I've been asked on numerous occasions what types of journals I keep, so here comes my answer. The truth is I've had so many types I can't remember them all, but I've managed to recollect twenty so far. I've made it into a two-part post after realising that the list was getting too long and dense. Enjoy! :)
1. Personal Diary. This is the most popular use of a journal. It contains personal thoughts, opinions, feelings, as well as the recounting of events. Typically, when we re-read our personal book, we can see the growth that's occured within and outside of us during a specific period of time.
2. Vision book. I developed this concept after having completed a bunch of art books and came to the realisation that the contents swayed in two directions: what I was interested in at the time (inner and outer realities) & what I desired for the future. I decided to split the content, and now I use the vision book as the link between my present and my near future; it's the land of possibility. In other words, it contains what I intend to manifest, and it's where I channel a great majority of my prayers. This type of journal speaks both from and to my conscious mind as well as to my subconscious. It looks like a bunch of miniature moodboards, and you can see examples here and here.
3. Art/Visual book. They can take the form of scrapbooks, smash books, collage books, portfolio of mini paintings... It can look like anything. This is the journal where the idea of a vision book originated. My art journals are more symbolic than factual, and if someone were to look at them, they would get a glimpse of what a portion of my mind might look like mood-wise, but very few images in it are literal. Of course, you can do whatever the hell you want. The possibilities of imagery are endless. This type of book may include memorabilia, unsent letters, sketches, newspaper clippings, little scribblings about your current life, and so on.
5. Commonplace book for scattered knowledge. This is a type of notebook I keep on my desk next to the computer, which is the tool I use most often to do research. Every bit of random knowledge goes, and there's no order. In this journal you can write down facts you come across in newspapers or the internet, and also you can keep it close when you're reading an educational book whose pages you don't intend to underline or cover in post-it notes. I have found these journals very fun to write and also great entertainment + informational tools, since sometimes when I go to bed I don't feel like reading fiction, so I'll grab one of my commonplace books and read from them.
6. Commonplace book for random thoughts & collecting ideas. This journal will save those thought forms that pop up in your head and that tend to disappear in a milisecond if you don't record them immediately. I carry this journal with me everywhere, from the grocery store to trips to the mountains and even when browsing the internet at home, because you never know when something you experience will make a 1-sentence opinion pop up in your brain. The idea is to jot it down as fast as possible for further development when you get to a quiet space. It's also very helpful to empty your mind of intrusive thoughts when you're doing something that requires your complete attention. Ever find yourself reading a novel and the thought "I have to buy the birthday gift for X" keeps coming up and it just won't leave you alone?! Write it down and it will disappear, so you can continue with your reading. These random thoughts might be about spirituality (which you might then transfer to your spiritual journal or to the personal diary), or ideas about activites you want to put in your bucket list, or an errand you forgot to complete, etc. The brain can be your worst enemy when you're trying to focus on something important, or your best friend when it comes up with a great idea for your next story in the middle of a roadtrip. Carrying three dozen notebooks with you around is inconvenient, so this is the one place where literally everything goes -a brainstorming method- and from which you bring the ideas to the rest of journals to deal with them properly.
7. Companion Journal for Specific Subject. When you become passionate about a subject and spend hours doing research, a commonplace book is an insufficient tool. You need a big space for condensing everything you're learning. Right now I keep separate journals for MBTI, ennegram T4, Thelema, ayurveda, herbology and my personal book of recipes. The reason why I have so many is because I'm fond of transcribing, so printing straight from the internet when it comes to subjects I'm deeply invested in isn't for me. I keep my personal voice out of these books, and if an opinion pops up while I'm reading/researching I will grab either my personal diary or my spiritual book and vent there.
9. Creativity & Inspiration Book. In this journal you can collect prompts, inspirational quotes, other authors' tips for creativity, make a lit of the reasons why you do the creative work that you do, advice on writing from random people... and it's brilliant for getting inspired during the hibernation time. What many people don't realise is that our brain can't be producing content all the time, and it needs to go through periods of rest. I find that these are times to consume, not produce. You can flip through this journal and feel your brain get excited with what you're seeing, and you will find yourself ready to be active again when the time is right. One of my favourite things to do in my creativity journal is to draw & color in the faces of people I consider to be eccentric, childlike and hilarious, since those are the human traits I value the most. When I look at these portraits I'm overwhelmed by a sense of fun and aliveness.
10. Financial Book. I'm not a good money maker. I have terrible blocks and anxiety issues surrounding this subject. The good news is that I began to get better after starting a financial vision book that I decorated with a ton of stars and moons and silly cute shapes whose sight make the experience less dreadful. I got inspired to start this by an online friend, and then went deeper into it using Leonie Dawson's worksheets from her Magic Money Making Kit, which is so stimulating both visually and emotionally that it actually makes you excited about the prospect of thinking about money. There's no place for negativity in this book! Every word and doodle in it must be uplifting, like a playground for finances. The number one thing to put in it is good intentions & pure positive focus. It mainly consists of breaking down the money areas I need to get covered on a monthly basis and how to get there in a way that feels energizing.