Creating Your Travel Journal Kit

 In my last post, I spoke briefly on the joys I find while creating my travel journal pages.  I keep my travel journal and my journal kit with me on each journey.  Next month, I will be taking a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico with a friend for my biggest trip in years, so I have streamlined my kit for air travel.  This is the journal kit I will be sharing with you here, but I will include all of my "must haves" for journaling in this post.  

Before creating your tool kit, it is important to decide which what type of journal you wish to have.  Will it be a scrapbook, an art book, a journal, or simply a Bullet Journal comprised of lists?  Only you can decide which journal meets your needs and your desires.  For me, I wanted all three journals in one book.  I like to create art, journal on various prompts, make lists, look at maps, display photos, and gather ephemera to tell a story... my story.  My journaling kit needed to include supplies for all of the above.  I needed a journal that could multi-task in the same way I do.   I chose a medium sized Moleskine Art Sketchbook.  There were several reasons why I chose this journal for everything. 1- The size was perfect.  It is small enough to fit in a day pack but large enough to hold all of my souvenirs and pictures without compromising substance.  2- The paper is thick enough to support painting, sketching, and glue without bleeding.  3- This journal has 88 pages which means I can use it for lots of trips without being too bulky to carry.  4- It has a pocket in the back of the journal where I can keep ephemera and stickers if I forget to carry my designated folder.  (Ephemera is a term that means any small paper, sticker, or momento that can be used to trigger a memory and can be placed in a scrapbook without creating too much bulk.  Examples include receipts, ticket stubs, menus, matchbooks, business cards, and paper wrappers.)

Moleskine Art Sketchbook

My second non-negotiable item was a Bluetooth printer that would print photos directly from my cell phone.  I used to use digital cameras for my trip photos, but cell phones are ubiquitous, and they now take better pictures than cameras.  Why should you pack another bulk device when one does so much?  I chose the Canon Ivy 2 after much research.  My only issue with it is that it has a tendency to wash out people in photos, and I haven't quite figured out the balance of light and dark.  However, it suits my purposes well.  An HP Sprocket is cheaper and scores just as highly as the Canon Ivy 2, so it is completely up to user preference.  Although the printer will fit in the journal kit I created, I do not recommend taking this printer for trips involving airfare.  It is rather heavy and delicate, so I am not going to risk it for my upcoming trip to Puerto Rico.  I can easily print photos to adorn my scrapbook when I get home.  I use the zinc paper with the sticky back for this printer.  I can cut my small photos apart and put them all over the final scrapbook spread.

Canon Ivy 2

The other items in my travel journal kit are all dependent on your preference, your budget, and your interests.  Remember that your items must be easily transported and functional.  Don't waste your space and money on items that you will never use.   When I decided to order a pencil pouch for travel journaling, I purchased 2 separate pouches.  After reading a recommendation on Pinterest, I decided to use one that opened like a book.  This Lihit Lab pencil pouch can be ordered in 3 different sizes.  I am glad that I chose the smallest size because it really limits my space and and forcedd me to choose its contents carefully.  

        

Lihit Lab Pencil Case 

The contents of the pouch demonstrate your journaling type.  I include tools to help me create whatever hits me in the moment.  In a later post, I will show how each item is used to create various spreads.  I like to balance quality with price for each item I include in the kit.  I have no problem paying for quality as long as I know I will use it.  Most items listed below were purchased at Michael's or through Amazon.  Don't spend a zillion dollars on a Faber-Castle pen when you can buy a Micron fineliner for $3 online.  I chose to splurge on watercolor sets.  Currently, I have a beautiful travel watercolor set, but it is too large to carry on an international trip.  I also just purchased a third travel watercolor set for myself for Chanukah.  Finally, I landed on a dot watercolor chart at Michael's for $10.  I cut it in strips using my paper cutter so that it would fit in this functional kit.  If you have questions about items in this kit, feel free to send me a message in the Comments section.

1 - Water brush pen (No specifice brand, but Koi makes a travel water brush pen that I may be giving to myself for Chanukah')

2 - Fine point paintbrush

3 - A masking pen (This lets you cover spaces that you don't want to be affected by watercolors.  Molotow is a great brand for this, but I chose a cheaper version.)

4 - Artist' Loft Watercolor Dot paper (Grab these at Michael's.)

5 - Travel Watercolor set with small paintbrush (This one is a Winsor and Newman Cotman travel watercolor palette, but choose one that fits your purpose and space.)

6 - Sarasa Clip Pen to match the accent colors for the trip (I do this with pens and washi tape.)

7 - Generic Mechanical Pencil

8 - Stabilo Fineliner in matching colors  (I absolutely LOVE my travel set of these pens, but I haven't put them in my Travel Journal Kit just yet.)

9 - Uniball Signo Pen in White (I find that these work better than the Gelly Roll white collection.)

10 - Tombow MONO Zero Eraser Pen

11 - Sakura Micron 01 Fineliner (These write on watercolors without smearing as well as photos.)

A - Washi Tape in Coordinating Colors (Save space by rolling your washi tape on a thick piece of glossy cardboard.)

B - Clear 6-inch Ruler

C - Various Sizes of Paperclips

D - Elmer's Craft Bond Glue Stick

E - Tombow Mono Permanent Glue Runner in a petite size

F - 4-inch Crafting Scissors 

G - Staedtler Eraser

H - Small Pencil Trimmer

I - Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser

J - Strathmore Watercolor Artist Trading Cards  (I use these to capture scenes that may be too large for a journal but too small for a Strathmore Watercolor Postcard, which I also keep in my journal but failed to show here.)

K - Artist's Loft Mini Sized Watercolor Pencils  (I LOVE watercolor pencils.  You can blend colors in ways that you would never know if sticking to plain colored pencils.)

L - Grid Ruled Index Cards  (I use these for journaling responses in my journal.  If you buy the Quadrille Grid Ruled ones, they will be too big to use in a medium sized journal.)

I hope that this post gives you many of the tools that you can use in a travel journal.  When I totaled the cost of all of these supplies, it came to about $150 (not including the journal itself or the Canon Ivy 2 printer or its sticker paper).  Remember that an artist (or journalist in this case) is only as good as her supplies.  I am not a stickler for having the best tools for each job, but I do like to have quality supplies where it really counts.  However, a travel journal should fit the needs of its keeper.   If you are a person who loves to travel as well as keep a journal (or six in my case), then I highly recommend creating this ultimate piece of travel memorabilia.  Every journal is a masterpiece in its own right, and it is uniquely one-of-a-kind.  Now that I have given you a reason to keep a travel journal and a list of my favorite supplies, I plan to create my next post on various pages that a person may compile in her journal.  Please stay tuned to see some of my more unique spreads.  Safe and happy travels!

Random Acts of Art Kindness

 As I look around me at the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, I see that we are truly missing Kindness in our daily lives.  From hate groups to hate speech, the world is growing dimmer each day,  In order to spread Kindness and cheer, I have decided to engage in Random Acts of Art Kindness (RAAKs). 

 

First of all, what are RAAKs?  Random Acts of Art Kindness is a way to spread the joy of art to those who need a little extra Kindness in their lives.  You can do this by creating little pieces of art (drawings, collage, Artist Trading Cards, etc.) and leaving them randomly around your town or community for others to find.  This is not meant to be a scavenger hunt for all of the art you leave (similar to geocaching).  It is, however, meant to give spontaneous happiness and Kindness to those who happen to find them.

Next, do all RAAKs have to be the same?  Of course not!  Art is as different as each individual person is.  This does not mean that you cannot create the same piece of art to leave at several different locations.  You can put as much effort into creating RAAKs as the joy you will receive by sending them out into the world for others to find.  For example, I have bought a set of small colored envelopes with white cards from Amazon on which I will create artistic notes  to leave in random places throughout my community.  This piece of Art Kindness can be taken by its finder or passed along to another person who needs a little Kindness in their lives.

Thirdly, where do I leave my RAAKs once I have created them?  RAAKs can be left anywhere!  I plan on placing them on random cars at the grocery store, in Little Free Libraries, inside books at Barnes and Noble, on the restaurant table with my tip, and even engaging local business owners to help in the endeavor.  The point is to place them where they can be found by others.  You never know when or by whom the RAAKs will be found.  That is the beauty of randomly placing the places.

Finally, do I have to make my own RAAKs?  Ideally, yes.  But that is not the main purpose in placing RAAKs.  The real reason is to spread Kindness.  If you do not have the time or energy to create your own, then I would like to encourage you to order a free set of Kindness Cards.  Vicky Barone is a North Carolina artist who creates Kindness Cards to be given out in the community.  She is offering a free set of her designer cards to those wishing to do the same.  The only price you pay is for shipping.  When I ordered my set of 30 cards, it only cost $4.04 for 2-day shipping.  Please visit her shop at https://www.vickybarone.com/products/kindness-cards and order your set of cards today.

Whatever your age or stage, it is possible for you to create RAAKs to spread Kindness throughout your community.  The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.  You may be able to start of tidal wave of Kindness in our world that will last for generations to come.

Creativity and the Level 10 Life

 Lately, I have been researching how to approach living my best life in 2021 and recording the process in my Bullet Journal.   While searching for answers on blogs and Pinterest, I kept noticing the phrase "Level 10 Life" popping up everywhere.  I decided to delve deeper into the topic.

The phrase "Level 10 Life" was coined by Hal Elrod in a book entitled The Miracle Morning.  Elrod claims that 95% of people never reach their full potential because of a lack of planning, prioritizing, and implementing attainable goals.  According to him, we need to reflect on ten various realms in life to see what we can do to reach a Level 10 Life on our own terms. Those ten realms include the following:  friends and family, personal development, spirituality, health and fitness, finances, physical environment, career, romance, fun and recreation, and giving and contributing.  By dividing each realm into measureable, attainable steps and working to achieve these goals, one can presumably take the necessary steps to living a Level 10 Life.

But I wondered whether all of these realms applied to everyone in their quest to live a Level 10 Life.  I don't have a significant other or a career, so these would not apply to my life.  I also consider charity to be part of spirituality and personal development.  Finally, I asked myself what gives meaning to my life and motivates me toward the ideas of accomplishment and connection with the world around me.  Easily enough,  I decided that CREATIVITY had to be counted in my Level 10 Life in order for it to feel like it belonged to me.

If you are reading this blog, then chances are that CREATIVITY belongs in yours, too.  You will find examples of goals for each realm of life on other blogs, so I will give you samples on creativity.  However,  a Level 10 Life is all about YOU,  so please develop your goals so that you will have no trouble owning your plan of attack.

Needlework 

Create 1 cross-stitch pattern per month for 4 months.

Take 1 class on crochet on www.Craftsy.com

Learn 3 new knitting stitches a month for 3 months.

Embroider two handkerchiefs by March.

Papercraft

Practice Hand-lettering for 2 hours a week for 2 months.

Compile 1 scrapbook page per week for 3 months.

Design 12 holiday cards by December 1st. 

Create 2 Bullet Journal spreads per month for 6 months.

Writing

Complete 30 journal entries in 1 month.

Compose 2 poems a week for 5 weeks.

Write one chapter a month for 12 months.

Join a writer's group on www.meetup.com

Cooking/Baking

Learn 1 new recipe a month for 10 months.

Make homemade jam.

Learn to bake challah.

Take a cake decorating course. 

Fine Arts

Create 1 painting per month for 4 months.

Draw 1 mandala a week for 6 weeks. 

Sketch in the park.

Compose 1 Artist Trading Card each week for 12 weeks.

I hope that this gives you a sense of SMART goals to help you create your own Level 10 Life.  Just remember to leave room for your soul to grow!

~ Melissa

Journaling Your Way to Creativity

 Creativity isn't something that comes naturally for all people.  Some have to work diligently to find and maintain that creative spark.  There are many different ways to do this, but my favorite is journaling.  No, not keeping a Bullet Journal (although you can keep your journaling entries in your BuJo).  Journaling is the act of writing or drawing in a designated space in free form or following prompts.  You can journal about your life, ideas, art, literature, travel, cooking, or anything your heart desires.  If used properly, journaling can give you immense insight into yourself and the world in which you live.

In the vast world of journaling, there are few rules, if any.  However, I would like to make some suggestions from my own experience that may help you in your journaling adventure.

1.  Have a designated journal that you use for each different topic.  Right now, besides my Bullet Journal, I have a daily journal for addressing prompts found on the Facebook group page called The Stationery Nerd Herd.  The Stationery Nerd Herd is a group dedicated to the love of stationery in all forms (including journals!!!).  I also have a dedicated art journal, and a Harry Potter Moleskine journal for compiling my chapter reflections of the Harry Potter series of novel aligned with the podcast called Harry Potter and the Sacred Text.  Four journals at once may seem like a lot to some people, but it helps me to stay organized in my thought process.

2.  Designate a specific time and place to journal.  This may seem like a no-brainer, but just like with schoolwork, we function at our highest when there is order in our world.  You may choose to write daily, weekly, or when you finish the end of a chapter in a book (like I do with my HPST journal).  By setting a specific time for the creative writing process, you validate the act itself.  Schedule time in your planner or BuJo for this important task just like you would for a haircut or a spa day.  This should be dedicated "you" time.

3.  Start the journaling process with a given prompt.  I have included this because it is hard looking at a blank page with no idea what to write.  You can easily "Google" journal prompts from art to self-care and everything in-between.  Just pick one and start writing.  I have enjoyed being a member of The Stationery Nerd Herd, because the group owner has provided members with almost a year full of journaling prompts in at least 8 different categories.  Pam Tremble, the group owner, has recently published a book called 30 Days of Journaling: An Introduction to Daily Journaling.  If you do not know where to start journaling, start here.

4.  Buy a journal and pen/pencil that you love to use.  No one wants to write in a wide ruled composition book with a Ticonderoga pencil.  If you are going to journal, use one that will excite you every time you open it.  There are TONS of journals out there, and the search for the right one that suits your needs can be daunting.  While I prefer black, hard-bound, dot-ruled or blank journals, not many do.  Lucky for us, Pam Tremble has unraveled the mystery of the best journals in 2020 which you can find here.  My suggestion is to find a cheap colorful journal to begin the process, and graduate to a new journal after filling the first as a reward.  Pens are a whole other story.  Choose a pen that feels good in your hand, has a color of ink you like, and will not bleed through paper.  Ballpoints and gel pens are fine for this activity.  My favorite pen is a Dr. Grip Gel Pen by Pilot which promoted by the Arthritis Foundation for ease-of-use.  They are more expensive than other similar pens; however, you can buy ink refills and reuse the barrel.  I keep a ballpoint and a gel pen in my purse which I have had for over 10 years.

For those of you that want to keep your daily journaling in your bullet journal, or just need a place to start for now, I have created a Minimalist Journal Entry BuJo Page that you may download for free here.  It fits a Statement sized sheet of paper as well as an A5.

 

I hope that you learn to enjoy the journaling process as much as I do.  Feel free to leave comments with your favorite journals, pens, or prompts.  Happy journaling!

~ Melissa

Maximizing the Minimalist

For those of you who do not know me, I am a minimalist at heart.  It took me years to become that way, and if you looked in my closet, my office, or my art nook, you would think differently.   I believe that I became a minimalist shortly after my house burned down in Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  It took an act of G-d to make me realize that my attachment to stuff was just that...stuff.  I didn't lose my memories, my knowledge, my beliefs, or any of my core values.  Everything else is replaceable.   Now, I am not going to tell you to read a book by Marie Kondo or start selling all of your earthly possessions on ThredUp.  I will ask you to evaluate what is important to you enough to spend your time, energy, and emotional investment.

I really did not see myself as a minimalist until I started keeping a Bullet Journal.  While there are many fabulous spreads on Pinterest and Instagram that will make you drool, I stick to a simple template without extraneous detail.  So, for my new BuJo journey, I decided to maximize my minimalism.  Just because you do not NEED to have a full detailed agenda, doesn't mean that you don't WANT one.  One way for me to maximize my time, paper, and sanity is to have all of my information that I need for the week in one place. 

After asking myself what I would like to know each week, what are my goals, what MUST I accomplish, and what I would like to track, I created a fabulously busy minimalistic weekly template for next year (or any year for that matter).  It includes Daily Appointments, a Habit Tracker, a Meal list, a To Do list, Notes, Weather Tracker, Random Act of Kindness, a Gratitude Log, a Grocery List, an Expense tracker, and Image of the Week, a Quote of the Week, and a Work Log.  The great thing about it is that everything fits on 2 pages of an A5 journal.  I have left the log black and white to suit the needs of everyone.  I have not yet decided if I will use color this year to code my appointments, so this leaves me the option to decide later.

For a free copy of my Maximized Minimalist Weekly Bullet Journal Template please click here

After developing my weekly template, I looked at past journals and agendae to see which portions of my monthly spread I actually used.  Where my week is packed with goodies, my monthly spread was merely a glance at the month ahead.  Adapting a monthly BuJo template was quite easy compared to the weekly.  

For a free copy of my monthly Bullet Journal spread, please click here.

I think that Minimalism is a state of being.  Once you know what you have to have to get along, then you can add extras here or there...whether it be a new scarf, a new pack of Mildliners, or an extra column in your Bullet Journal.  There is no rule stating that a Minimalist cannot maximize her time, effort, creativity, or even stuff.  I encourage each of you to employ a practice of minimalistic thinking to one area of your creative life.  Does your ATC need 3 different stickers?  Do you have to have a new set of Gelly Roll pens to start the year?  Will your world collapse if your office doesn't have the right pattern of wallpaper?

This can be a hard concept to grasp for some people.  However, when you let go of the need to have stuff, you make more room to maximize the things you love.

~Melissa

Igniting the Flames of Creativity

 How many times have you sat down with a pencil and piece of paper, determined to create *something*?  During the past several months, I have done this at least two dozen times.  I doodle, I sketch, I erase.  Nothing seems to ignite my creative flames anymore.  That is until I picked up my Bullet Journal at the behest of a Facebook group leader.  She forced me to ask myself several questions which I had not thought about for several years: 

1 - Why do I have so many art supplies that are just sitting and wasting space if I don't encourage myself to use them?

2 - How much joy does art create for myself and others?

3 - What feelings does creating art elicit in me that are idly sitting by the wayside?

4 - When is it ever time to give up on something that you love?

With these four questions, my creative flames were rekindled.  So, I began slowly.  I decided to create a doodle of my favorite insect (a honeybee) that turned out so beautifully that I pulled out my Micron Pen Set to give the drawing more depth.  I even posted the image to my Instagram account (which so far only had a few pictures of my cat).  It is going to be the cover page of my next Bullet Journal.  From that point, I decided to blog about the process of Bullet Journaling.  I have spent hours searching Pinterest, Amazon, and AliExpress looking for the perfect *new* supplies for my newly rekindled passion.  Then, yesterday, it hit me!  The only way to encourage myself to use my skill and imagination is to write down an attainable goal for my creative endeavors.  

Goal setting is a great way to get yourself out of a creative rut.  First, you need to set a specific goal.  A teacher friend once told me that a goal is just a dream until you write it down.  It isn't enough to say, "Practice art for 15 minutes a day."  If that were my goal, I would set a timer and hold a pen for 15 minutes without ever drawing on the page.  Instead, I have set a challenge to "Create a Hamsa coloring book with at least 15 different Hamsas."  Now, I have an outline to work from and a specific image with which to work.  Secondly, make the goal attainable.  If I had simply said. "Make a Hamsa coloring book," then I would have not known when enough were created to satisfy my goal.  Last of all, your goal needs to have a timeline.  For this, I researched 101 Goals in 1,001 Days.  This gives me a definite time period (2 1/2 years) to complete my goals.

If you happen to find yourself in the same position as I did, I encourage you to create an art goal.  Creative endeavors only take up about 10 of my 101 Goals ranging from drawing and writing to cooking and photography.  Please look at the Bullet Journal page on this blog to find out the rest of my 101 Goals.  I wish you all the best on your artistic journey!

~ Melissa