Journaling, as I’ve said before, could be of any types depending on your liking and preferences. It can be digital, traditional, creative or it can be a daily log, a notebook to set plans & reminders, track down some important schedules, or just write blahs of life into a journal. The purpose of journaling would really depend on how you will use it and there are endless ideas to begin with.
At first, journaling could be very overwhelming especially with the endless ideas and creative prompts available online. It almost made me stop realizing that journaling never really had an impact in my life but just another task to do. I was trying hard so much to make things look cute and creative that I didn’t even understand what I was doing that time. But finally, I was able to take down some things I really don’t need and just do the system that would work best on me.
It was very hard to start on a blank page especially if you’re not really an artist and your art just depends on ideas and inspirations from other artists. Fortunately, when I was in the verge of quitting journaling, I finally solved the problem and adjusted the system which I will be sharing soon. For the mean time, I will be sharing to you today the main reasons of how I landed into this kind of hobby which majority thinks as useless but really, helps heal, release and tame emotions and anxieties.
I watched journaling Youtubers
I started when I was still at college and then I discovered vlogs in YT about making beautiful journal spreads. It was the famous and queen of doodles, Amanda Rach Lee, who introduced creative bujo spreads to me. Back then, it was also the birth of the bullet journal method and I didn’t have much money back then to buy the materials needed to start this hobby so I just watched monthly video uploads on YouTube featuring beautiful themes and covers for every month until I had a job to finally start my own. I longed so much for having a bullet journal of my own and now that I finally had it, I can’t stop until I run out of ideas.
I envied the stationeries
This is where I decided that I will be getting into journaling. I know coveting people’s things are bad but I loved all the stationeries and pens that were introduced to me by some journaling vloggers. Everything is still expensive by that time as I am just a student back then and all I could do is covet, manifest and save up so that I could finally buy one of my own. Though I admit, that up to now, there are still supplies and brands that I don’t own today. It’s really hard to balance, prioritize and split up your income to bills and life saving and spare just a little for your hobbies which is most of the time, so little to none.
I realized that I love writing
Of course, I rant almost every other minute about things that make me happy, sad, comfortable, etc. I have been writing ever since middle school and as a matter of fact, due to my love for writing, I enrolled to an English course in college thinking that I would be better at it once I graduate but meh, I realized that I get better in writing if I keep reading. I remember keeping an online diary for myself before and I thought, why not just put it in a paper and I could design it after? I definitely love to write not just to rant but to express my thoughts and feelings that I find hard to express personally and journaling has helped a lot for me especially that I’m in my crucial years as an adult.
I found it satisfying to peel stickers and tapes
Is it just me that I find peeling stickers and sticking washi tapes to papers very relaxing and satisfying? I’m not even exaggerating that I find it relieving to just peel and stick. I remember, back at middle school, that I like to put lots of stickers on my projects before and realized, why not on my personal notes too? I used to worry using up my collection of stickers because Shopee didn’t exist back then and stickers and washi tape are so hard to find at my place, but now that everything is accessible through Shopee, I can finally enjoy peeling and sticking them on my journal without worrying, and I’d rather use these up than go expired and unused.
To answer the question directly of how I got into journaling, I got into this hobby by basically getting a notebook and pen, copied the traditional journaling method and adjusted the system to my needs. I created my own way and system of journaling which was much more effective for me and basically this system I have right now on my bujo is just a mix of weekly and monthly reminders, schedules, goals and log ins.
I will be sharing my bujo system and set-up soon once I get the courage to share my art. I know I should not think of what people might say of my art but I think it’s not just the right time yet. I’m excited and at the same time, afraid to show mine as journaling is very personal to me and I tend to say now that I wanted to stop oversharing things. I hope by the end of this year I can finally share it with you guys.
How about you? Do you have a hobby? What is it? And how did you end up with it? Don’t be shy and share yours. 😊
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog! Follow for more posts like these.
Puffo Catto ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ 
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