In an effort to try and peel your eyes away from a screen, I encourage you to begin journaling (personal writing and art). I am very aware that everyone has access to different supplies at home during this time. If you don’t have access to a sketch book, plain or lined paper, a notebook or an equivalent “new” type of material, try re-purposing an old book or notebook.
How to Re-purpose an Old Book or Notebook
Step 1: Find an old book or notebook that your family doe not need anymore (ask your family if you are able to use it first!)
- You can use an old magazine, calendar, text book, comic book, catalog, etc.- really any old, sturdy paged, bound book
Step 2: Remove pages and customize your “new-to-you” notebook for your intended purpose
- if you are repurposing this book as a journal, it is suggested to remove darker pages as your writing may be difficult to read
- go through the book and identify anything interesting that you want to keep (ex. interesting images/ illustrations, different fonts that you like, etc.)
- re-cover the title page (can use wrapping paper, decopage/ papier mache, paper shopping bags, old materials/ cut outs from old clothes, etc.)
- insert features (ex. pockets, envelopes, a page holder/book mark, a dust cover, section dividers, etc.)
Step 3: Begin using it for what you want: a Personal Journal, an Art/ Sketch Book, a Nature Journal or all of the above combined!
- If you are choosing to use this book for all three of these options, you may want to consider organizing your Journal into sections or to continue with what you are working on as it suits you (like writing a personal journal entry on page 4, a Nature Journal Entry on page 5, an Artistic/ Creative entry on pages 6 & 7
Step 4: Keep adding to you Journal on a consistent basis!
- every time you add entries or features to your book, you are transforming it from something discarded to something useful and as unique as you want to make it
Check out some of these examples:
(source: google search- “old book art journal”)