
When you make your own personal notebook, you can include whatever pages you’re excited about. Write like no one’s reading, explore some of your most abstract ideas, or just recap your day. Journals are about honesty and self-expression. Our cover options range from blank, lined, square, or dot grid notebook pages that you can combine with photos or illustrations to suit your content. For travel journals, we recommend something small and portable with a flexible soft cover, so your memories don’t have to compete for luggage space. Keep an instant film camera on hand and paste a new snapshot into your journal each day, then pair it with a short, handwritten note to take you back to that day whenever you need. Remember, doodles don’t have to be extensive drawings.Capture every moment of your journey by combining lined pages for storytelling with blank pages for sketches, pasted tickets, pressed flowers, and more.

Want additional prompts? Pick up the book 642 Things to Draw and challenge yourself to sketch even more. Check out our favorite doodle ideas below. You can’t lose with doodling, so why not give this rewarding activity a try? It’s a great way to decorate the pages of an ordinary bullet journal, and it can help you stay focused the next time you’re on a long conference call. This causes us to relax and ultimately reduce cortisol, aka the stress hormone. Think of the repetition of motion as akin to the act of knitting, crocheting, or embroidery. The act of drawing is also said to relieve stress. But with the mental energy you expend drawing, it stops your mind from taking that extra step and wandering.


While it might seem counterintuitive, when you’re trying to pay attention to someone talking, for instance, you’re prone to daydreaming. Doodlers are more focused, even when they are engaging in other passive tasks.
