Have Random Thoughts? Crap At Actual Art? Why Not Start A Collage Journal?

I kept a line-a-day journal for 3 years and absolutely loved it............for a time. My "falling out of love" happened gradually. It just wasn't enough. We didn't click anymore. I always wanted to add magazine cuttings, or stickers, or color in it, or more often than not, I simply ran out of room.

 

A couple weeks ago, a business that I work with delivered 2015 planners. As you may, or may not know, I am fiercely loyal to the Erin Condrin planner. Read about that HERE. So having had my 2015 planner already (come on, I ordered it in September!), I put the new planner out on our freebies table at my work. Unbeknownst to me, my sneaky little mind had been chipping little hints off of pins that I'd seen while surfing Pinterest. Pins about art journals, smash books, passion planners, travel journals, notebooking, visual journals, calendar journals, and old book journals.

 

That night, I dreamt about it. I dreamt that that planner would be a perfect background for a marriage of ALL of those things. So, the next morning, I snatched it straight off of the freebies table, put it straight back into my bag, and took it home to have my way with it. I am six entries in, and it's divine. It's perfect in it's lack of perfection. I get to collage, throw verbal darts at each day, and embellish. However I want. Without worrying that the art isn't good or that I might run out of room. AND, it's original planner structure means that I have a "daily" structure so it still serves as a daily journal of my thoughts, experiences, and goings on.

 

Here are the first four days:

 

 

If this gets your fire going like it did mine, find a cheap planner and jump in without even thinking about it! The ring bound type works really well because it will expand! I already had lots of stickers, washi tape, crayons, magazines, and pretty card covers to get me started. I did have to take a trip to my local office supply store for colored pens, colored pencils, highlighters, and double sided tape. Lucky for me, I adore the office supply store.

 

Happy collaging!