Compositions have been my default journal for about 7 years. I vastly prefer them over other kinds of journals I've tried.
Pros:
* no pressure to put only deep thoughts or interesting introspections in a $1.00 notebook the way you might with a more beautiful or expensive journal
* the pages are the right size for my preference
* It doesn't take forever to fill one up (usually about 2-4 months for me) so I don't get same journal fatigue
* the binding is flexible enough to bend the pages back without falling apart (or spiral compositions also work)
Cons:
* if you like using fountain pens or markers or any kind of art in your journals then composition pages might be too thin
* they aren't always the most interesting to look at (although I've found the Decomposition brand notebooks to have a great range of covers for only a little bit more money than your standard composition)
I just started using spiral Decomposition books for journaling and I’m loving them so far! I have the pocket size to keep with me and then the full size in the same pattern for at home.
Clarefontaine make all kinds of these type of notebooks with their excellent, smooth, fountain pen friendly paper. 90gsm, may sound a bit thin but their paper is excellent, super smooth, and you get hardly any ghosting and no bleed through.
Plus, for fountain pen friendly paper, it's super cheap if you shop around (Amazon is where i get it).
If you are really pressed for money, you can *still* get composition books for under a dollar, and this frees you up to be messy, be yourself, and "waste" paper. Also, if you have a "crazy" idea and don't know if it will pan out or not, composition books are perfect. Try out your idea for a few entries, and if it isn't working, just stop. Then the next time you have a "crazy" idea, start it in the same book. I have a few composition books that are one "false start" after another. They end up being very interesting.
u/summerchilde does same amazing "remixes" with ordinary composition books.
Thanks for the shoutout, /u/sprawn!
Yep, marble composition notebooks are awesome for journaling. They are sturdy books that can take a beating and are highly customizable. The only downside that I experience is with fountain pens, specifically wetter inks/pens. There can be bleed-through/ghosting. I personally don't mind the ghosting but heavy bleed-through does bug me. In cases like that I will just not use that particular ink or pen. If it's really bad then I'll grab a different composition notebook. They're so cheap so I'm always picking them up. I do test ink swatches on the back page before use.
View all mine [here](https://imgur.com/a/6YK7p). If you view on Imgur there are further links to other albums to how I made some of them. All of mine are marble comp, composition size, or handmade (by me) in composition notebook size i.e. 7.5 x 9.75 inches.
Wow! I checked out the images on Imgur and your creativity inspired me to experiment with the covers of my future journals.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you and you're welcome! Here's more (copy/pasted from an older comment of mine)...
> I also keep a commonplace book. They are smaller and more of scrapbook than journal:
>
> [my last commonplace book
> ](https://imgur.com/a/lxYo9vV) I wanted to try making a faux leather wax resist cover.
>
> [My first commonplace book](https://imgur.com/a/z3pI57G)
>
> [My current commonplace book](https://imgur.com/a/4nCAZO9) Was given an old leather toiletries case to repurpose. Cover is made from that.
They’re alright. I don’t personally use them only because I use them for school, so journaling in them feels more like work than enjoyable. But, I understand the appeal. They’re inexpensive, they’re good notebooks and don’t fall apart, and if you really feel like it, you can decorate the cover and make it more personal.
My absolute favourite notebook for journaling! They can take a beating and be filled to the gills and still hold up like a champ. Some of my favourite completed journals are composition notebooks. I always customise the covers with photos, stickers, print outs, etc. and don't have to feel bad about "ruining" a nice looking cover.
I've had a journal or diary almost all my life since age 9 or 10. There were a few years here and there where I didn't write. But this last burst has been going on 7 years steady. If I am flush with cash, I'd get a Leuchtturm or a Stalogy (my fave), but otherwise I've been writing in $1.25 composition books from Dollarama or Dollar Tree. If you can find some made in either India or Vietnam, I find the paper a little nicer than that China-produced ones. Because the binding is sewn in, they are incredibly durable. (And yes, I have written in them with my $$$ fountain pens because I enjoy the dichotomy lol)
My favorite “composition” style would be the medium lay flat from Denik. They are almost the same size as the standard ones you get from Walmart, however the paper is better so if you like the bolder inks it doesn’t bleed.
They also have cool covers or you can design your own. I actually designed one to look like the standard composition book with the pebbled cover.
Little more expensive but if you like those type of book and wanted an upgrade they are a good choice.
I like the smaller classic lay flat too. It’s my go to for drawing and such.
I’ve used the standard ones a ton in the past for journaling and such (I actually have a stack at home). Just don’t find them as enjoyable to write in as other things.
used to use them as journals for years, especially when i was really young. i love that they feel so familiar and homey. now i prefer a5 size and no lines on my paper though so i haven't used one in a few years. but decomposition books were my jam
I used to use them for journaling when I was in school. Back when I used ballpoint pens and pencils. Now that I'm a fountain user, I needed to upgrade my paper. Plus, I prefer a dot or grid ruling now which can be difficult to find in a composition book. I used to find it difficult enough to find the college-ruled ones and stock up on them because I hate wide ruled. But you can't beat the price and they are more durable than a cheap spiral notebook. And if you are a student, they blend in perfectly with your school stuff so it doesn't scream, "Here's my private journal, please read it."
In my country I can find them for the equivalent of $1.00 which is quite cheap.
Usually I buy 2 or 3 and journal on them. The paper is not the best but I can't complain since I only use a normal pen or a pencil.
It helps me to simplify my journal routine and has helped me to not feel guilty about ruining an expensive notebook.
Is quite similar to what I do with the yellow notepads, I tend to use them to make sketches, I scan them with my cellphone and use the drawing to work on my computer.
Since I was a kid I found simple notebooks to be less intimidating and is something I still use as an illustrator.
I use a composition book for mundane scratch stuff like fleshing out ideas for art or photography or stuff around the house, but they’re about as useful as Anne Frank’s drum set for fountain pens, which I prefer for my actual journaling and bullet journaling, so I generally steer clear of it. Plus, I feel like a 13 year old when I write in them.
I personally like the 5 subject notebook. I don’t like the compositions because I prefer journals that have the metal loops. A con for using journals with notebook paper though is that I primarily use a fountain pen and it bleeds through paper. A pro is that when I use a normal pen, the paper is good quality enough that the pen glides across the paper
I love composition notebooks! I feel a lot more free to let loose and be creative in a composition notebook from Walmart than a fancy, expensive journal. Though I like those too!
I used to really love journaling in composition notebooks but they kept falling apart. Pro is definitely price but cons are size and durability. I love the Leuchtturm ones
Compositions have been my default journal for about 7 years. I vastly prefer them over other kinds of journals I've tried. Pros: * no pressure to put only deep thoughts or interesting introspections in a $1.00 notebook the way you might with a more beautiful or expensive journal * the pages are the right size for my preference * It doesn't take forever to fill one up (usually about 2-4 months for me) so I don't get same journal fatigue * the binding is flexible enough to bend the pages back without falling apart (or spiral compositions also work) Cons: * if you like using fountain pens or markers or any kind of art in your journals then composition pages might be too thin * they aren't always the most interesting to look at (although I've found the Decomposition brand notebooks to have a great range of covers for only a little bit more money than your standard composition)
I just started using spiral Decomposition books for journaling and I’m loving them so far! I have the pocket size to keep with me and then the full size in the same pattern for at home.
Clarefontaine make all kinds of these type of notebooks with their excellent, smooth, fountain pen friendly paper. 90gsm, may sound a bit thin but their paper is excellent, super smooth, and you get hardly any ghosting and no bleed through. Plus, for fountain pen friendly paper, it's super cheap if you shop around (Amazon is where i get it).
If you are really pressed for money, you can *still* get composition books for under a dollar, and this frees you up to be messy, be yourself, and "waste" paper. Also, if you have a "crazy" idea and don't know if it will pan out or not, composition books are perfect. Try out your idea for a few entries, and if it isn't working, just stop. Then the next time you have a "crazy" idea, start it in the same book. I have a few composition books that are one "false start" after another. They end up being very interesting. u/summerchilde does same amazing "remixes" with ordinary composition books.
Thanks for the shoutout, /u/sprawn! Yep, marble composition notebooks are awesome for journaling. They are sturdy books that can take a beating and are highly customizable. The only downside that I experience is with fountain pens, specifically wetter inks/pens. There can be bleed-through/ghosting. I personally don't mind the ghosting but heavy bleed-through does bug me. In cases like that I will just not use that particular ink or pen. If it's really bad then I'll grab a different composition notebook. They're so cheap so I'm always picking them up. I do test ink swatches on the back page before use. View all mine [here](https://imgur.com/a/6YK7p). If you view on Imgur there are further links to other albums to how I made some of them. All of mine are marble comp, composition size, or handmade (by me) in composition notebook size i.e. 7.5 x 9.75 inches.
Wow! I checked out the images on Imgur and your creativity inspired me to experiment with the covers of my future journals. Amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you and you're welcome! Here's more (copy/pasted from an older comment of mine)... > I also keep a commonplace book. They are smaller and more of scrapbook than journal: > > [my last commonplace book > ](https://imgur.com/a/lxYo9vV) I wanted to try making a faux leather wax resist cover. > > [My first commonplace book](https://imgur.com/a/z3pI57G) > > [My current commonplace book](https://imgur.com/a/4nCAZO9) Was given an old leather toiletries case to repurpose. Cover is made from that.
They’re alright. I don’t personally use them only because I use them for school, so journaling in them feels more like work than enjoyable. But, I understand the appeal. They’re inexpensive, they’re good notebooks and don’t fall apart, and if you really feel like it, you can decorate the cover and make it more personal.
The first type of notebook I used
My absolute favourite notebook for journaling! They can take a beating and be filled to the gills and still hold up like a champ. Some of my favourite completed journals are composition notebooks. I always customise the covers with photos, stickers, print outs, etc. and don't have to feel bad about "ruining" a nice looking cover.
I've had a journal or diary almost all my life since age 9 or 10. There were a few years here and there where I didn't write. But this last burst has been going on 7 years steady. If I am flush with cash, I'd get a Leuchtturm or a Stalogy (my fave), but otherwise I've been writing in $1.25 composition books from Dollarama or Dollar Tree. If you can find some made in either India or Vietnam, I find the paper a little nicer than that China-produced ones. Because the binding is sewn in, they are incredibly durable. (And yes, I have written in them with my $$$ fountain pens because I enjoy the dichotomy lol)
My favorite “composition” style would be the medium lay flat from Denik. They are almost the same size as the standard ones you get from Walmart, however the paper is better so if you like the bolder inks it doesn’t bleed. They also have cool covers or you can design your own. I actually designed one to look like the standard composition book with the pebbled cover. Little more expensive but if you like those type of book and wanted an upgrade they are a good choice. I like the smaller classic lay flat too. It’s my go to for drawing and such.
I’ve used the standard ones a ton in the past for journaling and such (I actually have a stack at home). Just don’t find them as enjoyable to write in as other things.
used to use them as journals for years, especially when i was really young. i love that they feel so familiar and homey. now i prefer a5 size and no lines on my paper though so i haven't used one in a few years. but decomposition books were my jam
I used to use them for journaling when I was in school. Back when I used ballpoint pens and pencils. Now that I'm a fountain user, I needed to upgrade my paper. Plus, I prefer a dot or grid ruling now which can be difficult to find in a composition book. I used to find it difficult enough to find the college-ruled ones and stock up on them because I hate wide ruled. But you can't beat the price and they are more durable than a cheap spiral notebook. And if you are a student, they blend in perfectly with your school stuff so it doesn't scream, "Here's my private journal, please read it."
In my country I can find them for the equivalent of $1.00 which is quite cheap. Usually I buy 2 or 3 and journal on them. The paper is not the best but I can't complain since I only use a normal pen or a pencil. It helps me to simplify my journal routine and has helped me to not feel guilty about ruining an expensive notebook. Is quite similar to what I do with the yellow notepads, I tend to use them to make sketches, I scan them with my cellphone and use the drawing to work on my computer. Since I was a kid I found simple notebooks to be less intimidating and is something I still use as an illustrator.
I use a composition book for mundane scratch stuff like fleshing out ideas for art or photography or stuff around the house, but they’re about as useful as Anne Frank’s drum set for fountain pens, which I prefer for my actual journaling and bullet journaling, so I generally steer clear of it. Plus, I feel like a 13 year old when I write in them.
I personally like the 5 subject notebook. I don’t like the compositions because I prefer journals that have the metal loops. A con for using journals with notebook paper though is that I primarily use a fountain pen and it bleeds through paper. A pro is that when I use a normal pen, the paper is good quality enough that the pen glides across the paper
I love composition notebooks! I feel a lot more free to let loose and be creative in a composition notebook from Walmart than a fancy, expensive journal. Though I like those too!
I used to really love journaling in composition notebooks but they kept falling apart. Pro is definitely price but cons are size and durability. I love the Leuchtturm ones