#planner stuff

▪️Do not do it for the photos. Do not worry about how it will look to others; I know a big part of the bullet journal community is focused on posting your journals online, but seriously, the moment I stopped doing that, I started actually using my bullet journal. So don’t worry about changing up your layouts or systems and don’t worry about it looking professional and cohesive. The core idea of bullet journaling is that it’s supposed to be simplistic and easy to use, and the fact that it has turned into like... an art competition... is very ironic. 

▪️However, if you DO like to draw and use stickers and whatever else, DO IT and do it freely! It’s liberating! Seriously it’s your journal. Do whatever you want. Do you want a full five pages plotting out a fanfic in the middle of the month? Go for it. Keeping everything sectioned off is a very neat idea but I could never stick to it and sometimes that’s what you have to do. 

▪️The only way of finding a system that really works for you is to try different things! Experiment! And yes, it requires a bit of patience, but for me the act of just having something to do with my hands and having a clear goal with it (x amount of lines to draw, x amount of numbers to write out) is very relaxing. 

▪️If you really don’t like what you’ve created, just out cut the pages. Or tape them together. Do you know how many pages I have taped together because I can’t stand looking at them? Lmao. It’s allowed. It’s no big deal. 

▪️I like doodling and drawing but I’ve realized that functionality over aesthetic works better for me. Do most weeks look plain and boring? Yep. Is my journal doing its job? Yep. 

▪️Don’t have anything to write? I think about music constantly and this year, I’ve written down the lyrics to the first song I’ve thought about every morning. The results have been very interesting! 

▪️Vertical layouts are incredibly underrated. Once I went vertical I never went back. Yes I know the bujo au has a horizontal layout but that’s mostly because of storytelling reasons...

▪️Journaling seriously doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby. No matter what the bujo community says, you do not need professional art equipment to keep a bullet journal. However, some brands are better than others, but most of the time it’s enough to just be resourceful and patient and you can find almost anything on sale. 

▪️I’d say the most important thing is that you like the notebook you’re using; I’m very passionate about notebooks so when I find one I really like, I get really attached to it, which makes me want to bring it with me all the time and actually use it. This might sound silly but it’s like a comfort item for me. And speaking as someone with anxiety, always having a journal and a pen on hand is wonderful, even if I just end up just doodling patterns on a blank page. If you don’t like the notebook you’re using, you’ll be less likely to pick it up, so find one that sparks joy. Lol 

▪️God I want to kill the idea that a bullet journal has to look a certain way, because it’s so stupid. Sometimes mine is a scrapbook. Sometimes it’s a planner. Sometimes it’s a list of stats for SPN surveys. Sometimes I make Destiel Endverse fanart. There’s not really any rhyme or reason to it and that’s alright, I still call it a bullet journal lol. And I don’t always stick to bullet journaling in the sense that I draw layouts every week (I definitely don’t), it comes and goes. What I want to say is that I’m not good at this but I am still having fun, four years later, so... yeah. 

▪️The only items hyped up by the planner/studyblr/bujo community which I would recommend are the Zebra Mildliners; I still use the same set I bought in 2015 and they’re still incredible and the only felt tips/highlighers I use. The gray one is my favorite object in the whole world. They are worth the hype. 

▪️There are so many opinions on paper quality and what kind of pens/pencils you should use, but genuinely, if you just wanna get started, use whatever you have on hand! Also, thick paper doesn’t necessarily mean better quality, but it is worth thinking twice about or looking up reviews of notebooks re: paper quality if you want to invest in a more expensive notebook (this is my way of saying Moleskin sucks and Hobonichi is incredible). 

▪️I know I said use whatever pens you have; but I’ve been using the Pilot G2 Gel Pens in 0.7 for years and they’re just my favorites, okay. Cheap, smooth, look amazing. 

▪️Some things about the SPN bullet journal in particular; 

Are they really bullet journals if they’re pre-printed? Yes. Because I say so <3 there are a ton of pre-printed bullet journals out there. If you don’t have the patience to make your own designs every month or week, they can be awesome. 

I’m working on uploading a file of layout templates (both printables and pdsds) because several of you have asked for them and I want to let you all know that they are on their way (gonna try to get them up before 2022)! They’ll be inspired by the bujo au layouts but neater and easier to use. In the meantime, you are absolutely allowed to steal or copy any and all layout ideas from that fic for your personal journals. After all, they are the result of years of trial and error...!

However, they’re also designed with the story telling aspect in mind (they have to convey information in a way you wouldn’t expect of a normal journal/planner). I’m saying this just to let you know that they are by no means the ultimate planner. (They also poke fun at the bujo community a lot and I like having Dean argue with the prompts and Jack take them painfully literally.) TL;DR if you find the bujo au layouts useful that’s amazing, if you don’t, that makes sense too lmao. 

In summary: don’t be afraid to experiment, don’t be disheartened if you don’t like what you’ve made because it’s gonna take a couple of tries to find a routine and a system that suits you, Pinterest and Instagram are great sources of inspiration but by no means what you should aspire to achieve. Ultimately, I think the only goal of a bullet journal should be to help you be a little more organized, however that might look and whatever that might mean.