Make it Visual! Journaling Mood Boards Make Inspiration Easy

Journaling
Written By Stephanie Hampton

Using Photos to Find Themes and Layout Creativity

Journal brainstorming session (n): a time period where you think about how you will set up your journal or notebook and what theme may bring all of the layouts together

Layouts or Spreads: Individual entries in a collection in a notebook, Example: January layouts for the week, month, reflections, goals, etc

Inspiration for your journal is everywhere. This past week, I got caught up in thinking about how I might update my vision board for the month of January. Vision boards are typically collages with tons of pictures, and I noticed that I do the same process on Pinterest when I am looking for inspiration in my own journal for themes, layouts, doodles, and more. This post contains some ideas to get you thinking about your next journal entry.

  • What will you learn to draw?

  • What colors will you use?

  • What tools will you need to make it happen?

Think of your next journal project as a vision board of creativity. This post has 12 different journaling mood boards to be a source of inspiration for your next project!

Summer Journal

Summer keywords: sea, shell, beach, hat, waves, sunglasses, sunshine, tan, surfing, ice cream, picnic, canoeing, season, swim, lemonade, travel, summer camp, camping, humid, popsicles, S’MORES, BUTTERFLY

summer journal

Winter Journal

WINTER KEYWORDS: SNOW, ICE, SNOWFLAKE, BOOTS, HAT, MITTEN, BLIZZARD, SNOWFALL, HOT COCOA, SNOWMAN, PINECONE, COLD, TWINKLE, TREE, CANDLELIGHT, SNOWBALL

Fall Journal

FALL KEYWORDS: LEAVES, AUTUMN, CRISP, PUMPKIN, SPICE, COLORS, FALLING, APPLES, CIDER, DONUTS, CHAI LATTE, MAPLE

fall journal

Spring Journal

SPRING KEYWORDS: BUNNY, EGGS, SUNLIGHT, FRESH, CHILL, RAINBOOT, RAIN, FLOWERS, GREEN, NEW

spring journal

Cozy Journal

COZY KEYWORDS: HYGGE, Light, warmth, love, comfort, calm, balance, nature, enjoyment

cozy journal

Travel Journal

TRAVEL KEYWORDS: journey, trek, trip, tour, voyage, pilgrimage, roam, wander, sightseeing, backpack, map, route

travel journal

Coffee and Coffee Shop Journal

COFFEE and coffee shop KEYWORDS: JAVA, MOCHA, LATTE, MACCHIATO, CUP, WARM, WARMTH, FLAVOR, CARAMEL, VANILLA, CINNAMON, MILK, FROTH, FOAM

coffee journal

Book Journal

BOOK KEYWORDS: PAPERBACK, HARDCOVER, GENRE, NOVEL, POEM, VOLUME, ANTHOLOGY, SPINE, PAPER, GLUE, WORDS, EDITION

book journal

Desert Mountain Journal

DESERT KEYWORDS: arid, desert, sand, canyon, oasis, range, cactus, mesquite, elevation, slope, valley

desert mountain journal

Bird Journal

BIRD KEYWORDS: fly, wing, songbird, binoculars, eggs, cardinal, sparrow, bluebird, hummingbird, peacock, soar, sky, wind, perch, heron

bird journal

Animal Journal (Choose Your Animal)

ANIMAL KEYWORDS: wildlife, creature, beast, endangered, giraffe, lion, bear, wolf, mammal, horse, dog, cow, zoo, environment, habitat, kingdom, continent, pattern, coat

giraffe journal

Color Journal (Choose Your Favorite)

COLOR KEYWORDS: RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE, MARKER, HUE, VIBRANT, TONE, PIGMENT, PAINT, SHADE, PRIMARY, SECONDARY, VIVID

yellow journal

Writing Mindset Reflection: What gives you inspiration for journaling? How do you decide on a theme or layout?

journal mood boards
Stephanie Hampton

A dedicated educator with over a decade of experience in public education, specializing in English Language Arts, writing instruction, and using mentor texts in the classroom. Stephanie currently works as an educational consultant. When she isn’t talking about teaching, she is with her family, spending time journaling, and enjoying a fresh cup of coffee.

Previous

Should I Care About Lexiles and the Levels of Reading Material in My Classroom?
Next

The Big Brainstorming List of Procedures and Setting Up Classroom Routines