Maybe you’ve pictured journaling as little more than ink on paper. If so, you’re not alone. But what if the page could be a collage of your life—photos, receipts, ticket stubs, fabric scraps, doodles, and even the stain of a coffee cup ring? Welcome to ephemera and mixed media journaling, a playful invitation to loosen the reins and let life inspire your writing.
What is ephemera, and what’s mixed media anyway?
Ephemera: the small, everyday paper or material items that capture a moment in time—think concert programs, bus tickets, postcards, maps, stamps, labels, wrappers, or a lucky grocery receipt. These “fragments of life” carry color, texture, and memory that can spark a story, a memory of names, places, and experiences, or a new angle on an idea.
In the blog post image above, the rectangle mini art piece with a tree shape was created by cutting quilt shapes from postage stamps. Transfer and printing techniques were used to include a human body nervous system drawing and some of the journal lettering.
The journal page examples below include decorative napkins, photos of wooden sculptures from a trip to Norway, a dress pattern piece, an embroidered fabric remnant, and the white outer edge of a Polaroid photo. The mixed media includes pencil, watercolor, colored pencil, acrylic paint, ink pen, and nail polish.
Mixed media: Media in art is the plural form of media, the materials, tools, and methods used by an artist to create work, such as watercolor, colored pencil, paint, etc. Mixed media is an art-making approach that layers a mix of materials—textured papers, photographs, fabric, paint, pens, washi tape, and found objects—alongside writing. It’s not about perfection; it’s about texture, rhythm, and discovery.
The example below includes photocopy photos, magazine cutouts, a color photocopy of our passports, and images from travel brochures. Mixed media includes colored pencil, pen, and pencil.
Why mix media with your journaling?
- Visual cues spark memory: Images and objects can unlock sensory details you might not reach with words alone. They act as memory anchors
- Multi-sensory processing boosts insight: Texture, color, and placement encourage your brain to form new associations and ideas.
- Less pressure, more play: Blank pages can be overwhelming. Ephemera gives you a ready-made prompt and a cue to begin.
Start gathering items you probably already have within your space. You don't need fancy or expensive supplies. Enjoy the process without forcing the process.
The journal pages below include an old, worn-out map, dictionary words, a sepia cat, embroidery dragonfly patches, and a photo I took back in a grad class workshop. I've incorporated pencil, pen, colored pencil, crayon, and hand stitching.
A Mini Challenge For Your Next Journal
- Gather 3-5 pieces of ephemera from around your space (a magazine full of words and images you can remove, a receipt, a ticket stub, a printout, a fabric scrap, a photo, etc.).
- Create a one or 2-page spread: Arrange what you find on your journal page with your ephemera arranged in a way that feels visually pleasing. *Overlapping is an appealing design trick. You don't need to fill the page.
- Write. Let the arrangement and the ephemera theme guide your writing. You can write next to, around, or on top of the ephemera you've included. Play! Don’t overthink it.
- Within the journal page or on the adjacent page, write a quick reflection: Include thoughts of the pieces you chose and what thoughts they evoke, what story or memory rises, and one concrete action you’d like to take based on that insight.
*We'd love to hear about your experience or the ephemera you chose to use.
Share a teaser photo of your final result (if you’re comfortable) or a comment about your experience in our Bound to Journal social media referencing this blog post.
Remember: A journal isn’t a single path; it’s a toolkit. Ephemera and mixed media invite curiosity, reduce the fear of a blank page, and turn everyday objects into catalysts for insight.
Your writing becomes not just words on a page, but a living, tactile conversation with your life
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