What is a Creative Journal

Creative Journals by Betsy Beier - My "Romantic" Paris Journal and My "Blue, Blanc et Rouge" Paris Journal

If you follow me on social media, read my blog, or have looked at my workshops, classes, or creative tours in France or the US, you’ve probably heard me talk about something called a creative journal.

And you might be wondering…

What on earth is that?

Is it writing — like the diaries we kept as kids?

Is it prompts like “What do you think of this color?”

Is it drawing?

Sketching?

Collaging?

Scribbling or doodling?

Map making?

Painting or watercolor?

Well, the answer is…

It’s all of that — and more.

Creative Journals by Betsy Beier - My Marrakech, Morocco Journal and My Rome, Italy Journal

A Creative Journal Is an Expression of Experience

Recently I’ve been going through years of my photos and journals as I open my business in Paris, France. While doing so, I realized it’s time to start sharing more of the creative journals I’ve made over the years — both the ones from my personal travels and the ones created during workshops, classes, and creative tours.

Why? Because honestly I want you to feel the same excitement I feel every single time I start a new one.

Here’s the truth about creative journals: No two are ever the same. When I begin one, I might think it will look a certain way… but it almost always turns into something completely different. And that’s exactly what makes them so magical.

Creative Journals by Betsy Beier - My New York City Journal and My Umbria, Italy Journal

Each Journal Is a Personal Souvenir

At its heart, a creative journal is simply a way of capturing life and experiences in artistic form. Sometimes it records a trip. Sometimes it captures a single day. Sometimes it reflects something I noticed, felt, or discovered.

For me, creative journals are a way to express my experiences — my travels, adventures, observations, and everyday life, in book (aka journal) form.

They become visual souvenirs of moments in time. I have journals from:

• Personal trips

• Creative tours and workshops

• Classes I’ve taught

• Weekend adventures

• Even just a single inspiring day

Each one tells a story.

Creative Journals by Betsy Beier - My Two Journals of Provence

The Materials and Styles Always Change

Another thing I love about creative journaling is that there’s no single right format.  Some of my journals are:

• Pre-made blank journals or sketchbooks

• Handmade books I’ve bound myself

• Printed pages that I’ve glued together

• Mixed media notebooks filled with collage, paint, and writing

They vary in:

• Size

• Length

• Materials

• Art techniques

Some lean more toward drawing and watercolor. Others are filled with collage, writing, and little scraps collected along the way. That’s the beauty of them — they evolve depending on the place, the moment, and the feeling you want to capture. Even if you return to the same location, the journal you create today will be different from the one you made yesterday, last year, or ten years ago.

Because you are different. Your experience of that moment is different... and the journal reflects that.

Creative Journals by Betsy Beier - My Scotland Journal and My Tunisian Journal

A Peek Inside My Creative Journals

To begin this new series, I thought it would be fun to start with something simple. So, throughout this post, I have shared a collection of covers from different creative journals I’ve made over the years. Even the covers show how varied these journals can be. Some are simple. Some are layered and textured. Some are colorful and playful. Others are quiet and minimal. And each one is an expression of a completely different creative journey.

A New Series: Souvenirs from a Creative Tour

This post is just the beginning. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more pages, stories, and examples from my journals in a new series called: Souvenirs from a Creative Tour. You’ll get a peek inside the journals themselves, see how different pages come together, and maybe even find inspiration for creating your own.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you.

• Which journal cover intrigues you the most?

• Which style do you find yourself drawn to?

• And which one would you most like to see the inside of?