In junk journaling, people often debate what counts as a “real” junk journal. Should a junk journal only use scraps, tickets, and found ephemera? Or do digitals have a place too?

Why Some Value Traditional Ephemera

For many journalers, true ephemera feels special. A torn bus ticket, a receipt with a date, or handwriting on a postcard carries history and memory. These scraps can spark nostalgia and make a journal deeply personal.

How Digitals Support Creativity

Not everyone can gather ephemera. Illness, lack of access, or simply limited time can make it difficult. Digitals allow creativity without those barriers. With printed sheets, scissors, and glue, anyone can layer florals, letters, and postcards into beautiful pages.

Digitals also give freedom. They can be printed again and again, which means endless variety. For those who are housebound or unwell, they make journaling possible.

A Summer Journal Example

This summer journal shows what digitals can do. Instead of relying on scraps from outings, it uses printed florals, vintage photographs, and old-style typography. The result is still full of story, colour, and seasonal magic.

Are Digitals Less Authentic?

Some argue that digitals make journals less authentic or meaningful. Yet junk journaling has always been about resourcefulness — using what you have. Sometimes “what you have” is envelopes and ticket stubs. Other times it’s printed digitals. Both can tell a story.

Authenticity comes from the maker, not the material. Creativity lies in how pieces are cut, layered, and arranged. A journal is meaningful because it reflects the person who made it.

Why Digitals Matter

Digitals don’t replace the value of real scraps. Instead, they expand what’s possible. They make journaling accessible to more people, especially when collecting ephemera isn’t an option. And they prove that a beautiful, authentic junk journal can be made anywhere — even at a bedside table.