14 Months in my Bullet Journal
đ A JournalingDan Retrospective
The Changing of the Guards
I have completed my 7th1 Bullet Journal, which served me from October 1st, 2023 to December 1st, 2024. Because I started the habit of keeping a Bullet Journal on a random day in July my new journals rarely (if ever) start in January. I am more concerned with filling each and every page the way I want to, at my own pace, rather than adhering to a 12 month schedule2. Keeping a Bullet Journal means playing by your own rules! That being said, this December 1st end date is timelyâpoised between the holiday for gratitude and the holiday for reflecting upon the past year.
I started my very first Bullet Journal on July 20, 2017, in a half-used Moleskine (that had previously served as my inconsistently kept diary). I had just quit my first job3 after college, and was looking to organize-my-way into a better job by using my beloved stationery collection4.
The original Bullet Journal is an organizational method developed by Ryder Carroll, a digital product designer. Buying pre-made planners had always brought me joy, but the prospect of creating my own planner tailored to me and my goals made me giddy. It seemed like the perfect way to combine all of my hobbies into a single notebook: a planner, a sketchbook, and a scrapbook all in one. While my primary goal is to use my Bullet Journal to stay organized and productive, itâs also a way to âforce myselfâ to make art on a time-sensitive schedule + incorporate creativity into my everyday life!
Supply List:
Since this is my first in-depth Bullet Journal post, a quick list of frequently used supplies*5: (*all links below are affiliate except the last one)
The Journal: Archer & Olive A5 size Dot Grid Notebook
Pens/Fineliners: Pigma Microns
Brush Pens/Markers: Tombow Dual Brush Pens
Watercolor/Water Soluble Pencils: Caran dâAche Aquarelle Pencils
48-pan Watercolor Palette: Peter Pauper Press Palette
14-pan Watercolor Palette: Marin Montagut Watercolor Palette
A lot can happen in 14 months. Flipping through my BuJo and revisiting my favorite pages has been a wonderful exercise in reflecting upon the past year [and some change]. The journal photos I share online are taken before I fill in the pages, but Iâm able to see all of my appointments, dinners with friends, movies I watched, and concerts I attended while using this notebook. My drawings and stationery collages reflect the changing of the seasons, and the places I travel. I love creating and looking back on this handmade, physical record of my life year after year. You can watch me set up my new journal, which I started using Dec 2nd, here!
A look at some of my favorite pages from my 7th completed Bullet Journal (in chronological order):
The First Page (Oct 2023)
I was crushed when CW Pencil Enterprise closed in 2021. Itâs still the only shop Iâve ever visited that specialized in pencils, and was one of my NYC Stationery Shop mainstays! Years after its closure, my parents still mention âthe pencil storeâ any time theyâre in the city. I ordered three of these giant stickers (illustrated by Meredith Lynne for CW Pencil Shop) from their closing sale, each depicting a fantastical version of the shop. I always choose one favorite sticker to start off my Bullet Journals6, and this was the chosen one for my October 2023 start. Itâs a big and beautiful sticker, and this was my last of the three!
Good news: CW Pencil Enterprise owner Caroline Weaver opened a new shop: The Locavore Variety Store in the West Village this year! Everything inside is manufactured within 100 miles of NYC, and I cannot recommend it enough for gift shopping/souvenirs. + thereâs still a stationery selection and some locally-made pencils!! âď¸âď¸âď¸
October (2023) Studio Ghibli Themed Weeklies
In 2021 I visited The Academy Museum in LA for the Hayao Miyazaki retrospective, and the museum gift shop was loaded with Studio Ghibli goodies, including this My Neighbor Totoro origami paper. There are four autumnal Totoro designs included in the pack, which I can find no where else online except for a few sparse ebay listings. I am precious with it and I love using it in my journal every fall (as I did for Oct/Nov 2024). I was able to find the Soot Sprite stickers on JetPens (also acquired at The Academy Museum gift shop), however, itâs not currently for sale. Official Ghibli merch is hard to come by7, making these pages all the more special.
December (2023) Monthly Cover Page
I create one large drawing for each âcover pageâ to mark the start of a new month in my Bullet Journal. This December one is part Stephanie Ho Frozen Planet series and part Ski Free. I donât really ski, but drawing this winter sport with my Tombow Dual Brush pens is a fun exercise Iâve done two years running now! + the use of negative space as âsnowâ makes it very easy.
âThe Snoopy Pufferâ January (2024) cover Page
Snoopy in a puffer jacket is style, Snoopy in a puffer jacket is grace. Snoopy in a puffer jacket is [dare I say], cooler than Joe Cool. The Snoopy Puffer jacket image is ubiquitous, it inspired an entire Baggu collection this year, and can be seen in various iterations across social media and IRL. Look at this Snoopy Puffer sticker from the Museum of the City of New York (very cute I need to walk over and buy it). The now famous image was pulled from a comic strip published in February of 1984, in which Linus clowned Snoopy for his down filled jacket!
Never bet against Snoopy. Snoopy always comes out on top. Thatâs why I drew Snoopy in a puffer jacket for my January cover page. Even though heâs a tiiiny bit off center, itâs still one of my favorites from this journal. The 2 page spread is complete with Peanuts stickers a teacher might use to grade papers8. Snoopy Puffer drawing process here.
Some Peanuts Weekly Pages from January 2024
Snoopy content contd.!!! The Joe Cool page especially, is one of my favorites. Snoopy is leaning on my weekly planner, and thinking up my notes for the week. There is no better motivation to be organized! The background, done with a Caran dâAche watercolor pencil, completes the primary-color palette. + itâs one of my favorite process videos from this year.
January-February Pages
Every winter I visit my family in Lima, Peru, where it is peak summertime. As such, my January-February pages take inspiration from Peruvian summer imagery. Tropical fruit, beach themes, and bright colors fill my Bullet Journal pages. I love drawing mangoes with Caran dâAche watercolor pencils to seamlessly blend their colorful gradients. Some February pages I made for use during my 2023 trip to Peru:
The mango weekly process video can be seen here. + the Dragon Fruit weekly! The mango February Trackers video can be seen here.
A Totoro April Monthly
Done almost entirely with Tombow Dual Brush Pens, though next time I would love to try this with watercolor for a more even wash (Totoro is a bit streaky). Nevertheless, itâs a cover page I like and I am proud of. It embodies the April showers/springtime spirit. Featuring more Soot Sprite stickers!
A Mid-Century May
I have a thing for Mid-Century modern, and I went to Palm Springs in Mayâthis series of patterns for the month is the result. This is my favorite aesthetic and my favorite color palette. My May Bullet Journal Set Up tour.
A Kikiâs Delivery Service June Cover Page
Another Ghibli scene! Kikiâs Delivery Service is one of my favorite movies of all time. In the cloud-gazing scene, Kiki stares at the sky and dreams of her future, which perfectly sets the tone for the beginning of summer. The accompanying Kiki sticker flakes were gifted to me by some friends who went to Japan this year. Hereâs me coloring in my Kiki drawing.
Striped Monthly Calendars
A motif I first tried out in June (in the Kiki-inspired iteration), I became obsessed with using a stripey background for my calendars. I made them with the brush tip of a Tombow Dual Brush pen, and then added stickers on top. I canât choose a favorite stripe, here are all three flavors:
Miffy July
Clean, minimal lines, bright, maximal color schemes. Miffy is an icon. I attempted to get a smooth, even, wash of color for this one with mixed results (blue watercolor pigment is tricky)! + watercolors donât always behave when youâre not using watercolor paper. I adore this page anyway. A burst of beautiful and intense color thanks to the Marin Montagut watercolor palette I got a couple years ago, is very fitting for the hot month of July. The Miffy painting process video.
A Copenhagen-Inspired October (2024) Cover Page
My Bullet Journal themes are often informed by the seasons and my travels, and this fall I went to Copenhagen for the first time! I painted the famous Nyhavn harbor for my big October drawing, and later in the month, I saw it in real life (on a cloudy day, of course). A little side by side of the photo I took + my drawing can be seen above. + Painting process video here!
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