What is doodle journaling?
Doodle journaling means filling a journal with small, simple drawings, patterns and short notes. It is looser than sketching and does not aim for realism. A doodle can be a circle with a face, a squiggly border or a tiny cup of coffee with steam lines.
If you believe you cannot draw, doodling is a good starting point because almost everything can be built from a handful of basic shapes. The goal is a journal you enjoy opening, not a gallery piece.
Start with five basic shapes
Most beginner doodles are combinations of the same few forms.
- Circles become faces, fruit, planets, wheels and flowers.
- Squares and rectangles become books, houses, envelopes and gift boxes.
- Triangles become mountains, trees, party hats and tents.
- Lines and curves become stems, steam, rays, borders and waves.
- Dots become eyes, seeds, stars and texture.
Practice by drawing a row of each shape, then turning them into objects. A circle with a stem and a leaf is an apple. A rectangle with a smaller rectangle on top and a curved handle is a mug.
Easy doodle ideas by theme
Pick one theme per page so the doodles feel connected.
Food and drink
Coffee cups, tea bags, toast, fruit slices, cupcakes, ice cream cones and takeout boxes. Food is forgiving because small mistakes still look charming.
Plants and nature
Leaves, simple flowers, cacti, mushrooms, clouds, raindrops, suns and moons. Repeat one leaf shape in different sizes for a quick border.
School and desk items
Pencils, notebooks, paper clips, scissors, washi tape rolls, highlighters and sticky notes. These are easy to draw from life because you can place them in front of you.
Cozy home
Candles, lamps, plants in pots, blankets, mugs and slippers.
Space and ocean
Stars, planets, rockets, fish, waves, shells, jellyfish and boats.
Tiny faces and creatures
A basic face of two dots and a curved line goes a long way. Add ears, whiskers or a tail and you have a cat, bear or rabbit. Keep the style simple and consistent.
Patterns and borders
Zigzags, scallops, dots, crosshatching, checkers, waves and stripes. Patterns need no drawing skill and make good fillers and dividers.
Supplies for a beginner doodle journal
- A fineliner or ballpoint pen. A pen encourages you to commit to lines, which can feel freeing. Pencil is fine if you prefer to sketch first.
- An eraser, if you use pencil.
- A few colored pens, markers or pencils. One or two colors are plenty.
- A dot grid or blank notebook. Dot grids give light guidance for spacing without strict lines.
Check that your pens do not bleed through the paper. Test them on the last page of the notebook first. If you are exploring options, see our journal supplies list.
Ways to lay out doodle pages
- One big doodle per page, with a title.
- A grid of squares, each with a different small drawing.
- A themed collection, such as “things on my desk.”
- A border doodle, where drawings frame a block of text.
- A daily strip, one small doodle per day along the bottom of a page.
Pair doodles with neat headings for a polished look; the bullet journal headers guide has banner and underline ideas that suit doodle pages. Our guide to journal lettering for headings and titles shows simple styles that work well beside drawings.
Doodle journal prompts
- Doodle everything in your bag.
- Draw your breakfast in three shapes or fewer.
- Fill a page with one pattern, changing it slowly.
- Make a doodle for each emotion you felt today.
- Draw ten tiny objects you can see right now.
- Doodle a map of your week.
- Pick a letter and turn it into five different drawings.
For more open-ended ideas that combine drawing, collage and writing, see our visual journal examples.
Tips if you feel stuck
- Draw from real objects instead of memory. Looking is easier than inventing.
- Trace reference shapes loosely. Break a picture down into circles and rectangles.
- Set a timer. Five minutes removes the pressure to produce something good.
- Repeat. Drawing the same object several times teaches you more than drawing many different things once.
- Keep imperfect pages. Comparing early and later pages is often encouraging.
Frequently asked questions
What are some cool doodle ideas?
Easy starting points include coffee cups, plants, stars, planets, small animals, fruit, patterns and mini faces. Stick to simple shapes and you can draw most of them with confidence.
What is doodle journaling?
It is journaling that uses small drawings and patterns, usually with a few words, to record daily life, moods or ideas. It is relaxed and not meant to look polished.
Is doodling an ADHD thing?
Many people doodle, with or without ADHD. Some people say it helps them focus or stay calm, but it is not a diagnostic sign. If you have concerns about attention, a healthcare professional is the right person to ask.
What are some creative ideas for art journaling?
Try color studies, collage, mixed media backgrounds and lettered quotes. Our guide to writers notebook ideas also shows how to mix sketches with written observations.