This post contains affiliate links. If you shop through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
I used to scroll Pinterest for hours, looking at art journal spreads with whimsical pencil drawings, perfectly placed watercolor washes, and delicate hand-lettered quotes. I’d feel an overwhelming urge to create. Then I’d pull out my new journal and see the pristine white page staring back at me.
You know that journal. It’s the one you probably have sitting on your shelf right now. Possibly still wrapped in plastic. Not a crease to be found. That blank page never felt like an invitation — it felt like intimidation. I would feel so inspired by the possibility of creating something fun and joyful, only to be slapped right in the face by fear, doubt, and perfectionism.
What I didn’t realize at the time is that the pages I was admiring weren’t anyone’s first pages. They were carefully curated selections of fiftieth, hundredth, or thousandth pages. Spreads that had hours of practice behind them.
Art journaling is a practice, not a performance. This is the lesson I had to learn to conquer that first blank page and get over that pesky voice in my head demanding perfection. It’s about expressing yourself in an authentic way without the need for an audience. Adding images to your feelings and color to your thoughts is the goal.
You are allowed to make it messy. You are allowed to be a beginner. I am actually begging you to make ugly art in your journal. If you need one, consider this your permission slip.
There are no rules in art journaling. The goal isn’t a portfolio piece. The value is in the making. The process is the point.
Shall we begin?
Supplies. This is the fun part, right? Picking out a new notebook, pretty pens, and colorful washi tape is so exciting that we often let that override the thrill of putting pen to paper. Consuming instead of creating. I’m going to list a few things here to get you started, but I’m willing to bet, if you’re anything like me, you probably have everything you need to get going lying around already — unused and forgotten.
Choosing a path: There is a paper path and a digital path. Both are valid ways to express yourself. While I love the ease and immediacy of a digital journal, I find it too easy to fall into perfectionism with the ability to wipe it clean and start over. It’s great for on the go, but when time permits, nothing beats the feel of paper and the smell of pencils.
If you’re going the paper route, keep it simple: a notebook you actually like the feel of, a small set of markers or colored pencils, some washi tape or glue sticks, and scrap paper, printed photos or junk mail for texture and collages. That’s genuinely it.
If you’re leaning digital, all you really need is a tablet and a stylus — but here’s the one upgrade I’d actually recommend: a matte, paper-textured screen protector. It sounds small, but it changes everything about how writing and drawing feels on glass. No app or fancy pencil will make that same difference. Once you’ve got that, just find a journaling app you like, and you’re ready to go.
Do you have all of your supplies ready? Let’s dig in and obliterate that blank page!
If the blank page is taunting you and making you feel like you’ve never had an original idea in your life (guilty!), let me give you a few easy prompts to banish that clean slate. I’m partial to simply writing on the very first page a short statement. “Blank page be gone!” (Maybe take a pic of that page to put here?)Or state your intention for the journal, like “Permission granted to make ugly art” or “I want this space to be fun, messy, and full of life.” Literally grant yourself freedom from perfection right on that first page. Here’s some more jumping off points:
So you defeated the fear and started that page, but you hate what you created. It didn’t come out like the vision in your head. That happens to me all the time! Your taste level and your skill level are at a mismatch. Now what?
This is the best part — it’s totally fine! This is how we get better, guys! We make bad art, but we keep showing up anyway. You can leave it and move on to the next page, or you can create something new right on top of it. Cover it with washi tape, paint over it with some gesso, or use it as a background for a collage. You literally can’t mess this up. Remember, you don’t need to make a perfect page, you just need to start.
So what are you waiting for? Show that blank page who’s the boss! Mess it up and be proud of yourself for it — you started! Every blank page you defeat is a nail in the coffin of your perfectionism and a win worth celebrating.