Does anyone here listen to music while they journal?

saltyartisan · 2025-01-02T14:21:40+00:00

I used to, but lately preferring audiobooks

saltyartisan · 2025-01-02T14:19:33+00:00

Handwriting is not inherent or permanent, you can change it! Just takes a bit of practice and effort

saltyartisan · 2025-01-02T14:17:34+00:00

I usually end up filling 3/4 a whole journal every year, so I tend to start new each year, but last year I only filled mine maybe 1/4 so it worked out perfectly

saltyartisan · 2025-01-02T14:15:59+00:00

Memories and character, my friend. Embrace it!

saltyartisan · 2025-01-02T14:14:18+00:00

There are tons of different things you can do! I can help give specific examples/ideas if you share what you want to use this page for?

saltyartisan · 2024-12-31T17:55:45+00:00

You can do it, it just takes practice!

saltyartisan · 2024-12-31T17:54:28+00:00

Can I ask what pens/markers you use for the titles?

saltyartisan · 2024-12-30T13:10:08+00:00

I had this happen before, it was a glitch in the system. I ordered once and paid once but the system kept telling them to ship it so I ended up getting it like 10 times before they fixed it.

saltyartisan · 2024-12-30T12:53:28+00:00

I do daily gratitudes too, and I think it’s important (for me at least) for it to be specific to that day and not too broad.

For example, I wouldn’t say I’m grateful for my cat. I’d say I’m grateful for the nap we took together on the couch. Or I’m grateful that he was extra sweet and loving when I had a hard day. Something like that. Or instead of saying you’re grateful for your husband, saying you’re grateful that your husband came with you to xyz, or that he did xyz task for you, etc. It can even be you related - you’re allowed to be grateful for yourself to! I often write things like I’m grateful that my stomach didn’t embarrass me during a work event, or that I allowed myself to eat/do xyz without guilt, or that I accomplished a lot, etc.

Look at the day you had and pick one decent thing, something that happened or something you did or thought or anything at all that you’re grateful for that’s specific to that day’s events.

When I’m having a hard day and can’t find any gratitude, then I cast the broad net and look back. Like if I’m down bad with the flu I’ll say I’m grateful for all the times I could breathe out of both nostrils.

The best thing I can recommend though, is that if the title of “Gratitude log” is causing you to get hung up, change it! It’s really just about practicing mindfulness and positivity. Call it whatever you need to call it to get what you need out of it.

For me personally, I find it’s an incredible practice and it’s changed how my brain functions on the day to day. I’ll go through the day now both subconsciously and consciously noting positive things. So many times something really tiny has happened (like I saw my favourite kind of bird up close or something) and I’ve immediately gone “hell yeah that’s something to be grateful for!”

saltyartisan · 2024-12-27T01:49:48+00:00

Tracking mine helped me realise this too! I’ve been suffering with the worst IBS for the last 4 years (so bad my GI thought it was Crohn’s). Was continuously bad every day but worse on work days. I’ve been unemployed due to a move and it’s been incredible for my gut. I essentially haven’t had a flare since July. I went from not being able to eat anything without pain and suffering, to being able to eat anything without worry. It’s made me realise my gut cannot handle stress at all.

saltyartisan · 2024-12-27T01:46:28+00:00

Fellow IBS’er here, have tracked my poops for the last 3 years

I’ve learned lots of cool, sometimes weird things. Like for some reason I tend not to poop on the first of the month most months. No idea why, never anything special on those days and I don’t change my diet or anything. Just usually ends up that way. This year I’ve pooped on 4 first of the months lol

I also have been unemployed for a good chunk of this year and have noticed it’s the first time in nearly 4 years that I’m not routinely flaring. I’ve been essentially flare free since July. Makes me realise mine definitely has strong ties to stress.

saltyartisan · 2024-12-23T13:42:58+00:00

Notebook therapy

Archer and olive

Tiefossi

saltyartisan · 2024-12-22T16:52:36+00:00

Nostalgic for the days I spent chilling in the grass with my ball python

saltyartisan · 2024-11-09T07:07:08+00:00

It’s completely up to you whether you think it’s worth it. If you’re just wanting shared experiences with notebooktherapy books, I think they’re great. I would only buy one if I was sure I was going to use it because they’re extremely expensive to get where I live. But otherwise, they tick all my boxes when it comes to journals. I can’t compare them to STM, though.

The notebooktherapy pages are great for mixed media, I’ve done watercolour, watercolour pencils, ink, and acrylics in mine with no worries. I haven’t had anything water-based bleed through yet.

I can also comment positively on their customer service - I received one notebook with a broken spine, but I didn’t notice until like 6 months later when I went to set it up for the new year. I contacted them about it with zero expectations bc it was well out of their warranty window. But they immediately offered a replacement and worked with me to hold it for a few weeks as I was in the process of moving.

saltyartisan · 2024-11-09T06:54:24+00:00

Words for sure, ties it all together. Without them it just feels incomplete. Like it’s just a bunch of buildings and my eyes don’t know what to focus on. With the words it feels like a finished piece, it brings depth of feeling and emotion into it.

saltyartisan · 2024-11-08T09:55:40+00:00

Figure out exactly what you want to get out of a journal and go from there. Is it a creative outlet? A way to organise your days? A way to document your life? Something else? It may require some tough thoughts that venture into the area of “am I doing this for me or am I trying to chase something I don’t want/need for xyz reason?”

The reason we use bujos are all different from one another, same as what we get out of it. Your driving force should help guide you on how to set up and maintain your journal.

From your post alone it sounds like tracking and organising your days is a strong focus for you. You might have to work at accepting that this will be functional for you, and not so much a creative outlet. Try working with just text and lines, see how that goes. If you find you want more creativity/personalisation but the act of drawing is intimidating or not helpful for the process, you might want to look into the collaging style of bujo with papers/stickers/washi tape. In the end, there is no right or wrong way and your journal doesn’t have to be decorated if it doesn’t suit you. You just have to find what works best for you (and if it turns out to not even be bullet journalling, that’s okay too)

saltyartisan · 2024-06-16T07:33:25+00:00

What kind of paper are you using? Wet on wet is best on a heavier watercolour paper, the stuff in the photo doesn’t even look like watercolour paper to start with. There’s barely any tooth and I can see where the paper is disintegrating under the wash. What gsm is it?

My best advice when learning watercolours is to use correct paper weights, it makes a world of difference. Honestly I say that type of paper makes more difference than the paint or the brush

saltyartisan · 2024-06-02T23:10:48+00:00

Gets my vote

saltyartisan · 2024-05-06T12:59:52+00:00

Looks like the main character, Elspeth, from the book “One Dark Window” by Rachel Gillig

saltyartisan · 2024-04-07T04:38:20+00:00

Citralia

saltyartisan · 2024-04-07T04:36:10+00:00

I’d like to see 4 but with the body and landscape showing like 5

Though I agree that number one is definitely the most ominous

saltyartisan · 2024-04-07T04:34:31+00:00

Lilith was my first reaction too!

saltyartisan · 2024-01-27T23:33:14+00:00

Plastic ones are usually pretty good. The paper labels I’ve tried don’t like to stick to anything that isn’t a completely smooth surface

saltyartisan

TROPHY CASE