Where to Find a Journal That Combines Writing and Coloring
Every so often someone messages me asking for a journal that lets you write and color in the same place — not a lined notebook, not a coloring book, but both. It's a surprisingly hard thing to find. So here's the honest guide I wish I'd had.
The short answer: most journals are one or the other, and the few that combine writing and coloring often treat the coloring as filler — generic patterns with no meaning. The ones worth owning pair real guided writing prompts with coloring pages that actually say something. I searched for one like that for years, never found it, and finally made it myself.
Why would you want writing and coloring in one journal anyway?
Because they do two different jobs, and together they cover more of you. Writing processes — it gets the anxious loop out of your head and onto the page. Coloring soothes — it's rhythmic and absorbing, a side door into calm for the days when words won't come. A journal that combines both means you always have a way in: when you can put the feeling into words, you write; when you can't, you color. (I wrote more about why coloring calms an anxious mind over on the Quiet Your Mind site, if you want the research.)
What to look for in a journal that combines writing and coloring
Not all of them are created equal. A few things I'd look for: guided prompts, not just blank lines — structure is what makes you actually use it. Coloring pages that mean something — I made every one of mine a framable affirmation, not a random mandala, so the calm and the message land together. Paper that can handle it — thick enough that markers and pencils don't bleed through your writing. And an edition that fits the person, because "a journal" for a stressed-out mom, a little kid, and someone who's pregnant are three very different things.
The one I made — and who each edition is for
I built Quiet Your Mind to be exactly this: guided journaling, daily affirmations, and framable coloring affirmations in one place. There's an edition for wherever you are:
The adult journal — for anxious, busy, over-it minds. The kids gratitude journal — gentle prompts and coloring that help little ones feel calm and confident. The pregnancy journal — for the wildest, most tender months of your life. And the complete collection if you want the whole set.
Why an affirmation journal makes such a good gift
Honestly, this is how a lot of people find us — they're looking for a gift and land on the journals. And an affirmation journal makes a genuinely good gift because it's personal without being invasive: you're handing someone a few quiet minutes for themselves, not another thing to manage. It works for the friend going through it, the new mom, the kid learning big feelings, the person who "has everything." If you're not sure which edition, the complete collection is a lovely one to give — or the pregnancy edition for a baby shower.
A gentle note
A journal is a supportive practice, not a substitute for real care — if you or someone you love is struggling, please reach out to a professional. But as a small daily anchor, a journal that lets you write and color is one of the kindest things you can keep on your nightstand — or give to someone you love.
You can find all of them at Quiet Your Mind.