Nastaran from Spanish Class Asked For a Post on Bullet Journaling

My bullet journal is named Harper, and she is breaking. The pages are arching their backs away from the binding, the covers can no longer contain all of the papers and Polaroids, and the book mark is frayed. The once flat journal now resembles a sort of music-less accordion. In the words of Esther from English class... 'she thick.'

Bullet journaling has really captured the Internet of late. YouTubers like Amanda Rach Lee have generated careers around them. Pinterest has an overload of bullet journal layouts and ideas. My best friend has an Instagram account devoted entirely to her bullet journal (my favorite spread she's done would have to be the Phineas and Ferb one. It's true art). I have been bullet journaling since the eighth grade, when I realized my schedule did not have room for an art class. It was a tragedy, so what all stressed teenagers do: I went online shopping. I ended up with a black dot grid journal for thirty dollars. Thirty dollars is a lot for a blank book of bound paper. I know. But I was in the depths of despair about my lack of art classes, so.... yeah. Solid excuse, no?

Three years later, three filled bullet journals have made a home of my bookshelf. If the coronavirus strikes as badly as has been predicted, maybe they'll be discovered by humans hundreds of years from now and put in museums. Maybe kids will read them as historical literature documenting life in the infamous 2020. Jesting aside, wash your hands, kids. Also, meditate; we don't want our anxiety levels up too high. No, sir.

According to bulletjournal.com, a bullet journal is "best described as a mindfulness practice disguised as a productivity system. It's designed to help you organize your what while you remain mindful of your why. The goal of the Bullet Journal is to help its practitioners (Bullet Journalists) live intentional lives, ones that are both productive and meaningful." As unpretentiously as possible, I do consider myself to be a bullet journalist (but not with capital letters, that's just a little too much). What I love about bullet journals is how individual they can be. My friend Lily of the aforementioned Phineas and Ferb spread loves to put logs in her bullet journal. She has sleep logs, exercise logs, income trackers, spending trackers, calendars, routines, and lists in abundance. Mine looks pretty different. It's a lot messier and a lot more like an art journal - agenda hybrid. I write my homework in it. I paint in it. I scribble down book titles, staple in show tickets, and glue down pictures of my friends, family, and future travel destinations. It's a lot, but it works for me.

If you're considering starting a bullet journal, I can't recommend it enough. You don't need a fancy notebook or special stationary, though I would suggest trying to find a dot grid notebook. This makes it a lot easier to structure your bullet journal. Bullet journaling has, I truly believe, been influential in my being a relatively good student and managing my stress. It's also become a treasured creative outlet. Here are my tips, but remember, bullet journals are highly personal for everyone! Do what works for you.

- Don't get too hung up on what your bullet journal is supposed to be. Apparently, bullet journals are supposed to have a table of contents and a key. Mine certainly doesn't. I'm too lazy to draw out thirty-one squares for monthly calendars. And while trackers are allegedly at the core of the bullet journaling experience, I only track two things: books, and whether or not I've remembered to take my meds. Also, don't try to perfectly replicate the pictures you see on Pinterest and other platforms. When you're just starting out, simple weekly spreads can be best. Minimalism is an amazing launching point. The bullet journal is supposed to make your life simpler, so there is no need to jump into elaborate spreads if you know that'll just stress you out.

- Get the supplies. The supplies are pretty much just a notebook and a pen. But if you're feeling like spicing up your bullet journal a tad, colored pens can be a blast. Washi tapes are fun, though I still don't really understand why they exist. I personally use the following materials:

• Minimalism Art Classic Notebook Journal
• Zebra Midliner Pens
• Tombow Dual Brush Pens
• Pilot G-2 07 Black Pens
• Number 2 Pencils
• Stabilo Point 88 Fine 0.4 Pens
• Eraser

The most important material here is the eraser. Because you will mess up, a lot. Trust me.

- Determine what you need to organize in your life. For me, it's homework, volunteering, tests, and my TBR (that stands for 'to be read'... yay for BookTuber terminology). For Lily, it's her life-guarding schedule, income, and sleep. Though my sister doesn't have one, Abby's theoretical bullet journal would prioritize gaming, pan-frying frozen dumplings, and taking out contacts. Structure your bullet journal around your life, not the other way around.

- Go outside of your creativity comfort zone. It's sorta fun to have pretty, themed pages in your bullet journal. Not a necessity, but fun. I've really developed my drawing and painting skills trying out new spreads for my bullet journal. I've also pretty much mastered fake calligraphy, if I do say so myself. Authentic calligraphy's a whole different story. Try pasting in pictures or letters. Use crayons and markers and pens and paints. Mix it up. 

- Think of the bullet journal as a time capsule. Writing down fun tidbits about your day, inside jokes, or the croissant you had for breakfast is a good way to preserve your day-to-day life in ink. Looking back on your old bullet journals is the epitome of memory lane. Mine have become little scrapbooks of my teenage years, and though nobody wants to be a teenager twice, they should be fun to flip through when I'm ancient. This is your life, and bullet journals provide you with a neat opportunity to (literally and figuratively) write your own story. Or color it outside of the lines, as it were.

- Have fun!

Wishing you a happy week and plenty of ink stains.
- Maya

*Photos from Maya's bullet journal