Empty Notebooks/Journals

[Mikaiah]

I don't know about y'all, but I'm a *bit* of a stationery hoarder. I have an embarrassing number of completely empty journals that I don't know what to do with.
Recently I've been trying out the whole bullet journal thing, but with my work being scheduled primarily through Outlook and shared calendars, I find it a lot less useful than I did as a uni student.

What do you guys do with your empty journals? Do you journal? Write stories? Or leave them blank like me? I'm curious.

 

[Your Local Wild Child]

I have this awesome leather-bound journal that looks straight out of a fantasy story...that I have not written or drawn anything of real substance in I usually fill out my sketchbooks tho.

 

[ReanimatedSorceress]

Recently I've started actually using mine. I keep one on my backpack (I don't have a car so I have to walk most places anyway). They're so useful for taking notes, making lists, etc. I know I can do these things on my smartphone, but I usually tend to forget I made myself digital notes.

Or ya know, maybe I'm just a hipster~

 

[Pintuition]

I have a stack of journals that's gotten so tall I'm embarrassed. All of them are blank! I'm guilty of hoarding stationary and never using because I don't want to ruin it, that I might want to use it for something else later. This vicious cycle leads to tons of empty journals!

 

[Chris]

I use the bullet journal method to some extent. I don't make pretty layouts, but rather embrace the freedom that it doesn't need to be consistent. e.g. one page might be work notes, the next video game notes, the next related to my volunteer jobs, back to work on the next one, maybe some progress on my novel the next page, etc.

 

[Mikaiah]

I have this awesome leather-bound journal that looks straight out of a fantasy story...that I have not written or drawn anything of real substance in I usually fill out my sketchbooks tho.

omgg I've been trying to draw more but sometimes its hard to make time between work and gaming... lol

Recently I've started actually using mine. I keep one on my backpack (I don't have a car so I have to walk most places anyway). They're so useful for taking notes, making lists, etc. I know I can do these things on my smartphone, but I usually tend to forget I made myself digital notes.

Or ya know, maybe I'm just a hipster~

I'm the opposite way ;; I usually have to make notes on my calendar so that it sends me a lil notification LOL. or I have a discord all to myself that I send links to and stuff LOL. I always forget my paper notes when they matter ;;

I have a stack of journals that's gotten so tall I'm embarrassed. All of them are blank! I'm guilty of hoarding stationary and never using because I don't want to ruin it, that I might want to use it for something else later. This vicious cycle leads to tons of empty journals!

mee too omg. do you also keep stickers intact on their original sheets because I'm guilty of that too

 

[Pintuition]

omgg I've been trying to draw more but sometimes its hard to make time between work and gaming... lol


I'm the opposite way ;; I usually have to make notes on my calendar so that it sends me a lil notification LOL. or I have a discord all to myself that I send links to and stuff LOL. I always forget my paper notes when they matter ;;


mee too omg. do you also keep stickers intact on their original sheets because I'm guilty of that too

You bet! I have a big box of stickers that I love but I'm too noncommittal to stick! Lol! Apparently I did that as a little kid too! Nothing changes, does it?

 

[ReanimatedSorceress]

I use the bullet journal method to some extent. I don't make pretty layouts, but rather embrace the freedom that it doesn't need to be consistent. e.g. one page might be work notes, the next video game notes, the next related to my volunteer jobs, back to work on the next one, maybe some progress on my novel the next page, etc.

I'm the same way, and sometimes I see my friends notebooks and stuff and they're so organized and neat and I'm just like...what is cohesiveness?

 

[Chris]

I'm the same way, and sometimes I see my friends notebooks and stuff and they're so organized and neat and I'm just like...what is cohesiveness?

I feel perfection hinders progress. I'd rather have a mess I can sort through than be too scared of spoiling a blank page.

 

[xTech]

Never really kept many journals myself, since i'm pretty slow when it comes to handwriting (not very dexterous in general) and it tends to hurt my hands very fast. I have always loved the idea of keeping a journal though, in order to take notes for different things because I love organising stuff for some reason. If I can motivate myself enough to actually do it for once, then after lockdown i'm going to attempt to keep a journal that details my plans and experiences with various things (for example whenever I make something, finish a specific game, or go to an interesting place). I feel like it'll be a good item to have as I mature, so that I can read through what I was feeling at the time and what I have achieved. Gonna try to buy something sturdy but at the same time not too fancy, so that i'm not too afraid to write in it and end up leaving it empty.

 

[Chris]

Never really kept many journals myself, since i'm pretty slow when it comes to handwriting (not very dexterous in general) and it tends to hurt my hands very fast.

Can relate to this. I'm not meant to handwrite at all due to injury to the tendons in my dominant hand (fun fact: I write a lot of my posts one-handed!) but at the same time I find it's the best method for getting my thoughts straight.

 

[ReanimatedSorceress]

I don't write a lot of actual journal entries, but I will say to anyone who is looking for a use for old journals and notebooks that it can definitely be freeing and therapeutic to write down how you feel, as a letter you'll never send or even just word vomiting your problems and thoughts into paper instead of, say, Facebook, etc.

 

[Cherry Tree]

I have a "few" empty notebooks just sitting on the bedside table...all empty but I liked them

 

[Imbri]

I might have one... or a dozen... blank books tucked away. I had planned to use a nice one for my novel series bible and another for my grimmoire, but I tend to prefer 3-ring binders for them. The series bible is going to have things added for some time, and it needs to be kept in a particular order. And I'd rather not have to flip back and forth across sections to find all my cold remedies or general lore.

I do like blank books for things like the NH diary I'm keeping. I've jotted something down about the island every day since launch. I used to keep a traditional journal in high school and college, but I've got out of practice with it.

Also have a big box of stickers. I've tried to organize them by type and/or size, but it isn't totally cut and dried.

 

[mayortiffany]

I used to buy nice notebooks all the time, but I could never think of anything good enough to put in them. As a result, I've largely stopped purchasing them. It seems an awful waste to use them for math calculations or rough work or something. I tried journalling, but I bought a dedicated bullet journal for that if I wanted to do that, and I often can't keep up with daily entries.

Actually, bullet journalling has helped me use up some of the stickers that I've gotten in the past, because I know I'm not exactly 'wasting' them, but I'm using it on something that I'd like to keep for a long time. I used to collect and hoard stickers and never use them on anything, but now I use them on some things.

 

[Sharksheep]

I have so many journals and most of them are empty. But they are sitting there and gathering dust and space. So I started using the bullet journal techniques I can stick too like tasks I need to finish before the end of the week or month. I rather use up a journal than keep it empty.

I also have alot of stickers and wash tape and I started used for other stuff than journaling. I decorate the edges of greeting cards and seal envelopes with the stickers.

I have a smaller journal I keep notes about my climbing progress in.

I would love to hear other ideas on how to use my stickers and washi tape. I would offer them to younger relatives but I don't have any old enough to write yet.

 

[Mairmalade]

Serious journal hoarder.

There are so many different types and designs I'll buy, but I'll always go with A5 for sizing. I find it to be the best mix of comfortable, portable, and practical.

I've set the idea of a bullet journal aside as I got too caught up with creating an ideal layout. There was too much focus on how the content looked as opposed to the actual content.

There has been an embarrassing amount of times where I would prepare a page, make a mistake, and rip it out. You can imagine my frustration with journals that come pre-numbered. One mistake and it's over. I'd then buy a new journal. Even without pre-numbered pages I'd often be tearing and ruining the journal.

I've a few still in my 'journal graveyard' to use as scrap paper but the majority have been recycled. Some of my journals with beautiful abstract designs have been saved and are now used as a place to jot down quick thoughts, ideas, and notes from when I read or hear something I believe I'd want to reference again. Never read a book or article without a journal in-hand!

 

[Midoriya]

I’m left-handed and my handwriting is terrible, so no way, lol. If I really want to write something down for my future self I’ll write it in the notes app of my phone or in a word document on my laptop or tablet.

 

[Neb]

I used a journaling app for a few years. The convenience of journaling on the go was nice, but the inability to preserve it offline was depressing. For that reason I switched to writing it by hand. If I had to guess, I write in my physical journal once a week.

 

[Dawnpiplup]

I'm guilty of this as well lol! I just love anything stationary, and I love notebooks <3 though I rarely use them haha. I have one I use for like a motivational journal (list of things I want to do someday, motivational or funny quotes, handwritten messages/signatures from my friends and teachers, etc), and another one for my therapy.