I don’t think there’s ever been a time when I walked through Target, Walmart, or Marshall’s and didn’t stop to look at the notebook and journal section of the store. Every fall I find some overly-priced notebook that doesn’t meet my expectations. I never fill the whole thing, I never relate to every pre-written quote, and I never get my money’s worth. This year, I wanted to create a notebook that would cater to my own personal needs.
This is what I wanted in a notebook: A trustworthy binding and material—something that I could spill coffee on and still love. I needed a place to get my creative ideas out: whether that be sketching, drawing, writing poetry, quotes, or pasting pictures in. I wanted a space to keep track of my goals and my progress toward those goals. But most of all, I needed something that could become an extension of myself: a place to keep everything and anything, something that I could use equally for work, class and clubs. This needed to be a book that wasn’t limiting. There are no expectations to meet and that’s what keeps me so consistent in using it.
In the beginning of August, I scowered the internet in search of a leather-bound journal that I could design myself. I’ve never been the person to accurately follow a weekly planner, and at the end of every school year I feel guilty for not having used every page. Then, I discovered what so many people have already been using to meet all these needs—the bullet journal.
A bullet journal is a dotted notebook. There are also tons of templates, stencils, pens, and stickers designed just for bullet journals or “bujos.” You can use it for anything, but I often find that people use it to map their weekly schedules. Because I’m not always that person, I design mine with room for drawings and funny moments I’d like to remember. The one I bought was just under eleven dollars on Amazon. How awesome is that? It doesn’t break the bank either.
Now, I’m two and a half months into designing my book. I’ve become a better writer, a more enthusiastic artist, and expert note-taker. I can prove all of these things with a few flips of any page.
Each month, I design a new cover for the month, and have fun practicing calligraphy and new fonts. I’ve used it to plan events and make rough progress reports for SBU’s student advertising agency and Her Campus SBU. I write down my thoughts, what I’m grateful for, and everything in between. If you can relate to any of these needs, I highly recommend you purchase one. Let’s plan together!
If you’re ever in need of any creative inspiration, check my Instagram out @tierneymcgil. I highlight so many of my drawings on my Instagram stories.
Article by Tierney McGilvray.