Embracing The Journaling Ecosystem

Ever since I've picked up a pen and paper, I could always be seen carrying around a pocket-sized journal in my hand. Sometimes it was a steno book that my teachers used to make us write our assignments in; other times, it was a cheap notebook that I snagged from the free box in my cultural center. Most of the time, I invested in 99¢ spiral-bound notebooks that easily got beat up, torn apart, and otherwise demolished by the stack of books I shoved into my bag.

Throughout the years, I'd hesitate to by a new notebook. After all, I got plenty of notebooks from friends and families over the past several Christmas's that ended up half-empty and abandoned in some dusty corner of my childhood bedroom. I didn't need a gazillion notebooks. Right?

Despite my initial frugal approach, my "journaling ecosystem" (which is a term for having several notebooks that you rotate through for different subjects, and is a trend going on several social media platforms at the moment) bloomed organically over a period of several years. As an artist and a writer, it became clear that I needed different spaces for different headspaces, and it manifested in a stack of journals I've accumulated throughout the years.

Without further ado, here's a breakdown of how I've organized my ecosystem!

My Personal Journal

This is the space that I use to process my emotional journey! I write, collage, paint, draw, and do everything in here. This is also the first type of journal that I've ever had, and the type of journal that I have the most iterations of.

I bought the most recent iteration of this journal in Boston, at ___. This might be my most expensive journal to date, but it had enough unique qualities to make it a worth-it investment.

My Sketchbooks

Fun fact about me is that I've never finished a sketchbook in my life. I started the oldest of the two (the large black journal) in 2019, and the youngest this past fall. However, I'm in no rush to finish these two: sketching doesn't take over a large percentage of my personal creative practice, but I try to put the graphite to the paper when I can.

The large sketchbook stays at home while the one with moths travels with me. I got the large black one at Target for less than $20, and the smaller one for about the same price at the Insect Asylum gift store that's attached to their museum.

My Quote Collection

Out of my ecosystem, this is the most unique journal that I have! Ever since high school, I've been collecting quotes that I read and pocketing them for a rainy day. When I'm low on inspiration, I go back to reading my favorite one liners from poets, writers, fortune cookie fortunes, and jots that I've stolen from the street art in my city.

My Reading Journal

My reading journal is the most recent journal I've added to my collection. As someone that's a pretty fast reader, I realized that I tend to skim over details and important plot points. My goal with starting this journal was to slow down my reading pace so that I could be more present with the stories that I'm absorbing and appreciate the words on the page for what they're worth. I focus less on spreads, reading stats, page counts, etc., and focus more on taking down notes and writing reflections.

To make myself less intimidated about leaping yet another journal, I bought one at the dollar store for $1.50 and decorated it with things I already had, like scrap paper, free highlighters from my old job, and stickers I had on hand. I told myself that this was the year to experiment: if I stuck with this journal until December, that meant it wasn't just a phase, and I could reward myself by investing into one that's higher in quality (if I want to, of course. For me that means buying one that's $15 instead of $1.50, haha.)

I'm two months in, and so far, I'm really enjoying my reading journal. I wish I've done it sooner, but it's never too late to start!

My Traveling Diary

Lastly, during Fall 2025, I started a traveling diary to document my trips! Though pocket-sized, it's mighty. This journal is the one that's closest to a diary, with time stamps of my reflections in the current moment.

So far it's been with me on my first Amtrak to Boston, a weekend in Texas, and my anniversary trip with my partner to Seattle. I've since then decorated it with stickers from each of the places I've visited, taped Polaroids in the inside, and glued other ephemera from my trips.

Honorable mentions are...

• My at-home log book

• My notebook with a list of books I want to buy

• The several brain dump journals/pads of paper that I have lying around where I scrawl my grocery lists, workouts, and to-do lists

• My iPad Pro, where I take down notes when I don’t have a physical journal in my hand

All of that to say...

Each and every journal of mine serves a unique purpose, acting as a tool that meets a specific aspect of my life in order to better myself and my craft.

To reiterate a point I made in the beginning, I've accumulated this collection over the past decade of my life. You certainly don't need the most expensive or massive collection to start journaling: just something to write with, something to write on, a curious eye for the world around you, and a curious heart for the world inside you.

So go out there: be brave, reach for the world with your palms wide open, and write.