I know that a lot of you must have journalling or bullet journalling on your goals and vision boards for 2024. And why not? This is one of the best self-care activities one can do. I discovered my love for journalling, specifically bullet journalling in 2019 and have kept coming back to it every few months since then. When I started I was a broke university student with no grand budget to spend on stationery supplies. Hence, I have decided to write about the very basic things you need to get started.
Tip 1 – First things first, you do not need to have fancy handwriting for a bullet journal. My first tip is that the key to having an aesthetic spread is not about your handwriting, but about neatness. Keep things simple and clean. Practice makes perfect. Ultimately, journalling is a de-stressing activity, do not overthink it and enjoy the process.
Tip 2 – Basic supplies you need to get started on your journey
Here’s what you need to get started with journalling:
1. A good quality journal
My recommendation: Moleskine Journal or Leuchtturm
Both journals are super high quality, minimalistic, and come in many different colours and styles. One thing to look out for when you start journalling is ink bleeding through the pages. The thick pages of these journals prevent bleeding which gives you more creative freedom to use different stationery and keep things neat and clean.
2. A good set of highlighters/art pens
My recommendation: Zebra Mildliners 5 Pack
The mildliner quality is unmatched but I do know that it is a pricey purchase. Based on my experience, you do not need a 15-pack to get started. Keeping it simple, start with a 5-pack. My 5-pack recommendation is ‘fluorescent assorted’ or ‘gentle assorted’ but you have lots of options to choose from based on your personal aesthetic.
3. Brush Pen for Calligraphy
My recommendation: Tombow Brush Pen
This brush pen is amazing quality and lasts a very long time. I am still using mine from 3 years ago. This is a great pen to get you started on fancy lettering for your journal. This is an optional purchase. If you want to keep things simple, you can skip this purchase.
Tombow also has lettering practice sheets you can use to improve your skills!
4. A good quality pencil and eraser
Any pencil and eraser you are comfortable with works here, no need to go out there and purchase something fancy. This will be useful to set up your journal, draw things, and let your creativity flow.
That’s it! Everything else is supplementary. Sticker sheets, washi tapes, and brush pens do make the spreads pretty but you can do a lot without them. You do not NEED to purchase these when you are starting out. I suggest getting a feel for the hobby and then starting to collect your stationery little by little
Tip 3 – Monthly buying activities. I am guilty of being a stationery hoarder. When I was very deep into journalling, I collected about a suitcase full of stationery and when I fell out of it, a lot of my stationery dried out, rusted, and became unusable. I regretted my impulse purchases. My solution now is monthly trips to stores! My preferences keep changing, styles keep changing. I find it better and exciting to go down to the stationery shops every month to buy my new stickers and such. This also ensures I use up my old ones and keeps my collection in check.
Journalling Ideas and Prompts
You can use your journal for a variety of different things. The most common, simple use for it is to jot down your thoughts and note your appointments and tasks for the day. If you are struggling to fill your journals, I have some prompts to get you started:
- Monthly vision board – what goals do I want to achieve in this month? Fill this page up with pictures, notes, cutouts, and stickers.
- Summarize and review your favourite book/movie you have watched this month or this week.
- Talk about your favourite conversation from this week/day.
- If you are into drawing, draw your favourite meal of the day or week and write in a recipe for future reference.
- Write out an exercise routine or meal prep plan for the week or month with grocery lists, shopping information, and recipes to cook.
Journalling Inspo:
Here’s some journalling inspiration for you from my BuJo days!
Happy Journalling! Hope you have a productive year and enjoy your journalling journey.
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