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Cathy Hutchison with a journal

Peek Inside a Journal | Cathy Hutchison of YourVisualJournal.com

• 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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Reader Interactions

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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Cathy helps people banish overwhelm,
boost creativity 🎨
and reconnect with their ♥️
through visual journaling. 🖌
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CathyHutchison | VisualJournal
One of my favorite tools for visual journaling is One of my favorite tools for visual journaling is watercolor crayons. Here, I'm using #neocolorII by @carandache with an #aquabrush. To do this, you have to use a water resistant pen. I'm using a #pittartistpen by @fabercastellusa. #yourvisualjournal #artjournaling #journaling #watercolor
Playing with Posca markers in my pocket sized expe Playing with Posca markers in my pocket sized experimental journal. #yourvisualjournal #artjournaling #posca #arteveryday
Ten years ago, I started carrying a notebook with Ten years ago, I started carrying a notebook with me everywhere. I began taking notes, capturing insight, managing to-do lists, and working through ideas in a combination of words and doodles. 

This practice became a game changer for me. My notebook is my ally in living an intentional life. 

The sheer volume of information we process and decisions we make at a rapid pace is daunting. Getting things out of my head and in front of my eyes creates clarity. 

If this idea intrigues you, check out YourVisualJournal.com. It’s a passion project for me to share this practice with anyone who wants to try this out.

#journaling #yourvisualjournal #bujo #bulletjournal #dotgrid #leuchtturm1917 #notebook #sketchnotes
This year at BFF weekend we created #fairyhouse s This year at BFF weekend we created #fairyhouse s to leave at one of the trails in the hill country. We had so much fun creating then placing them
I was playing with ideas for my new course. #yourv I was playing with ideas for my new course. #yourvisualjournal #sketchnotes
The doodles on the edges of this page are inspired The doodles on the edges of this page are inspired by a mural in the Starbucks I was sitting in. The quote is from Benjamin P Hardy--and I love it that I made a mistake in the middle of it given the quote! ​​​​​​​​
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Creativity is risky business. It requires vulnerability and courage--with a high probability of mistakes and failures along the way. #yourvisualjournal #artjournal #artjournaling #watercolor #watercolorjournal #arteveryday #journaling #journallove
This was a great little book that shares the proce This was a great little book that shares the process of developing ideas. #yourvisualjournal #booksofinstagram #journaling #journal #sketchnotes
I got inspired by @oshupatterns through her @domes I got inspired by @oshupatterns through her @domestika course to play with #poscamarkers. It was so fun to use paint pens in this way. They dry fast and layer well. Super fun! #yourvisualjournal #journaling #artjournaling
When using watercolor crayons and an aquabrush it When using watercolor crayons and an aquabrush it helps to use a water resistant pen. I go through a lot of @fabercastellusa Pitt Artist Pens #journaling #yourvisualjournal #sketchnotediary #sketchnotes
I love my Mother's Day present! Thanks @bethutch ❤️#neocolor2 
There's something about a new set of crayons that is magical! (Plus if you see my most recent post, you can tell that I'm working with pieces parts big time!)
I'm re-reading @gregorymckeown 's Essentialism. I I'm re-reading @gregorymckeown 's Essentialism. I totally forgot about the chapter on our inner childq. So good. ​​​​​​​​
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#journal #journaling #journalingideas #visualjournaling #dailyjournal #journallove  #handwriting #penandpaper #journalcommunity #dotgrid #yourvisualjournal #artjournaling #artjournal #watercolorjournal
Today I misread my calendar and got to my meeting Today I misread my calendar and got to my meeting spot an hour early. The angels must have known how much I needed to just sit and journal. ♥️ What a gift of unstructured time ​​​​​​​​
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#journal #journaling #journalingideas #visualjournaling #dailyjournal #journallove  #handwriting #penandpaper #journalcommunity #dotgrid #yourvisualjournal #artjournaling #artjournal #watercolorjournal
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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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