Before blogging, there was journaling. Believe it or not — despite the rise in popularity of blogs since the early 2000s and before — journaling is still a popular activity. With a journal, same as with a blog, you can write down lists, sketch ideas, and jot dreams. However, in my opinion, journaling provides a safe space where your thoughts can take on their most raw form. You can write down whatever you want: from your grocery lists to your most wild aspirations.

It’s so cathartic to write everything down on pages. You can always just build lists or create plans in your head, but if you don’t write them down, they can get lost. Journals are great for keeping yourself in the present, as well as maintaining a record of the past. It can be fun to look back at passages you wrote from months or even years before.

Here I’ve compiled a list of 63 journal prompts to get you inspired for your next journaling session.

I recently purchased a journal for myself with the intent of writing down random thoughts and realizations. It’s vintage looking with a detailed embossed design on the front cover and gold-edged pages. I bought it at a local bookstore, but there are many across the internet that I have also come to love. Maybe I should just buy 100 of them and designate them for their own special purposes — well, maybe that’s a little excessive.

I love looking at journals in bookstores and online. They’re full of blank pages waiting to be filled in. It’s a whole book for you to write all by yourself. And all you have to do is start writing.

Here are some of my favorite journals I came across on Amazon:

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Most journals are pretty inexpensive, but some intricate and detailed journals can go for upwards of $70. Make sure you choose a journal you would feel excited to write in. That’s the most important part of journaling, in my opinion — feeling excited to write down your experiences.

Do you journal? What do you write down in your journal? Share your favorite journal tips and prompts in the comments below.