Bullet Journal and Quarantine

Our lives have changed in a way that we never imagined and for some of us, adapting to this kind of new normal has been a rollercoaster of emotions. In my personal case, my bullet journal has been a savior. Let me explain.

The first days of staying at home, somehow, I had the feeling that it was temporary, so I treated those days as vacations, in the sense that I binge watched Netflix, I painted, I spent hours chatting with family and friends, I watched the trees swing with the wind... my biological clock was turning me into a helpless night owl too, and soon, at the end of the day I was feeling unproductive and guilty. Something had to change.

I started bullet journaling this year, and I am so glad I did! 4 days into quarantine I looked at my forgotten journal and decided it was time to put its powers to use. I was drawing a lot, so I came up with a fun #StayAtHome activity page, featuring a tiny doodle cat. This got me my first feature ever on Creative Fabrica's blog... I will talk more about them later.

So then, I realized I needed a schedule. One that could help me better organize all of my activities, work and entertainment, which now included the thousand things I have been wanting to do or learn. So I came up with an interactive schedule which, to be honest, I LOVED. You can watch a full explanation in my How-To video on YouTube, I link it right down below.

The best part is, with a list of everything that I want to do at a glance, I am better able to fill my days in a varied way and stay busy to be productive. Sometimes I feel I need 30-hour- days in order to do everything I want! Bottom line is, it works! I'm using my time wisely, learning a lot, enjoying a lot and being industrious and productive.

Bonus is, at the end of the day I am so exhausted, I really have the chance to wind down and sleep the 8 hours I need to wake up early in the morning and take advantage of the fresh part of the day! (Where I live, by 10 am we are already around 30º C/86º F so no outdoor activities are recommended until the evening, when the mosquitoes come out).

Anyways, my health and my productiveness have improved and that was exactly what I needed during these days when it is easy to just be idle or procrastinate.

Now, back to Creative Fabrica. Created in Amsterdam, one of the most inspirational cities in the world, they bring the best possible tools for improving creativity and productivity. Working together with crafters and designers, they provide a creative hub with the tools and content needed for your next venture, idea or project.

Thanks to my tiny doodle cat, they reached out to me to team up for a blog entry on a Bullet Journal Set up for April, and of course, I was honored and delighted! So here are some of my favorite pages I did for them:

A warm cover that makes of "Home" more than just a word, it has to be our refuge, a safe place and cozy nest for us to enjoy anything we do!

I could not stress enough the habit of calling someone every day to build each other up and also the much needed Habit Tracker, let's not loose the good ones!!

A whimsical Mood Tracker that will not only help with our attitude but it will also make you look forward to filling those lines, connecting the dots to end the month on a sweet note!

For a full tutorial and explanation that includes all of the materials I used, check our collaboration here: https://www.creativefabrica.com/the-artistry/craftshome/bullet-journal-inspiration-april-2020/

And finally, since I made the whole theme on a separate journal I use to make videos (and also, I had already set up my April theme on my personal journal), I made my May theme inspired on this LoFi aesthetic, drawing my very own spaces and adding that cozy neon vibe that kinda lights up the pages. I will end this post with some of my favorite pages and the video on how I did it all.

I love using the schedule lay out, it's a rule now!

This last one inspired me to make a little challenge and bake something every day for that week... talk about rewarding yourself!!

If you're still reading this far, thank you for taking the time to do so! I hope some of these spreads inspired you and if you have any other ideas, share them in the comments below! I hope you and your loved ones stay safe!

Seizing the Days,

❁ Nala ❁