Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.

For years, I had wanted to start a bullet journal. I would see inspiration on Pinterest and read articles about how bullet journaling would change your life. I felt like it was the pinnacle of organization and constantly had notebook fever.

I never started one because I have zero art skills. Like absolutely none. Completely void of any and all artistic talent and doomed to never create anything.

These beautiful journals were always so bright and colorful with intricate designs that the artists created so easily. I never had the confidence to try because I felt as though I couldn’t live up to the examples and inspiration plastered across the blogs and social media.

white ceramic mug with coffee on top of a bullet journal
Estée Janssens

And then the pandemic started, and last August, I decided I was going to start a bullet journal regardless of what skills I might possess. 

It worked!

Now, almost nine months later, I am setting up my second bullet journal. While it is not the most artistic journal ever created, it fits my needs. And I honestly enjoy taking time each week to set it up. 

Ignore all the blog posts that say you need a million different colors and templates to have a successful journal. You don’t need to be Picasso to plan your week. Honestly? All you need is a notebook, a ruler, and a good pen in whatever color you want.

journaling
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters from Unsplash

I prefer dotted notebooks because they allow me to draw straight lines (with the aforementioned ruler) to create simple spreads. If you want some art, I recommend going on Pinterest and looking up: “simple lined bullet journal spreads.” Then, edit them to your own level of skill. 

Use Wite-Out! (If you can’t see it, the mistake doesn’t exist.) Tape in old receipts or movie tickets to fill the pages, or do a page with your favorite photos every month. Fill a page with stickers for no reason other than the fact that you have stickers. A bullet journal is unique in that there is no specific direction you can take. Add in whatever calls to you, or keep it simple. 

The choice is yours!

Starting a bullet journal can be terrifying. But the beauty of it is this: you don’t actually need to be good! You just need to enjoy it.

Elizabeth began writing for HerCampus in Spring 2021 and is currently a Sophomore Political Science major at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Outside of HerCampus, Elizabeth is a member of the Delta Mu Chapter of Alpha Chi Omega and an intern with MASSPIRG. She is interested in foreign policy and the world at large.
Contributors from the University of Massachusetts Amherst