It’s so fun to peek inside other people’s journals.
Renee Alexis is an introvert who has been in love with art since she was a kid. She’s also part of the group behind DrawPaintColor.com a site dedicated to helping people create more art.
If you are curious how others visually journal in their own practice, check out Renee’s story below:
When did you start journaling?
I had been journaling since I was in my teens. It’s my way of processing my thoughts and releasing pent-up emotions. I’m not a very vocal person so when I was growing up, the only way I could express what I feel is by writing them down in my diary and I haven’t stopped doing that ever since.
How has journaling impacted you?
Keeping a journal has helped me in many ways. For one, it has helped me understand myself more. It keeps me sane. It grounds me as I learn how to reflect on what I did. And it also reminds me to always practice gratitude. Keeping a journal allowed me to record the moments I wanted to remember and for all the years I’ve journaled, it feels like these old notebooks are, in a sense, slices of me.
Tell us about your personal set up. What type of journal and tools do you use?
When I was in high school, I just use any available notebook for my diary and an ordinary ballpoint pen, but when I discovered the beauty of bullet journals back in 2016, I switched to dotted notebooks. My favorite is the A5 Limelight Dotted Notebook and I’ve used it for 2 years now. As for other tools, I have a bunch of sign pens, brush pens, colored pencils, and now I’ve branched out to using watercolors. Slowly, I’ve accumulated a lot of supplies over the years just for journaling and that includes stickers and washi tapes!
When do you find time to journal?
I update my bullet journal almost every day but I make the spreads on weekends when I don’t have any work. I journal whenever I want to, there’s no specific routine really, I just reach for it whenever I want to write something down.
How often do you go back through old journals?
Not very often. I go back to them when I’m in the mood to read through what I’ve written in the past. Sometimes I revisit an old journal after a year to see if I have changed. Journaling definitely lets me see the progress I made through the years because I can say that the person who wrote those entries years before is no longer me anymore.
“Grab a notebook and a pen and just start. The rest will fall into place.”
Renee Alexis
What advice do you have for people just getting started?
Don’t overthink about it and just start. Grab a blank notebook and a pen, and just start. The rest will fall into place. There are really no rules to follow here and that’s the beauty of journaling, you are not limited.
Use your journal as much as you want. Write down what you feel, write down your goals, write down your plans, your aspirations, your to-do list. Remember that your journal is your safe place where you can be honest and raw. You can use it however you want, you can be as creative or as minimal as you prefer.
Where can people connect with you to learn more?
I share art tips over at Draw Paint Color and it’s perfect for beginners. It’s a new blog and I will soon be sharing my journal here, too.
As for socials, I am active on my personal Instagram – @renalexis01, it contains random stuff but I sometimes post about my journal there.
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