#still living that bujo life

[hillbillyoracle]

Pen and Paper Planning

Maybe you like me are endlessly drawn back to pen and paper. I have often felt more at home in a good notebook. For a long time I thought there just weren't many options for notebook systems in comparison to "productivity" apps but over the years I've collected a number of them that I pull inspiration from for my own system. I've been told my little compilations are helpful so I thought I'd share what I've found here with some notes about each.

Bullet Journal

The OG. I think bujo has gotten a bad rap by people who've only every interacted with it via aesthetic routes like instagram. I found out not to long ago that there are people who don't know what the original system entails at all so I thought it was worth mentioning here.

Check it out here.

I recommend it less as a "productivity" system and more as a style of rapid/micro journaling. Does journaling feel like it takes forever and just isn't worth it - this is the system for you. When you go into it with that mindset, it's a lot easier to get the benefits. Wouldn't really recommend it for full blown tasks management and planning but the creator is upfront he never really intended it for that.

Everbook

This is more of a folio style as opposed to a notebook system but I think there are aspects that translate nicely to notebooks. It's definitely more of a productivity system too - very GTD influenced according to it's creator. I like it for it's modular approach to tasks, inspiration, and tracking.

Check it out here.

I recommend this if you like multi-notebook systems and are focused on getting tasks done more so than reflection/introspection.

Analog by Ugmonk

Basically a glorified notecard but this one has been a real game changer for me with regard to my daily tasks. I keep my today card clipped to the cover of my journal. You don't need to buy their fancy system for it at all and lots of people have hacks of it. Easy to combine with 1-3-5 Lists and the Bento Method as well.

Check it out here.

I recommend it for people who prefer a more flexible way of planning their days than what traditional planners offer.

Strikethru

I've not gotten to try many aspects of Strikethru yet but there are some I'm definitely looking to incorporate in another journal. Strikethru is a much more task oriented system than a bullet journal. It features a "live list", "dump" "vault" and calendar. I think it best replicates what you do what many to-do apps. They have their own journal you can buy but it can be set up in your own notebook.

Check it out here.

I recommend this for people who are doing large projects with lots of moving parts.

Theme System by CPG Grey

I love CPG Grey's ideas about yearly and seasonal themes. He created a notebook to compliment those ideas. It basically is composed of a section on fleshing out your themes, daily reflection pages, and habit tracking. I like the light direction while still being freeform enough for most goals.

Check it out here.

And here.

I recommend it for people who's primary use case is self improvement oriented. If you're looking to move the needle forward in some area of your life, themes are a great way to start.

Commonplace Book

I think the best way to think of a Commonplace Book is that it's a sketchbook for ideas. I think too often with digital systems it's easy to get caught up in worrying about capturing all of our ideas or optimizing them to be found again - which only really adds stress and unnecessary complexity. What I like about a commonplace book is not only it's usage throughout history but it's simplicity.

Check it out here.

And here.

I recommend this for people who are looking to do a lot of creative or intellectual work and don't want to get distracted by screens to capture what inspires and moves them. Also for people who prefer to refer to their inspiration in a more tactile way.

Maurice Moves' Notebook

When I first found this method, it had very few views. When I went to look it up again, it had taken off. I'm so glad because it feels like an underrated system that can be easily paired with some of the other. It's basically a series of pages he uses to work through goals or just directions he wants to move in life. I've never see a system that's both so orderly and thorough. I especially appreciate is way of working backwards from his desired results to develop his plan.

Check it out here.

I recommend this for people who are trying to achieve big things but aren't totally sure how to get here. Seems very neurodivergent friendly too depending on what you personally excel with.

1-3-5 Lists

I first learned about a similar concept from Esme Weijun Wang's ebook "Productivity Journaling with Limitations" but I can't seem to find it on her website anymore. This website has one version of it but the version I've been using is slightly different.

The first task is my "win the day task" - if I only do this it was a productive day. It's achievable based on the resources I have that day. On low energy days , the task might be a simple chore like laundry or a health activity like walking. On a high energy day, it's usually something that moves me forward in some way - tackling projects like redoing my room or organizing all of our papers. Most days are inbetween though.

The next three have historically been "to not cause myself further trouble" tasks but I've been experimenting with making them one home/work task, one health task, and one relationships task as mentioned in this Ali Abdaal video (in Part 3).

The next five to six tasks are usually just easy wins - things I can get to if I feel like it but I feel no pressure to complete.

I recommend this system for people who are working with variable energy, health, time, or other resources. I could see it being helpful for folks with children or who are caregivers as well. I've found it useful as someone with chronic illness.

Sorry this section is a bit of a mess, when I originally put it on here I thought I could just link to Wang's ebook but alas. If anyone has the link, please drop it in comments.

Bento Methodology

This is another one that can be paired with another system. While the video I link to is talking about it in terms of an app, I think it's similar to the 1-3-5 system in that you can just use it inside of any other to-do list or task system you might be using. I appreciate it's nudge to do deep work and it's clear criteria for each compartment. I use this when I have more energy and want to use it to the best effect. Whenever I use it I always feel like I had a really meaningful day in terms of my efforts.

Check it out here.

I recommend this for people who want some structure to their day but still want flexibility from day to day to pick what they work on.

And I think that's most of them. I hope something here inspires you to pick up a notebook and get to writing. Best wishes!

#studyblr #analog #planner #notebook #planning

[cyberstudious]

sunday, june 11th, 2023 | 11/100 days of productivity

today is my last day of "summer break" before I start working full-time! I usually get pretty anxious about time passing, but I've been reminding myself that even once I'm working, I'll still have time to live my life and do other things. (and besides, I need to get the money to buy craft supplies from somewhere lol)

today's productivity:

lots of chores!

planned out next week in my bujo

today's self-care:

ate fruit & veggies!

finished a bookbinding project

made some bread dough & baked some muffins (they turned out super tasty!)

#studyblr #bujo #studyspo #study inspiration #bullet journal #op #100dop #I was nervous but today turned out really good! I'm also planning to take a bath and use a fun bath bomb my partner got me tonight hehe

[notebookishbalderdash]

Following on from the bullet journaling gentrification post & your own thoughts on the topic: as somebody who posts their BuJo online, how do you deal with the pressure of creating “aesthetic” pages? Do you have to remind yourself to treat your BuJo as a tool? If so, how do you do it?

(Asking as somebody who managed to get back into bullet journaling thanks to a 5-year-long break from social media, but is now itching to start posting journaling content again)

(Scared I’ll fall back into crippling perfectionism)

thanks for the question! my answer may be a little disappointing. the answer is, i very, very rarely post my bullet journal online. you can see just how much i reblog other people's journals versus my own by scanning the tags. this is partly because i extremely value privacy and am too paranoid to post a final page (even though i think that is the prettiest stage) and because i don't find my pages all that interesting before that point. i tried posting clean (without a schedule/personal information) spreads on instagram a while ago, but i fell into the same frustration of feeling like i was posting the same thing over and over while also too uncomfortable to post something beyond that.

in a lot of ways, recognizing other people's journaling styles as theirs and not true to my vision of a bullet journal helped - but the main way i keep the pressure off is to think of it as an extended to-do list/diary combo and not dress it up as a grander concept. the way i have made my bujo my own is to allow myself to mess up, frankly. i write in pen, and while i hate having to scribble out misspellings, i've come to terms with it as a living document. part of my struggle with extremely aestheticized pages is that it feels like making gorgeous dollhouses that no one can live in - i feel like nothing i write will live up to the frame. distilling my practice down to really simple things i like (color combinations, neat pens, lots of check boxes) helped me focus on it as a tool for my own work as well as a place i can record my life without writing long, prose entries about my day (a journaling practice i never stuck with for long).

i still struggle with the aesthetic value, especially when colleagues comment, 'omg your handwriting is so nice!' or "i could never make something that pretty!' but ultimately, as long as i can read my handwriting and feel organized, i'm alright. my main advice is to start small and see where you grow. having an audience is less fulfilling than making yourself excited to return to the practice.

tl;dr: try to find what excites you about bullet journaling and what draws you to the practice functionally. thinking of the book as something that lives and breathes through your life changes (like you do!) helps, but if you need to keep all or some of it private to learn what works for you, then do so! no one else is using your journal, after all.

#bullet journals #asks #journals #journaling

[pellaaearien]

In shorthand — a lost art, shorthand — he jots down anything and everything he can think of.

Dreams!!!

“Dreaming” = realm?

Tools??

Sister = pale horseman. HER gift!

Two other sisters (NOT horsemen?)

Stories (eating?)

What was in those dreams?

At this last, he puts down the pen. What was in those dreams? Now that he knows his friend was actually present for them, he tries to recall details, but they remain frustratingly elusive.

The dreams were kinder. That much he knows. They’d replayed 1989. 1889 had ended happily. They all had. He thinks about how Dream had very uncharacteristically stumbled over his words as he tried to explain. Weakened… Dreaming in disarray…

Escaped from a century of confinement, and he’d come to Hob for comfort. Fucking Christ. Hob can’t do this.

He lowers his head until it touches the cold formica countertop. It feels good. His brain has been working so much overtime today, he feels feverish.

Never mind that Hob would have provided whatever Dream needed, gladly, with his full faculties. Imprisonment or no. He’d helped Dream. That’s all that matters, in the end.

The problem is, however (and the jury was still out on whether or not Dream understood this), if you gave Hob an inch he would take a mile. Or want to, anyway. And after a hundred and thirty years of famine, Dream had just laid out a feast.

Did he expect Hob not to fall on it like a starving man?

Oh my goodness :) One of my favourite parts :) Of course, Nonnie, I'd love to talk about this!

So first and foremost: we've spent a lot of time in Dream's head so far in this fic. Now we're finally getting some Hob POV, and I wanted to make it clear where he stood. Dream also dropped some pretty bonkers information on him during their conversation, and I started from the point of HOW do you even begin to go about processing something like that? When you've gotten nothing but nothing for six hundred years and suddenly not only do you have a name, but also an apology for the thing you've been beating yourself up over for the past 133 years, plus some information about WHAT your friend is, his powers, his family, your immortality... It's a lot, is what I'm getting at. And I'm a firm believer that Hob, who has lived for a LONG time and has a lot of memories bouncing around up in his old noggin, writes things down. Especially things he needs to work through. (He's a dedicated bujo enthusiast.) BUT, it took six hundred years to get to this point, and he's determined to prove he can be trusted, so he's going to be cautious, hence the shorthand. I must admit that writing that list was a lot of fun, trying to extrapolate what Hob would feel were the most pertinent points, how he would couch them. It delights me how unhinged it looks out of context.

The rest of the passage is more of a meditation on Hob's character as I see it. Hob and Dream are, in fact, the exact same side of the coin. One of the many reasons that Dream is repressed is because he's gone through the entirety of his existence being left behind. Sometimes justifiably! But the lesson he's taken from it is that he should no longer seek companionship. His love is a burden that wilts the ones he bestows it on. He must learn to do without.

(But a relationship is actually his greatest desire, as Night reveals in this heartbreaking exchange):

"But what if I were to make you a perfect little dreamworld, here in Night's realm? With a partner to love you and kiss you and make you feel less scared? A relationship. You always wanted one of them."

Hob has also spent the entirety of his existence being left behind. He has a much healthier outlook on it, as a whole, because such is the nature of his particular immortality. He lives life to the fullest, and that means people. Like Dream, he has a bottomless well of love in his heart, but unlike Dream, he bestows it freely. Others' lives are so fleeting; why wouldn't he grasp every opportunity by the horns?

The flip side of that, of course, is a deluge of loss. He can never stay. People age, and he doesn't. He has to move on, or they do. He can never fully be himself (something else he and Dream have in common!) Even if he could be open, lay it all out for someone, trust them with the truth, that also has an inherent expiry date.

The one exception to this is Dream. Dream was there at the beginning. He knows everything. Hob doesn't have to pretend he doesn't know the exact timbre of Middle English, he can reference something specific about the eras he's lived in without needing to hedge how he came by the information. Dream also knows Hob. He's been there through all the ups and downs, and Hob has told him more than he's been able to tell literally anyone else. Hob goes through life holding the immense weight of his own life. He's got no one he can talk to about it, except Dream. (Kind of like the way Dream carries the weight of his responsibilities with no one who can relate? Perhaps!)

All of this to say, the defining trait of Hob is greed. There is never enough for him. He will always be craving more experiences, more love, more life, more, more, more. This is a man who looked Dream in the eye after a century of misery and told him "I've got so much to live for!" Hob will never, ever, be satisfied. And he holds himself back, just like Dream does, because it is simply too much for everyday life.

Does he love Dream? Naturally. But honestly, the romantic aspect of it is a byproduct of this is my person. The only person who knows him. The only person who he can be himself around. And just as he was resigning himself to have to do without the most important person in his life, he comes back. And that enforced separation is crumbling, from Dream's side. And Hob is greedy. He wants more. He'll be whatever Dream needs, if it means more of Dream. More, more more.

There's a saying my friends and I have adopted for dreamling, which is "Too much, together." Once they finally manage to work their way through all the barriers they've put up to make it possible to actually interact with other people, and the misunderstandings that it causes, once they finally recognize that in each other, then it's game over.

They've just got to get there first.

#thanks for asking! #talking about my writing #commentary ask #awfa #pella answers

[mirrorthoughts]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the ask box of the last 10 people who reblogged something from you. Learn to know your mutuals and followers! 💖

I can see why I got this sent from both of you @teenwerewoofs & @meggie-stardust 😂😂 Thanks ❤❤❤

Stories I just love stories of every kind! May it be in words (books, fics, rpgs), pictures (comics/manga, movies, series), sound (telling stories over the fire, music in general, musicals, a music album that's got a whole story, audiobooks) or anything else ((video) games, escape rooms, stories weaved into quilts, anything really). Of course not all stories are to my liking (don't like don't read etc.) but if you see me without a story of any kind and I'm not writing myself or with people or at work I might already be dead 😂

Writing Didn't see that coming, huh? ;D Of course writing needs to be on this list! If I'm not reading or otherwise engrossed in someone else's story I'm definitely dabbling in my own. Be it in my head when I can't write or writing fics, my own stuff, rpgs, bullet point lists of ideas, ramblings in my BuJo and the like. Just as with reading, if you don't see me write and I'm not reading or with people or at work, check my pulse 😂

My people! This includes, of course, my found siblings, but also those people that leave an impression on me. And a lot of the time that's people writing stuff. We might not know each other very well, but if I've interacted with you in some kind of way, especially more often than once, I mean you with this! As you could see, stories are a huge part of my life in any shape or form. So is knowledge and curiosity. If I follow you here on tumblr and interact with your stuff, you are my people! And I love you very much for giving me your thoughts and knowledge, your passions, your stories, your empathy towards me and others. Thank you ❤❤❤

Knowledge I suppose this was obvious, after what I just wrote xD I'm a very curious person and one that can fall easily into the next rabbithole at a blink 😂 I'm not the only 'wtf why do you know that?' person in my friend group since all of us have a certain tendency to curiosity and falling into stuff head first (like finds like and all that) so it's always funny to find out new stuff and share it with the group :D (or scurry away with a rather large bit of new information and nibble at it until satisfied or bored 😂 (yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm somewhere on the autism and adhd-spectrum, why do you ask? öÖ)

Kindness This might be a weird one for some, but it's a very important one for me. The world is cruel these days. And children often like to be, so I'm not a stranger to the cruelty and unkindness of the world thanks to things like mobbing etc. I can also be a pretty naive person since I'm bad at understanding people, especially strangers I don't know. So I have to actually be careful about people being nice to me, because I'm bad at discerning if they are nice because they want to be or because they want to sell me something <.< So, people just being kind, and me being kind to people, is something I treasure very much. Sometimes a nice smile or a nice word is enough. Sometimes even the absence of cruel words has to do. On my old way to work lives an older woman who always looked out of the window when I walked along that certain street. She looked grumpy, so I wished her a good morning and smiled at her. She smiled back. Since then I greeted her every morning, because no matter how grumpy she looked, she greeted and smiled back and lit up with that smile. I'm still sad that I don't see her anymore, but I walk a very different path to work by now and earlier at that, too, so she wouldn't even be there If I would take the old path. I can't be kind like that to everyone. I'd love to help every homeless person I see, but since I live in a big city there are very many of them and very little of me. I can't help everyone, since I'm only one person. But I try. With a smile, with something to eat, with a nice word. (Because I'm still just as surprised if someone outside of my friend group has a smile or a nice word for me)

#seikaze #sei's brain bubbles #teenwerewoofs #meggie-stardust

[sixstepsaway]

cw personal stuff, mental health, menstruation, adhd, medication, passively suicidal thoughts

so i have PMDD, which isnt great, and over the last decade or so i've been tweaking my entire life to try and make said life livable

a rundown: if i am unmedicated, have no vitamin supplements and do nothing in particular to handle my pmdd, i have three weeks out of every month where i am incredibly depressed, fatigued beyond reason, passively suicidal (as in: i do not think i would move if a boulder was going to run over me, but i am not going to go onto tinder to try and match with a boulder any time soon), apathetic about everything except (if i'm LUCKY, else the depression is worse) my current hyperfixation, unable to focus on anything (so my adhd is worse, which took me until a year ago to realize) and just...terrible

three weeks of every month

i figured out quickly that the pill helps, but i cant have the combined pill (i have migraines) so i'm stuck with the minipill (which is progesterone only, i believe?) of which one brand doesn't give me horrible side-effects

this brings me down to like.. a week and a half before my period is shitty? still passively suicidal, still terrible adhd issues, but less time

i called up my doctor who offered me antidepressants which i didnt really want and she recommended vitamin... B6? which i take a big supplement of, and i will admit helps a lot

but the thing that i hadnt realized was having a really strong (positive) effect is i started taking 5-HTP a few years ago in the hopes it would combat my depression and apathy, which it does! and i did not realize

until i got on my ADHD medication and came off my daily caffeine supplement (which i was using to self-medicate said ADHD) and the 5-HTP in the concern it might have a bad reaction

i'm being titrated on the ADHD medication rn (so week 1 is 20mg, week 2 is 30, week 3 is 40, week 3 (current!) is 50, and finally week 4 is 60, and the goal is to find the dose that has the best effect on my ADHD

this medication is amazing and my fatigue is all but gone, which is astonishing and makes me want to cry with a combination of relief and, i guess, grief? because i've lost 15+ years of my life to thinking my problem (CFSME, which I might still have but i dont KNOW and honestly probably never will) couldnt be medicated/fixed (CFSME they just send you home to rest and reduce stress like meh over here) and it actually could??? i just had the wrong target?? i thought my brain was okay but my body was fucked but actually my brain was broken this whole time? hahaha fuck

anyway that brings us to today where i am sitting here, really low, genuinely wishing a boulder would hit me up on tinder, not really giving a shit about anything (including going downstairs to wake my ducks up for breakfast, you know, the ducks i've been sewing diapers for, the ducks i love more than life itself), kind of wanting to cry

my apathy came back a week or so ago, and i've realized the apathy is what the 5HTP was effectively medicating as well as it was. and now i checked my bujo and sure enough this time last month was my pre-period week so no wonder i want to goddamn die

and i'm still stuck on mobile data (some guy did 60 in a 20 and knocked out the pole that held up all the wires at the bottom of our street and we've had no internet ever since, we're on tethered mobile data and have been this whole time, i have bought 22GB of mobile data and the first 10GB i went through like a flash because it turned out the tumblr app on my phone was using background data like crazy and i hadnt realized and now i'm refusing to buy more data because this is STUPID) and everything just feels helpless and hopeless

and i'm finally feeling all the things about the fact this could have been fixed. this could have been fixed years ago

i didnt have to live like this

#pp #adhd

[prettylittlelyres]

Hi there buddy, my name is Athena. I'm coming to say hi, see how you're doing and this is a chance to ramble about your wips. How many ocs do you have, how many have been through a lot and do you keep everything tracked and organised with tables and stuff?

Hiya, Athena! I'm doing well, on a train at the moment so feeling the creative zoomies.

I've got so many OCs I'm actually not sure how many there are; there's about twelve PoV Characters in "This Still Happens", another ten or so important characters in "Curls of Smoke", and nine in "Vogeltje".

I've recently realised (my originally standalone book) "Violins and Violets" actually needs to be a series, because there isn't time enough in a single novel to develop the characters properly. There's one character (Hans) who appears in "Violins and Violets" and "Vogeltje" (he's the Bindenglied), but not including him, there are ten to twelve important figures in "Violins and Violets".

I do a lot of headhopping in "This Still Happens", and it's long, so the characters do get developed, but I still want to develop a sequel for it where TSH characters meet some people from "Curls of Smoke".

All these stories are actually set in the same universe (which is really similar to ours but with a few extra composers and one extra luthier), so the sequel would also feature a descendant of two characters from "Vogeltje"!

As to your second question: "How many have been through a lot?" - it depends what you mean by "a lot". Short answer: most of them.

"This Still Happens" leaves most of its characters badly shaken up, and some even end up with PTSD/CPTSD. Gordon survives an attempt on his life, which is what starts the plot rolling, but he's not the most traumatised person in the group - not by the end of the book, or even, come to think of it, at the beginning - he just doesn't know it yet. Stefan had a pretty nasty childhood but it's plain sailing for him from now on, and although things are intolerable for Ffion, she will be happy one day. She will thrive.

Florian from "Curls of Smoke" had a financially privileged but emotionally horrible start in life, and now he's dealing with scary medical stuff.

Marianne from "Vogeltje" is from an aristocratic family and about as privileged as it gets... but she was orphaned at five, and she's got (undiagnosed in the 18th century) Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is causing serious problems for her health. Another character is pregnant and unmarried, and won't be allowed to marry her baby's father. Yet another character had a really horrible breakup after she had a pregnancy scare of her own, and has to see her horrible ex every day. Another character loses her best friend far too young. In real life, King George III was severely ill, and he and Queen Charlotte outlived three of their children (two of whom have already died by the time "Vogeltje" starts).

Katharina from "Violins and Violets" wants to be a composer, but her father is so adamantly against this that he destroys all her work in front of her, and tries to force her into an arranged marriage she doesn't want. She's been uprooted from everywhere she's ever lived after just a few months, she's never really been able to keep the few friends she's made, and she knows her father is disappointed in her. The bright side is that her brother, Hans, thinks she's absolutely brilliant, and he encourages her to pursue her dreams no matter what their father says.

Do I keep things organised? Do I keep things organised? ... Do I keep things... Organised? I use spreadsheets and a writerly bujo and usually a story bible to write down key information about my characters and plan out plots. In theory, I should be extremely well organised... But then I am not. Can't stick to my plans. Can't explain why. It's a secret (from me, most of all).

#writeblr #blog #athena anna rose #fictionalbullshitter #answers #ask game #this still happens #curls of smoke #vogeltje #violins and violets #writing process #writer's life

[loveleahcreates]

✨💜 Good morning! Here's a short spread from last Saturday when we had some Art Merch at Shelter and it was fun! I enjoyed every second of being there and my Art soul is content with how Sir Don and the students talk about their Artwork in the Gallery. I love it! As if you're allowing your soul to talk out loud without the fear of being judged. Thinking about your reflections on the artwork and how it makes an impact on your life. I love those kinds of conversations, that is something to live by and be truly grateful for. Anyways, the Sale is still ongoing. Have a great weekend! ✨💜😉 . . . #art #artistoninstagram #journalinspiration # #journalingcommuntiyph #journalingislove #bujo ideas #bujojunkiesph #bujolife #creativityeveryday #creativejournaling #creativity #createeveryday #create #handwriting #handletteringnewbie #handwritingcommunity #stationeryshopph #handmade #handmadewithlove (at Dumaguete City) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdMjLuiB9WW/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#art #artistoninstagram #journalinspiration #journalingcommuntiyph #journalingislove #bujo #bujojunkiesph #bujolife #creativityeveryday #creativejournaling #creativity #createeveryday #create #handwriting #handletteringnewbie #handwritingcommunity #stationeryshopph #handmade #handmadewithlove

[charincharge]

This week’s spread. We’re late but that’s fine.

Cc @mariamuses

#now just have to fill in that entire to do list #😭😭😭 #personal #bullet journal #still living that bujo life #bujo

[aesthetic-solar-space]

Come and join the craziness, I promise you won’t regret it. This family will welcome you with open arms.

#college student #college life #chronicles of a sick person #quarantine #still in quarantine #social distancing #adult ish #still in social distance #long live the queue #it was always queue #bujo #bujoinspire #bujoideas #bujoinspo #bujolove #bujoblr #bujolife #bujo2020 #bullet journal #bullet journal daily spreads #bullet journal inspiration #bullet journal ideas #bullet journal loves #bullet journal life #bullet journal 2020

[mervederya]

Last Week of 2021 🌲

Time went so fast and so slow at the same time this month, which is basically how my life goes. I’ve watched over 50 movies and read around 13-15 books this month. I’m still not done with what I’ve planned for this month but slowly wrapping it up. I’m still feeling a little bit strange and living in bed except the days I go to the uni. I’ve got things planned for this weekend both for school and blog related things. I hope you’re enjoying the last week of 2021 and if you’re not ready for next year, you’re not alone. I’m going to finish my bujo 2022 this weekend too! 📖

I've seen Dune this month too and tbh I've found it quite problematic regarding how the book/movie's plot was basically surrounding Middle Eastern elements like oil, oppression, and power play between authorities, yet there are no Middle Eastern actors in the entire movie. I liked it as a sci-fi movie but even for that, it was a bit slower than I expected. I'd love to hear your thoughts if you'd like to share them with me!

Instagram: @mervederyayazicioglu

#december #bujocommunity #calligraphy #dune 2021 #bookblr #booksbooksbooks #studyblr #studyspo #light academia aesthetic #beige academia #beige aesthetic #beige blog #study blog #study space #books #coffee aesthetic #coffetime #coffee and chill #autumn academia #december 2021 #booklover #dark academia books

[theunaestheticstudyblr]

Are y'all ready for a tough conversation? Because I think many of us need to hear this.

Are you overworking, glorifying burnout and productivity because you actually enjoy it or because you feel something. Like you have to prove something. Ignore something. Distract yourself. Be better than everyone else. Stand out. Make other proud. Which is it? Do you actually get joy out of getting up at 5am and working all day long, living a picturesque version of what you believe life should be for pretty photos, bragging rights, and/or trying to prove something? Are you scheduling your days full of things to do to avoid dealing with something? To keep your mind so busy you can't even bother to worry about anything else? Are you spending extra hours a week to create an aesthetic catered to people around you and not yourself? Are you actually happy with all of this? All your actions? All your choices?

I'm not saying that you are doing any of this. You might actually truly enjoy it, and if so, that's amazing!!! I myself am someone who loves to get up early and be busy. I love excelling. I love working hard. But my motivations for doing so are now for me. Before, they were for other people. I went to college because it was expected of me. I did everything to please someone else. I loved doing it, but didn't know why it also made me so drained, hate-filled, and extremely destructive. Now, I get up at 5 am and I don't start studying or working out like I used to. I go down to the water, watch the sunrise, and take my ferret on a walk. I don't drink coffee with little sugar and creamer. Now I drink it so sweet because that's how I like it and fuck my ex for making me think I'm somehow lesser for that. Now I study because I love learning. I read biographies and autobiographies and true stories to learn about things I enjoy, not to be able to fit the mold my dad created for me. I stopped with my bujo because it stopped becoming about me and being productive and creative and became about the notes. I deleted my old studyblr because it wasn't about me and my studies anymore, it was about the notes. I work hard at work because I love my job, not for praise.

Here's the uncomfortable part. I used to drown myself in work and school and restrictions because of trauma, self doubt, depression, etc. I was miserable and so caught up in this image of perfection and trying to reach some goal that I didn't even know what it was. It was nothing but a negative cycle of hate and abuse on myself for merely being human and experiencing human things. But here I am, 7:47am on a holiday, in bed in my pj's with unwashed hair and sunshine and birdsongs filling my room and I don't hate myself or feel bad for still being in bed. I'm not going to punish myself later. I'm not going to drag it through my day. I understand that I worked really hard this whole week and today's a holiday and I'm allowed to rest as my body wants. I'm allowed to eat as my body wants. I'm allowed to relax and just exist with no end goal in mind. I'm 15lbs heavier than I used to be. I have clothes on my floor and a cluttered desk and a p-trap with dirt in it from a stupid idea. I don't have a calender full of alarms and reminders. I don't have an agenda or a bujo or anything like that. What I do have now, is self respect, self love, and self reliance. And through that, I have better relationships with those around me who support me and respect that I am my own person. I own up to my mistakes and I don't beat myself up over them anymore. I failed a test? There's more. I failed the class? I can retake it. I woke up late? My body needed that extra rest. I didn't finish my sets? That's ok!

Trauma, depression, anxiety, ocd, adhd, addiction, etc can all cause you to push yourself to the point past breaking. It can destroy your life physically and mentally. And it all did for me. And it was a tough realization and a lot of hard choices. But I'm so thankful for the woman who spent those nights crying and comforting herself. I'm so thankful for the woman who stayed sober those nights she wanted nothing more than to disappear. I'm so thankful for that woman who was pushed too far and snapped and was alone. I'm so thankful for that woman who almost smashed every mirror in the house because she wanted to grow instead of being caught up on how she was gaining weight (I just hung towels over them or kept the lights off instead). I'm so thankful for the woman who got up and walked out of rooms instead of throwing a fist. I'm so thankful for the woman who went through so much to get me here today. And I'm beyond thankful for those who were there with me through the years it took. Who let me fall and let me pick myself back up and who answered the phone at 3am and who helped me so much through all of this. And I'm so thankful for my sister for having the guts to tell me that my studies, my need to constantly be busy, was nothing more to me than just another addiction to numb myself instead of work on myself.

So this year, I ask you to question your motives, and if you're ready and able and have a good support system (I'm always here for you even if I don't know you), to work on yourself. I ask you to be selfish. I ask you to finally do things for you because they make you HAPPY. This year, I ask you to LET yourself be happy, because love, you deserve it more than you'll ever know.

#study blog #studyblr #student #study hard #productivity #school #student life #studying #tw eating disorder #tw ed #tw #tw depression #tw trauma #cw #hard conversations #serious post #open letter #tw cope

[bulletnotestudies]

10.10.2020 // decided to change the cover of my digital bujo to this lovely monet piece 🥀 (sanssouci palace photo by the amazing @elleandhermione)

day 9 & 10 - What is the worst thing about studyblr in your opinion, what is one thing you wished you could change?

honestly our tendency to project these perfect images of productivity, organized lives, aesthetic notes and study spaces. while it’s something many strive towards, it’s very much not realistic at all; while there’s been tremendous improvement on this over the last couple of years, toxic productivity is still very much thriving and we’ve still got a long ways to go before messy notes and not-so-aesthetic desks become part of the ‘studyblr norm’. ofc pretty pics are welcome, but we have to make more effort to stress the fact that literally no one’s life looks this clean and organized all the time 

#the spread is from august by the way; i wish i had this few tasks rn... #studyblr community challenge #sabrinas posts #heypat #lookrylie #sonderstudy #philologystudies #jeonchemstudy #studyvan #hey endy #gloomstudy #universtudy #academiix #noodledesk #heyfox #studyblr #stuhde #serendistudy #helloworld #sabrinas bujo

[ettawritesnstudies]

notebook, wip, personal (writing ask game)

I am so sorry in advance this got really long

notebook ; how many notebooks do you have? do you write in them?

ahahahaha this is a loaded question. I have at least 8 notebooks that I either actively use or plan to use once I finish the current ones, and dozens of those cheap free notebooks that you get at events just sitting in a box for writing down quick random notes that I don't want in one of the others, if you know what I mean? Just memo logs.I also have several notebooks for lab, engineering projects, and school notes but those don't count. Out of the Real Notebook Stash I have:

Weathered Leatherbound with a strap to close it that I started using as a diary in 2020 and quit when The Apocalypse happened. I've restarted it as my session notes for DnD because I'm in 5 campaigns and have the memory of a goldfish and it fits the vibes

Falling apart dot-page journal from Walmart that I use as my daily habit tracker/diary/bujo/scheduler and take everywhere

Two sketchbooks: one for messy sketches that lives in my bookbag and one big one with better paper that I use for my marker illustrations

Prayer journal that was a Christmas gift from my friend - it's not a devotional with certain Bible verses but each page has a place to write your fears and prayer intentions and what you're thankful for, so it's more guided which I like. I listen to the daily liturgical readings from USCCB or the chronological Bible in A Year podcast from Ascension every day and use it for Lectio Divina. So I'll write reflections on the reading and how it ties to what's going on in my life at the moment. Diary 2.0

Two leatherbound noteboks embossed with trees and flowers that have metal latches I love dearly and haven't started yet, one was a gift from my best friend and the other was a gift from my boyfriend. They will likely become either more dnd notes once I finish the other leatherbound, or a character journal for Madelyn. In Laoche, she keeps a spellbook that becomes kind of her lifeline, and I think it will be cool to fill a notebook with entries from her perspective, worldbuilding notes on the places she travels, scrapbooked with cool things I find, etc. So it will be used I'm just not working on it right now.

My bookbag is so heavy it's becoming a problem

wip ; talk about one work that you've recently started/just started!

I think my most recent are "Space Dragons!!!" aka WorldWanderers, which is exactly what it says on the tin. There isn't a WIP Intro yet because I don't have a set plot yet, but there's a masterlist of mostly worldbuilding rambles here.

I also recently came up with a fantasy story where the magic system is entirely based around textile arts and lying/storytelling. It's set in an ancient/prehistory setting where gods and spirits walk among humans and features a matriarchal society, but it only exists in a discord ramble with the ever-patient @siarven at the moment.

personal ; is there anything that you always try to add to your writing? like a message or moral? anything that you like to read, so you write it yourself?

Family and religion are both really important to me so my work always has Catholic themes in it, though hopefully they're still appealing to a secular audience. I write them without the "christian fic" label because I don't like that, but the morals are there if you put on the apologetics glasses lol.

Thanks for the ask!

[hermerriday]

What you must know about Bullet Journal (BuJo) 📔

Fun and creative journals are still becoming a trend. Yes, digital journals are more accessible but having a physical journal is still timeless. Besides, even those decorations are getting categorized if they are trendy.  I will tell you some recommendations, tips, and other information about how I do my bullet journal. Let's break it down into 4 parts!

I. Introductory Notes

So, what exactly is Bullet Journal?

"BuJo" (Bullet Journal) is the more popular term. Generally, it's a diary but more visualized and organized. It also comes from a type of page that is called "bullet or dotted. Here, we're not using blank or lined pages here. The diary we knew is like a plain and long entry into our daily lives. But BuJo is more on a creative side. This type of journal is more flexible because we can do whatever we want. You can also do some decorations base on your personality. And this doesn't require artistic skills because it's personal use.

As I already mention about "personal use". This is not something you buy that has a template. You will have to purchase a dotted paged notebook. Others are using grid pages but it's fine besides your personal preferences are what matters here. In my opinion, I prefer BuJos to Planners. You don't need to wait until this or that month to start. BuJos doesn't have dates, templates, or whatsoever which you can start at the beginning, end of the year, or any in-between. Oh! and this can be your helping hand for your self-care routine logs!

II. Identify your theme and aesthetics

Of course, we must decorate based on what "aesthetics" suits the best to ourselves. Here, this step can tell you what kind of person you are. Since I can't tell what exactly your likes are, my tip is to find inspirations on Pinterest.

1. 'Soft' / Pastel theme

The keywords are 'Pastel', 'cute stickers' and 'Korean inspired aesthetics'. This theme is my current favorite. It will be easy for you if you have plenty of stickers. And using pastel highlighters is the key! You can use the Stabilo brand because it's affordable and nice quality but if you are into pricey but serves the best, go for Mildliner. 

2. Vintage theme

This theme is more on a brown palette and cursive or 'calligraphy' is common for titles or headers. This was my previous theme before I get into pastels. Achieving this is not hard, all you need is kraft papers, old pages from books or newspapers, metallic pens, and vintage stickers that you can purchase on online shop.

3. Minimalist  

In case you want to use your simple drawings skills instead of stickers this them is for you! Grab your highlighter and pens. For color schemes, go with neutral, brown, or gray to achieve a minimal theme.

4. Mono (one color theme)

This is suitable if you want to have a clean look on your pages or just have one color in your mind. At least, you won't struggle to mix and match the colors. Have a 1 color set of papers, pens, and stickers, and you're settled.

III. Variants in BuJo

Here are the things that you can do with bujo.

1.  Weekly (or daily or monthly) summary

 A very helpful foundation to keep track of everything you want to accomplish within a time. You can include or make a calendar, series of to-dos, activity goals, or whatever serves your purpose. This can be your reference to things that change your life. If you have this you will keep motivated on what you achieve.

2. Dedication page

Another way of showing that 'fanatic' side of yours! For example, this is what others called 'K-pop spread' or 'page'. You can create your own and use your idol's favorite photos and decorate them. Any artist is okay as long as you're really a fan. 

  3. Visual Diary

Basically, you can talk about your day using stickers/pictures for more visuals. It will give you the mood you want to portray. I always use this variant because I'm the type of person that narrates my daily life but in a 'cute way'

IV. Start and Create!

Now that I gave you a glimpse of this type of arts and crafts, it's not too late for you to start! I can assure you that this is fun. This type of activity helps us when times are tough for us. And we need something that will acknowledge us to take care of our health and make time for ourselves. Making BuJo is not strictly requiring you to be consistent or do it 24/7. The point of this is, whenever you need an outlet for things BuJo will be your friend.

#bulletjournal #journal #diary #stickers #cute #Aesthetic #tips #art

[upside-down-uni]

11월 05일  // my desk at the end of the day (yes that’s two books that have nothing to do with uni on my desk); my brainstorming blackboard with thoughts

Finally Finishing Up the Studyblr Community Challenge!

studyblr community challenge - day 23 // Tag someone whose blog you always check

@sprachgefuehle sometimes I wonder what you think when I go through your blog(s) and reblog literally everything you posted that day lmao

studyblr community challenge - day 24 // Tag someone who posts the best text posts

I haven’t payed a lot attention to text posts to be honest, after staring at a screen for hours to read, switching to a smaller sceen to read again is not exactly the thing I want to do...

studyblr challenge - day 25 // Tag someone who gives good advice

uuuuh, I have like three people I know on here so I’ll just tag @athenastudying again! because she really gives amazing, balanced and well thought out advice!

studyblr challenge - day 26 // Tag someone who you would like to get to know

I would love to get to know @daydreamst! They’re also learning Korean and makre pretty bujo spreads! They’re also better at conversational Korean than me, since I’ve only really learned office Korean for some reason...So I just like to stalk their blog for their Korean posts and am very excited I’m able to translate something!

studyblr challenge - day 27 // Tag someone who makes you laugh

@stuhde makes me smile, I like seeing her icon on my dash!

studyblr community challenge - day 28 // Tag someone who you think everyone should follow

go and follow @ndemic right now. they’re fun and super active and post a lot of cool stuff and study biotechnology which is Very Interesting! and honestly they’re a mood!

studyblr community challenge - day 29 // What are three things that you are proud of?

the perfect mark I got for my first uni essay! The deadline got pushed back a LOT so I only had to hand it in at the end of my second semester but I was still quite anxious about it....To think it went so well...

 my English skills. I forget quite often but to think that I’m actually bilingual??? Insane. And I’m well on my way to becoming trilingual which is !!!! YES!!!!

 I’m moved out, living in a shared flat with friends, doing my own thing and building my own life.

studyblr community challenge - day 30 // What are three things about yourself that you love?

my hair. I’ve been looking into the mirror lately and loving what I see. It feels amazing.

my style. Figuring out I’m agender has helped a lot with avoiding dysphoria and actually finding clothes that make me look like I want to!

my love for books. I grew up without a TV, still don’t own one and though I spent wayyy more time on my phone than I should, reading books is one of the best things I can imagine doing! Getting new books, walking through bookstores...it makes me feel content.

stundyblr community challenge - day 31 // What are three things that inspire you?

music. I love finding emotions in songs and catching them to work them into a story or a piece of art

stories. Seeing how other writers work with words will forever be such a joy to me

nature. Nature just makes me happy and I’m appreciating it wayyyy less than I should

#studyblr community challenge #studyblr #sunny side up #look at me putting actual posts I made myself on the dash