July 2021 Journal Prompts

Somehow we’re over halfway through the year already and fully into summer. I write to you today in the cool morning hours of my parent’s pool deck where I’m taking a much needed mental health break for the week. 2021 has somehow felt harder in many ways than 2020 did. Last year we gave each other a lot of grace. We understood that nothing was normal anymore and people were handling it differently. I haven’t felt that same level of grace in the last 6 months despite the continued consistent level of change (from a presidency to vaccine rollout to lifting restrictions and beyond). So I am admittedly rather burnt out by this point in the year on a personal and professional level. And I’m thankful I was able to scrape together this week where I could just BE.

Journaling in June, while somewhat more inconsistent as I expected because of my rising level of responsibilities and expectations, was still a welcome reprieve. I greatly enjoyed the doodling prompts I sprinkled in, and while I didn’t complete all of them, I found them to be an especially de-stressing activity. I usually ended up with a page I was proud of and would share images via text with friends.

I allowed myself to try different doodling and marker techniques, focusing less on the final product and more on the experience and what I could learn. Sometimes I messed up, but this perfectionist tried to use it as an opportunity for growth or making something out of mistakes. (e.g. The “pirate” banana above as I turned a funny looking eye into an eyepatch and now it might be my favorite on the page!)

So for July I think I’ll continue the combination of writing, doodling, and photography. Alternating between mediums has so far proven to help get the creative juices flowing in my brain and be surprisingly low-stress during the busy summer months as I don’t worry too much if I miss a prompt here or there. I can always pick back up with a simple doodle or list later when I have time.

Remember if you’re following my 2021 prompts to share what you’re writing/creating with me over on Instagram, and check out my creations on my stories!

Happy journaling my friends!

1. Write: List the movies/shows you want to watch
2. Doodle: Your favorite icons/shapes
3. Photo: Red, white & blue
4. Write: If you were writing a book, who would your main character be?
5. Doodle: Your favorite bathing suit
6. Write: What did you love about yourself as a kid?
7. Doodle: Mermaid
8. Write: If you could change the world, what would you do?
9. Doodle: Your dream sandcastle
10. Photo: Light
11. Write: When did you feel like an “adult”?
12. Doodle: Your favorite summer outfit
13. Write: How do you usually waste time?
14. Doodle: Sea shells
15. Write: Write a poem about your mistakes
16. Doodle: Frogs
17. Photo: Floral
18. Write: What would you do if you had more time?
19. 19.) Doodle: Your favorite summer activity
20. Write: What are your dream jobs?
21. Doodle: Jellyfish
22. Write: Your favorite smells
23. Doodle: Your favorite summer treat
24. Photo: Your favorite color
25. Write: A quote from a book you’re reading
26. Doodle: A garden
27. Write: List 5 people/things that made you smile this month.
28. Doodle: Your favorite fish
29. Write: What happened this month?
30. Doodle: A colorful bird
31. Photo: I’m grateful for…