Journal For Exploring Creativity - Why You Need a Journal for Exploring Creativity

https://lestallion.com/collections/journal-notebook-for-exploring-creativity

Creativity isn't something that simply happens to you—it's a practice that can be cultivated, and the humble journal might be your most powerful tool for doing so. Our deep dive today explores how consistent journaling unlocks creative potential, transforming fleeting thoughts into fully realized ideas.

We unpack why the quality of your journaling tools matters significantly. That thick 120 GSM paper in journals like Lestallion isn't just a luxury—it's a practical feature that prevents bleed-through and encourages experimentation with different media. Numbered pages don't just look organized; they transform your journal into a searchable knowledge base of your creative journey. These seemingly small details create an environment where creativity flourishes rather than falters.

Creative blocks affect everyone, but journaling offers powerful solutions. By externalizing thoughts and worries onto the page, you free up mental bandwidth. Various techniques—from free writing that bypasses your inner critic to mind mapping that reveals unexpected connections—train your brain in creative flexibility. We share real examples of professionals who broke through creative impasses using these methods, including a graphic designer who mixed doodling with written reflection and a songwriter who captured fragments of inspiration on the go.

The physical act of handwriting itself stimulates neural pathways differently than digital note-taking, potentially leading to deeper processing and more creative connections. A journal becomes your "butterfly net for ideas," always ready to capture inspiration before it vanishes. With consistency, journaling transforms from passive recording to active creativity generation—a private sandbox where imagination plays without judgment.

Ready to transform your creative practice? Consider what might happen if you committed to regular journaling. What spark of an idea might appear on that first blank page? Where could that initial mark lead if you began your own journaling deep dive? Your creative journey might be just one journal away.

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LeStallion offers premium PU leather journal notebooks for writing, dedicated to all those who are pursuing their dreams and goals, or nurturing their personal development and mental health.

For More Info on LeStallion, check out:
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the Deep Dive.
You know how we operate here.
We grab a topic, pull all theuseful bits together and really
get to the heart of it for you.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Yeah, dive right in, exactly.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Yeah.
So today we're digging intosomething I think a lot of you
will find interesting journaling, specifically how using a
journal like consistently canactually unlock creativity.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
It's not just about waiting for lightning to strike.
It's not just about, you know,waiting for lightning to strike.
It's more active than that.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Right, it's about building a space for it, and
we've been looking at insightsaround how having a dedicated
journal really helps with that.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
It definitely does.
You know, creativity can feelso big, almost messy, but a
journal, it gives it somestructure, a place to capture
things.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
Whether you're writing or designing or just
brainstorming ideas.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, any kind of creative spark.
It needs somewhere to land,otherwise Poof it's gone.
We've all had that happen,right.
An idea just vanishes.
A journal stops that.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
And the tools themselves seem to matter quite
a bit.
We've talked about listallionjournals before, and when you
think about their features likenumbered pages or that really
thick 120 GSM paper, oh,absolutely, it makes a
difference.
It feels like having a qualitytool actually makes you want to
engage more.
Yeah, you know it's less of atask, more inviting.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
It's a great point.
It's like well, think aboutcooking.
A good, sharp knife makes theprep work easier, even enjoyable
For creative thoughts.
A journal like that, lestallion, can be the same.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
That's a good analogy .

Speaker 2 (01:29):
And that thick paper you mentioned, the 120 GSM,
ivory, wood-free.
Yeah, it's not just cosmetic,it means you can actually use
different pens, maybe even dosome light sketching.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Without worrying about bleed-through messing up
the other side.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Exactly, it removes those little annoyances, those
tiny barriers that can just sortof subtly stop you from
exploring an idea fully.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
Which brings us to those creative barriers.
We've all been there right Juststaring at a blank page,
feeling totally stuck.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Oh, definitely the dreaded creative block.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah, but what's interesting is how journaling
can actually help you workthrough that stuff.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Well, yeah, because often those blocks come from
things like self-doubt or justoverthinking everything getting
tangled up in your own head, andthe simple act of writing those
thoughts down, those worries,it's powerful.
It's like you're taking themout of your head and putting
them on the page.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Kind of externalizing them.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Exactly.
You can look at them a bit moreobjectively, then it really
helps clear out some of thatmental noise that gets in the
way of creativity.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
It's like you give the anxiety its own little
corner on the page so it stopsinterrupting the main show, and
I like the idea that doing itregularly builds mental
flexibility.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Yeah, it trains your brain in a way, makes you more
resilient when you hit thoseinevitable bumps in the creative
road.
You learn to move pastperfectionism a bit.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Less fear of the blank page.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Right, and using guided prompts can be really
effective too.
You know questions like oh,what's one idea?
I've been afraid to explore ordescribe a scene using all five
senses.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
Those specific kinds of questions.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Yeah, they kind of jolt you out of your usual
perspective.
They can spark new connectionsor just get the wheels turning
again.
You might find promptssuggested for journals like
Lestallion, and they really cankickstart growth.

Speaker 1 (03:13):
So it's not just about aimless writing.
There are actual techniques youcan use within the journal to
boost creativity.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Oh for sure, Different techniques work
different muscles.
Creatively speaking, Take freewriting, for example.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
Where you just go.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
Pretty much Set a timer, maybe 10 minutes, and
just write Don't stop, don'tedit, don't judge.
The goal is just to get stuffout, Bypass that inner critic.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
I need that sometimes .
Yeah, that critic can be loud.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Tell me about it.
Then there's mind mapping,starting with a central idea and
just branching out visually.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Connecting thoughts with lines and bubbles, that
kind of thing.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
Exactly.
Doing it physically in ajournal is great because you see
the connections forming.
It can spark insights that youmight miss just writing linearly
.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
Makes sense.
And visual journaling too,Mixing sketches and words.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, combining images, maybe little bits of
poetry wordplay.
It embraces that creativityisn't always just words.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
Some ideas need a sketch some need a phrase, and
that's where something like thedash lines you find in some
listallion notebooks could bereally useful.
Right for that mix of writingand drawing.

Speaker 2 (04:15):
Absolutely.
It gives you that flexibilityon the page, Enough structure
for writing but open enough forsketches.
It encourages that kind ofexperimentation.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
You know, that actually reminds me of my cousin
.
She's a graphic designer andshe was feeling completely burnt
out, just stuck on a brandingproject.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
Uh-huh Common problem .

Speaker 1 (04:32):
Yeah, so she got one of those A5 Lestallion journals
you mentioned.
Loving the feel of the softcover made it feel less
intimidating, maybe.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
Okay, the tactile part matters.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
Right and she started just doodling shapes not even
related to the project at first.
Then she'd write out herfrustrations next to the doodles
, gradually mixing the visualand the verbal on those pages.
Some new logo concepts startedto emerge from the mess.
She said having that freedom tomix it up was key.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
That's a perfect example.
The journal becomes this safe,low-pressure space to just play
and see what happens.
The physical act, the flexibleformat, it all helps unlock
things.

Speaker 1 (05:10):
And you mentioned daily reflection too, just
jotting down observations orinspiring moments.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, even just a few minutes at the end of the day.
It trains your mind to noticethings, to look for those little
sparks of inspiration that areall around us.
It cultivates that creativemindset over time.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
So it really is just journaling, from just recording
things to actively generatingcreativity, nurturing your
imagination.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
Exactly.
It's about making space toexplore those weirder ideas
without judgment.
You know the thoughts you mightnormally dismiss as silly or
impractical.
The journal is where they canlive.

Speaker 1 (05:44):
Your private sandbox for ideas.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
Pretty much, and catching those fleeting thoughts
is crucial.
They pop in and if you don'tgrab them, they're gone.
The journal is your butterflynet for ideas.

Speaker 1 (05:56):
I like that and the point about handwriting itself
simulating the brain.

Speaker 2 (06:16):
That really stood out to me.
In our super digital world it'snot just about the feel.
It might actually be helpingyou process ideas more deeply,
make more creative leaps.
And having space helps too.
Those wider 7.5 millimeterlines give your thoughts room to
breathe.

Speaker 1 (06:32):
It really does circle back to how the features of the
journal support the process,doesn't it?
Like those numbered pages inthe Lostallion Seems small, but
being able to easily find anidea you had weeks ago.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
Oh, hugely useful.
Or organizing entries by theme,it turns the journal from just
a diary into a kind of personalknowledge base, an archive of
your creative thinking.
You can easily navigate.

Speaker 1 (06:56):
Yeah, I can see that.

Speaker 2 (06:57):
And the paper quality .
We keep mentioning thethickness, preventing bleed
through the ivory color, beingeasy on the eyes.
It all adds up to a morepositive experience Makes you
want to use it more consistently.
Even the soft cover makes itfeel good to hold.

Speaker 1 (07:08):
It encourages that ritual aspect maybe Like this is
my dedicated creative tool.
I actually heard about asongwriter friend who was
totally blocked.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
Uh-huh, another common one.

Speaker 1 (07:21):
He started carrying a small pocket-sized listallion.
He liked that it was durableenough to just toss in his bag
but still had that quality paper.

Speaker 2 (07:26):
Right Portability matters too.

Speaker 1 (07:28):
And he said, just having it with him, ready to
capture a stray lyric or amelody idea.
The second it hit was whatbroke the dam, not sitting down
trying to write, but catchingfragments on the go.

Speaker 2 (07:38):
That's brilliant.
It becomes this constantcreative companion, always ready
and features like the backpocket in many Lestallion
journals.
That shows they get it.
Creatives collect things ticketstubs, interesting quotes,
little scraps that might sparksomething later.

Speaker 1 (07:53):
Yeah, a place to keep those bits and pieces.

Speaker 2 (07:55):
Exactly, it's all part of the ecosystem of
creativity.

Speaker 1 (07:59):
So, wrapping this up, then it seems pretty clear that
journaling isn't just, you know, writing down what happened
today.
It's a really active, powerfulway to fuel creativity.

Speaker 2 (08:09):
Absolutely.
It gives you structure, helpsyou wrestle with those
inevitable blocks and activelygrows your imagination.

Speaker 1 (08:15):
And having the right kind of journal.
And having the right kind ofjournal, one designed with
creative needs in mind, like theLestallion with its sturdy
paper, helpful layouts, numberedpages, all that stuff that can
genuinely make the whole processeasier and more effective.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
It supports the practice, because creativity is
a practice, not just the passivething that happens to you.
Journaling is the space forthat practice, and good tools
make any practice better.

Speaker 1 (08:39):
It really makes you pause and think, doesn't it?
What's that very first idea,that first little spark you
might put down on a fresh page?
Where could that initial marklead you if you started your own
journaling deep dive?