We all know the “common” arts. Painting, drawing, coloring, etc. And these are all spectacular and respectable pursuits. However, if you’re anything like me, these aren’t your best talents. So I will encourage you to try these art forms a couple of times in your life, but I also encourage you to try an unconventional and easier art: Journaling. Most don’t consider this an art form in the first place, much less consider it as a productive hobby. But I’ve personally picked it up over the past few months, and it’s been a huge source of happiness and relaxation. So here’s how and why you should try it as well!

Journaling is more of an umbrella term for lots of different possibilities. I will promote diaries, junk journaling, thought dumps, and trackers. However, journaling is so impressive partly because it has so many possibilities and different ways you can enjoy it. So don’t feel limited to these 4 options I list.

I started with diaries because this is the type of journaling everyone has probably heard of or even tried. I don’t know about you, but I always had a diary in middle school (because I was obsessed with Dork Diaries). I lost this habit, though, because of one mistake I want you all to avoid: Don’t see journaling as mandatory. I would convince myself that I had to write everyday, even when I was sick or tired or even just didn’t want to. So if you want to begin a diary, don’t feel required to write everyday if you don’t want to. And you don’t need to buy anything! Just use any notebook you have unused and a writing utensil. It’s great to use journaling to destress, unwind, and release any internal thoughts you need to get out.

Then I suggest junk journaling because it’s actually my favorite type, but it’s less heard of. It’s a great, inexpensive hobby that also reduces waste. All you have to do is save any common waste, trash, or junk you collect in a day (the things I use most are often receipts, wrappers, and can tabs) and paste them into your journal however you want. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, either. You can make it aesthetically pleasing or just jam as much trash onto one page as possible. Whatever makes you happy is the right way for you! A fun tip, though, is to add or highlight dates on certain things. Then it’s like a fun scrapbook that reminds you where you went or what you ate on certain days. This habit helps make me appreciate the small things more. I now see the beauty in every yogurt lid or fruit sticker, and can’t wait to add them to my journal at the end of the day. I personally only junk journal on the left side of my notebook, and use the right pages for brain dumps.

Brain dumps, you may be asking yourself, are anything and everything you can think of! Hence the name. You can make this journal pretty, messy, cram packed with all your scattered thoughts, just whatever feels right to you. It’s always fun to add doodles, printed pictures, ribbons, or stickers as well. Some fun ideas to add are bucket lists, media ratings, boredom cures, or current earworms. These are obviously just suggestions and you can all do anything that comes to mind or brings joy to your life.

Finally are types of trackers. I have a habit tracker, which I mark every day I do something I had previously outlined. You can also do this with health trackers like how much water you drink daily, or how many steps in a time frame, or even your screen time. This is just a way to, in a glance, see what habits you’re excelling in or may need to work on. I have a monthly tracker, but that’s not the only right option and you can totally edit it to fit your own habits.

All these different variations of journaling are mostly for one thing: to make you happy! Just like all forms of art, it’s great for self expression and relaxation. And journaling is also amazing for improving your handwriting or writing style. You can always look up inspo on Pinterest or Instagram, but just remember to never compare your art to anyone elses. Just follow whatever makes you smile and you’ll be doing it right!