A Learning Journal is a dynamic and flexible tool that extends beyond the scope of standard journals. Yes, they share similarities, however, a Learning Journal goes further in supporting personal and professional growth through reflection, self-analysis, and ‘thinking about thinking’ (metacognition).

Unlike a standard journal — often a repository for daily events or thoughts — a Learning Journal goes deeper into one’s experiences, feelings, and thoughts. And they can become critical drivers of skilled and diverse thinking — so far beyond the limited scope of ‘critical thinking’ (of which anyone in school systems has heard repeatedly).

Learning Journals support and drive deeper and more diverse thinking — they can also deeply support and motivate creativity, better writing and communication (over a long period of time).

Building and using Learning Journals emphasizes active learning, more diverse forms of thinking, self-reflection, and they can do wonders for increasing creativity.

Think of a Learning Journal as a tool, simple yet powerful. It’s a place for your thoughts, a space where ideas are noted and then grow and flourish. For thinkers and writers, this isn’t just a diary or free writing in a journal (both also useful tools and practices).

It’s more like an ongoing workshop, a place where your mind works and plays. And a place to come back to over and over again.

What goes in a Learning Journal?

In a Learning Journal, you write (or draw, map, sketch, etc.) more than simply what happened in chronological order. It’s also about thinking about these experiences and events and noting your thoughts, emotions and reflections as well.

Maybe it’s a line from a book that struck you, a piece of a conversation, or a sudden insight. Or maybe, it’s answering questions such as:

• What did I learn today? (or yesterday if you write in the morning)
• How do I feel about that learning?
• What would I like to learn more of? What might I need to unlearn from my past related to these new things I’m learning?
• What are some things I note about these learnings that are a plus? What are some minuses? What are some things that are just simply interesting?

It doesn’t stop at just noting these down though. The ideas, the thoughts, the answers to these questions, and more will fuel far more creativity, thinking and writing into the future.

The sheer power and potential of a Learning Journal are developed through returning to your entries on a semi-regular basis.

If you do this in hard copy with pen and paper, when you record the first time, make sure there’s lots of white space. This leaves room for your notes, thoughts and reflections when you return to these later.

When you come back, you note new thoughts, emotions, and thinking that come to mind as you re-read your past notes, feelings, and learning. This coming back later, turning them over, and seeing them in a new light — will open many new ways of looking at and thinking about things.

I (Dave) find this especially powerful, for example, when I have mapped out a presentation, for example. I’ll draw and map out proposed slides (eg., for PowerPoint) and concepts on each. I like to build a bit of a story or narrative.

Like this example below. Beside the map, is simply an ‘artifact’ I’d kept and taped in while on a road trip and learning session at The Banff Centre for the Arts. I was trying to map out a presentation on a book I was working on at the time — and a presentation about it.

These often get quite messy and intricate. I’m often moving pieces around like in a puzzle. That particular presentation went through many iterations.

Down the road, when I’m preparing another version of the presentation, or even a related one — I return to those maps and sketches. It always brings more ideas to mind or opens up whole new lines of thinking. This is an example of keeping a Learning Journal unstructured and free-flowing.

The Power of Unstructured Journals for Spontaneity and Idea Generation

Unstructured journals — a vital component of the Learning Journal approach — offer a free-form space where spontaneity, thinking and creativity thrive.

In these Learning Journals — the traditional constraints of structured writing that so many of us have been schooled in — are cast aside. This opens pathways for more creative expression and idea generation.

They become a playground for the mind, where random thoughts, fleeting ideas, and bursts of inspiration are captured without judgment or restriction.

These also don’t have to be just in ‘journals’ (digital or hardcopy). I often use whiteboards to play with this. Below is an example of one that I had while completing my doctoral studies.

And the great thing is the kids also got engaged in it. You can see someone has assisted by starting a map in the lower left corner.

A whiteboard image like this can also get captured, then printed out and taped into a hard copy Learning Journal — or stored in a digital Learning Journal (I use Notion).

My database of photos is also a Learning Journal on its own. I can go back through images, especially those of books, snippets, sketches or otherwise that I was capturing while doing my doctoral research and writing my dissertation. This type of practice can be used for multiple projects.

For example, I used it professionally, when I was a senior leader in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were engaged in emergency planning and response (concurrently). Things changed daily, and even hourly — this needed to be captured, stored, and kept for future reference.

Here are some key characteristics of Unstructured Learning Journals:

1. Freedom of Expression: These journals provide a blank canvas for your thoughts, ideas and deeper thinking. You can write, sketch, or map out ideas as they come, without adhering to any specific format or guideline. This freedom sparks creativity and encourages exploratory thinking.
2. Spontaneity in Writing and Creativity: Unstructured journals thrive on the spontaneous jotting down of ideas, thoughts, snippets. Whether it’s an intriguing line from a book, an overheard conversation, or a sudden epiphany, these journals capture the raw and immediate reactions that often lead to deeper insights.
3. Flexibility and Flow: There’s no pressure to follow a particular theme or structure. This flexibility allows your thoughts to flow more naturally, often revealing unexpected connections and new perspectives. It also allows flexibility to escape ‘schooled-in’ thinking.
4. Jumping into the Messy Process: The beauty of these journals lies in their acceptance of chaos and messiness. As ideas evolve and change, a Learning Journal becomes a living document of your creative processes, showcasing how concepts, perceptions, and thinking shift over time.
5. Reflective Returns: The full power of unstructured Learning Journals is unlocked when you revisit your past entries. Returning to past thoughts with fresh eyes can lead to new revelations, expanding your understanding and enhancing your creative thinking — and even more ways of thinking (analogical, lateral, skeptical, strategic, cumulative, etc.)
6. Idea Incubation: Unstructured Learning Journals are incubators for your ideas. What may start as a simple note can evolve into a fully-fledged concept or project. This ongoing process of revisiting and rethinking is crucial for the maturation of ideas. Or, even just storing the idea until it is ready to stick to your brain and creative processes.
7. Application in Present Projects: Reflecting on past journal entries can be particularly beneficial when working on current or related projects. For instance, reviewing old presentation maps or sketches can ignite new ideas and approaches for upcoming tasks, as illustrated in the example of mapping out a presentation for The Banff Centre for the Arts. These entries, although seemingly chaotic, serve as deep sources of inspiration and guidance for future endeavours.

In essence, unstructured journals within the Learning Journal framework are far more than repositories of thoughts — they are dynamic, evolving spaces where ideas are born, nurtured, and transformed.

They encourage far deeper engagement with your inner world, enhancing your ability to generate and develop ideas, ultimately leading to more profound writing and creative work. These can also feed creativity, thinking and writing into the future.