Even as a young child, I loved to cut, glue, and craft just about anything I could get my hands on. I was always creatively inclined, and although I was never particularly good at art, I had always wanted to try it out whenever I had the chance. A few years ago while I was browsing through YouTube, I discovered this newfound activity known as bullet journaling.

This new style of journaling that I had never heard of encompassed everything that I loved. It was a concept of taking a blank journal and essentially “drawing” your own planner from scratch. There were so many different ways to approach it, and no two journals looked the exact same. This immediately excited me as I decided that I had to start exploring this new hobby.

It didn’t take long for me to fill up an entire journal, and it became a way for me to sit down a few times a week and unleash my “creative side”. I also occasionally used it as a diary, and found myself happier and more excited about everything in my life after physically writing my thoughts and emotions down. However, I did become tired of it at times, and it could easily become stressful to always create my own spreads for my planner. This resulted in on-and-off phases of me using my journal.

Now, I have found that switching up the style and the way I use my journal is the most effective method in allowing me to remain consistent in journaling. Currently, I have strayed away from using my bullet journal as a planner, but now collage photos together with other materials such as washi tape to create a space to use as a diary. I decided to completely write out my diary in a language I am learning, to try and keep my learning process going. This turned out to be a fun way not only for me to practice the new language that I was learning, but also to tap into my artistic side.

There are just so many ways to take the idea of a blank journal and use it to one’s advantage, that I don’t imagine becoming completely bored of it anytime soon. Despite this, after over 5 years of journaling, I have learned that the most important thing to keep it consistent in the long-term is to take breaks when needed. Even though bullet journaling is often meant to be an outlet, it can sometimes become stressful in multiple ways. Deciding to take a break is not the end of the world, and does not make you less productive or result in you “falling out of a pattern.” Taking a break is not always bad, and can offer time to free space in one’s mind to think about other important things or just to relax.

Even if it is not journaling, I am a firm believer that everyone should try to connect in some way to art. Learning to stimulate the mind in a right-side-of-the-brain kind of way is important to connect to others, and an important way to understand the world, as well as aspects of history. There are so many ways to explore art and creativity outside of conventional ideas of art, and part of the fun is exploring and finding those different modes of expression. For me personally, bullet journaling serves as a casual way for me to practice my artistic abilities, and shows me tangibly what I can create with my own hands.

If you are someone who likes to think creatively and appreciates art, bullet journalling or journaling in general is a great way to reflect once in a while and get back into touch with art in a casual way. It is low-commitment, and a hobby that is completely up to how you feel and how often you enjoy doing it.