Podcast Summary: The Wirecutter Show

Episode: Journaling Through Life's Plot Twists with Suleika Jaouad (Encore)
Air Date: December 31, 2025
Host(s): Christine Cyr Clisset, Caira Blackwell, Rosie Guerin
Guest: Suleika Jaouad (author of The Book of Alchemy and founder of The Isolation Journals)
Segment Guest: Ariana Vasquez (Wirecutter home office writer)

Episode Overview

This episode explores how journaling can nurture creativity, foster healing, and enrich everyday life—focusing on the transformative power of the practice through the story and expertise of Suleika Jaouad. The episode blends deeply personal anecdotes with actionable advice and product recommendations, including a practical review of analog and digital journaling tools.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Suleika Jaouad’s Journey with Journaling

[06:17 – 08:16]

• Began journaling as a child, feeling like a "misfit" as the child of immigrants in a new country.
• The journal became a safe haven to express herself without judgment.
• Journaling became a lifeline during her leukemia diagnosis at age 22.
  • “I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that journaling saved my life. It was a container where I could write through whatever was happening...a place where I could vent, talk about things I couldn't say out loud—my fears, my prognosis, emotions that felt unsavory.” (Suleika Jaouad, 07:00)
• Used journaling as a reporter's notebook, a vessel for private fear, and a tool for managing feelings of envy and stagnation during illness.

The Science & Community of Journaling

[08:38 – 11:37]

• Journaling has ancient roots, historically used for reflection and documentation.
• Research backs journaling’s benefits: reduced anxiety and stress, and even improved immune function.
• The Isolation Journals project: Began early in COVID-19 as a community-driven experiment—prompting one journal entry per day for 100 days.
  • By the end of the first month, over 100,000 participants worldwide engaged.
  • Journaling styles varied, including a woman who used art supplies for a grief journal after her daughter's death.
    • “It was the first time that alongside the immense indescribable pain of losing your child, she was also able to access the joy of remembering her.” (Suleika Jaouad, 10:57)

Inspiration Behind The Book of Alchemy

[11:37 – 14:42]

• The book builds on The Isolation Journals’ model: 100 essays and prompts, with contributors ranging from well-known writers (Gloria Steinem, George Saunders, Salman Rushdie) to everyday people.
• Emphasis on inclusivity: youngest contributor was a six-year-old, another was a person on death row.
• Presents journaling as a spark for creative transformation.

Journaling as Creative Healing

[14:42 – 18:01]

• Creative wounds and how journaling can heal: Expresses difficult, “too tender” feelings without needing to share publicly.
• Jon Batiste (Jaouad’s husband) as an example of creative alchemy; his surprise band performance in a hospital transformed a grim moment into one of joy and community.
• Journaling is reframed as an unpredictable adventure, “I have no idea where it’s going. But the Best thing is I don’t need to know.” (Suleika quoting community member Charlie Greenman, 17:38)

The Mechanics & Benefits of Daily Journaling

[18:01 – 20:33]

• Suleika stresses abandoning self-judgment—journaling can be:
  • “sentence fragments, lists, doodles...there’s no right or wrong way.”
  • “I rarely go back and read my journals because I don’t want to ignite that pilot light of self-consciousness.”
• Journaling has led her into new creative areas—when vision impairment prevented writing, she began keeping a visual journal with watercolors.
• “It is a whole new creative language that I certainly would never have stumbled across without the act of keeping a journal.” (Suleika Jaouad, 19:10)
• Journaling supports all aspects of her creative and personal life.

Advice for Beginners & Building a Sustainable Habit

[20:33 – 22:18]

• Start with manageable goals: ten-, thirty-, or hundred-day journaling projects.
• Use prompts to break through blank-page paralysis.
  • “If it’s your grocery list, wonderful. If it is a petty grievance, fabulous. You’re no longer carrying that around in your body—you’ve externalized it onto the page.” (Suleika Jaouad, 21:46)
• Accountability and routine (pairing with non-negotiable activities like morning coffee) outperform striving for page counts or perfection.

Preferred Tools: Analog Rituals

[23:48 – 29:50]

• Suleika prefers pen and paper (“the inkier the pen, the better”), specifically a Lamy fountain pen paired with a Leuchtturm notebook.
  • Appreciates Leuchtturm’s acid-free, bleed-proof paper.
• Not precious about the specific journal; uses whatever is at hand, including drugstore composition books from her travels.
• Ritual and environment are key: Journals in the morning with coffee, often with incense or candles (favorite: Le Labo’s Santal 26), curled up with her dogs.
• Incorporates visual journaling using watercolor.
• Draws inspiration from the journals of writers and artists: Susan Sontag, Virginia Woolf, Audre Lorde, Frida Kahlo, Sylvia Plath.
  • Particularly loves hybrid visual-textual journals.

Wirecutter Recommends: Digital Journaling Tools

[30:16 – 35:05]
Guest: Ariana Vasquez

• Digital E Ink notebooks as alternatives to paper:
  • Simulate tactile experience of writing; “It’s kind of like writing on a whiteboard with a marker.” (Caira Blackwell, 33:03)
  • Automatic cloud backup solves problems of lost or damaged paper journals.
  • Useful for organization, portability, and text conversion.
• Top Picks:
  • Supernote Nomad: Compact, premium pen options, good for portability.
  • Remarkable 2: Thin, with user-friendly interface, supports various note types.
  • Kobo Elipsa: Alternative to Kindle ecosystem, supports third-party integrations.
• Price range: $300–$400+
  • Higher up-front cost, but longevity and additional features (e-reading, cloud sync) may justify investment for dedicated users.

Incorporating Journaling into Daily Life

[35:12 – 36:45]

• Key takeaway: Routine, consistency, and low pressure are more important than the medium.
  • “If you’re trying to establish a habit, roll it into a non-negotiable event you already do—Suleika journals during her first cup of coffee.” (Christine Cyr Clisset, 35:20)
• Low barriers and flexibility make the habit sustainable and rewarding.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It’s really a place where you come as you are. Whatever comes out is great.” (Suleika Jaouad, 18:28)
• “I am made of chaos until I put pen to paper.” (Suleika Jaouad, 18:01)
• “Just kind of go with it...whatever makes it easy—that’s a very low barrier of entry.” (Caira Blackwell, 36:13)
• “Our youngest contributor was six years old…We have a man…days away from execution…We have a beautiful prompt from a young mother who is about to become widowed…It’s such a wide range of people who, to me, embody that spirit of creative alchemy.” (Suleika Jaouad, 13:23)

Product & Resource Highlights

• Analog: Lamy fountain pens; Leuchtturm notebooks; “drugstore composition book from a country.”
• Ritual items: Le Labo Santal 26 candle, coffee, watercolors.
• Inspirational journals: Sontag, Woolf, Audre Lorde, Frida Kahlo, Sylvia Plath.
• Digital: Supernote Nomad, Remarkable 2, Kobo Elipsa.
• Book: The Book of Alchemy (by Suleika Jaouad), featuring essays, prompts, and a range of community voices.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Suleika’s journaling origin story: 06:17–08:16
• Scientific/research benefits: 08:38–11:37
• Community impact & Isolation Journals: 09:32–11:37
• Book genesis & diversity of voices: 11:37–14:42
• Journaling & creative wounds: 14:42–18:01
• Habits & sustaining practice: 20:33–22:18
• Journaling tools & rituals: 23:48–29:50
• Wirecutter’s digital picks: 30:16–35:05
• Integration & reflections: 35:12–36:45

Conclusion

The episode delivers an inspiring blend of personal narrative, scientific support, and practical advice, making journaling newly accessible for beginners and seasoned writers alike. Whether choosing a simple drugstore notebook or an advanced E Ink device, the message is clear: the most powerful journaling tool is the habit itself—and the willingness to show up honestly, without judgment, every day.