It’s an interesting predicament that our society has created. I don’t know if it's because of social media, or capitalism, or something else entirely, but we seem to have come to the conclusion that to do art you have to “be good” at it. But, if you think about it, creativity and art is something we are made to do for the joy of the process, and not necessarily for the end result. Therefore, it's not something we can only do if we are naturally talented or skilled at it. And although a lot of artists do have some natural talent, they also put in a lot of work to develop it and even with that they still make a ton of bad art (or, at least, I do - and I’m pretty darn sure it's not only me) So if you don’t think you are “good” at art - who cares? We were made by a Creator to create - so create.
Now that we got that cleared out of the air - what’s the hobby I’m convinced even “not creative” people can do and love? Junk Journaling.
Junk Journaling: A mix of scrapbooking, collaging, art journaling, and diary-keeping - focused on repurposing everyday items into a unique, visually rich, and tactile book filled with personal stories.
Literally anyone can create a junk journal. My sister, who is convinced she’s not creative (even though she totally is) said after trying it “I feel like this is an art form I can actually do - and have fun!” My toddlers love to plunk photos and stickers and things we pick up on our adventures into their junk journals - even if it sometimes means there’s a cat sticker over every face in the photos. And I, a “professional artist” , love to sit down at the end of an emotionally exhausting day and glue some pretty things into my notebook. Anyone can do it.
So, how do you junk journal? It's easy! All you have to do is get a notebook and some glue or tape (I’m a big fan of this glue-tape combo that is mess free and works on almost everything) and start collecting things from your life that you can add into your junk journal. These can be things like ticket stubs, photos, polaroids, stamps, junk mail, business cards, receipts, stickers, or anything you pick up doing life. I also like to mix in some vintage ephemera, washi tape, and purchased stickers in mine. You just tape everything into your journal and voila - you are officially an artist. It's seriously so fun and so addicting.
A few tips for journaling:
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If you really want an easy aesthetic page, pick 1-3 colors for your items for that page. It helps to make everything harmonize
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Layout your page before gluing anything down (or don’t - sometimes I mess with a page for a long time to get it perfect, and other times I start gluing stuff down with absolutely no plan!)
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It’s easier to make a journal spread with only a few curated items at a time - take out a few things that coordinate from your stash and work with just those, instead of trying to work with your entire collection at once. (Need some curated items? Check these out)
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Lean into your style - It’s ok to have a minimalist page with only 1-2 items that look awesome together, or a page completely packed with items
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I like to layout a page starting with the biggest item to smallest - a big piece of colored paper, a map, or something similar on the bottom and then layer on top of that, finishing off with “paper dust” of things like postage stamps, tiny stickers, or wax seals.
Keeping a junk journal has so many benefits. In the age of digital media and the endless scroll, any analogue hobby is so important - and I really believe that in 2026 we're going to see a huge shift back to analogue. Junk journaling is an awesome analogue hobby filled with tactile papers, photos, and more.
Its a great way to preserve memories of events and daily life. Its so much fun to look back at old junk journals and relive the memories.
It can be a very low cost hobby - creating with supplies you already have or ones that you acquire on your adventures. Although if you want to buy curated things for your journal that's totally an option too! (I have some curated ephemera packs for journaling for sale!)
Journaling of any kind is super therapeutic and amazing for mental health - and if you don’t want to deal with words, sometimes getting feelings out with visuals can be so helpful. In addition, junk journaling is an amazing way to appreciate the little things and curate gratitude for everyday life. Trust me, once you start collecting items for your junk journal you will see beautiful things EVERYWHERE.
Do you already have a junk journal? Or is it something you want to start this year?
Steal my junk journal style with my curated ephemera packs. Each one is hand selected to coordinate beautifully and has a specific theme, color palette, or aesthetic in mind.
A note for local Green Bay WI folks - keep an eye out for junk journaling workshops from me coming soon!