Around 2017 was when I started receiving college brochures in the mail. Most went to trash, but a select few earned their spots in my stash of junk papers. I only hoarded the pretty ones with memorable tag lines, satisfying color combos, or eye-catching graphics. These so-called junk papers essentially started my journaling obsession. I would cut and place things together to make journal spreads; Unironically, learning design concepts such as negative space, color theory, strategic placement, etc. Since then, my pages are no longer dull and empty (unless made intentionally so).
After entering college, junk journals slowly became bullet journals1. A type of journaling that allows for productivity and organization. With each journal spread, I included a sketch of some sort. After a couple years, bullet journaling became creative journaling. A mixture of everything that came before and more. Journaling sessions are dates scheduled with myself, and sometimes with others. They usually take place at cafes and are accompanied by lattes and baked goods. “Peace” and “happiness” don’t quite describe the overarching feeling I have when I journal. I feel more in between the spaces.
Tatted across my left collarbone, “in between the spaces” claims its spot. No, it is not a T-Swift lyric (I’ve gotten this association twice). It is, in its true essence, a feeling of all feelings. Similar to the color white and how it encompasses all of the colors. I explain this phrase with instances— The feeling of zoning out mid conversation… the feeling of isolation amongst a crowd (possibly at a concert and you’re hugged by a song)… the feeling of watching sunsets and sunrises… the feeling of a-ha moments… the bad, the good, the empty feelings. The intangible stuff in between the spaces of reality and imagination. The feeling of drifting between emotions to figure them out. The feeling of putting words on paper to finally understanding what y̶o̶u̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ I am feeling. The feeling of feelings. My journal pages are of these feelings. My journal pages are a collection of “in between the spaces” moments.
1Bullet journaling (BuJo for short) is a method of journaling created by Ryder Carroll. A bullet journal is a blend of a planner, lists, and diary. It brings organization into the creative space of journaling. (source)
FUN FACT!
I used to have an Instagram dedicated to creative journaling. I would share pages of my journals, sketches, and even poems. I found a wonderful niche community and made friends through this shared interest. Life, of course, became too busy so weekly updates turned to bi-weekly, then monthly, then trickled to once every 4-6 months… In March of 2022, I said goodbye see-you-later and deleted @/tiengerine.s (but here is a glimpse of what she looked like)
What journaling looks like for me now…
Though I do not share as much journaling content as I used to, it is something I still love to do. Life is still busy, but the itch to sit down and create is too strong to not satisfy. I always make sure to set some time aside to sketch at cafes, collect mementos from my travels, and write down my thoughts and feelings. I would love to write more about my current relationship with journaling (maybe in a new blog post), but in the meantime, here are my 2023 journaling crumbs.
made by a tiengerine 
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