Hard copy journaling for narrative lovers.

So if any of you are like me, staring at a computer screen all day is both enlightening and exhausting.  While I love technology and the various opportunities it affords for learning, exploration, and entertainment, the blue light of the screen can do a number on my eyes and my head, often causing some major headaches.  This is why I have a whole bookshelf full of journals filled with handwritten stories dating all the way back to when I was in middle school.  Plus, there’s just something so satisfying about sprawling out on my bed, penning out scenes and character arcs and story ideas, and seeing my notebooks slowly fill up with my fictional worlds.

But story journaling doesn’t necessarily have to be fictional.  There are two types of story journaling.  First is fictional story journaling, where you use your journal as a space to plot out your fictional narratives, sketch out brain maps, scribble down quick thoughts and ideas, write out scenes and dialogue.  It’s an excellent way to get your thoughts on paper right in front of you, no matter how messy or disjointed your writing might be.  My favorite way to do this is to use pen – no erasing!  The most important part of the exercise is just to write something.  You can always edit later.  (Don’t have any story ideas right now?  Check out some of the links below for some inspiration!)

The other type of story journaling is life story journaling.  It’s very similar to regular journaling, where you write out your thoughts and feelings and events of the day, but with a key difference: the perspective.  When you sit down to write in your life story journal, you do so with the mindset of an author writing a story; but in this case, that story is about you.  Take a look at your day, and then think about how that day contributes to the story of your life as a whole.  Where are you in your dramatic structure diagram?  Are you in the rising action section, working towards a particular aspiration or mission?  Maybe you’re relaxing in the resolution section, after you’ve completed a major goal and enjoyed or suffered the consequences of it, and you’re preparing to begin the next stage in your life.  Wherever you are, this method of writing allows you to see yourself almost from the outside, to understand what has shaped you as a character in your own story and determine what will motivate you into a better future.

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Resources & Inspiration:

“Writing Tips for Tweens” from Penguin Young Readers

“Creative Writing Journal Ideas” from Creative Writing Now

“7 Quick Journaling Exercises That Will Improve Your Fiction Writing” from The Write Life

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) website

What are your dreams telling you?

Have you ever woken up from an intense dream that felt so real that you were unsure if it actually happened or not at first? Or, maybe a specific person was in your dreams, and now they keep popping into your mind? Dreams are mysterious and sometimes intense, leaving lasting impressions on us. I find myself constantly having dreams that feel so real and powerful, yet I end up forgetting them almost completely not even 20 minutes later. I decided to start dream journaling to keep track of hidden meanings in my dreams and also to learn more about myself. 

A dream journal is a reflective way to keep track of your dreams. I keep my dream journal next to my bed so whenever I wake up from a dream-filled sleep, I can write it down on paper quickly before I start forgetting. Many believe that dreams are a manifestation of emotions that we carry with us throughout the day. If something is bothering you, even if it is pushed deep down into your subconscious, it can use dreams as a source of release. There are a lot of common dreams, like having your teeth fall out, feeling like you’re being chased, or moving in slow motion that can have deeper meanings attached to them. Things like stress, impatience, anxiety, conflict, or avoidance can be represented in the former dreams, and by documenting your dreams, you can reflect on things that may be bothering you in your real life. Dream journals can also help you if you are trying to learn how to lucid dream. Lucid dreaming occurs when a person is aware that they are dreaming and can control what they do and what happens within their dreams. According to Healthline, “When you write down your dreams, you’re forced to remember what happens during each dream. It’s said to help you recognize dreamsigns and enhance awareness of your dreams.” If you are interested in learning more about dream journaling, check out the resources below.

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Resources & Inspiration:

“How to Keep a Dream Journal: Tips, Examples, and Templates” from Penzu

“Keeping a Dream Journal” from Psychology Today

“The Best Way to Keep a Dream Journal” from Lucid Dream Society

“5 Techniques to Try for Lucid Dreaming” from Healthline

Genre-specific art journaling.

The hardest part about starting a journal is staring at a blank page and wondering how to fill it, so we’re here to help give you a little inspiration!  Last week, we talked about art journaling, so this week we bring to you an idea for a type of art journaling that many people follow: music journaling.

Music journaling is one of the easiest types of art journaling because there is so much visual content available out there for music lovers, from logos to album covers to merch to photographs to sheet music.  Think about what kind of music you like.  With classical music, there is tons of free sheet music that you could cut up and collage.  Or you could draw or paint creative representations of classical instruments.  With classic rock, there are album covers and funky fonts and splashes of dark or neon colors.

The big name in music journaling right now is K-Pop journaling.  K-Pop, or Korean Pop music, is music from South Korea that is currently sweeping across the United States, integrating itself into various aspects of online fandom culture as well as the more traditional media sources like television and radio, spearheaded in part by the massively popular group, BTS.  And fans of all ages have taken to expressing their love for this genre of music in many different ways, one of those ways being K-Pop journaling.  I have included a couple links below to videos of diarists creating K-Pop journals, but key features tend to be artist logos, photos of the artists, calligraphy, colorful stickers and decorations, and visual playlists of the artist’s songs as well as written memories from concerts attended.

So if you like art and music of any genre, try giving music journaling a go.

On a different note, if you like BTS, K-Pop, Korean Dramas, Korean culture, or any or all of the above, check out our new KClub!  We meet on Saturdays about once a month or so for two hours where we stream an episode of a K-Drama and then discuss and chat.

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Resources & Inspiration:

“16 Art Journal Prompt Ideas for Music Lovers” from ARTJOURNALIST

“Starting a K-Pop Journal”, video by AmandaRachLee on YouTube

“starting a new journal: my 6th kpop journal”, video by mihan. on YouTube