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Journaling + Sketchnotes + Bullet Journal Ideas

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14 Easy but Brilliant Ways to Use Washi from Bullet Journal Junkies

Last updated on April 24th, 2022

14 Easy but Brilliant Ways to Use Washi from Bullet Journal Junkies

Does the whole idea of washi tape feel overwhelming? Do you even know what washi tape is? These ideas from Bullet Journal enthusiasts offer big visual impact with very little effort!

Travel Journal Ideas (Stop dreaming and start planning so you can go.)

Last updated on September 4th, 2023

Travel Journal Ideas (Stop dreaming and start planning so you can go.)

If your heart is drawn to exploration, start your travel journal. This post dives deep into travel journal ideas from setting it up, to the types of journals available, to portable journal supplies.

A Skeptic’s Guide to Gratitude Journaling

Last updated on April 12th, 2022

A Skeptic’s Guide to Gratitude Journaling

Gratitude journaling a little too woo-woo for you? Here’s Rosemary Bointon’s skeptic’s take on It. No suspension of disbelief required.

Peek Inside a Journal | Shelby Abrahamsen of Little Coffee Fox

Last updated on April 12th, 2022

Peek Inside a Journal | Shelby Abrahamsen of Little Coffee Fox

Want to peek inside Shelby Abrahamsen’s Bullet Journal? She shares pages and some advice.

Journal App | 23 Digital Journal Tools (Sorted by Your Journaling Style)

Last updated on May 27th, 2022

Journal App | 23 Digital Journal Tools (Sorted by Your Journaling Style)

Looking for a journal app? We put the work in for you. Here is a quick, scannable guide to journal apps, sorted by your personal journaling style, with highlights on the features, to make it easy to find one to test drive.

Why it’s Okay to Instagram Your Ugly Bullet Journal (even if it’s a hot mess)

Last updated on April 12th, 2022

Why it’s Okay to Instagram Your Ugly Bullet Journal (even if it’s a hot mess)

Bullet Journals are a tool. And one that’s in pristine condition is one that hasn’t been used in real life.

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cathy.hutchison

Cathy helps people
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by journaling with sketchnotes. 🖌
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CathyHutchison | VisualJournal
1 cappuccino later. #urbansketching #sundaymorning 1 cappuccino later. #urbansketching #sundaymornings
My favorite part of #urbansketching is when the ba My favorite part of #urbansketching is when the basic idea is captured then I can add the ink. People move. Pencil is a good place to start!
One of the things I’ve enjoyed about carrying a One of the things I’ve enjoyed about carrying a notebook everywhere is that l can capture things during times when I would otherwise be scrolling. 

It takes me from consuming to creating. 

I drew this woman while waiting for a music and meditation program to start at the library last night. 

This morning, I finished the sketch at Starbucks. You don’t have to be able to draw to carry a notebook. Random notes and doodles also put you in creation-mode. And who knows? If you do it long enough you might pick up some skills. (That’s what happened to me.) #urbansketching #yourvisualjournal #carryanotebook
This book! I read The Buy Nothing Get Everything This book! 

I read The Buy Nothing Get Everything Plan at the intersection of: 

+ Feeling overwhelmed by how much plastic I use (and learning the severe limitations of plastic recycling.) 

+ The extreme cost of alternatives like toothpaste that comes in tablets, biodegradable plasticware, etc.

This book is SO PRACTICAL! Not only did it connect me to the Buy Nothing app which has resulted in some great gifts with people in my neighborhood, but it also reminded me that our grandparents didn't use all this stuff. (Commercials changed the way we live.) 

This book reminded me that: 

1) My mom brushed her teeth with baking soda as a child. (I put some in a diner-style sugar dispenser with peppermint essential oil and the cleaning results are pretty great.) 

2) Homemade salad dressing is easy and WAY more delicious than what comes in a plastic bottle.

3) Tons of things can be repurposed. (And Amazon doesn't need to be my first move.) 

I highly recommend downloading the free @buynothingapp and grabbing a copy of this book. (I first listened to it on my library's app, then decided to buy a copy so I could mark it up and use flags on the pages where I want to implement the ideas. 

#sustainability #plasticfree #artjournaling #yourvisualjournal #booksofinstagram
This is the most complex #urbansketch I’ve compl This is the most complex #urbansketch I’ve completed to date. Saturday, my @starbucks was crowded. I started with a quick pencil sketch, but the reality is that the scene kept moving. People standing there are amalgamations of those who came and went. 

It's interesting the decisions you have to make to simplify what's there so the drawing communicates, but still remains authentic to the scene. (ie. there's a lot of stuff missing behind the counter) I'm deeply enjoying this practice of drawing everyday scenes. 
#urbansketching #urbansketchers
#yourvisualjournal #artjournaling
Ever hear something that resonates so much you hav Ever hear something that resonates so much you have to write it down in your #journal word for word? #artjournaling
I'm finding that the more digital my world becomes I'm finding that the more digital my world becomes, the more satisfying it is to touch pens and paper. It's part of why I'm enjoying practicing #urbansketching.

The thing about urban sketching is that you learn it by doing it. I have a small pouch of pens and #watercolors with me all the time, so when I had some wait time at the Arboretum I tried to capture what was right in front of me. It became the backdrop to a #journal entry.

#yourvisualjournal
I carry my notebook with me everywhere and capture I carry my notebook with me everywhere and capture whatever feels significant or particularly charming. Because it is such a hub I keep my calendar here as well. It gives me a visual overview of the month and the doodles make me smile when planning. #journaling #yourvisualjournal #bulletjournal
Wine and I are not friends. (Yes, I know. Shocking Wine and I are not friends. (Yes, I know. Shocking.) 

However, I do enjoy wineries (= sitting on patios in beautiful locations talking with friends.) 

So, this weekend, I went with my wine friends which gave me the chance to practice #urbansketching in new locations. 

I find I keep focusing on the people and ignoring the scenery. By far to me the best part of any “place” is the people who are part of the fabric. 

It’s been fun exploring this type of #visualjournaling
Sometimes when faced with a whole #journal page it Sometimes when faced with a whole #journal page it’s easier to draw a smaller canvas to work in. Plus botanical #doodles are fun. #artjournaling #yourvisualjournal
I love capturing moments in a conversation in my j I love capturing moments in a conversation in my journal. This page was captured while sitting around Melanie’s kitchen table drinking tea.
Yesterday I went out solo for lunch to practice mo Yesterday I went out solo for lunch to practice more #urbansketching. This is such a fun challenge trying to build the skill.
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Disclosures

Some links on this site are affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The author receives a  small (really small) commission if you happen to buy something.  Funds are used to support journaling supplies & four crazy sweet Aussies who bark for treats every time I come in the door. (To be fair, I have a pattern of giving in to them.) I write about all kinds of journaling, and if Bullet Journaling is your thing, I’m here to support you. But if you want to go deep, go to the original source–Ryder Carroll, who created the system, and started it all at bulletjournal.com. I use the method daily which is why I started writing about it here.
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