A journal page and how it came about

One day, in my Lenten meditation, I was given the task to think about the virtues I respect.  

Blank.

Nothing.

All day.

Uhhhmmm.

I could identify WHO I respect but, for some strange reason, couldn't identify WHY. 

The words of one of my high school teachers, Mr. Taylor, came to mind.   "Jackie, you are making this harder than it is..."  BINGO!  


I know what works (pen to paper) so, while watching TV that night,  I picked up my sketch journal and pencil box.  At the top I penciled in "Things that I respect".  Notice it isn't straight, and not even well phrased. 

That was all my much-too-noisy brain could manage.  

Finally a couple of thoughts came. 

I realized quickly that I was never going to fill a whole page so I drew a line and started drawing doodle flowers.  I've doodled a lot over the years so this was easy and mindless for me.  The secret to thinking, for me anyway, often seems to be putting pen to paper.  Soon I find that the chaos/clatter/clutter in mind will start to ease.  

Eventually I came up with seven virtues that I respect. Yes, there are many more (now listed in my lined journal) but this is all my brain could come up with that night.

I decided that I wanted to finish this page and color it (after all, it had been LOTS of mental work). 

With my pencil I began to trace around the lettering.  Visually (meaning I didn't get out a ruler), I began to straighten things up. No, I didn't make fancy letters. Yes, it all runs slightly uphill but that is part of it's charm for me.  This task, after all, had seemed an uphill battle for me, even after I put pencil to paper.  

Next I used a black fine tip marker and darkened the outlines of the lettering and doodles below.  Notice I continued to make things a bit straighter, but that wasn't really necessary.  Progress not perfection.  Since I planned to erase the pencil lines I don't worry about them.  

Remember, I was working on this journal while sitting in my recliner while watching TV.  There was lots of "sit and stare" time in this process; it wasn't about creating a masterpiece, it was about thinking, praying, meditating on paper.  It's about getting past what is floating around in my head and to what I REALLY think and feel.  In this case it was also about completing my morning's Lenten assignment.  

Next, out came my eraser. I prefer a Faber Castel kneaded eraser that I purchase as an add-on from Amazon, but any eraser will do. 

After a bit I got out the colored pencils.  Nothing fancy.  I can see my pencil marks. Don't care.  The process helped me make a dent in my own defenses, I was (finally) able to get something from inside me to come to the surface. 

And that is good.  

Sketch Journaling

What is a sketch journal?  It is simply a pad of unlined paper where I can doodle, sketch, draw or otherwise indulge in my love of putting writing-instrument-to-paper or at other times, getting what is in my head onto paper.

Traditional journaling seems to be more self explanatory but sketch journaling seems to confuse people.  

 Supplies?  

All you need to begin to sketch journal is a pencil, a piece of copy paper, and a bit of "want to." Yup, that's all. 

What supplies do I use most often? 

I've shared before that, as a child I LOVED coloring books and crayolas.  As an adult I've traded in colors for what we used to call "map colors".  I have come to love art pencils and often use them in my sketch journal.

My favorite colored pencils currently are from Prismacolor. They have a smooth, waxy finish and don't have those gritty, grainy spots that the inexpensive map colors of my past had.  They also blend well and have a pleasant feel against the paper of my sketch book.

My very most favorite sketch journaling thing, though, is my pencil box. 

The things I use most often are a #2 pencil, a 2H pencil to do preliminary sketches (it is light but readable and erases easily), a good eraser, and a black find tip pen.

It was only in the Pinterest/YouTube age that I learned that there were more than Number Two lead pencils out there, much less how to use them, and in my little box I keep a selection of the types I use most often. I also have a good pencil sharpener, several kinds of erasers, pencils ranging from 6H to 4B.  A small pair of scissors, washi tape, a couple of pens, a clip to hold the pages of a journal if necessary...  The box fits easily into my purse or bag if I am taking it somewhere.  

I experimented with different boxes until I found one that usually stays closed.   

The sketch journals I tend to purchase are mid-grade, unlined sketch pads, but often at back to school time quality ones can be found at closeout stores like Big Lots. Last fall I found a treasure trove of the brand I use most often on closeout. I prefer spiral bound to hard bound but I was given a hard bound journal that I use for quilt ideas since most of those are printed off anyway. 

How do I sketch journal?

I usually have two journals going.  One is lined and another unlined. I write in the lined journal and jot down quotes or scriptures that particularly strike me.  When the mood (or the need) strikes, I get out the sketch journal. Sometimes I draw.  Often I begin something and then move on.  That is ok too. Sometimes I brainstorm or quickly sketch impressions of things, denote the beginning of a text art page or even draw something from one of my grandchildren's "how to draw" art books.  Some turn out to be pretty cool, but most are just quick sketches.  I particularly like what is now called doodle art.  

I often print out bits of inspiration from Pinterest then tuck them into my journal for those times when I am in need of a mental time out.   At other times I have a crafty idea of some type in my head and want to "preserve" it for later.  I have one dedicated sketch journal for quilt ideas.  That journal has more papers tucked in than it does things drawn but the idea, for me, is to keep my creative side structured.

Progress not perfection

If you can't draw, then trace! A couple of ways to do that are to print something you like off Pinterest, tape it on a bright window, then tape a blank piece of paper over it and trace.  You can even purchase an inexpensive light board in the kids Crayola Section!  And, yes, I sometimes trace!

Journals are about progress, not perfection. It is about getting things out of my head, not about completed projects or art masterpieces.  Remember, your art teacher or English teacher will no longer be grading your pages!

Mini Journals

I love mini journals.  What is a mini journal you say?  Simple.  It is a cute, inexpensive, small spiral notebook that can be used for a multitude of purposes.

Over the years I've used countless Mini Journals.  For most of the time I just made notes in them, but at some point I began to decorate some to use for other reasons.

Mostly it was because I  have a stash of stamps, stamp pads, Gelatos, washi tape and other miscellaneous supplies that I love to use. 

The notebooks I choose are sometimes gimmes (small notebooks that come from suppliers with their logo on the front), or, most often, they come from a Dollar Store.  I've used all sorts of shapes and sizes.  Lately the ones I have been finding are 5"X7".  

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The first thing I often do is a test page. Does the stamp pad ink go through the paper? Some of the notebooks take the Gelatos very well, others don't.  Same with Washi tape-at times it is easily removable, and other times moving it makes a big mess.  The wonderful thing about the spiral notebooks is, when experiments go awry the page simply goes away.

So...what do I do with these mini journals?  Most become my version of a day planner.  Some become quote journals, others are filled with prayers or scriptures. They make great, inexpensive gifts, too.

  The one I embellished this weekend is now my day planner. 

A simple lined notebook is the type of planner I tend to use the most.  I've tried "professional" day planners ranging from elaborate to cute to completely outlandish.  And they all end up in the trash because I don't use them.  Their elaborate dated pages and blank areas for to-do lists bring out the procrastinator in me. Although those amazing kit-type planners fascinate me, after years of purchasing pre-made stuff that I didn't use, I've learned what works for me and what doesn't. 

Consequently,  I shy away from to-do lists in preference of jotting things down that need to be accomplished. Yes, I know it seems like semantics but it works for me.  I put notes about professional tasks on one side and home/personal things on the other.  This works very well for me since I work from home. 

My favorite thing about this type of mini journal is that while it reminds me of what I need to do, the rest of the empty book doesn't stretch out beyond me.  If I skip a day (or a week, or a month) I simply pick it up and begin again; there is no reminder of how many days I floated along without a goal in sight.   Another thing I love is that it reminds me how much I get done every day.  It keeps me on task (when I remember to use it) and there is a particular joy when drawing a line through a completed task.

So...how to you make a mini journal?  The most important thing is to buy (or acquire) one.  They don't have to be decorated, in fact, most of the ones I've used through the years haven't been embellished at all.  

If you choose to decorate them, dig out your stash of stuff for paper and get after it.  I keep my journaling stuff in a tote so I can easily find what I'm looking for.  All I have to do is bring it to my work area, load a stamp with ink and randomly flip through the notebook and...stamp.  I usually don't decorate all the pages.  Sometimes I use Washi tape but remember that it can cause issues with writing over it so place it accordingly.  I usually place washi tape on the outer edges of the paper.  

In my new mini journal, on today's list is cleaning off the kitchen table. Since I use that area as an office of sorts, it accumulates clutter like crazy, and today's mess is the stuff I used to decorate the latest mini journal described above on Saturday.  Another note is about remembering to spend time each day working on a quilt I designed for an upcoming church fundraiser.   The date of the fundraiser has been moved from mid-June to the middle of March so that particular task got moved up in importance.  

So, while I put up all this stuff on the table and get my day started, think about acquiring a small notebook and how you can experiment with making mini journals.  I hope you love them as much as I do! 

Present moment awareness

Another reason I journal is present moment awareness.

The awareness of being more aware of this very second in time wasn't the reason I began journaling, not in so many words anyway, but journaling has become a way that I can get one foot out of yesterday, the other foot out of tomorrow and stand, at least for the time when pen meets paper, squarely in the NOW.

Present moment awareness.

Our generation is obsessed with multi-tasking.  Right now as I write a blog about being aware of the present moment I find myself with scrambled eggs and an almond flour biscuit being eaten a few bites at a time in between key strokes.  Some of it I tasted, some of it I simply swallowed.  Today is busy and I wanted to get a post done so...I'm eating breakfast while typing.  So much for practicing what I preach; That is typical of my life.  

Why does that bother me?  Because each moment i time is all I'm ever promised and I want to live my life to the fullest, not just exist.

 What are some other reasons I want to be aware of the present moment via my journal?  Sometimes so I can make note of the wonderful things that happen in my life (whether I was paying attention at the moment or not).  I often find myself praying on paper, especially when life gets tough. Writing to God seems to be much easier (for me, anyway) than trying to keep myself on topic with the Almighty.  Another reason is that I sometimes wake up with what the great Christian spiritual masters called "the morning demons", or yesterday's troubles overshadowing today.  I really dislike the "morning demons".

So, how do I practice "present moment awareness" by journaling?

I begin by simply writing the date.  I have just journaled.  There are LOTS of journal entries that are just dates.  Why?  The reasons range from running out of time to running to the bathroom.  And, for me, the BEST reason for a date only entry in my journal is that my mind is quiet enough that I can leave something blank.

That doesn't happen very often.

I've written several other blogs about the types of journaling I prefer so I won't go into those again in this post, but I do my best to journal every day, because, at least in those moments I am aware of the present moment.

How about you?  Are you willing to face a blank page of paper with an ink pen in exchange for living in the exact moment?  

Simple Quote journaling

Sometimes, during my prayer time, a prayer, statement or quote strikes me strikes me as poignant, funny, or profound, so I jot it down in my journal.  Or, later, while perusing Pinterest, I find a funny quote on a coffee cup so I write it, or it's something I want to look back on and remember.

  

Quote journaling is one of my favorite types of journaling. 

If you are a Pinterest fan, think of a quote journal as penning things you want to save instead of pinning them.  Same idea, different method...and available if your internet is down! 

An example:  today, as part of a study I am doing for Lent, I was reading the passage from a series by Matthew Kelly entitled Perfectly Imperfect.  The theme of this section was happiness:  what it is, what it isn't, and how to find it.  Since I tend toward being a worry wart, what I was reading really struck me as profound so I jotted words and phrases down.  

I do this for several reasons. The most important is so that I can really think about the meaning as I write.  There is something about putting pen to paper and calling to mind each word that really drives a point home.  I also keep a small quote journal for times when I need a quick pick me up.  

Next I often use my journal is as a source of inspiration for another sketch journaling, another type of journaling I often practice.  By writing quotes in my regular journal I can come back to the pages of inspiration when I want to sketch. 

Don't let this sound complicated.  As it has become part of my morning routine, it doesn't take but ten or fifteen minutes and has become an important part of my day.  

For the love of journaling

I love all things crafty and one thing has bridged my entire life: I have loved paper and pencils since I was old enough to hold a writing instrument.  Is it any wonder that I journal?

When I was a kid my favorite gift in the world was a new coloring book with an accompanying box of Crayola Crayons.  The more of those colorful sticks of wax in that crisp, clean box, the better.  Funny how the smell of  crayons can still take me back to those feelings of youthful joy.

For the love of journaling


Only five things are needed to journal.  The most obvious is paper and a writing instrument of some sort.  The other three things are a place, time and self discipline to put pen to paper.

It is usually the last three in most people's lives that are the most difficult.

Paper and writing instruments

I started journaling on inexpensive, lined spiral notebooks. When we were raising our four sons I tended toward smaller journals partly because larger ones seemed daunting...but mostly because the only time I had alone was in the bathroom so my journal stayed in the bathroom window with a pen tucked inside. 

Now, since our sons are grown I tend toward larger, lined journals.  Quality of the paper means more to me than the cover.  I really dislike gritty paper.

I keep a pen tucked in my journal at all times.  Yes, it damages the cover of the journal. No, I don't care.  I'd rather have a bent cover than have to get up and rummage around for a pen while my coffee gets cold during my morning prayer time. 

I love good, quality ink pens. I have a few expensive ones and I tend to use those until they run out of ink. Right now I am using some nice "gimme" pens.  As with paper, I dislike a pen that doesn't flow smoothly. I will throw away a journal that has pages which feel gritty, a pen with ink doesn't flow or dry well or leaves blotches on the paper.

Place, Time and Practice

For me, successful journaling is more about place, time and practice than it is about paper and pen.  That still surprises me.

For many years journaling typically looked like this: for a myriad of reasons I didn't write in the half dozen journals that ended up in the drawer of my night stand...so I would decide to purchase a NEW journal and some NEW pens.  THAT would fix the problem (remember my youthful joy at a new coloring book and Crayolas?). A few days or pages later, since journaling wasn't part of my daily routine,  that journal, too, would lie gathering dust on the bathroom window sill, opened once a week, once a month, or forgotten completely until I decided that a new journal might, again, "work better".

That was my life for so many years.  What happened to change that?  No, it wasn't a new journal that finally "worked".  It was the fact that during a particularly difficult time of my life, a daily time of reflection became a priority.

Eleven years ago I found myself an empty nester. That transition was one of the most difficult passages I've ever made.  Our oldest son had moved out on his own, our second son was going to college and working while living at home, but was almost never here. Then our two youngest sons went to the Marine Corps, one in September, the other in December of the same year. I found myself particularly unprepared and it was during that time of my life when I began to make a daily prayer time a priority.  Somehow, writing in a journal became part of the routine.  Thankfully, one day at a time, the habit has persisted. 

Most often my prayer time is first thing in the morning.  My usual place is in my favorite chair, and I keep my Bible, current journal complete with pen tucked in, and prayer book of some sort on a table next to it.  Cup of coffee in hand, I try to begin each day in this way, and I often journal during that time of reflection. I wish I could tell you that all this happened easily, but the truth is, my life just works better, one day at a time, when I practice incorporating this time into my day.


After all these years I still a big kid when it comes to paper and pens.  On the journey that is my life, I've learned that my days go smoother when I take time to reign in my mind and get thoughts out of my head and onto paper.  But, most important, it took creating a regular place and time and then learning to practice this habit daily.  I am still surprised to find that it is the daily repetition that is the most important aspect of my love of journaling.