5 Art Journal Ideas That You Can Do in 10 Minutes

Hello! Amanda here to give you five ideas for art journal pages that you can complete in around ten minutes! How many times have you said “I don’t have time for journaling.” Well, hopefully I can change your mind! The only way to develop a creative routine is to be consistent with it, so grab your journals, pick one of these ideas and get started!

By Ambassador TeamPublished June 21, 2026 | 5 min read

Hello! I’m Amanda (@amandaswork) and I am here to give you five ideas for art journal pages that you can complete in around ten minutes!

How many times have you said “I don’t have time for journaling.” Well, hopefully I can change your mind! These pages should take you around ten minutes and give you the artistic boost that you need. The only to develop a creative routine is to be consistent with it, so grab your journals, pick one of these ideas and get started!

a collage page with a circus theme, the quote says "let all of my work lead back to love"

Here are the supplies that I will be using:

Journal/Sketchbook - I am using size A5 Blank and A6 Dotted
Markers - I use Acrylographs & Calliographs
Collage Paper - I use Enchanted Chapters paper
Cutting Tools - I use a craft knife and scissors
Paint - I use acrylic and watercolor

You can use my affiliate code "AMANDASWORK" for 10% off your order.

Let’s get started!

These pages are all about getting over the fear of your blank page and getting your creativity going. They may take you around ten minutes but they might be the push you need to get you creating for even longer! Don’t stay too focused on the time, stay focused on the art. I am also not counting paint drying time, because we know that can take longer than 10 minutes. The whole point is these ideas should not take you a huge amount of time and will hopefully get you swiftly creating!

1. Make a page with your non-dominant hand.

a fingerpainting page filled with lots of colorful acrylic paint. The center has a white thin line butterfly.

The first page here is going to be a fingerpainting page, and if you want more of a challenge, you can do it all with our non-dominant hand. You can use whatever paint you like, in this one I am using acrylic. Move fast, flow freely and let the paint guide you. After the paint is mostly dry, you can remove the tape. You can leave it like that or add some doodles and writing.

2. Fill up a Checkerboard With Your Favorite Markers

a checkerboard grid filled with different colors and shapes with faces in them. colored with markers

With whatever coloring tools you have, fill up a checkerboard with your favorite color palette! On this page I am using the Archer & Olive Calliographs. To add a bit more you can add shapes inside the squares with some faces. This is a great way to test out different colour palettes, and is great to doodle some faces as well. Have a lot of time? Add more squares. Need it done faster? Make your squares bigger.

3. Cut a Shape Out of Your Page

a mini journal with a oval like shape cut off of it. A purple craft knife to by archer and olive.

This is a fantastic way to change things up in your journal. I am using a craft knife, but you can also achieve this with scissors. I put a piece of paper underneath so that the knife will not cut through to the next page. Once you cut out your piece you can set it aside and use it for future projects. Now these new pages can unleash a whole new way to tell a story on the page. I used watersoluble crayons to set the background for my pages, and filled it in with drawings to finish it off.

a mini journal page, on the left is a face surrounded by a black crayon background, on the right is a flower

4. Arrange a Collage

a collage page with circus and ticket like papers, with lined paper and writing on it: "let all of my work lead back to love"

In my opinion, one of the best ways to overcome art block is to start with a collage. An easy way to cover up your blank page is to stick paper on top of it and then get to writing. These pages are always quick and are a great way to use all of the scraps that you have stored away. You can arrange all of your ephemera in your own unique way and make sure you remember to use all of the stickers that you have been saving for a rainy day. It is time to use them!

5. Use Ink Pads and Create Stamps

two ink pads in black and purple with circular stamps on the page

For this one, I created some texture using Play-Doh, but you can also use things like clay or paper as well. I use these ink pads by Archer & Olive to quickly add the ink and cover up the page. These are a great way to start off a page and add a layer before having to wait for anything to dry. You can either leave the page like this, or add some words and doodles on top to compliment your stamps!

Finally, it is okay if things take a little bit longer or shorter, it’s all about having some inspiration for your journaling, and to get over the struggle of a blank page.

Remember that the whole point of an art journal is to create something and have fun. If things are not perfect or super aesthetic it is okay!

Check out this video if you want to see how I made these pages:

Don’t worry about making mistakes, that is part of the fun!

If you need more ideas for your art journal, use this printable. It has ten ideas that you can mix up and pull from whenever you need a prompt for your work!