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How to get started with minimalist bullet journal spreads

• Bullet Journaling

Have you been interested in minimalist bullet journal spreads?

If you’re like me, you have lots of balls in the air at any given time. It can be tough to keep track of everything, let alone find the time to get creative! That’s where minimalist bullet journaling spreads create an advantage. Bullet journaling is a great way to stay organized and can also be a form of creative self-care. 

Often when people get into bullet journaling they get overwhelmed with instagram-perfect layouts, but the bullet journal system was designed to help creatives keep track of things–not to add more elements to your to do list. 

Taking a minimalist approach to your bullet journal pages can help you relax and de-stress while still being productive.

Supplies for minimalist bullet journal spreads

Why create minimalist bullet journal spreads?

Bullet journaling is already a great way to declutter your mind and organize your thoughts. But adding a minimalist design aesthetic to your pages can feel really satisfying! 

Not only will you be able to see everything you need to do at a glance, but you’ll also have a beautiful notebook to look through. And because it’s minimalist, it feels simple. (Also trust me, it’s a lot more fun than just looking at a list of tasks!)

Example of minimalist bullet journal spread by Cathy Hutchison

What makes a bullet journal spread minimalist? 

People use the term “minimalist bullet journal” to refer to both the method and the aesthetic. The appeal of a minimalist bullet journal is its simplicity. A sparse approach can help you stay organized and focused on what’s important.

This article focuses on minimalist bullet journal spreads defined by: 

  • Simple layouts with clean lines and generous white space
  • Black and white color pallet (sometimes with gray added)
  • Simple visual elements like arrows or other simple icons

The minimalist approach is about using as few supplies as possible and capturing the information quickly. The design of the layout locks in clarity. 

This can be a great way to simplify your bullet journal pages while helping you stay organized.

Example of minimalist bullet journal spread by Cathy Hutchison

Tips for creating minimalist bullet journal spreads

If you’re new to bullet journaling, or even if you’ve been doing it for a while but haven’t set a design for your pages yet, don’t worry! It’s easy to get started. 

1. Create a margin of an inch or more around your whole spread.

When you open your journal and see text running over the edges, it can make your chest contract (at least a little). Our eyes feel a sense of relief when they encounter white space–which is part of what makes minimalist bullet journal spreads so appealing.  

Leaving a wide margin–an inch or even more–when you are planning a spread contributes to an overall minimalist aesthetic. 

If you tend to create spreads in real time as you are using them, just get in the habit of leaving the white space, but if you plan your spreads out, then you can use a ruler to mark the margin.

Example of minimalist bullet journal spread with wide margins by Cathy Hutchison

2. Choose straight lines over ornate ones. 

Minimalist lines have few distractions and a clean vibe–if lines are used at all. Less is more. In fact, sometimes in minimalist bullet journal spreads, lines are missing where they otherwise would be expected. 

Example of minimalist bullet journal spread by Cathy Hutchison

3. Choose a black and white color pallet.

Part of the minimalist bullet journal vibe is choosing a monochromatic color scheme. Black and white doesn’t have to be boring, though. Here’s how to pull it off: 

  • Use black markers with tips of varying widths. 
  • Include a black brush marker in your options. 
  • Add gray markers to create depth.
  • Use white ink on black stickers.
  • Include simple black and white washi tape. 
Example of minimalist bullet journal spread by Cathy Hutchison

4. Create your own personal vocabulary of minimalist icons

Minimalist bullet journal spreads can still feature simple illustrations. To get the most out of this, create a handful of simple shapes that match your personal minimalist vibe. 

A good place to get inspiration for this is to do an image search for minimalist icons or minimalist tattoos.

Example of minimalist bullet journal spread by Cathy Hutchison

Time to test drive the minimal bullet journal aesthetic? 

Adding some simple bullet journal art is a great way to make your pages more fun and interesting to look at—and it can also help you de-stress and relax.

If you’re not sure where to start, check out Pinterest or Instagram for some inspiration. And remember, there are no rules when it comes to bullet journaling. Try a few things and you might be surprised at how your creativity flows.

About Cathy Hutchison

Cathy Hutchison helps people get more joy, meaning, and freedom in a world of demands through the practice of visual journaling.

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cathy.hutchison

Cathy helps people banish overwhelm,
boost creativity 🎨
and reconnect with their ♥️
through visual journaling. 🖌
Get the free Quickstart guide 📗 here

CathyHutchison | VisualJournal
I'm coming to the end of my first #journal for 202 I'm coming to the end of my first #journal for 2023. About to break out journal #2. 

I choose a single color for the year so that it is easy to see which journals are for which year on a shelf.

Looks like it will be a 3 journal year. #leuchtturm1917 #blankpages #bulletjournal
When you use #sketchnotes to capture ideas in a me When you use #sketchnotes to capture ideas in a meeting it creates a rich #notebook of the ideas that matter to you. 

Most of us rarely review the handouts given to us, but notes we create for ourselves can have real value as reference.
Do you know about the #artomat? They reclaim ant Do you know about the #artomat? 

They reclaim antique cigarette vending machines to dispense art. Artists create art the size of a cigarette box or smaller. 

While the tag gives you a clue about what's inside, it's never the whole picture and I LOVE the element of surprise. 

While in Santa Fe last week I scored this gorgeous linoleum print "Up and Away" by @meganwassomartnique. 

It's currently in my office doing a wonderful job of making me smile each time I look at it.
During the week, I hastily scribble random ideas i During the week, I hastily scribble random ideas in my journal.

One of my favorite things is hanging out at @starbucks on the weekend to go back through the pages at a slower pace and embellish the ideas with #doodles and watercolor crayons. 

This week, I heard the phrase “love is the medicine” and it resonated. Hard. 

I feel so much fear sometimes when I hear the dialog of politicians or even friends on Facebook. 

So often we act as if love has no power. But it changes lives. 

It interrupts the pattern of treating people as ordinary and cares for them as extraordinary. (It can also make you feel extraordinary in sharing that kind of love.) 

The best part is that it is accessible. Every single one of us can show love and receive it. There have been so many times that love has changed everything for me. I want to create more of that. 

#visualjournaling #artjournaling #sketchnotes #yourvisualjournal #journaling #love
When you are taking notes on a podcast, workshop, When you are taking notes on a podcast, workshop, lesson, or course with #sketchnotes, your brain manipulates the information making it more "sticky" and improving your retention. 

It's a skill that has paid big dividends for me. (And guess what! It can be taught and learned because someone taught me!)
Simple can be beautiful. A small doodled flower. A Simple can be beautiful. A small doodled flower. An underline of color. Your #bulletjournal can be as elaborate as you like, but our lives are complex. #Simplicity feels good.
#Sketchnotes help me manage my focus and stay enga #Sketchnotes help me manage my focus and stay engaged in meetings.
I love the A5 size journals because they can go ev I love the A5 size journals because they can go everywhere with me! #journaling #leuchtturm1917 #yourvisualjournal
This morning I received an email from @songdance.c This morning I received an email from @songdance.co with a link to a song. I had no idea how much I needed to hear these words. #journaling #yourvisualjournal #bulletjournal #artjournal #neocolor2
Making my inner 7 year old happy with sealing wax. Making my inner 7 year old happy with sealing wax. #journaling #stationery #artjournaling #sealingwax
I bought something that I wanted SO BAD when I was I bought something that I wanted SO BAD when I was seven years old. 

I realized that now that I'm a grown up I could just buy it. 

On Amazon. 

#sealingwax #journaling #artjournaling #yourvisualjournal
I love learning about the authentic fascinations o I love learning about the authentic fascinations of the people in my world. The obscure hobbies they love. The ideas they just can't stop thinking about. The things they pour time (and money) into for no reason except that it gives them joy .

As you jump into 2023, I highly recommend purchasing a #notebook that you can take with you everywhere to feed this part of your life . Write down your inspirations. Capture ideas. Develop thoughts by reviewing them periodically. (And definitely scribble doodles in the margins--that's an important part.)

Engaging a #journaling practice--whatever that looks like for you--can give space for the quirky, beautiful, creative part of you to grow. And as it turns out, #visualthinking in a #journal is my personal, random fascination.

#yourvisualjournal
#bujo #bujoideas #journaling #artjournaling #sketchnotes #bulletjournal #dotjournal #leuchtturm1917
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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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