Helen Colebrook - Journal with Purpose: Over 1000 motifs, alphabets and icons to personalize your bullet or dot journal

Im so excited to get the opportunity to make this book and share my passion for creative journaling with you! The book is designed to help you to add simple creative elements to your journal pages, with over 1000 designs to guide and inspire you. Most pages begin with an exercise to get you started, so that you can learn how the shapes are formed and feel ready to move on to other designs. Over time, I hope you will grow in confidence and feel able to bring your own style and personality to your journal pages using the skills that you have learned from this book. As someone who had never considered themself to be creative, I really wanted to design a book that could help others find their own creative path in an easy-to-follow and pleasurable way. You can start as simple as you like and build things up as you go. This book will show you ways to add more detail and colour to really make your journal pages a unique reflection of your personality.

Your journal will naturally record your progression and changing styles, with these creative elements helping to bring your pages to life. Since I started sharing my journal pages online in 2016, I have made some wonderful connections with people from all around the world. I often get asked for tips and tutorials on getting started with creative journaling and lettering, which is why I am so happy to share this book with you. I hope you find it full of inspiration and that it motivates you to pick up a pen and start doodling, with no pressure or expectation. Adding creative elements to my journal brings me so much joy and offers a welcome break from the frequent digital distractions around me. #journalwithpurpose

One of the great things about journaling is that there are absolutely no rules. #journalwithpurpose One of the great things about journaling is that there are absolutely no rules.

You start with an empty notebook and, over time, you turn it into a special record of your life. There will be no other journal like it, as it will reflect your unique view on the world, your experiences and your own creative expression.

A really useful starting point is to consider what the purpose of your journal is. This may well change over time, but having some key things that you document on a day-to-day basis can help you to make the most of the time you spend with your journal. Its important to consider what you are seeking from your journal, so that you can create the type of pages that will bring the most joy to your life. There are lots of scientifically proven medical benefits to keeping a journal; for both your mental and even physical health.

These benefits are really important to me and I feel my whole outlook on life has changed through writing and drawing in my journals every day. One important area to consider is your journaling routine. When and how will you find the time to write and create in your journal? Like all habits, it can take a while to make it a consistent part of your daily life. Carving out a small chunk of time for yourself every day can really help with this, and you will also find that your creative skills improve more quickly with regular practice. I find the evenings are a great time for me to reflect in my journal, as I dont have emails and telephone calls to deal with. We often sit in the living room as a family together and, while my daughter is focused on her home studies, I can take some time for myself without too many interruptions.

Have a think about when you are most likely to have a little time to yourself and make a commitment to spending some of that time with your journal. Once it becomes part of your routine, you will find that it is something that you value and look forward to every day.

Adding creative decoration to my journal is one of the elements I enjoy the most. Not only does it enable me to quickly relax my mind, I find that being able to add colour and doodles really brings my pages to life. It helps to set the tone for the month, reflects the colours in nature around me and quickly represents key moments in my life. A good quality journal is something that is really important to me. A good quality journal is something that is really important to me.

I like to know that the paper can handle a wide range of inks and colour without showing through or bleeding onto the next page. I use a variety of pens, pencils and paint in my journal, depending on the theme that I am creating. The items I always have close at hand are:

• Waterproof black pigment liner
• Pencil and eraser
• Brush pens for lettering and adding colour
• Fountain pen
• Washi tape
• Pastel coloured highlighters
• Variety of coloured pens and pencils
• Watercolour paints

You certainly dont need all of these supplies to get started; a notebook and pen will be absolutely fine. As you find your own style you can gradually add to your supplies and find products that you love to use. There are certain layouts that I feature in my journal every month, which are explained below. Each month feels like a new chapter in life to me. Each month feels like a new chapter in life to me.

I choose to represent this in my journal with a spread welcoming the new month, which usually reflects the current season. Its a chance to pause, review the last month and put plans in place for the coming weeks.

With each new month I find it useful to create a calendar where I can record any events, deadlines and things to remember. Alongside this I set myself some goals to work towards for the month. These could be related to work, home, creative projects or personal targets that are important to me. I find this really helps to affirm my intentions for the month and enables me to easily set daily tasks that help me to move in the right direction.