Welcome!Hand Lettering Journal Challenge
So how does the monthly lettering journal challenge work?
I've made a little printable you can print out and put in your journal if you'd like! Go to the current month and download the challenge. I like to print mine on an index card so I can glue it into my journal.
Watch this video for more detalis:
What is a hand lettering journal?
Basically, it's a notebook/journal just for your hand lettering. It's a place to make mistakes as you experiment in your lettering. It's a place to process emotions, keep memories, and get creative. It's also just fun! It's a tangible way to use your collection of craft supplies and pens! I haven't ever been able to keep a bullet journal (I prefer a digital schedule/calendar), but I guess this could be like a bullet journal without the planner aspect.
What supplies do I need?
You'll need a notebook and pens. You can use any notebook, but I recommend something with thicker pages so your ink won't bleed through. I'll be sharing more details on notebooks, so for now, just start with what you have! If you have a journal with thin pages, you can letter on your choice of paper and glue it in the journal.
If you want to use nice brush pens, just be aware that they may fray sooner if you're using a journal with rough paper. I'll be starting a Rhodia notebook that has really smooth paper, but my previous journal had rough paper and I just used Staedtler triplus highlighters because they don't fray. Other pens that don't fray are Crayola markers or other children's markers with a squishy tip. You could also use a fine tip or bullet tip pen and do faux calligraphy.
When do I fit in lettering in a busy schedule?
A hand lettering journal doesn't need to take much time. And you don't need to force yourself to practice just so you'll get better at lettering. Of course, we all want to get better at lettering, but is that making it more stressful to make sure you're practicing just the right things? Maybe instead, just letter what you feel like. Then you'll be excited to make time to letter. Even if it's just 5 minutes.
Here is my best trick for lettering when you don't have time: Decide what you'll use beforehand and stick to it. This is why a journal works. You know where you're going to letter each day (in your journal). Next, choose one set of pens. That's it. I know it sounds crazy coming from someone who has hundreds of pens. But I learned that if I just choose one set, I'm more likely to letter in the little pockets of my day. I can bring my journal and pens to my bed and letter something right before going to sleep. Or I can bring them to the couch while watching a show. Or I can bring them on vacation. It just helps to not have to think about what pens I'll use. Just grab them and go. You can always change your mind when you're ready for a new set of pens!
When you don't have time for anything, it's a way to prioritize making time for yourself. It fits into your schedule whether you have 5 minutes or 1 hour. The point is simplifying it so instead of being one more thing to check off your list, it's the thing that helps you feel like yourself as you meet all the demands in your life (at least that's what it's been for me).
Am I supposed to letter in my journal every day?
Nope. But you can! When I started, I committed to one page a day. That lasted for 37 days. It was amazing!! I loved it! After that, I loved it so much and knew how good it made me feel so I just made sure to do it as often as possible. Now I can tell when some days it feels like I'd just be forcing it so I don't letter. I've removed as much pressure as possible which helps me to feel like I'm excited to letter when I can instead of beating myself up for missing a day. If you want to commit to one page a day for a whole month, I highly recommend it! If that feels like too much pressure, then maybe just try one page a week. Chances are you'll want to do more!
Why should I start a hand lettering journal?
There are so many things you can do with hand lettering to create things for others. But how are you using it for yourself? A hand lettering journal is a tangible way to use lettering for yourself. :)
We're all burnt out on life right? There's so much to be stressed about. In my experience, a hand lettering journal doesn't make that stuff go away, it's just helped me be able to handle it better. Something about getting creative more often helps me to feel more creative with stressful things. It's also my safe space to process my emotions whether they're high or low.
It's also a great place to keep track of your progress! I love looking back through my journals to previous pages to get inspired with new ideas or just to see how much I've grown. If you struggle to practice lettering, this is a way to trick yourself into it!
Do I have to share it with anyone?
Only if you want to! In our world of Instagram, it's almost expected that you post about everything you're lettering. If that excites you and pushes you to create, do it! There are times that can be fun. There have also been times for me when feeling like it had to look good for social media stressed me out and made me feel like it was never good enough. But knowing that this is my journal and I don't have to share it with anyone made me more comfortable to just experiment and have fun. It didn't have to look as good as anyone on the internet. Some pages turn out great and other pages I really don't like how they turned out and I wouldn't consider them good enough to share. But it was really important for me to have that time to myself to get creative. That's way better than having a perfect page to share on Instagram.