HOW TO START JOURNALING AND FIND YOUR IDEAL SYSTEM

hi hi! i've had quite a decent amount of people asking me for tips on getting started with their journaling system, so here's some pointers that may be useful if you're feeling anxious about starting the hobby of journaling. the internet loves to highlight fancy intimidating layouts, and i'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be that way. journaling is a very personal hobby, and it's crucial that you find a system that works well for you and is accessible for you.

1. do not overcommit: i feel like people often enter the journaling hobby having bought all the things journaling enthusiasts on social media have and then get overwhelmed expecting their journal to be as intricate as the journals they see. the act of journaling, much like writing in general, is like a muscle. if you’re completely inexperienced, start with the basics. draw if you’re compelled to, not just to make sure your pages look pretty. don't force yourself to do things that give you resistance in return. relax, and focus on writing and drawing what purely interests you.
2. don’t be afraid to experiment a lot and abandon things quickly: i’ve been journaling technically since i was a kid, but it became the beginning of a real hobby in 2015 for me. that means i’ve been doing this for a decade (it’s almost been a decade since my high school graduation. what the hell.) and that means i’ve experimented a lot (and spent a lot...) to get to the point where i am more than satisfied with my current system. (but for others, finding the right system can be even quicker. it varies from person to person!) if your current process isn’t working for you, change the process. sick of writing in long-form? try bullet points. sick of color coding? stick with black ink and try a symbol key instead. is the notebook too big and full of empty space? try a smaller size.
3. all you need is a notebook and writing utensil that you like: again, i blame social media for this, but i often see people be like “this is what you need to journal!” and have a huge haul of things. i also see the opposite side where people are like “you just need any old notebook and pen to journal!”…. but there’s value and balance found in compromising with both. a good notebook and a good pen can go a long way.

extra stationery tip: japanese stationery is revolutionary in the sense that they’ve produced various types of paper that are so so pleasurable to write on, and pens that feel incredible writing with.

jetpens can be a lovely time sink if you’d like to check it out, and the notebooks and pens there are reasonably priced. again, in order to journal, all you need are those two things, and for those two things to be enjoyable to use. after all, what use is incorporating a journaling habit into your routine if it doesn’t give you tiny pleasures?

(that being said, if you really want to have your pages exploding with stickers and washi tape, go wild. i too like to let loose sometimes.)