How To Use Bullet Journaling To Boost Creativity

This post is written by the lovely Shikha Pandey. In this post Shikha explains how to use bullet journaling to boost creativity.

In 2020, creative burnout is real and constant. Most of us are struggling constantly to keep our minds active and focus on creating content intuitively.

However, it can be a challenge to avoid burnout as we try to work, manage personal commitments and stay isolated. Several creative people, including me, are trying not to crumble under the pressure of being creative and productive. 

As a full-time student, writer, and entrepreneur, I found that I was getting bogged down and could not keep up with my professional tasks in the quality that was expected of me.

I was working 7 days a week, 8-10 hours each day and feeling frustrated with my inability to focus. I was doing a botched job of my studies, not handling deadlines with clients, and playing catchup with the rest of my work. 

After days and weeks of soul-searching, I figured a way to help myself and improve my ability to create. I found something that acted as an outlet for my energy, directed my creativity and pushed me in the right direction.

It completely jolted me back to life. I could breathe freely and create as I was meant to create. This tool felt like magic but it’s even better. This method is known as bullet journaling. I didn’t know about using bullet journaling to boost creativity before but I am so happy I found it!

What Is Bullet Journaling? 

A bullet journal can be extremely personalized, and can be part diary, part journal, part to-do list. Most people use it for practical reasons- to chalk out their daily tasks, note dates, and add reminders. But creative people can add their own twist to it and make it into something they need and desire.

Bullet journaling is suggested to people who are going to therapy or seeking help as it can assist you in sharing your emotions, feelings, and notice your moods. It is a wonderful, real outlet for people who need a platform for expression. 

Bullet journaling is also a flexible, fluid way to note inspiration, discuss your frustration, and express why you feel you are burning out. When I struggle with writer’s block, reading my bullet journal or scribbling it feels rejuvenating and refreshing.

It also lets me take a step back, reassess my strategy, and get some distance between me and my creativity. 

How To Use Bullet Journaling To Boost Creativity?

How Can Bullet Journaling Help My Creativity?

Are you feeling stuck in a rut? Do you struggle with putting quality content out in 2020? Do you think the quality of your work has suffered due to the pandemic? It is completely fine to be feeling all these things. The excess pressure put on us by the competitive world can get to us and drain us of our creativity. 

Sadly, creativity isn’t like a tap or switch. You can’t turn it on when you want it. But for people whose income and livelihood depends on their creativity, it can be scary if they can’t create something good and relevant.

This is where the bullet journal comes in extremely handy. It can act as a way of writing down your ideas, inspiration, and notes. I carry my bullet journal everywhere so I can note something down when it strikes me.

There are several ways writers can use bullet journaling to boost your creativity. Authors even use bullet journaling to plot a novel!

The possibilities of employing a bullet journal to rejuvenate your creativity are limitless. You just need to answer few questions-

• What do you want from bullet journaling?
• How do you want your creative process to improve?

Answering these questions can allow you to create your own bullet journal, specially customized for you. 

What Do You Need For Bullet Journaling?

You only need two things to create a bullet journal of your own- a notebook and a pen. If you want to have something innovative and colorful, then experiment with sketch pens, colors, and prints.

Amazon is a great place to find affordable bullet journal supplies. You can also create an online version if you prefer writing on your laptop or your phone. 

To find out which bullet journal supplies I recommend for beginners check out my post on the best bullet journal supplies 2020.

Every bullet journal is a personal story, a journey that emphasizes your feelings and traces your creativity. I found that it presented me with data to chart my productivity and emotions. I could gauge the quality of my content by looking at my bullet journal.

I could keep track of how many words I wrote, whether those words were on par with quality, how I felt writing those words, how much did I manage to edit, read, and proofread, etc. Some days I added personal elements by noting personal issues that affected my ability to create. 

Below is a sample of a page from my bullet journal:

Where it says ‘Quality’ I used a grading system of 1-10, and ranked my words or work on the quality I believed it to be at that day.

Eventually, I got rid of that because forcing me to evaluate my work in that limited context was very stressful. I was so angry at the days that my quality was sub-par that I put excessive pressure on my creativity.

Instead I just changed that to ‘Hours Worked.’  Adding that element gave me a window into my productivity and if I could maximize my creativity by working less or more. 

Releasing the pressure put by arbitrary expectations freed my creativity like nothing else. I let go of inhibitions and concentrated on creating quality content. I wrote better, I could manage my time better, and I felt more satisfied.

This was majorly due to bullet journaling and mindfulness. I practiced simple techniques such as appreciating the good parts of my day, however trivial they may have seemed before.

Below is a sample page of what I call my gratitude diary:

The bad things, the stress, and the pressure can darken good parts of our days and having a page where I note down small things boosted my creativity and mind immensely. You can find several guides or ideas on creating your personalized bullet journal online or purchase one.

There are many websites such as Planning With Em, which break down the art of bullet journaling and provide you with helpful resources. Use those resources and ideas to build your bullet journal. It will recharge your creativity, engage your mind, make you productive, and avoid the risk of burnout.

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Thank you to Shikha Pandey for writing this guest post all about using bullet journaling to boost creativity! You can find more posts by Shikha on her blog at shikhaskpandey.com

Thank you for reading,

Em x