Junk journal
I’ve been a writer most of my life and loved having a journaling practice. Last spring with shelter in place orders and the chaos the world was experiencing and stresses in my personal life I found it hard to express myself in words. I’ve never considered myself strong in the visual arts, but 2020 taught me that you don’t need to worry about being perfect or even good at something. If it brings you joy or catharsis, just do it for yourself.
I started a visual diary, participated in Inktober, and towards the end of the year I began junk journaling. I like to think of junk journaling as a combination of scrapbooking and keeping a diary. You fill pages with mementos and little reminders of the day and depending on how you layout your page you can leave space to write down your thoughts or not.
You can use a blank journal with thick card stock or pages or you can rip pages out of a hardcover journal or old book and rebind it with your own. I do a combination. I took a blank journal and sometimes use the existing pages to write out thoughts or display stickers, wrappers, or other keepsakes that will remind me of a time or event. I also rip out pages and use washi tape to replace them with postcards or other papers that speak to me.
The beauty of a junk journal is that there is no right or wrong way to set one up. When I was getting started I went to YouTube, Skillshare, and Pinterest for inspiration. If you are looking for inspiration I have a journaling board on Pinterest and started a subboard on junk journaling.
To get started all you need is:
A journal or hardcover book that you will rebind
Markers or pens that won’t bleed onto your pages — I like to use different colored fine-tipped pens, some of my favorite brands include Le Pen, Ooly Seriously Fine Felt Tip Markers, and Sakura Pigma Micron Pens
Washi tape
Adhesive for sticking your keepsakes I use Mod Podge and Zots depending on what materials I’m using and how thick the page is
Keepsakes, photos, card stock, stamps, stickers, and anything else you’d like to include in your journal.
I love to buy my materials in person when possible and there are some stores located in NYC that I love. Fortunately, they all ship and some have locations in other cities. I recommend checking out:
Artist & Craftsman Supply for pens, journals, paints, and other supplies. If you are in NYC they have locations in Park Slope, Bushwick, and Williamsburg. They also have locations in other cities around the country.
Paper Source They have an excellent selection of washi tape, papers, and cardstock. They have locations across the country. In NYC they have stores in Park Slope, Boreum Hill, SoHo, Flatiron, Midtown East, Chelsea, Fidi, Upper West Side, and Upper East Side.
The Ink Pad This is the best store for stamps, ink, and stencils. They are located in Chelsea. I did a full feature on them in September.
