Finding the Perfect Journal for
Your Creative Journey
This post kicks off a special three-part Journaling Series here on the ScrappingClearly blog where we’ll explore everything you need to make your journaling experience creative, cohesive, and uniquely yours. Over the next few posts, we’ll dive into the essentials:
- how to choose the right journal for your style,
- which pens and paint pens bring your ideas to life, and
- how tags and stamps can add layers of meaning and texture to your pages.
Whether you’re a dedicated art journaller or just starting your creative journey, this series will help you build pages that reflect your story beautifully - one layer at a time.
Finding the Perfect Journal for Your Creative Journey
Explore the best journals for art, memory keeping & gratitude practice.
As we move into November - a month of gratitude, reflection, and creativity - it’s the perfect time to slow down and reconnect with your journaling practice. Whether you’re capturing everyday gratitude, recording retreat memories, or experimenting with mixed media, your journal is where your creative story begins.
At ScrappingClearly, we stock a wide range of journals designed for every kind of maker. Each has its own character - from sturdy mixed media books to lightweight travelers' notebooks - so you can find the one that suits your style and storytelling approach.
You can click on the links below to take you straight to the shop to view Journals from these popular suppliers.
Art Journals - For Paint, Texture & Bold Creative Play
If you love splashing paint, layering collage, or experimenting with gesso and mediums, an art journal is your perfect creative home. Look for heavy, mixed media paper that can handle wet techniques and texture paste.
Our top picks include:
Dina Wakley Media Journals – Beautifully textured cotton rag, kraft, and burlap pages that hold up to heavy paint and mixed media layering.
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Dylusions Creative Journals – Loved for their smooth, sturdy paper that takes sprays, inks, and paints with ease. Perfect for expressive art journaling and layering.
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Art by Marlene Journals – Bright, bold, and built for mixed media freedom. Their spiral binding makes working across pages easy and flat.
Life of Colour Journals – Designed with thick, premium paper made to handle pens, paints, and watercolor markers. Ideal for mixed media exploration, colour play, and sketching on the go.
Art journals invite you to go big - to make a mess, explore color, and let your creativity unfold without restraint.
Traveler’s Notebooks & Junque Journals – For Reflection, Storytelling & Everyday Moments
If your creativity thrives in moments between places - coffee shop sketches, weekend retreats, or daily gratitude reflections - a travel journal keeps your creativity portable.
Our community loves:
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Teresa Collins Traveller Notebooks– Elegant, empowering, and beautifully designed for intentional journaling. With luxe covers, gold accents, and refillable inserts, they’re perfect for daily reflections, gratitude notes, or memory keeping in style.
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Heidi Swapp Storyline Chapters Inserts – Ideal for those who love structured memory keeping with a journaling twist.
Luckyfindings Junque Journals – Handmade, eclectic, and full of character. Each Junque Journal from Luckyfindings is a one-of-a-kind creative adventure — filled with layered papers, vintage finds, and textured details that invite you to write, glue, paint, and create freely. Ideal for those who love a mix of storytelling, art, and beautiful imperfection.
These compact journals make it easy to keep your stories flowing, wherever you go.
Mixed Media & Watercolour Journals – For Artists Who Love Layers
When your pages involve watercolour washes, brush lettering, or layers of acrylics, a mixed media or watercolour journal is your best friend. Their thicker, textured paper is designed to handle moisture and layering without warping.
Try:
Strathmore Visual Journals – Beautiful heavyweight paper that’s perfect for acrylic, ink, and collage.
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Jane Davenport Artomology Journals – Bright, whimsical designs and excellent paper quality for everything from sketching to painting.
Royal Langnickel - Affordable, reliable and perfect for both beginners and experienced creators. The cold- pressed pages have a lovely texture that holds watercolour pigment beautifully while standing up to wet media techniques and light collage work. Ideal for swatching, travel journalling or mixed media play.
These journals are ideal for those who love to merge illustration, watercolor, and words — where every page becomes its own artwork.
Choosing the Right Journal for You
When it comes to journaling, there’s no one-size-fits-all. The key is to choose a journal that supports your creative rhythm.
Ask yourself:
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Do I want to write, paint, collage — or a mix of all three?
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Will this journal be for daily gratitude or experimental play?
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Do I like a bound spine for continuity or spiral binding so it lays flat while I work?
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Will I work mostly at my desk or carry it with me on the go?
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Do I want a clean, minimalist space or a textured playground?
Your answers will guide you to the perfect match. And remember - there’s no rule against having more than one journal! Many creatives keep different ones for gratitude, sketching, art journaling, and personal reflection.
Every blank page is a doorway waiting for your stories, colors, and memories to come alive.
Now that you’ve found the perfect journal to match your creative style, it’s time to fill those beautiful pages with personality and flair. Part two in our Journaling Series is all about the tools that bring your ideas to life - pens and paint pens. From fine, delicate lines to bold expressive strokes, we’ll explore which pens work best for journaling, mixed media, and everything in between.
Stay tuned for Part 2: The Right Pen Makes All the Difference — coming soon to the ScrappingClearly blog!
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