The Journaling Revival: Why Everyone’s Picking Up a Pen Again!

If you haven’t noticed, technology is everywhere. While some people wander the crowded streets of social media, warning that the sky is falling or that artificial intelligence will march us straight into a Terminator storyline, that’s not my concern here. Instead, I want to highlight a trend that feels simple, refreshing, and genuine. I’m talking about journaling.

Even in today’s remarkable digital age, people are once again reaching for pen and paper, rediscovering and romanticizing the art of journaling. For some, it’s about tradition – capturing their thoughts and emotions on the page. For others, it’s about following prompts they find online, like: "Can I be mean for a second?" or "Name three people you’re grateful for and why." You might think of the prompts as bumpers on a bowling lane, or training wheels on a bike, helping you jot down your thoughts without having to start from scratch.

However, there is another crowd of eccentric, artsy individuals who don’t fit into either category, and that is because they use their journals not for words but for memories. This practice, known as "junk journaling", involves filling a journal with items that might seem like trash to others but hold personal significance. So, for example, if you’re out with friends and order a matcha or pumpkin spice latte, if you were an avid junk journal curator, you might save the cup sleeve and tape it into your journal as a small, tangible reminder of that moment.

One of the most refreshing things about journaling is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. It’s one of the rare things in life that is entirely yours, which also makes it valuable and, for us, rather therapeutic. There’s no final grade, no peer review. Just pieces of yourself captured and left behind in the pages of a small book.

What can be exciting, though, is finding the journal that you will dedicate your time to. If you’re dramatic and whimsical (as I can be), we might think of it as a sort of "wand choosing the wizard" moment. Some are small enough to fit in your pocket, while others might be more binder-shaped. Some are leather-bound while others are paperboard. 

While searching the internet for inspiration on different journal shapes and styles, I noticed that many are flocking to pick up the Filofax organizer, which was wildly popular in the 1990s and is now enjoying a revival. When done well, they’re undeniably charming and visually appealing. The drawback, however, is the hefty price tag that comes with the name.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, there’s plenty of charm in standard journals from brands like PAPERAGE or SUIN, often no more expensive than a meal at McDonald’s. For these, which hold just as much charm as any other, a sentimental trend is attached, where people share their journal transformations. The posts usually start with a plain, ordinary journal on the day it was purchased. Then, they transition to the same journal, months later, as the once-simple book is now swollen with stuffed pages. The captions often read, "To be loved is to be changed," which is a cute way to anthropomorphize (okay, big words) the journals, giving them a spark of life. 

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a journal, maybe one tucked away in an old drawer, or, if you need something fresh, pick one up on Amazon or during your next trip to the store. Then start documenting your life. Present-you will love it, and future-you will thank you for it.