I’ve just completed my first writing notebook of 2022. I started this one in September 2021 and finished it in February 2022. It was my fourth notebook from Perfectly Penned, a 250 page brown, vegan leather notebook which I adore writing in.
Thinking back about it I felt a bit stilted, at times, writing in this notebook. I don’t think I used it as much for my anxieties and feelings but maybe this is because my anxieties reduced over the last few months or I just got bored of talking about them. Instead this notebook was used more for scripts: both YouTube and IGTV and for planning out content, say, for Pinterest or blog ideas. I also used it for making plans for The Confident Creative Club. Maybe this was because this journal covered the end of the year and the new year and I was writing down plans and ideas I wanted to work on during 2022.
I could see, however, how I was starting to struggle from the end of September onwards. I needed a break, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself and thinking I ‘should’ be doing more instead of less. I learn a lot about myself from using a writing notebook.
I used my writing notebook for:
Worries/anxieties.
Talking to myself, asking questions why I felt a certain way, writing feelings such as being 'annoyed’ with myself and ‘fed up’.
Goals and projects for 2022. How I wanted to go live on Instagram, how I wanted to build up my authority around creativity and confidence.
Key areas and projects I wanted to focus on eg my non-fiction book proposal.
Lists of videos I wanted to record.
Blog post ideas, scripts for YouTube and IGTV ideas.
Quotes from people on podcasts or from articles I’ve read or Instagram posts.
Lists of books I’ve read and occasionally my thoughts on a book.
Ideas for The Confident Creative Club. Wanting to start January with something motivational for the Club members but also gentle and non-intimidating. This led to the Tiny Steps Big Impact course which I also wrote ideas about in the notebook.
A recap of 2021.
Books/articles I’d come across.
A quote from a podcast clip on TikTok.
Notes from talking to Club Members.
Positive words about me eg testimonials.
A sentence or two that occurred to me as I was driving. As soon as I got to where I was going (in the photo above!) I opened my notebook and wrote it down. My notebook comes everywhere with me.
Once the notebook was completed I read through it and looked for themes. I would mark these off with small post-it page markers (such as these).
By reading through the notebook I discovered things about myself. Teaching points, if you like, such as when I was putting pressure on myself towards the end of last year. This enables me to grow within myself and also within my business and as a writer.
Reading through the notebook also gives me ideas. Not just for content - although this is a great place to find it, but for the direction I want to go in with my writing and my writing business. There is magic within the words. You just have to look for it.
Further Information
If you’d like to have a look at what I’ve written in this notebook then the video below is a flip through of some of the pages I’ve written. Click on it to watch.
In my newsletter yesterday I wrote about the pressure of the blank page in a notebook. You don’t have to wait until you have something profound to say. In fact, I’d say don’t wait at all. You can read more in the newsletter called Being Intimidated By The Blank Page: Is The Pressure Of The Blank Page Too Much?
To become a newsletter subscriber you can click here.
You can find out more about The Confident Creative Club here.
And finally if you’d like to start a writing notebook but are struggling where to start then you can purchase my pre-recorded masterclass below. Or find out more information here.
