bullet journalling is actually really fun if you're into that kind of thing so here are some thi

I started bullet journaling this year with the only advice I was given being "don't look up any examples" and that was probably the best advice anyone could have given me when I started. I wasn't pulled in by cute fonts and drawings, I was just looking for a way to effectively plan my weeks and years while simultaneously making a keepsake for myself. And when Leuchtstern notebooks went on sale for 50% off at Indigo, I knew it was just meant to be.

I was worried about it: wasting pages, fuddling up my colours, ugly handwriting, but most of all, not doing the things I had told myself I needed to do. Writing down extraordinary plans in cute pastel markers and then not doing any of it, knowing one day my anger might get the better of me and I'd tear out all the pages. But one thing that trumped all of those fears was that of not finishing.

I'm bad at finishing stuff. For years I'd fawn over pretty notebooks and caress blank pages, dreaming of all the beautiful wisdom I'd one day fill them with. I kept a separate pencil case of all my good stationary that would never see daylight and the years would cause them to stiffen and dry, unable to write a word. Either that or they remain forgotten in desk drawers until they're outgrown or lost.

When I was younger I was a germaphobe. I couldn't step on the hardwood floor of my house without wearing socks. If a shirt fresh from the laundry touched the ground it had to immediately be washed again. My room contained two twin sized beds and one of them I never touched for fear of contaminating it with...myself. I believed I picked up filth as I lived through the day and by the end of it, without a proper bath, I wouldn't even allow myself to sleep in my own bed. My family being worried was an understatement, and I was aware I was making things difficult for them, but I didn't know how to explain why I couldn't have it any other way. Sometimes I'd try to overcome it, and just lie down on the pristine bed with my clothes from school still on, and I would cry because of the relief of just letting it go. The next day it would be laundry and socks again.

I don't remember exactly when I grew out of it, but I know my parents were relieved when the phase passed. I wanted a lot of things to stay perfect. To stay new and shiny, where one day they could make me happy, today it would have to suffice to just look at them. But that's...stupid. We don't have forever to do all the things that we want to do in this life. And with all the things we obtain in this life, what's the point in just staring at it? Why not use it to make yourself happy, to make others happy? In the context of washi tape, it's pretty easy to see that having a massive pile of them and not doing anything with it is just a waste of money. Starting a journal free of restrictions and actually using all the stationary I had for their intended purpose-that was a liberating feeling. If anyone is interested in starting a bullet journal, here are some of the tips I acquired along the way:

1. You don't need a fancy notebook. Literally any notebook will do. While dotted or grid paper is the preferred type just because it makes it more pleasing or easier to layout, it's not a requirement. So use all those empty journals! Blank pages tell no tales.

2. Trusty tools of the trade: You're gonna want a pen that you just love to write with. (That's how you'll want to keep writing in your journal even when the going gets tough). I write most of my stuff in a black Micron pen, 0.38 thickness. You might also want a nice brush pen for special titles or lettering of any kind. My choice is the black Kuretake brush pen, because it's the only one I ever got. It's relatively cheap and you can probably find it at an arts supplies store! These are two of my most prized possessions.

3. If you want a splash of colour, Mildliners are really nice dual tip highlighters that come in quite a variety of colours. You can pick up a few individually for about $3 each, or a pack of 5 for about $10 (CAN). Use these for accents or titles or whatever!

4. Make a list of the things you want to incorporate in your journal. Some of the bujo staples are a Future Log, monthly calendars, habit/mood trackers, goals and cover pages. Honestly, don't force yourself to do all these things. if you find it hard to keep up then just cut the things that you aren't using. By all means try them out but always be revising your plan, because your bullet journal is supposed to work for you! Don't be a slave to the format of the journal!!!

5. Find your reason for doing this. Is it because you love stationary? Because you like how you can organize yourself? Because it's calming or relaxing to doodle and write things down? All are valid answers. Personally, I just like to see my week before me in the format that I prefer and in the style that I want. It's really just self-indulging honestly, and I found that these days I'm getting really caught up in how my journal pages look, and I'm not taking my own advice. I've decided to work on making things simpler and managing my time better this month.

So if you've decided to pick up bullet journalling–I hope this helps! If not, I hope you still enjoyed reading!

There are some really cool bullet journalling channels on YouTube that if you're interested in getting some inspiration or just want to watch some people journalling (they're very relaxing videos by the way...) you can check these people out! Again, I do recommend finding your own journalling rhythm before you kind of branch off to see what kinds of things other people are up to (and getting discouraged or put too high expectations on yourself to make things look perfect...as I have experienced first hand...) But they do have some really cool stuff! Whether you're in it for the aesthetic or the functionality or somewhere in between, here are some of my favourite channels:

- AmandaRachLee: Probably the most famous, and Canada pride! She's really cool and has some great videos when it comes to comparing different products, learning new strategies or other skills such as brush-lettering or fixing up mistakes. She does weekly livestreams for creating weekly spreads, which I think is really lit!

- Caitlin's Corner: Also Canadian pride (I'm not biased at all)! She's got a lot of wonderful, simple and incredibly useful spreads and formats to get inspiration from! Her student bullet journal spreads are especially amazing! She's got a lot of other content on her channel as well, from lifestyle to study habits and room decorations. There's a lot to check out!

- MihanJournal: Awesome aesthetic, with a focus on k-pop journalling and pen-palling, she's got some really nice formatting and just a general soft and calm vibe in all her videos. She's really sweet and she recently had a giveaway for reaching 150K subscribers (which I somehow won!!!) Make sure to show her some love!

(LIKE LOOK AT THIS! I'M STILL SO SHOCKED THAT I AM ALLOWED TO HAVE ALL THIS. SO MANY STICKERS AND WASHI TAPES AND MEMO NOTES!!!)

I hope to maybe make more content about bullet journalling in the future, this post was kind of all over the place, and I'm thinking about maybe doing more of this...maybe just occasional tips and tricks and perhaps sharing some of my spreads too (still don't have the confidence for that. Whelp.)

Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Time to...uh...do my homework...(yikes)

Stay saltful!

-r.k.

#storytime #journalling #checkthisout