What Makes a Good Journal?

So the thing is, I now have a weird obsession collecting journals. I don’t know. Something about them is so interesting. A small book in your hands where you can write anything you want. And you can take it anywhere.

I have a small collection of journals on my bookshelf. From the previous purchases, I also have found a lot of ups and downs with these journals. So here are some things that I highly recommend you look into when buying one either for the first time, or the 11th time like me. They’re small things, but they add up to be pretty big consequences if not looked at properly.

Hard Cover?

A hard cover journal is way easier to write on. If you go for a flimsy cover, you cannot write unless you write on a table. Which means it’s not a very portable journal to take with you when you are either sitting under a tree, or in your bed.

Line Spacing

When you write on a journal, you want to get your note down comfortably. If your lines are super narrow, it can be very hard to write down your thought compared to one that has more spaced lines.

Just trust me on this. When you open a journal, measure your fingernail in the lines. If your finger nail can fit within the lines, then its a great space. If it doesn’t fit, then you need to be more accurate when writing. Basically, you have to draw much more cleaner to read your notes since it is so small.

AVOID FRONT BUTTONS

Make sure there is no buttons or locks on the front of the journal. This makes it so awkward to write because the middle of the page has a massive bump. Journals are meant to be kept, you definitely don’t want to have the middle section of your journal to look messy because of that bump. Even if it’s a hard cover journal, it could still be in the way.

Built in Bookmark

A bookmark on the journal is an important thing because you don’t want to always flip through your papers to see where you left off. for some reason I removed it from one journal where I sketch, and design logos, that was a bad idea. I now have to search through the journal to the page where I left off.

Always make sure there is a bookmark in your journal.

Envelope in the Back

This isn’t something mandatory, but it is nice to have when you need it. Most journals will have a envelope in the back. This is nice to have for loose papers. Depending on what kind of journal you are using, it can be nice to have some pages to put in the back incase you need them. These things can be helpful for things like Papers, Sticky Notes and more.

Good Prices

Journals are meant to be cheap. Spending $50 on a journal can be pretty expensive. If you know that you are going to use it everyday, then maybe it’s worth the money. But usually if you spend a big portion of money, you may end up not using it at all because you want to preserve it’s material.

Walmart sells journals for around $10. And even the dollar store! Seriously have you ever checked? I held one in my hand that was real leather, or good quality. And it was only $4. That’s insane.

Conclusion: Detox

In the end, Journals are incredible. They’re a book about you for anything you want. Art, Ideas, Dreams, Plans, Bucket Lists, you name it. It’s a great hobby to separate yourself with online technology and just simply write in a book of your own.

Waking up in the morning with a cup of coffee and your own journal is a nice thing to start the day with. It helps your brain concentrate. To get all your thoughts on a page. And if you were to keep it, One day maybe someone will open it up and read about your thoughts that was written 30 years ago.