Have I mentioned how much I love making journal pages? I do. I really, really do.
A crisp new sheet of letter-sized paper is just the right size to think through an idea or jot down a handful of colourful observations. It’s big enough to ask meaningful questions but small enough not to overwhelm.
The Idea
Usually, I start with a question or thought about daily living.
This question, for example, led to the page I’m sharing with you today: What if we approached everyday challenges by making our own how-to instructions?
This idea appeals to me for a bunch of reasons:
Journaling is a fantastic tool for tapping into wisdom. I’m obsessed with uncovering all the things we already know, and I adore the process of becoming an expert in our own lives.
Writing a quick how-to is a fun way to develop and record valuable strategies for tackling similar challenges in the future.
Formulating a set of lighthearted instructions helps break the challenge down into smaller, more manageable pieces and makes it easier to see new ways to approach it.
The vision
Next up, I think about what the page might look like.
A two-part setup seemed right in this case. The top half-ish would be for gathering information, and the bottom would be dedicated to creating an on-the-spot, super-personalized how-to based on the information from the first part.
Cool.
The details
Then it’s down to making the page:
identifying issues we encounter every day (like starting daunting tasks, reaching out when we’re not sure what to say, finding joy in difficult moments, and so on)
writing prompts from a variety of perspectives
playing with different layouts in Illustrator
making colourful spaces for the answers
wrapping it all up with a title
Before I know it, I’m staring at a new journal page on my computer screen!
At this point, there are just a few things left to do — print the new page, journal it with my motley collection of fine-tip markers, edit the parts that don’t quite fit, and, eventually, maybe, put it out into the world.
For my first how-to instructions journal page, I chose the challenge of starting something right now. Here’s what the finished page looks like:
I love the idea of focusing on one immediate task, thinking about ways to start from different perspectives, and then dreaming up even more ways.
Once your thoughts are on the page, you can mix and match them, refine them, choose the best options for moving forward, and, right then and there, give yourself a quick set of marching orders — using what you already know to point the way forward.
There may one day be a complete how-to series, but it’s still very much under construction. Sometimes, it takes ages to put together a full set. Sometimes, an idea only works for one page. Such is the nature of adventures in journaling.
For now, though, if you’d like to give this page a try, click here or on the image above to download it!
P.S. The pdf file includes two page sizes: letter and A4. For instructions on printing one or more pages, visit my shop welcome page and scroll to the bottom.
P.P.S. I’d love to know how it goes! What’s one step in your plan to start right now?