompt from Care December, combined with loose scribbly text on the reverse of the page which talks about what growth and transformation mean for me. The text is clearly writing but deliberately not very legible - it enabled me to explore the theme whilst making marks at the same time :)

In the final part of the mini series I will share ideas for getting started on your journal page. Sometimes we want to create but don't have an immediate subject or experience that we want to convey. Where do you go for inspiration? I often start with words and prompts and in this video we will think about a 'word for the year' - setting an intention for 2026 and capturing that in our journal. I have also created a free downloadable with prompts and themes to take you through the year - they are designed to encourage reflection and help you create art journal pages that combine words and imagery.

I would love to know how words feature in your journalling! Do you start with a quote, song lyric, personal experience and develop the page from there? What are your favourite ways to embed meaning in to your pages?

I hope that you enjoy this trio of YouTube videos and that they provide you with some inspiration for infusing your art journal pages with personal meaning.