So you want to start journaling...

Want to learn how to start a journal...and keep journaling all year long? Start here! The first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/abidingkelseyleigh12221
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[@MyAbidingJournal]

Thanks for watching! I hope you get advice, inspiration, and encouragement to start and continue journaling all year long! If you are NEW to journaling, let us know what made you want to give it a try. If you are an experienced journaler, share your best journaling advice with our beginner friends 😄 And be sure to check out Skillshare to explore your creativity more! skl.sh/abidingkelseyleigh12221 #journaling #journal #journalingforbeginners

[@seramiller4610]

I've been journaling since 1986. My advice as a lifetime diarist is to introduce yourself in each new journal as if you were writing to a brand new pen pal for the first time ever.

[@catiejanb2587]

As someone who is very self critical I appreciate that you included the fact that no matter what it looks like what you have done is of value and worth keeping.

[@MyAbidingJournal]

Thanks Catiejan! It's so true. Every page is uniquely ours!

[@bunnyose]

ive been journaling daily for 5 days now and i love it so much it really is one of my happy places at this point!

[@ErbLee]

I’m not chronological when I journal my personal thoughts, feelings or daily goings on. It used to bother me when there would be a gap in my journaling. I had twenty partial journals because I kept trying to journal regularly. I gave up on that over six years ago and just decided to randomly open pages, date and write. It doesn’t even matter if I’ve already written something on that page or if I have a change in thoughts. If there is space I just slap the current date down above my new start point and write changing colors of pens and pages as it suits my thought flow or what I’m writing about. I only write on fronts of pages until I feel I’ve filled them enough then do a weird flip and turn and begin again randomly from the other side/direction. This has been the best thing for me. I’ve completed several journals this way now. It’s also interesting to come to previously written on pages a year or so later and read that random thought. I’ve never reread anything I’ve journaled until I started journaling kind of in my own haphazard way. It helped break me out of my need for order and control. It did take a bit, but I journal almost daily now and even if I lapse there is no stress about gaps in dates as they’re all scrambled anyway. Plus my thoughts feels my secure as it would be an absolute nightmare for someone to read and put together in any logical order without a great deal of time and effort. It’s definitely not a method that most would be able to do or enjoy, but it’s been s game changer for me.

[@creativerunway]

thanks for sharing this. i know a handful of people who do not journal because of fear that others get to read their thoughts and insecurities. i’ve always recommended creative journaling, using stamps, stickers and ephemera, instead of writing so they won’t feel so exposed. your technique is the perfect complement to that. i love that everything is jumbled and that the journal only makes sense to its owner. just perfect 💛

[@MyAbidingJournal]

Thanks for sharing! ☺️ that sounds like a great practice to help focus on the process and experience over the outcome

[@pjp9383]

@jonakuizon3087 For those interested in art journaling, another approach is to write, then collage, paint, scribble or do "mark making" on top, not necessarily obscuring everything, but to the point where words will show through here and there, but not enough for real readability. Wouldn't suggest it if there are people who deliberately invade someone's privacy and use info against you, but it's enough to avoid the casual peeker being able to know your every thought...

[@carolynm9798]

I use a commonplace journal. I keep all things on that. All the mental health journaling, the Art, the recipes I try, the diary, the planner. I prefer the commonplace journal than separate journals. A table of contents or index keeps it organized.

[@organizedandblessedmom]

I started journaling consistently in 2016 and one thing that helped me was keeping all my supplies together in a basket. Also using things that I found pretty like a pretty notebook & washi tape really made me excited to journal every day.

[@MyAbidingJournal]

Thank you so much for sharing Belinda!

[@LedgerAndLace]

I think what you said about not expecting everything to look good or be pretty in your journaling is key. Just writing makes you better at writing. That means writing A LOT. Even if you feel like it's mediocre, helps with the practice to let gems, ideas, and insights flow through. Perfection is the enemy of execution. I think Seth Godin said that when he was talking about "there's no such thing as writer's block."

[@ajp806]

I started Journaling in November when my mom started getting terminally ill and will continue since she passed on Friday.

[@MyAbidingJournal]

I am so deeply sorry for your loss. Praying for you!

[@sandracapps5543]

I LIKE your thought that if it is a ‘bad’ page, no big deal. Just. Turn. The. Page. Might I suggest another way to deal with what someone might consider a ‘bad’ page? Just add a flip or tip-in of an image (or fabric!) that you like, to cover the page you don’t care for. That way, you will have something pretty to look at, but you can still access the journal page.

[@EFergDindrane]

This is so useful! Thank you! I always fall down on the "doing it" part! I think I'm overdoing it--trying to do a nature journal, a Bible journal, a mental health journal, an art journal... all of it.

[@terribershaw9285]

Thank you so much for sharing your new style of monthly journaling. When covid hit I lost my enthusiasm for daily journaling. Your videos on a monthly spread really inspired me to start again! TB

[@dawndavidson6062]

Great encouragement about not giving up when you mess up or when you don’t get to your journal for a while - I’ve been journalling for years and found that part of the video very helpful - thank you!

[@MyAbidingJournal]

Thanks Dawn! So glad you enjoyed it

[@user-lh6ig4wj4v]

I started journaling 14 years ago. I don't have the mood for stickers sometimes. However, I never miss one thing while writing: a highlight. Try to write a key word or phrase for any spread you make. It would be easier to re-read your memories.

[@hannahhensley8497]

This randomly popped up in my recs! I’ve thought several times over the years that I had no need to journal, I think I have used social media as a form of journaling especially since beginning my motherhood journey. But this really inspired me to consider it as another creative outlet and way to tap into my own heart, thoughts, questions, etc! Thanks!

[@Lily-zd6dx]

I'm always on and off on journaling and i can't wait to get it to be a very consistent and long term habit.

[@olicat7725]

I’m not new to journaling per se, because I’ve been journaling since I was a teenager, but it was more dear diary. I’ve always wanted to be more artistic with my journaling, and have been wanting to do that for several decades, but life always got in the way. I am still new to this and watching a lot of videos and buying things off of Stationæry Pal. Lol. I don’t feel like I have enough stuff to begin and that’s where it’s stopping me. But I want to start like you said before the new year and just get in the swing of things first. I love the idea of prompts!! Or challenges. I need that so I am going to subscribe to you and to megjournals. I’m hoping my journal will be a mishmash of all the ideas…just journaling, art journaling, inspired by quotes or my bible study notes/thoughts. Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement!

[@smritilankeshwaranfcps5614]

Thank you for the tips , it has been really useful as I am new to journaling and when using these tips my journal is colourful and complete.’ 👌

[@ohlovelyqs]

This video helped me so much! Thank you.

[@rhondawise1897]

Wow I just found your podcast and enjoyed it I am trying to get back Journaling and started junk journal thank you

[@adonaigutierrez1920]

I enjoyed this entire video and all the tips 😃🌺 thanks for sharing

[@emxeliz]

your channel is so incredible and inspiring 😭🩷 every video I watch makes me more and more confident and excited to finally pick up my journals again!! thank you ☺️🩷

[@MyAbidingJournal]

Awe thank you for your encouraging comment :) That means a lot. I'm so glad you're enjoying it

[@elmiathewriter]

Such a helpful video! I've been journaling on and off for the past ten years and I'm pretty sure my inconsistency is because no one ever taught me the different elements there is to it. So thank you very much for doing that for us 😊💕

[@limaelbelle]

Thanks for the video, love all the tips. I have been journaling for a while but never been consistent, I hope this new year will be different 😅

[@MyAbidingJournal]

Thanks Limael! Wishing you well as you continue journaling in 2023. Just remember to not too much pressure on yourself! ☺️

[@VizzyInks]

Journaling has been helping me a lot with ADHD, as long as I keep it simple hehe, thanks!

[@lepeedefeu2019]

I love to write and I also love learning languages! I'm journaling the most important things that happen in my everyday life in English. I then translate it to French and it makes me progress a lot better and faster on my journey!

[@MyAbidingJournal]

That’s such a great idea for learning a language!

[@kelleypopelar3162]

That is a really w idea as I’ve been struggling to learn some languages in the last few years as there is no one really there for me to speak or write or converse with in the languages I’m interested in. And my sister-in-law is too fluent in her native tongue for me to try to understand or hold a conversation with in that language.

[@kellsliving3220]

I love journal ❤😅 …. I can’t wait too decorate it

[@suzannevisser8681]

Great advice!

[@user-id7no3zg4m]

I am very new to journaling. I know so many who journal. My problem is that I get caught up with getting punctuation and paragraphs correct. I need help getting started.

[@HolographicCoaching]

Love your journals!!!! I have been journaling since I was 9 years old, and have three suitcases of journals 😂 I only started adding pictures and collages in 2019 though and love it and want more of it! What is that gorgeous big brown leather notebook that you have? I absolutely want one like that 🙈 thank you!!!

[@MyAbidingJournal]

It’s actually a cork cover and is created by @DocumentedJourney I have 10% off discount code if you’re interested abidingjournal10 ..I’ll have a video coming out after Christmas all about my new cover and her covers in general. Stay tuned! 😉

[@luciushlodavec5576]

I have big notebook for journaling and I write only if I want to (don't force my self to it, otherwise I would stop). So it will last for many years probably 😄 also I write or put there almost anything I want to.

[@strawberrycat2450]

I barely even know other people journeled I just write about my day and added stickers and washi tape lol obviously I knew other people did it but I never researched it, now I’m like woooahhh so many ideas

[@rus_tili_0_dan]

Hello, i love the way your journaling. I have almost 220 K subscribers in my channel with another type of posts. I journal about 7 years. Can you say me how much does KZbin pay for the commercial adds. It may look stupid, but i'm from another eastern country it' seem interesting to me.

[@hannahhensley8497]

Any options for journaling and including watercolors?

[@jamescaddell2923]

Can you show us how to do something for Christmas

[@pollyfesta5126]

my journal is a hodgepodge with a little bit every thing

[@MyAbidingJournal]

Mine is too 😉 they’re the best kind in my opinion haha

[@peaceluvscrap]

Just subbed. Love ur channel. Quick question, what printer to u recommend for printables?

[@MyAbidingJournal]

Thank you! Welcome to the abiding fam! I just bought an Epson eco tank printer as a Christmas present to myself because I wanted one that could print my photos for journaling too but any decent color printer should work. I just used a basic HP printer before and it worked fine! ☺️

[@carolewatkins1171]

I just found your videos. Love your ideas! I have a question… Do you work on the monthly page all through the month? Or do you wait until the end of the month?

[@MyAbidingJournal]

A little bit of both. It depends on each month! ☺️

[@brenda5297]

Hello, KZbin recommended me this video and I enjoyed it very much that after watching it, I subscribed. 😁💖 Thank you for sharing and I can't wait to watch more of your videos. I have a question: I have lots of crayons and colored pencils and brush pens. I know I can use them in my journal but what about crayons? Wont it look sloppy? I don't know how to use up all of my old crayons I have. I don't want them to go to waste.

[@MyAbidingJournal]

Welcome to the abiding fam Brenda! I think you can definitely use crayons. They’d be a great way to incorporate some color ☺️

[@brenda5297]

@@MyAbidingJournal Thank you so much! And happy to be here. 🥰

[@louiselove183]

I have some old journals. I thought about recycle these by putting stickers and washi tape over my written entries. What can I do to reuse these old journals?

[@MyAbidingJournal]

You could use them as a start of a junk journal if you really think you won’t want to ever look back on what you had written

[@louiselove183]

@@MyAbidingJournalno they date back to 2010 and have been read over every year when I start a new journal.

[@brenda5297]

So sorry to bother you, but do you have a video on how to make a Prayer Journal? I'm Catholic but i found out this year that we too make a Prayer Journal, but I don't know exactly how to make one. The way I'm currently doing it is like a diary format/letter to God and what I am grateful for. I'm not sure how else to do it. 🤔💖

[@MyAbidingJournal]

I have two “war binder” faith journal videos that include prayer sections that you may find helpful

[@brenda5297]

@@MyAbidingJournal Oh yay! I will definitely take a look! Thank you so much and God bless you always.

[@pepsiefy]

I so compare my self to other journals I see i don’t have a social life I go to church and bible study and don’t have any one I get to get her with for coffee most people I know are 70+

[@rissajaneen]

I don't know people in my face to face life who journal either, but I still enjoy it. One idea is to take your journal and a few supplies and go to a coffee shop or to the library and journal there, just for a change of scenery. Also, sometimes people will come up to you and talk and say they journal too! I too don't have much of a social life most days besides going to work and coming home tired! If it helps, look up commonplace books. That is how I use my journal a lot of the time. I mostly use my journal as a place to informally collect ideas interspersed with actually journaling. I write down news stories I saw that were funny, lists of TV shows/movies/books I want to read, wish lists of things I want to buy, magazine pictures pasted in sometimes of decorating ideas I liked, etc. My journal has become a place to put ideas I want to remember.

[@read_with_Madeleine]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@LorenaCasanova-nj5wh]

What if I have the sense that I all want is to complain. I really feel if I did journaling all pages would be bad words or things (not that only bad things happen to me but that is what I'd write about). I see other journals full of beautiful pages, being grateful or people like you saying it's an amazing thing to do, but I just feel that wouldn't be my experience. Just posting this not to criticize you, but because I thought about journaling, but when I think that it will be like this, I don't know if it is the right reason to do it. Hugs :)

[@MyAbidingJournal]

I think it's good to try to reflect on what you're grateful for by intentionally asking yourself that question, but it can also be cathartic to use your journal as a place to vent. It doesn't have to be pretty and positive; it can just be real. That's okay too. And you don't have to share it with anyone :)

[@C7557]

I had a really dark time in life and so I wrote EVERYTHING in a secret journal whenever I had to get it out. I scribbled, swore, drew dark things and got it all out. That way it is not in my journal I want to save. I rarely go back and read any of the "burn" journal and I will eventually burn it so no one else reads it. My son has orders to burn it if something should happen to me between now and that time. Journaling is a good way to get it out and gives focus to what is causing it. I used to be afraid to put this stuff on paper as it "made it real" but it needs to be real to overcome. I hope this helps.

[@murmelstein6049]

I usually just skip the first page and leave it blank 😂

[@rissajaneen]

I disagree with the idea that you should invest in something high quality. If you are just starting to journal then you don't know what you like yet and it is an experiment to find out. I understand the logic that the experience and the process matters, but you will only feel guilty if you buy something expensive and then it's not as fabulous as you thought it would be.

[@MyAbidingJournal]

Yes it's definitely a process to figure out what you like best :) Quality doesn't have to mean expensive. I just encourage people to choose something they think they will enjoy using and are excited about.

[@jaytea7078]

Me too. I love notebooks but don't use them often, so am looking for another use for them. At Christmas, I was gifted a very pretty planner, that has some basic stickers with it. It's sectioned into to do, notes and planner. I am using it as my journal and am putting post it's or stickers over the section headings to reflect what I'm using it for.