50 Quotes About Journaling That Will Inspire You

Journaling is an easy activity with many benefits. See this list of quotes about journaling that will make you grab a pen and journal to write your first entry.

Reading quotes about journaling will help you realize its advantages so you can gain new perspectives. It also assists in fighting writer’s block by improving creativity.

1. Akiroq Brost

“Journaling can be an excellent way to increase self-awareness, discover and change habits.”

Akiroq Brost

Recording and reflecting on your actions can let you see what you need to change or maintain.

2. Albert Einstein

“Paper is to write things down that we need to remember. Our brains are used to think.”

Albert Einstein

If you tend to forget things, write them down in a journal so you can refer to them anytime.

3. Alex Honnold

“I have a journal of everything I’ve ever climbed since 2005. For the entry about free soloing Half Dome, I put a frowny face and added some little notes about what I should have done better, and then underlined it. Turns out that is one of my biggest climbing achievements.”

Alex Honnold

Documenting your achievements and failures offers insights into what you can do better.

4. Alexandra Johnson

“A diary or journal isn’t necessarily something that should be done daily so much as it is a clue to how to see the daily world around oneself differently.”

Alexandra Johnson

In her book “Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal,” Johnson reminds her readers that they shouldn’t take journaling as a daily responsibility but use it instead to be open to various perspectives.

5. Anne Lister

“What a comfort is this journal. I tell myself to myself and throw the burden on my book and feel relieved.”

Anne Lister

Lister found comfort in journaling when society stood against lesbians. She also included her inspirations to continue living.

6. Asad Meah

“Journaling helps you to remember how strong you truly are within yourself.”

Asad Meah

In times of trouble and struggle, we often forget our capabilities. A journal reminds you of your strengths as you’ve already overcome previous challenges.

7. Ashleigh Brilliant

“Keep some souvenirs of your past, or how will you ever prove it wasn’t all a dream?”

Ashleigh Brilliant

Write down your memories and relive them through writing in a journal.

8. Brad Wilcox

“A personal journal is an ideal environment in which to ‘become.’ It is a perfect place for you to think, feel, discover, expand, remember, and dream.”

Brad Wilcox

Professor Wilcox’s article on journaling offers succinct reasons why one should start journaling, mainly to progress as an individual.

9. Camille Perri 

“Keeping a journal is the number-one best way to develop your written voice.”

Camille Perri

A written voice depends on word choice, sentence structure, tone, and punctuation. Creating journal entries enhances your written voice as you relay your story with a unique perspective.

10. Carolyn V. Hamilton

“Documenting little details of your everyday life becomes a celebration of who you are.”

Camille Perri

A personal art journal is where you can doodle, jot down thoughts, and document your life. Hamilton believes it should be lively with colors, like how a person’s life should be.

11. Chet Faker

“I would consider my diary serves the same purpose as going for a walk or a run. They are all physical ways of clearing a mental landscape.”

Chet Faker

Journal writing is a creative exercise to clear your mind. You can do it anytime and anywhere.

12. Christina Baldwin

“Journal writing is a voyage to the interior.”

Christina Baldwin

Journaling is an effective way to look within yourself and break down barriers to find the source of your worries. Doing so helps you identify solutions to your concerns.

13. David Sedaris

“I guess in my diary I’m not afraid to be boring. It’s not my job to entertain anyone in my diary.”

David Sedaris

Sedaris is an American comedian who found solace in journaling. When he writes in his journal, he’s not required to entertain anyone else and just be himself.

14. Danny Gregory

“The true purpose of illustrated journaling [is] to celebrate your life. No matter how small or mundane or redundant, each drawing and little essay you write to commemorate an event or an object or a place makes it all the more special.”

Danny Gregory

An illustrated journal is for travels, adventures, or everyday activities you don’t want to forget. They are precious, no matter how trivial they may be.

15. Diet Eman

“This pouring thoughts out on paper has relieved me. I feel better and full of confidence and resolution.”

Diet Eman

If you have a lot on your mind that you can’t articulate, journaling is a great outlet. It encourages self-confidence by organizing thoughts and practicing positive self-talk.

16. Erica Jong

“Keeping a journal implies hope.”

Erica Jong

Writing in a journal means you’re expecting something to change or improve. You maintain your hope when you list your goals and anticipate achieving them. 

17. Ernst Jünger

“Keeping a journal: The short entries are often as dry as instant tea. Writing them down is like pouring hot water over them to release their aroma.”

Ernst Jünger

The aroma this German soldier refers to is the benefits of writing down meaningful things, ideas, and experiences you want to explore further.

18. Flannery O’Connor

“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.”

Flannery O’Connor

To understand your own thoughts, you first need to write them out on paper.

19. Ferris Bueller

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Ferris Bueller

This famous line from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off alludes to people who don’t have the time to journal because of their busy schedules. They’re always in a hurry and forget to live in the moment.

20. Franchesca Ramsey

“I love my journal as much as I love my phone. I find it to be a big part of my self-care to reflect on my day and write words that inspire me.”

Franchesca Ramsey

Ramsey’s journal is an essential part of her life. It’s where she takes notes of quotes that inspire her, business cards, tasks, adventures, and pictures that she doesn’t want to lose.

21. Franz Kafka

“Don’t bend, don’t water it down, don’t try to make it logical, don’t edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”

Franz Kafka

Journaling is a place for free writing. Your entries don’t need to be correctly constructed or perfect. It’s a reflection of who you are as a whole.

22. George Singleton

“Keep a small can of WD-40 on your desk—away from any open flames—to remind yourself that if you don’t write daily, you will get rusty.”

George Singleton

You don’t need to write long-form content to preserve your writing skills. Writing a few sentences in a journal is enough.

23. Gillie Bolton

“We can only open our hearts to those we utterly trust, such as the accepting page.”

Gillie Bolton

It isn’t easy to trust other people with your deepest thoughts. But in a journal, you can open up and be honest without worrying about others’ comments.

24. Hannah Hinchman

“The best time to begin keeping a journal is whenever you decide to.”

Hannah Hinchman

It’s never too late to start a journal. Take your time and only begin when you are ready.

25. Janet Jackson 

“I’ve never been one for keeping a journal, so my songs were my journals. They allowed me to express my feelings and let people know what was going on with me. I knew that somebody would relate.”

Janet Jackson

Jackson admits that writing songs are similar to writing a journal – she can pour her feelings out and convey her genuine emotions through this medium.

26. Jen Williamson

“Journal writing, when it becomes a ritual for transformation, is not only life-changing but life-expanding.”

Jen Williamson

Include journaling in your routine and receive the benefits of it, such as reassuring your self-worth and establishing serenity.

27. Jean Cocteau

“After the writer’s death, reading his journal is like receiving a long letter.”

Jean Cocteau

Your journals are personal records of how you lived your life. They will long exist even after you pass to recount your journey.

28. Jessamyn West

“People who keep journals have life twice.”

Jessamyn West

Writing a journal has many health benefits that can help you live your best life and be more present.

29. Jeremiah Say

“Journaling increases your self-confidence. It helps you look at [how] far you’ve come and how you overcame previous seemingly ‘impossible’ obstacles.”

Jeremiah Say

Penning your triumphs and achievements boosts confidence and reminds you of your strength. It proves that you’ve overcome each life challenge so far.

30. Jim Rohn

“If you’re serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured, and unique individual, keep a journal.”

Jim Rohn

Rohn advises his fellow entrepreneurs not to trust their memory and use a journal instead. Keeping a journal is crucial to self-assessment and development. 

31. Jordyn Woods

“Social media is just an online journal.”

Jordyn Woods

Social networking sites are akin to modern journals, especially for young people. It’s where they share their opinions, ventures, and others.

32. Robin Sharma

“I write in a journal daily. This extraordinary ritual has revolutionized my mindset, transformed my heartset, and generally influenced in my life exponentially.”

Robin Sharma

Discover the life-changing advantages of having a journal. The more you write in your journal, the more benefits you’ll find. 

33. Julia Cameron

“Writing is medicine. It is an appropriate antidote to injury. It is an appropriate companion for any difficult change.”

Julia Cameron

Injuries don’t only refer to those we see physically. Journaling is an effective way to let trauma patients heal.

34. Kristen Butler

“Journaling is the perfect way to shift your emotions immediately and process your feelings without judgment, so you don’t get stuck in unpleasant experiences.”

Kristen Butler

Butler’s book, 3 Minute Positivity Journal, says a journal lifts one’s spirits and coaches the writer to have a more positive outlook on life. 

35. Larry Godwin

“With all this talk about taking my life, why have I never attempted it? Answer: I have an overwhelming desire to live.”

Larry Godwin

In Transcending Depression, Godwin shares how journaling significantly contributed to him taking control of his life. His journal helps him track his symptoms to find better ways to mitigate his illness and continue living. It also takes his mind off pessimistic thoughts.

36. Lucy Dacus 

“A journal is your completely unaltered voice.”

Lucy Dacus

The authentic and raw emotions you include in your journals don’t require editing and modification.

37. Madeleine L’Engle

“If you want to write, you need to keep an honest, unpublishable journal that nobody reads, nobody but you.”

Madeleine L’Engle

Your journal is for you. It’s a medium where you can be chaotic and unrestrained. You’ll know a journal is authentic when it’s unsuitable for others to read. 

38. Matthew McConaughey

“I never wrote things down to remember; I always wrote things down so I could forget.”

Matthew McConaughey

People who find it hard to move on use journals as a tool to deal with negative feelings and challenging times in their life.

39. Michael Bassey Johnson 

“Document your dreams. Sketch that shape you saw. Write those lyrics before they fade out.”

Michael Bassey Johnson

Document everything in your life and memorialize them for the future.

40. Natalie Goldberg

“Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open.”

Natalie Goldberg

The pages of your journal are spaces where you can be honest without repercussions.

41. Oprah Winfrey

“For years, I’ve been advocating the power and pleasure of being grateful. I kept a gratitude journal for a full decade without fail—and urged you all to do the same.”

Oprah Winfrey

Learn to appreciate your life more with a gratitude journal and remind yourself of your everyday blessings.

Are you curious about gratitude journals? Check this post on why you should write a gratitude journal.

42. Paulo Coelho

“Words are tears that have been written down. Tears are words that need to be shed. Without them, joy loses all its brilliance and sadness has no end.”

Paulo Coelho

Coelho’s novel Aleph tells the story of a person seeking growth through reconnecting with people and landscapes. Words directly link with our emotions; we can let go of our sentiments through journaling.

43. Spencer W. Kimball

“But I promise you that if you will keep your journals and records, they will indeed be a source of great inspiration to your families, to your children, your grandchildren, and others, on through the generations.”

Pres. Spencer W. Kimball

The religious president was a known journal keeper. He wrote about his life as an average individual and prominent church figurehead, citing journal records as inspiration for future generations. 

44. Robin Sharma

“Writing in a journal reminds you of your goals and of your learning in life. It offers a place where you can hold a deliberate, thoughtful conversation with yourself.”

Robin Sharma

Self-talk is necessary for reflection and maturity. Writing to yourself is a powerful activity that allows you to delve into issues and victories.

45. Ruth Ozeki

“For me, writing is a way of thinking. I write in a journal a lot. I’m a very impatient person, so writing and meditation allow me to slow down and watch my mind; they are containers that keep me in place, hold me still.”

Ruth Ozeki

Journaling assists those with busy minds to slow down to properly process overwhelming thoughts. Slowing down helps individuals focus on one thing and shift attention to more pressing matters.

46. Ryder Carroll

“Each Bullet Journal becomes another volume in the story of your life. Does it represent the life you want to live? If not, then leverage the lessons you’ve learned to change the narrative in the next volume.”

Ryder Carroll

Use the lessons you learned from your previous entries to empower yourself. Your entries mirror your evolution.

47. Sandra Marinella

“Journal writing gives us insights into who we are, who we were, and who we can become.”

Sandra Marinella

You continuously discover things about yourself as you age. Journaling monitors your past habits and follows current progress so you can look forward to the future.

48. Susan Sontag

“In the journal I do not just express myself more openly than I could to any person; I create myself.”

Susan Sontag

A journal is not only for expressing yourself through writing. It’s also an excellent planner for your future self.

49. Tyler Joseph 

“From the beginning, my songwriting was from writing in a journal; it was completely unfiltered. I don’t know if I really meant to show everyone this side of me, but when I saw how people resonated to the things I was saying, some of the questions I was asking, I realized I was not alone.”

Tyler Joseph

Joseph’s unfiltered songs are well-received because they depict his original message and feelings. He attributes this verity to his journal writing.

50. William Makepeace Thackeray

“As there are a thousand thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen to write.”

William Makepeace Thackeray

Uncover hidden ideas you’ve been keeping inside yourself through journal writing.

Final Words On Quotes About Journaling

Through reading these quotes about journaling, you can discover the many benefits of writing in a journal. Depending on your preferences and goals in keeping one, you can choose among various types of journaling. It’s a worthwhile pursuit that benefits your body, mind, and soul.
If you’re ready to start journaling, here’s a step-by-step guide to writing a journal.