Visual Journaling: an example from my journal.

/ moragnoffke
Water colour sketch with ink pen: Take time to connect with your inner self, by Morag Noffke, 05/05/2025 .

A bit about visual journaling.

I have written about My Journaling Journey, Overview: Part One, My Journaling Journey: Part Two, and Is Journaling a Waste of Time?

Here is a glimpse of visual journaling which I will cover more specifically in future. Sometimes life presents issues which drag one down. I definitely find that to be the case and then I feel disheartened and unmotivated. The issues could be different for each of us: not enough money for the basics, dealing with a difficult person or situation, things not going according to plan, having deviated from a diet or exercise plan and feeling guilty or frustrated about it or it could be grief… the list is endless.

These times provide opportunities to be more reflective about what’s going on for you; and this is when I journal. From time to time I journal visually because I find expressing myself visually helps me get to the heart of what’s going on deeper down. I find it bypasses my logical verbal center for writing. For me drawing is closer to dreaming than writing is. Sometimes I am even surprised at what comes to light in the images.

My example

My example was taken from yesterday. In this image I just impulsively felt like drawing two cats. I was thinking of my daughter’s cats who have an interesting relationship of loving each other but other times quarreling. So I drew these two cats hugging. Not long after I started drawing I realized it was an invitation to myself to give my inner self more time and attention. I felt like I haven’t been giving myself enough time to acknowledge my feelings and my needs. So the drawing became a reminder to myself and an invitation to a quiet place. After a deep reflective process I wrote myself a poem…

Connect with your inner you.

Feeling limited 
Unsettled and interrupted, 
Stuck and impatient....

Connect authentically, 
Change the flow,
Dance your rhythm, 
Follow your inner voice....

Life is precious 
This could be it!
Delight, be light...

How I choose to live
In the moment: 
Express, don't shrink....

Choose life
Be an active agent 
Choose your agency.

💝💝

After my journaling time I made some positive plans of how I could proactively live my life with joy and landed up in the garden where I love being. My hope in sharing this with you is that you might be inspired of new ways of being with yourself by exploring the possibility of visual journaling. The lovely thing about journaling is: it is not a performance and doesn’t have to be perfect. More about Visual Journaling next time.

Have a good week.

20 thoughts on “Visual Journaling: an example from my journal.”

  5. A brilliant idea of visual journaling! This is really fascinating especially when drawing is closer to dreaming than writing. Much appreciated! Your poem supplements your excellent artwork.👏💐🙏

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