There are too many forms of self-expression to count, and none of them really count less than any other. If you can’t carve another Aphrodite of Milos or compose a better Te Deum, scrapbook or doodle – as long as you enjoy it, it’s effectively pretty much the same.
Even journaling can be an art form: people still read the diaries of Samuel Pepys and Anne Frank today.
Why to Keep a Journal
It can be more than a creative outlet, too: keeping a diary helps you articulate and organize your thoughts and feelings. It also lets you look back over the past weeks or months to see how far you’ve come: many psychologists recommend it as a therapeutic tool.
Journaling doesn’t come naturally to everyone, though. This is part of the reason Ryder Carrol explained and systematized it in his book The Bullet Journal Method.
Essentially, he describes a way of setting personal goals, organizing your daily life in a way that brings you closer to them and recording your progress as you go along.
This may sound complicated, and at times it can be, but you don’t need to read the book to obtain the benefits. You can choose from a whole selection of bullet journals; some with the structure already provided for you, others that allow you a more free-form approach.
Full-Featured Journalling Kit
A couple of these bullet journals are quite businesslike and sometimes double as professional day planners. This one, however, allows you to express your whimsical side with stickers, decorative tape, stencils, and multicolored pens.
The book itself (which is A5 size) is sturdy but flexible, with high-quality paper, an elastic band to keep it closed and a ribbon bookmark to help you keep track of where you left off. As this kit contains everything you need to start bullet journaling, it’s perfect for beginners.
The book should stand up well to getting dragged around in a backpack or briefcase and includes a handy storage pocket for stencils, photos or notes. Its greatest weakness is that it may be a little too free-form: the pages are numbered and there’s room for an index in front, but some first-time journalers may prefer something a little more ordered to help them get started.
