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Cathy Hutchison with a journal

Peek Inside a Journal | Cathy Hutchison of YourVisualJournal.com

Last updated on December 10th, 2022 • Peek inside a Journal

Want to see inside my journal? 

Normally, I interview other journal-keepers about their practice for the Peek Inside a Journal feature. 

But this time, we are looking inside my journal. 

I’m Cathy Hutchison, the creative spark behind YourVisualJournal.com. Here’s how I approach my personal journaling practice.

When did you start journaling? 

Like many people, I had way too many journals that had the first three pages filled out, then were abandoned. That changed when I saw sketchnotes for the first time.

Rewinding to that day, I was at a point in my life where I was burned out. I felt like a hamster on a wheel. 

Imagine me sitting in an auditorium at a conference listening to speakers which I should have found inspiring, but instead just made me feel overwhelmed. At the break, I walked to the back of the auditorium saw a man with markers filling whiteboards with words and doodles. (Later, I would learn these were sketchnotes.)  

Suddenly, I had total clarity. I could see the ideas. Everything that had been presented clicked into place and made sense.

I became obsessed with learning the technique so I could have that clarity always. At first I just kept loose pieces of paper as I practiced, but eventually I bought a journal and kept it with me all the time so I could think on paper in this creative style whenever I wanted to.  

Sketchnotes in Cathy Hutchison's journal

How has journaling impacted you? What has it meant to you? 

My journal is a workhorse. I plan my days, brainstorm ideas, take notes, and have it out for almost every conversation. (You never know when someone is going to say something brilliant that you want to capture.) 

Here’s the thing: my brain loves this!

There’s no more worry. Stuff that used to get stuck running circles in my head are now poured onto paper where I can see them and deal with them. It gives me clarity.

After years of doing this, I can say it has made me much more intentional. I cross things off that don’t matter and embellish the things that do. 

Tell us about your personal setup? What type of journal and tools do you use? 

I’ve test driven a lot of things over the years, but I always seem to come back to crayons. My favorite are Caran D’Ache’s NeoColor II water soluble crayons which I blend with an Aquabrush.  (I also always keep a cigarette case with me full of plain old Crayola crayons because they are super functional.) I also go through phases where I use Tombow Dual Brush markers because you can get such an amazing “pop” with the colors, and for journals with thinner pages, Prismacolor Colored Pencils lay down way more color than their drugstore counterparts.

I keep several pens on me. The Kaweko Sport is portable and a great fountain pen to learn with. (I’m not sure why I enjoy writing with a fountain pen so much, but I really do!) I also carry a few PITT Artist pens because they are waterproof which is a necessity when using water soluble crayons. For a basic black writing pen, I really like Paper Mate InkJoy because it writes so smoothly.

My go-to journal is the Leuchtturm 1917 A5 Sketchbook. A5 is the size of a folded letter sheet of paper. For me, it is the perfect balance of portability while having enough paper space to really think on. I like the thickness of the pages in the sketchbook version. (Hey Leuchtturm, if you are reading this, please add the index and page number features to your sketchbooks!) 

When do you find time to journal? 

My journal is always in my bag as I’m moving through my day making it easy to pull out and open wherever I am, so I journal all the time.

Do you go back through old journals? How often do you review? 

I often reference past journals. I number my pages and keep an index of what is on each page to make it easy to find stuff later. 

Once a year, I do a deep review of the previous year’s journal.

My personal practice is to take my birthday day off and spend it in nature in silence. I always take my journals from the previous year and look through to pick up on themes. Then I capture my insights in my current journal. 

What advice do you have for people just getting started? 

Having a journal you carry with you everywhere is a big win. Whether that is pocket sized, passport sized (A4), or A5, it’s easier to journal when you have easy access. 

Capture whatever is pinging in your brain. If you’ve thought about it three times or more, chances are it is worth exploring. Trust that. 

Where can people connect with you to learn more?

I’m most active on Instagram (@cathy.hutchison) and in the Visual Journaling Community on Facebook. I’d love to see you there!

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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Comments

  1. Samantha

    05/16/2022 at 6:47 PM

    Looks interesting, may help me with big decisions i have to make in my life. lots on my mind.

    Reply

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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. 
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#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
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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
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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.
Lately I’ve been practicing #urbansketching in m Lately I’ve been practicing #urbansketching in my visual journal. It’s a fun challenge and can be done with a brevity of supplies.  #artjournaling #journaling #leuchtturm1917
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Of course, a favorite part (besides just getting to be with these women) was sitting on the deck watching birds come to the feeder. There were Stellar Jays, Juncos, and--what I drew--a Mountain Chickadee. 

#traveljournal #yourvisualjournal #journaling #artjournaling #leuchtturm1917 #watercolorjournal #watercolor
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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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