If you know me, you know that I am ~obsessed~ with Instagram. Why? Honestly, I don't know. I think I just love pictures and that's where the pictures be. You know? Beyond that, I own and operate about five accounts for various things/reasons. I run the Gustavus Education Department Instagram. And I have my very own personal Instagram. I run a mental health Instagram focused on the Gustavus community. And most recently I started an Instagram for my bullet journal. And it has been one of the best social media related decisions I have made in my very long life.
You may be wondering: "Ella, how can an Instagram account possibly make you so happy? Social media is futile and useless." Well, Sharon, I disagree. And, to be quite honest, I started the Instagram because I needed something to do while I was home for two months this past winter. Little did I know, I would find a great community among other bullet journalers and a never-ending supply of layout ideas, stationary shops, and marker inspo. Some things I did not know I desperately needed until I started my account.
I have been bullet journaling for approximately three years now (wow, since May of 2016!) and it has been a hobby I have always done in phases and when it's been most convenient. I started with a regular journal and basic layouts--weekly planners, months at a glance, things of that nature. It definitely was not anything special. But when I went to college I lost the motivation to continue updating my bujo (bullet journal for short) and let it slip to the back of my mind. But, I found myself missing the creativity the bujo provided me--the doodling, the lettering, and the tracking during winter break in 2016 and I ordered a cheap grid journal off of Instagram and gathered up all my old markers and pens.
The second time around I was more of a "classic" bullet journaler. I made habit trackers, mood trackers, sleep trackers, and budget trackers. But I had a need for it to look perfect, and it rarely looked perfect, so I got frustrated fairly quickly. When I got the job as a camp counselor for the summer of 2017, I ran out of energy and time, yet again, for my bullet journal and gave it up.
Similar to my second rediscovery of the importance of bullet journaling in my life, I felt as though I was lacking in the creative and journaling department. I didn't have an outlet that really worked for either. So, lo and behold, around January of 2018 (yes, I was that bitch and waited to start it until the new year) I picked the hobby back up again. And this time it stuck. For the past year or so I have been crafting monthly and yearly spreads, but they often did not have a theme and were very much all over the place.
Fast forward to January of 2019 and I was sitting in my favorite chair in my kitchen at home twiddling my thumbs. My sister was at school, my dad was sleeping (he works nights), and my mom was at work. Oh, and my dog was napping. I was alone and bored out of my gourd. I had always wanted to start a bujo Instagram, but didn't really know where to start. But something about my extreme boredom that day made me just take the proverbial leap. And leap I did. I quickly thought of a handle (@basicbujogal) and uploaded my January cover page, admittedly not one of my finest works.
And much to my surprise I started getting followers, likes, and comments. And I had just started the account. If you know anything about social media, you know that is rare. And with that, I was hooked. I joined group chats left and right, I started doing themes for my monthly layouts (March was shamrocks and April is blue flowers) and I invested in washi tape, brush markers, and calligraphy materials. In a short amount of time I transformed from a basic gal to a basic bujo gal. And I could not be happier.
The girls and women I have met through this platform have brought so much positivity and light into my life and inspired me to do so much more with my Instagram and bullet journal. I am inspired each and every day by their creations and ideas. So if you want, check out my Insta and say hi--I'd love to see you there!
