What’s the Difference?

It seems there’s a plethora of “journaling” types out there these days. Junk journaling. Art journaling. Bible journaling. Mixed Media journaling. Faith journaling. Hymn journaling. Collaging. Neurographic Art journaling. And the list goes on and on…. (Not to mention the way Planners have become so artistic. And I won’t (mention) in this article.) It can be a confusing mess—like my image below. What’s it all mean? Let’s see if we can sort it out—like in my image below. 😊

The Many Faces of Journaling

Recently, I was part of a junk journal video collaboration. But I rarely create what is technically “junk journals” anymore. I’ve made and taught many, but my preferred style of creating has changed over the years. Could I be part of a junk journal challenge while creating a journal that—is not?

Once upon a time there was journaling. It was pretty much synonymous with keeping a diary. “A record of current transactions or events; personal record of daily thoughts, experiences, reflections, and ideas.” It was a personal written record of what you did or thought. I kept (and do keep) journals of my reflections on sermons listened to, books read, personal studies, my life’s events, ideas, and reflections.

Nature Journals were probably our first introduction to cross-over journaling. Art plus Words, (beyond doodling in the margins.) Sketching a picture of what we saw in nature and also describing it in words. Of course, many sciences utilize visual sketches along with written notes, but this is different. Nature journaling truly has an artistic element to it, as well as the personal chronologizing. A personal record of experiences, not just objective notes. A personal record of experiences, not just creating an art piece. Those 2 things are definitive of Art Journaling, in any form, the Artistic and the Personal elements.

Scrapbooking became another type of journaling life’s personal events, through photos and ephemera. Usually with more visual aspects and less words. Scrapbooking has grown up over the years. When I was young, scrapbooks were plain pages of heavyweight paper in a large album, where you simply glued programs, tickets, postcards, and perhaps a photo if you had one, with a brief description. They were made up of true personal ephemera. Scrapbooking matured into elaborate layouts of cropped photos, colorful printed papers, frames, stickers, decorative elements, and more.

And then visual journaling exploded! From Nature Sketchbooks of old to modern digital scrapbooking, it’s always been done. But as a widely popular art form with so many niches, it’s time has come.

At the beginning of this article, I listed just a few of the currently popular niches. There are many more, I’m sure. And there is much overlap. To further complicate the subject, there is much subjectivity in defining each. And niches within niches.

Journaling Your Faith

Take Bible Journaling. Some still use the term to just mean writing down what you’ve learned when studying the Bible, or from your Pastor’s sermon. But many use it to mean artistically journaling your response to what you’ve read in God’s Word. So, you may see the qualifier in there, Bible Art Journaling. You may also see the qualifying element to be doing this artistic expression in your actual Bible, even if the artistic element doesn’t really have anything to do with the passage.

Besides Art Journaling in your Bible, you may do your art journaling of Bible verses in a regular art journal or on Faith Dex cards or other substrates.

So how does Faith Journaling differ? Faith journaling typically includes Bible Journaling, but expands it beyond just Bible passages. It may include elements of Faith without connecting them to a specific Bible verse or passage.

It includes Hymn Journaling, another niche within a niche;

and journaling on topics such as Salvation, Worship, Joy, Love, Peace, Hope, …. ; or even inspiration principles used by those outside the Christian faith.

Other Artistic Journaling Types

Neurographic Journaling and other types of NeuroArt use therapeutic neurolines, that help rewire and heal brain connections, within artistic pieces. As a journal, Neurographic drawing documents the therapeutic, brain-rewiring work done in those creations.

Mixed Media simply is a conglomeration of several types of art mediums and techniques in one composition. Mixed Media can be a part of any type of Art Journaling, including Bible Journaling or Faith Journaling. And Neurographic Journaling can include Faith Art elements also.

All of these are types of Art Journaling. But to many, the term Art Journaling by itself conjures up the idea of just drawing and painting. All these varied types may contain neither—or both. Art journaling encompasses so much more.

Junk Journals

So where does Junk Journaling come in? Technically junk journaling is the idea of making a journal with items that others would throw away, a type of recycling/upcycling. Used envelopes, packaging of all sorts, receipts, tickets, tags removed from items purchased, etc. These are technically what ephemera is, items used temporarily, short term, not designed to be kept, no lasting significance, lasting a day, coming from a word that meant ‘day’. Items meant to be used for a “day” then thrown away. Truly trash—junk.

In practice, “junk journaling” for many uses a lot of new, purchased (or free digital) items made to look like ephemera—tickets, tags, library cards, postcards, … To add to the conflicting info, many now purchase printable Junk Journal Kits, with everything needed to make a “Junk” Journal, with beautiful new papers that you just print, cut, fold, and glue. No “junk” included.

Junk or Art Journal?

A junk journal has truly become anything you want it to be. And, it is an artistic creation. But as we compare it to “Art Journals”, I’ll give you my take, as one who has done all types of artistic journaling, including junk journaling and all the above, for decades.

My simple differentiation is Junk Journals are made with mostly paper additions—pockets, tucks, tags, journal cards, “ephemera”—real or produced to look like real. These primarily paper journals, (that may have some fabric, lace, ribbons, trims and other decorative items added,) whether they use “junk” papers and true ephemera or new papers, are considered Junk Journals.

Art Journals are made mostly with art mediums and techniques to create a composition—paints, inks, pastes, markers, other drawing tools, etc. Going beyond traditional Art Journaling that typically uses one medium, Mixed Media Art Journals are made with multiple (two or more) art mediums/techniques in each creative piece/page—including but not limited to: collaging, stamping, stenciling, mark making, gel printing, spraying, splattering, smooshing, painting, drawing, texturing, … and may additionally include fabric, fibers, trims, metal or resin pieces, elements from nature, and much more to achieve textured layers. It’s all about the layers, and the variety in them.

There of course is crossover between “Junk” and “Art” Journaling. Some may use stamping or stenciling, or ribbons or fabric in their junk journals. Some may use tags and pockets and other paper elements in their art journals. Both may include a variety of paper types, focal images, and word titles/captions.

Bottom line, it is all artistic creation. Create what you enjoy. Include the elements you like. And in reality, there are no art police; you can even call it whatever you want.

As to what I did for the challenge, I included some junk journal elements—in my mostly Mixed Media Bible Art Journal. 💖

Which do you primarily do? Are you more of a Junk or Art/Mixed Media Journaler? Do you incorporate your Faith/the Bible into your artistic journaling? What type of Artistic Journaling did you start with? Let us know in the comments. ⬇️ Show us your work in our Freely Whole Creative Community.

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