Joy Leanne

I wrote a little bit the other day about perfectionism and how it holds us back from journaling.  I think we each have a lot of reasons for not journaling. Perfectionism is a big one for some of us. Another thing that has kep me from journaling for years was feeling like it was a chore. I loved the idea of journaling, but actually sitting down to write felt like home work. No fun. Over the past few years though I have unintentionally developed little rituals that have made time in my journal feel like a mental retreat rather than an assignment. While I some times journal on the go, I prefer to journal at home in one of three spots: my dinning room table, my office writing desk, or a giant, leather chair next to the front window. Before I start journaling I make sure I have any and all supplies I might need. Pens, pencils, journal, embellishments, glue sticks, photos, all in close reach.  I normally keep a drink close by as well. In the summer that normally means ice water, lemonade, or

I love an empty notebook. There is so much beauty and possibility in an empty page. While I enjoy the occasional guided journal, blank journals are what really make my heart skip a beat. The best thing about good, old fashioned, journaling is that all you need is any empty notebook and something to write with.  Over the years I have used everything from $.50 composition books to embossed, leather journals with beautifully thick pages.  That may be the very best part of using a blank book. There is something for every style, need, and budget. Later this week I will share some of my favorite ways to use a blank journal, some prompts to get you started, and a few extra things. Tonight though, I wanted to share with you my two favorite styles of blank notebooks to use. Hands down my favorite style of journal is a hard back spiral bound notebook.  The thick cover is ideal for journaling because it doesn't require a desk or table for writing, and I just love the ease of writing using a s

I am half way through this series and I have written/posted every day. That's huge for me and I was super excited. Then I logged on today and saw my stats. Right now my posts are being viewed, on average, 5 times each. That's a record low for me. And I was crushed. So much work and my blog is doing worse than it has in years. Seriously? My first reaction was to walk away from the whole thing. I couldn't have been more wrong. It easy to give up when things don't go the way we hoped.  Perfectionism kills creativity.  It's also the main reason we don't journal. We miss a day. We make a mistake in pen. We can't spell. We hate our hand writing. We try something new and it doesn't turn out. We see beautiful photos on social media and convince ourselves we don't have the "right" talent or skills. Our fear of imperfection keeps us from recording the moments and memories that make up our stories.  So, I'm going to keep writing here, and keep jou

So I wanted to show you what this spread looks like after the pen.  The beauty of decorating/laying out your journal a week at a time is that it makes it super quick and easy to jot down a couple thoughts.  I love th simplicity of this and the fact it can be as detailed or as basic as I want. As you can see some days I wrote an entire paragraph, other days just a sentence, and today I simple recorded a list of the things that made me happy.  They say that life is made up of moments, and this is my way of capturing those and jotting them down to remember on a rainy day.  

I could probably do an entire 31 days on guided journals, but I have a feeling that would get very boring, so I won't. I do want to share one last style with you before we move on, however. I haven't used these myself, but friends and family have and they love them. If you are a new Journaler just getting started this is so perfect.  There is one page for every day of the year. At the top of the page is a question and bellow is space to answer that question 3-5 years in a row.  There's only room for a few sentences which makes is an easy commitment. It's also fun to see how you answers to the same question change from year to year.  The are a wide variety of ranging from general questions, to mom questions, to journals for kids, teens, and college students.  Come back tomorrow for another Follow Friday!   

    I'm so excited for this workshop Wednesday! If I could I would invite you all over and we would do this one together. In fact as often as I can I DO have people over to do this excercise with with me.  My friend and I are constantly reminding each other that things are more likely to be used if they are pretty. From cleaning supplies to water bottles to journals we are way more likely to use things if we find them attractive.  Some times though, it can be really hard to find the time to journal, much less make things pretty.  When friends ask me where to start, or when I need to go back to the basics, I always go back to the basics. Finding time to journal a page daily can feel daunting. But taking ten to fifteen minutes once a week is reasonable (and even advisable) for most of us!  At the top of the post I shared two #beforethepen lay outs. Typically this hashtag is used for planners but I love predecorating journals as well!    Use whatever tools and tecniques appeal to you.

  So, it may seem a little unorthodox but I love a good doodle journal. For me journaling is a creative outlet and some times I don't have the time or desire to write a lot but just want some silly expression. I love the idea of art journaling but it can be a little overwhelming so the doodle books are a great way for me to express myself with out having to use a ton of supplies.  So, with out further ado some of my favorite doodle journals for you to try out.   Art Doodle Love   Year of the Doodle Love both of these books because they offer space to Doodle and regular prompts. There's a lot of room to write as well if you like to combine the two. Doodle Zen  I haven't tried this one but I love this illustrator so I feel confident recommending it. Draw Every Day Every Way This is on my list of ones to try!!  So there are some fun Doodle journals? If so tag me on Instagram! I would love to see them!    

Continuing our conversation about guided journals I thought I would share another guided journal style that I have enjoyed over the years.  As my Dad said, some day you will want to remember what year your daughter sang "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" every day for two months or what year you caved and bought your kids a puppy.  Enter Holiday or Season Journals. Journals Unlimited Christmas Journals I have used this one and love it. It captures 25 years of memories and it so special.  Susan Branch Christmas Memories  I've also used this book. It holds 5 years of memories and it's one of my favorites. It's so fun and whimsical.  Thanksgiving Memory Book   I've never used this one but it looks super fun. Vacation: The Traveler's Journal  This is another favorite of mine. It's not a holiday journal exactly but still seems to fit in here. One of my favorite wedding gifts is to get a Vacation, a Christmas, and a Thanksgiving journal for the married couple s

It's nearly 8:00 pm and I haven't written for today yet. (This is getting to be a bad ritual.) Tonight I had no idea what to write about. I was seriously looking for ways to get out of writing, but my husband wouldn't hear of that.  So I sat here looking at a blank screen me thinking about how much I that. Some times blank pages and screens are an invitation, other times they are overwhelming.  That is the beauty of guided journals. You have something to jump start the ideas.  I knew I wanted to spend a couple of days exploring different kids of guided journals so I decided to start a day early. I've have used all kids of guided journals over the years. A have a couple styles that I come back to over and over. List style books are probably my very favorite. Not only do they give me a place to start, but often times it triggers an idea I want to come back and explore more later.  So, here are some fun list journals to check out. The 52 Lists Project  Listography: Your Li

Today is my in-laws 39th wedding anniversary. It is also my uncle's funeral. It's a bit poetic. As my mother would say, "Grief is the price we out for love."  We cannot love with out risking grief. When we journal there is room to document, embrace, and remember both.  This week has been so much of that for me. Sitting with the sorrow and celebrating the joy of this season I am in. I have been so very blessed by people who have been willing to do both with me.  I sat down today to journal and I wrote about both bitter and the sweet.  Finding the balance can be a challenge.  We live in an Instagram world where it's tempting to share just the high points.  If we are not careful it can be easy for that mentally to transfers itself into our journaling. The opposite is also true. Because it is a safe place for reflection, if we are not careful, a journal can become a dumping ground for negativity. A place to unburden the pain and then lock it away in the back of a draw

Today is day 7 of writing and posting and I am frankly shocked that I have stuck with it this long! Between my uncle passing and the due date anniversary or our miscaried baby this week combined with a lap top that doesn't work to work at all (I'm writing and posting on my phone!) and being in the middle of prep for a local art and craft show, there were so many reasons to quit. But I haven't yet and I am so very glad!  The main reason I am doing this series is because I am passionate about it and because I want to inspire others. In that vein, I wanted to do at least one "Follow Friday" post and share with you some of the accounts I find inspiring. Hopefully you will find some one new to follow. Instagram  Lucky Letters HowToBulletJournal TheDailyWriting TheResetGirl Boho.Berry Do you follow any journal ackcounts? Which are your favorites? Share bellow! 

One of the questions I get most when people see my stacks of journals/planners is, "But what do you DO with all of them?!" Since we can all use a little extra inspiration (and because some times it's fun to be a little nosey), I thought it would be fun to show you all my current journal/planner set up. Currently I am using: Spiral Bound Journal Traveler's Notebook Carpe Diem Ring Planner Kate Spade Spiral Bound Planner Illustrated Faith Planner Spiral Journal This is my standard "journal". I write in it most mornings and it's where I brain dump, record events and feelings, write out prayers, doodle, and take sermon notes. Midori Travler's Notebook My traveler's notebook holds three inserts.  A cut down Moleskin Cahier with current lists, notes for this series, some simple bullet journaling, and anything that needs to be written down while out and about. My Reset Girl insert is used for list journaling. And finally my CocoaDaisy insert is used for

When I decided I wanted to do this series I knew that I wanted it to be more than just me me writing about my favorite hobby. I wanted to provide any readers with practical tips, tricks, and prompts they could apply to their own journaling journey.  Hopefully Workshop Wednesdays will do just that.  Today's prompt is super simple. When in doubt, I always find lists are a great place to start. Even after journaling for more then two decades I still find myself going back to listing as a way ton organize my thoughts or to kick start a journaling session.  For the New Journaler:  What are your goals with journaling What do you want to get out of it? What style of journals apeal to you? For the Seasoned Journaler: Why did you start journaling? What do you love about journaling? What style or journaling would you like to try or explore? I would love to know if you tried out one of these prompts. Comment below, tag me on Instagram (JoyLeanne), or use the series hashtag #31daysofstoriescap

While the basic tools of journaling are obvious (pen and paper), I still thought it could be fun to share a little bit about notebook/journal types and share a few of my favorite pens and pencils with you in hopes of encouraging you all to get pad the first initial hurtle of journaling.  There are three basic journal types. Each type had variations you can explore for your exact needs, but nearly any journal can be lumped into one (or more) of these three groups. Guided/Prompt Journals Yearly/Dated Journals Blank Journals Guided/Prompt Journals I love a good guided journal. They are great if you don't know where to start or don't always have a lot of time.  I keep one or two of these on hand at all times for when I want to journal but don't have a lot of time.  My Three Current Favorites are: 99 Things that Bring Me Joy  Extraordinary Objects  Year of the Doodle   Yearly/Date Journals   Year of the Doodle cross from prompts to dated. (It could also be considered art journal

  This isn't the post I was going to write today. I was going to do a post on the basic tools needed to journal.  And then came then came the text that my Uncle had indeed passes away in the night. After yesterday's news it wasn't a surprise. But grief is grief no matter how expected. Recording the hard times can be difficult, but it's worth it. My sister-in-law reminded  me of this today.  "Remember while writing about the hard there is also room to recognize the good. The support, the love, the helpers. How God used us."  We talk about seasons of life, but rarely is any season only one thing. Grief and gratitude, bitter and sweet, they go hand in hand. You can always find something to be thankful for. Even if it's simply the smile of your child, the beauty of a sunset, the helpers in the middle of the tragedy. I'm looking forward to this series on journaling and sharing with your my journey. But the fact is, all you really need to journal is paper, p

I almost didn't post today. I almost called the whole thing off. There's a lot of reasons. Time was a big factor. I am in the middle of a crazy busy season. I am prepping for my bi-annual sale which means I have 5 weeks to finish making 200 dolls and accessories. I just started watching a neighbor girl in the morning before school. My friends needs help with her daughter this week. Time always feels in short supply. And then came the call. The kind of call that makes you look at things and question what really matters in life. The kind of call that makes you want to scrap everything and spend the day in bed with your kids holding them close. The kind that makes you call your mom and dad just to say I love you for the million and tenth time. And I can use it all as an excuse not to write. There are always excuses if you go looking for them. Or I can use it as a reminder. I reminder of WHY I write, and more specifically why I journal.... Because Stories Matter I s

Journaling has been part of my life as long as I can remember. Somewhere in the back of my parent's basement you will find a box filled with composition books, Lisa Frank lock and key diaries, journals filled with black pages and messy hand writing in "moon beam" gel pens. There is at least one shelf in my home full of leather bound prayers and confessions and spiral bound heavy weight paper full of rambling thoughts of everything from motherhood to politics.  I'm not sure what sparked my original interest in journaling, but I do remember a conversation I had with my dad early in my marriage. My mom and I were discussing something when my dad chimed in... "Write it down," he said. "Some day you will want to remember, or your children will ask you when certain things happened. Write is down or you won't remember." And so I do. In lists and prayers and run on sentences I write it down. Some times pretty, some times ha