11+ Wreck This Journal Page Ideas: Unleash Creativity and Embrace Imperfection

Have you ever wanted a creative outlet that lets you break the rules, make a mess, and throw perfectionism out the window?

Enter the world of Wreck This Journal—a unique journaling concept designed to encourage experimentation, freedom, and a little bit of chaos.

Whether you’re an experienced artist or just looking for a fresh way to express yourself, “wrecking” a journal is liberating, fun, and surprisingly therapeutic.

Table of Contents

What is Wreck This Journal?

Originally conceived by Keri Smith (Canadian author and illustrator), Wreck This Journal is not your average notebook.

Instead of blank or lined pages waiting for your carefully penned thoughts, each page features a prompt designed to disrupt, destroy, or otherwise mess with the traditional rules of keeping a journal.

These prompts aren’t meant to be pretty. In fact, many encourage you to deface, stain, crumple, or even tear out pages entirely.

The result? By the end, your journal is a wild, colorful, battered testament to pure, unfiltered creativity.

While you can certainly make your own ‘wreck-it’ journal, here’s a link to the original publication by Keri Smith and Penguin: Penguin Wreck This Journal: Now In Colour, 224 Pages Paperback – 3 July 2017

Wreck This Journal Page Ideas - Coverpage of the original book by Keri Smith, 2017 — Fig.1 Coverpage of the original book by Keri Smith, 2017

The Rationale Behind the Concept

The main idea behind Wreck This Journal is to help people let go of perfectionism and fear of failure. Many creatives—and non-creatives alike—struggle with the blank page or the desire for “perfect” results. Keri Smith’s book provides permission (and the challenge) to “make mistakes,” get messy, and discover the creative magic that happens when you let loose. The process is about the journey and the inner transformation, not the end result—making it particularly effective for breaking creative blocks and building confidence.

Wreck This Journal vs. Bullet Journal: A Creative Contrast

While both are forms of journaling, Wreck This Journal and bullet journals serve different purposes and mindsets:

Feature	Wreck This Journal	Bullet Journal
Purpose	Encourage creativity, chaos, letting go of perfection, self-expression	Productivity, organization, planning, sometimes decorated with art
Content Type	Random, destructive, experimental, playful prompts	Lists, calendars, habit trackers, goal setting
Aesthetics	Messy, irreverent, physically “wrecked” pages	Ranges from minimalist to highly decorated “pretty” layouts
Structure	Guided by unpredictable prompts	User-designed layouts, usually structured
Approach	Focuses on breaking rules and comfort zones, embracing imperfections	Often emphasizes order, progress, “beautiful” spreads (though original method is practical and minimal)

In summary: Wreck This Journal is about letting go and experimenting, while bullet journaling is about organizing and tracking your life. Both can coexist! Try a wrecked journal for stress relief alongside your organized bullet journal for productivity.

Big List of Wreck This Journal Page Ideas

Looking for inspiration? Here’s a huge list of ideas you can use, whether you have an official Wreck This Journal or want to make your own. Remember: the sillier, messier, or more outside-your-comfort-zone, the better!

Classic Wrecking Prompts

Spill coffee (or any drink) on this page
Freeze this page (put it in your freezer, then document the effects)
Tear this page out, crumple it, then stick it back in
Draw all over the spine of your journal
Poke holes in this page with a sharp object (pen, pencil, etc.)
Sew through this page with thread and needle

Messy and Playful Actions

Cover the page with sticky things (stickers, tape, gum wrappers, leaves, etc.)
Write using your non-dominant hand
Write or draw backwards
Doodle all over the page while blindfolded
Carry your journal in your bag for a week—do NOT protect it!
Rub the page on a dirty or textured surface (sidewalk, bark, carpet, etc.)

Hang the page in a public place and invite others to add to it
Ask a friend to make a random mark, then finish the drawing
Get autographs from people you meet that day
Pass the page around with a group of people; each adds something

Environmental Engagement

Glue in objects found on a walk (leaves, feathers, ticket stubs)
Cover the page in “white stuff” (white paint, correction fluid, flour, rice, etc.)
Drop it in the actual dirt, then tape it back in
Float the page in water and document what happens

Personal and Emotional Expression

Write a secret message and seal the page (tape, paint, glue, etc.)
Express your current mood with color (scribble, paint, collage, etc.)
List your biggest pet peeves and scribble them out
Draw what fear feels like, then “destroy” it (tear, burn edge, cover up)
Tape in a letter to your future self, then block out some words for “secrecy”

Sensory and Creative Experiments

Draw with “found” objects instead of pens (sticks, toothbrushes, kitchen utensils)
Use food as paint (ketchup, soy sauce, jam, etc.)—let it dry
Make a collage from magazine clippings only using a single color
Scribble while listening to loud music, letting the sound affect your marks
Draw your hand, then morph it into a surreal creature

Destruction and Reconstruction

Rip, burn around the edges (outside, safely!), and repair the page with tape
Cut out shapes and rearrange them somehow on another page
Staple or glue multiple pages together
Make a paper airplane from one page, then tape it in after flying it

Fun and Mischievous

Create a “treasure hunt” map, then crumple and hide it somewhere
Make the journal wearable (attach a string, add a pocket, etc.), then wear it for a day
Role a die to pick a random color or object and use it somehow
Document “evidence” of an imaginary creature visiting the page (paw prints, hairs, etc.)

Reflection and Meta-Wrecking

Trace your journaling tools, then “decorate” them as fantasy weapons
Find a way to “lose” the journal for a day, then write about its “adventures”
Glue in one item that you’d never normally put in a journal
Make an “about the author” page, but only use doodles
Cover a page with words you dislike, then obliterate them with color

More Inspiring Prompts

Create a blackout poem from a magazine page glued in
Tape in leaves or flowers, let them dry, and document the results
Layer tape, paint, stickers, and scribble, then peel off some layers
Pretend you’re five years old—cover the page without using any “art rules”
Invent a secret code and write a message using it
Create a fictional “stain” and invent a wild story about how it appeared
Document your wrecking process with little photos or selfies

You can find even more ideas and real page examples on platforms like Pinterest or in Wreck This Journal communities online.

Tips for Wrecking Your Journal

There are NO mistakes. The goal is experimentation, not perfection.
Don’t protect your journal from damage—embrace it! The more battered, the better.
Use your mood as inspiration. Angry? Scribble wildly. Calm? Decorate methodically, then disrupt it.
Break your usual creative habits. Try opposite styles from what you “usually” do.
Let go of expectations. Laugh at your “failures”—they often lead to the most original ideas.

Why Try a Wreck This Journal?

Freedom from perfectionism: It helps retrain your brain not to fear mistakes.
Boosts creativity: By breaking the rules, you give yourself permission to try new things and surprise yourself.
Stress relief: The physicality of “wrecking” and the joy of mess can be a great emotional outlet.
Personal growth: Discover new preferences, skills, and ideas about yourself as you go.

Make Your Own!

While the original Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith provides many prompts, you can easily create your own or tailor prompts to specific interests—music, movies, travel, or even friendship. Creating and exchanging a personalized “wreck” journal also makes a thoughtful, unique gift for a creative friend!

Whether you follow the book or craft your own prompts, the magic is always in the process—and in watching a neat, blank notebook transform into a battered, vibrant record of creative chaos. Pick up a blank notebook and start wrecking today.