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Peek Inside a Journal | Renee Alexis of Draw Paint Color

Last updated on August 14th, 2021 • Peek inside a Journal

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:

Renee Alexis reading a book with a journal beside her.

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.

Open journal on desk

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.

Open journal on desk that says "decide for yourself what it means to be happy." namjoon, lights

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.

Renee Alexis with her journal and laptop

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.

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 helps people banish overwhelm,
boost creativity 🎨
and reconnect with their ♥️
through visual journaling. 🖌
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CathyHutchison | VisualJournal
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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.)

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I just did my 2022 annual review—a practice I le I just did my 2022 annual review—a practice I learned from @michalroots . 

As one part of this, I wrote the sentences that jumped out at me from my 2022 journals as I went page by page. It left me with a sense of what the year was about and gave me an appreciation for the incredible beauty of friends, creativity, inspiration, and big ideas. 

I also looked at my vision board to see what happened, and what didn’t. For the things that didn’t happen, I gave some heart time to figure out the level that I actually want them (and learned it was low.) The things that happened had a lot of desire behind them. (It was an interesting thing to observe.) 

If you want to take Michal’s course, DM him for the link. I found it a valuable process that I will continue going forward.
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Brush markers are easy to use, and putting a few d Brush markers are easy to use, and putting a few doodles at the bottom of your todo list makes it more engaging for your brain. This whole thing was quick to draw. (Mostly circles, a rectangle, and a few lines.) Coloring in with #brushmarkers was fast and easy. 

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While I love color, the power of a simple black an While I love color, the power of a simple black and white spread is delightful to me. #brushmarker #tombow
I was never the kid who drew all the time, but aft I was never the kid who drew all the time, but after 15 years of visual journaling I've fallen in love with cartoons. #yourvisualjournal #artjournaling #cartoons
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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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