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Your Visual Journal interviews Shelby Abrahamsen of Little Coffee Fox

Peek Inside a Journal | Shelby Abrahamsen of Little Coffee Fox

Last updated on April 12th, 2022 • Peek inside a Journal

Have you ever wanted to peek inside someone else’s Bullet Journal?

Want to peek inside of someone else’s journal? Check out this one! I know I love to. I’m so curious about how other people use the method, and it’s fun to “see” how other people think on paper. Plus, it’s a great place to find inspiration and prompt myself to try new things.

See inside a journal! Shelby Abrahamsen of Little Coffee Fox

But even more interesting is learning how people actually journal. What do they use? When do they journal? Are they consistent? What does it mean to them?

I’m a big fan of Shelby Abrahamsen, and I might have geeked out just a little bit when she agreed to answer questions about her process and show us some of her spreads.

If you haven’t heard of Shelby before, she’s a blogger at Little Coffee Fox, where she shares tutorials and inspiration for people who want to get organized through Bullet Journaling. She’s a great source of resources, and fun to follow on social media!

If you too have been curious about how other folks who journal approach their practice, check out Shelby’s story below:

Shelby Abrahamsen of Little Coffee Fox

When did you start journaling? 

I have been journaling on and off my whole life, but I finally made it a consistent habit about four years ago.

How has journaling impacted you? 

Journaling has helped me in a number of ways. I feel more confident about who I am and what I believe in. Through journaling, I now value my time, mental health, and abilities more than ever before. And I now feel more able to be creative, express myself, and share my true passions with the world.

Tell us about your personal set up. What type of journal and tools do you use?

My personal set up is in a sort of transition right now, so I’m testing out lots of things!

At the moment, I use an Erin Condren Life Planner for all of my day to day to-do lists. I use a collections journal for all of my random lists, mind maps, and project planning. I use my iPad and Apple Pencil along with the Goodnotes App to keep my business notes and planning. And I keep a Morning Pages journal separately to write in every morning, as well!

Do you journal daily? Usually when?

I try to journal on the week days, but I usually don’t bother on the weekends. I write in my Morning Pages journal most mornings and I keep up with my to-do list most days. But some days (or weeks) just end up getting away from me and I don’t really do much in any of my journals! When that happens, I just pick it back up and don’t worry about the time missed.

How often do you reflect on what you’ve written? Do you go back through old journals? 

I like to think that I’d go back and read old journals, but I rarely do! Maybe once a year I’ll pull an old journal off the shelf to flip through it, but that’s pretty much it.

“My best advice for anyone getting started is to not get wrapped up in perfection.”

Shelby Abrahamsen

What advice do you have for people just getting started? 

There are no awards for the most perfect page. I’ve been leaning on my motto “Done Not Perfect” for years now, and it remains true to this day. Push through mistakes, fear, insecurities, and doubts to get a page done. Even your most messed up, mistake-ridden pages will help you make progress.

Where can people connect with you to learn more? 

Peek Inside a Journal:Shelby Abrahamsen of Little Coffee Fox
Shelby Abrahamsen of Little Coffee Fox shares a peek inside her journal.

You can always check out my site – LittleCoffeeFox.com – to see what new tutorials and inspiration are being published. If you’re into bullet journal printables or hand-lettering worksheets, I’ve got a whole library full of them for free! You just need to sign up here and you can get access to all those resources here: https://littlecoffeefox.com/resource-library-sign/.

Special Offer: Wish your journals looked more like Shelby’s?

I reached out to Shelby for this interview because I took her Brush Lettering 101 course and deeply enjoyed it. It was the perfect balance of great information with concise delivery. (I’m super-impatient when it comes to learning things. Fast and clear is a win!)

I had actually tried brush lettering before, but could never quite get there. Shelby’s practice techniques were genius! I ‘m getting great results—even as a lefty!

You can go through the course in one session, or break it up. I did it all at once sitting at my favorite coffee shop, and it was well worth my time and money.

Here’s the best part!

Shelby is giving YourVisualJournal.com readers a special offer: register for the class, and receive $10 off with the code: visualjournals

How awesome is that?!

Below is the first journal page I created after taking the course and practicing just a little bit. Brush lettering is super fun!

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Got inspired by a question asked by @narratologybiz on Basecamp this morning. I keep thinking about it. Also I took @little_coffee_fox’s brush lettering course this weekend so it was a great opportunity to practice. . . . #yourvisualjournal #sketchnotes #journaling #creativejournaling #bulletjournal #bujo #journal #journaling #bujoinspiration #bujolove #bujoinspire #bulletjournaljunkies #showmeyourplanner #dotgrid #brushlettering101

A post shared by Cathy Hutchison (@cathy.hutchison) on Aug 26, 2019 at 5:59am PDT

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. Mina

    10/04/2019 at 7:16 PM

    With planners & journals, there’s always a part of me that says “I wish I could see inside a successful person’s planner, I can’t be doing this right” & it’s so nice to see some pages are minimal, some pages are cluttered, designs or types of books can change over time & it’s not a fail. It’s just life moving by.

    Reply
    • Cathy Hutchison

      10/04/2019 at 8:59 PM

      Mina, I love it that you took the time to share this!

      Reply
  2. Marguerite Miller

    09/19/2020 at 10:22 PM

    I can’t wait to get started. Thank you so much for the encouraging words.

    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. 
#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.
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
Holiday morning means time to journal at Starbucks Holiday morning means time to journal at Starbucks ♥️ #yourvisualjournal #journaling #artjournaling #artjournal
This year, BFF Weekend was held @lynettesug's brot This year, BFF Weekend was held @lynettesug's brothers house at Lake Tahoe. This area remains one of the most beautiful places I've ever experienced. I tried to capture it in my journal. 

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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