My Journalling Ecosystem
How I'm Using Journalling to Reduce Screen Time & Enhance Hobby Enjoyment
I am officially in planning mode.
Last week
and I spent a lovely late afternoon in Blackwell’s Bookstore in sparkling Oxford, talking with our friend and bookseller, Beverly Wass, about Samhain and all the wonderfully witchy goings on attached to it. During the chat we spoke about how Samhain is the Witch’s New Year, and how that made it the perfect time to plan rather than January 1st or Spring (We’re all knackered from Christmas on January 1st, and Spring is the time for action, not plans).Returning home and looking at the stacks and hoards of journals, notebooks, binders, sketchbooks etc that are slowly filling up my studio like monster blood, I’ve decided to whittle them down by journalling more about my creative and educational pursuits in the hopes that it will prise my tired scratchy eyes from the doom-rectangle more commonly known as my phone. I picked the journals I thought were best for this gargantuan task and assigned a purpose for each one, ranging from reading and listening, to artistic and nature-based.
Reading Journals:
A few years ago I spent half the year creating a reading journal (before I got distracted with book-writing) and I found it to be a really calming and quite fun experience. It was a very different process to the usual kind of journalling that I was used to, I set out a very decorative first page, then an index, a book bracket, a wish list of books to read, a world map so I could cross of the places in the world that my authors were from (to ensure I was reading diversely) before getting into writing a book review for each book I finished. These two Archer & Olive bujos will be my designated reading journals for the year, the rate that I’m devouring books I reckon I’ll be needing both. I’ve been getting back into my reading stride recently and miss writing little reviews about each book I read... safe in the knowledge that this activity will be mentally very good for me. Logging, reviewing, and rating improves reading comprehension, engages the brain, and improves overall enjoyment of reading.
Classical Music Journal:
I’m a big classical music fan, and have attempted a classical music journal before, in the same sort of style as the reading journal. This style didn’t really work, going from piece to piece and making a spread about each one got a bit tedious, and there’s only so much descriptive verse you can write about a seven minute composition. Instead I’m going to bring a little order to the process and look at composers, genres, and timelines, as well as favourite pieces. I love classical music so much but I am dreadful for remembering composers, titles, and dates, so this will help with that recall and I’m sure it will make me listen more deeply and with greater concentration… and I might finally score more than one point on University Challenge’s classical section.
Nature & Writing Journals:
The writing journal speaks for itself, it will be a space to jot down any flashes of inspiration, names, places, ideas etc. I already do this in the notes app on my phone but I’m trying to get away from the glare of the screen, that’s where the Traveller’s Notebook comes into play. I have normal inserts in the writing journal… but I purchased some fancier ones for the Nature Journal I’ll be putting in the olive green TN. One of the inserts consists of the thickest, smoothest, watercolour paper which will be perfect to paint any nature I encounter, or plant life on the allotment, and the other insert is the wonderful accordion style, with each page folding out in a concertina, I plan to decorate a page a month with the flora and fauna that’s to be found in my part of the world.
I’m really excited about the nature journal in particular, I’ve been feeling a bit disjointed from nature over the past year and I know from experience that taking a journal out into nature means that you take more notice of your surroundings, learn more about your environment, and can recall moments in nature to improve your mood.
The Extras:
It looks like a mega stack, I know, but journalling isn’t just my hobby it’s also my job. In this photo you’ll see the five journals we spoke about, but let’s also look at the others, starting from the pink one and moving right up to the tiny green journal at the top of the pile.
Pink Saffiano Filofax - I’ve adjusted this to use just as a notebook with sections, I’ll take out and refill this with plain paper as I move through the year, but it will be used mainly for taking work notes, writing to do lists and reminders.
Hobonichi Weeks - This is my main daily planner and also a little memory keeper. I’ve used this system before and it turned out so so cute when I stuffed it full of photos and memorabilia.
We have a Hobonich Techo and a Midori A5 notebook here, snuggled up in their gorgeous Liberty print jackets. The Techo is going to be for my daily diary and memory keeping, and the Midori Notebook is a little junk journal of sorts for all my odd stickers and journalling bits and bobs.
Pink Personal Saffiano Filofax - I have the entire pink Saffiano collection because I just love it so much, this tiny little Filofax has been great for planning when I’ve been to busy to sit down and make things aesthetic… so I’ll grab a Filofax 2026 insert and use it as a family planner for appointments, birthdays and events. It’s very handy as I can just throw it in my handbag and be on my way.
The Unassuming Green One- This I got free as part of an order, it’s so so cute but I just don’t have anything in mind to use it for… if you can think of anything I could do with it I would be very grateful! I definitely want to use it in 2026…
Not Pictured - The grimoire, of course, I started my new grimoire a month or so ago now and it’s filling nicely. I have been using the Midori notebooks in various sizes for other projects, I have the A4 that I’m going to use as a massive junk journal, I’m so looking forward to filling it up!
It definitely looks like a big task, using all of these journalling systems, but if I can rack up a screen time of 5+ hours a day then I can definitely find time to immerse myself in my favourite hobby in the world.
Let me know if you’re planning on trying out more than one journal next year!
Until next time,
Laura
Oh by the way… Did you know I wrote a book…?
It’s available from anywhere you prefer to purchase your books from!
Oh I love reading about all your different journals. I've created one for Art Gallery visits this year. I actually forgot I'd started it and it was so wonderful to open it up and look back at a couple of exhibitions that I'd loved going to. Maybe an idea for that green one! xx
Ah a kindred spirit! Thanks for sharing your meticulous organisation! I too have notebooks for my movement practice, shamanic practice, diverse spirituality readings, a creative journal, a normal diary, poetry journals, and have been keeping them since I was 8 - which I realise means I can celebrate 40 years of writing journals!!!