We guess our journaling story is a true ode to modern friendship. 

Thass is a Brazilian currently living in Ireland and I am an English lass currently living in Australia and we became friends over Instagram.  

Sounds crazy, right?

But after over three years of friendship, we chat nearly every day and have also had the great joy of being able to meet up in real life a couple of times. Our kids and husbands have even got to meet each other and get along great. 

And now we are business partners too with our site Diary Of A Journal Planner. 

We initially met through our love of travel but quickly found we have lots more in common. 

Thass first introduced me to the world of journaling after I sent her a photo of my diary page through our daily online chat. With scribbles and mess everywhere, I couldn’t even make sense of my own note to remember something (to this day I am still not sure what it was I was meant to remember to do, whoops). 

Once we were both hooked on journaling we quickly realized that it can be really hard work starting a journal. It is so easy to get overwhelmed with all the new journaling terms as well as feeling like your journal needs to be Instagram perfect. 

As we both already had some experience with websites we thought it would be amazing if we could start an online community where we could help others create journals that suited their personality and lifestyle. It can be so easy to get caught up with having a journal that is an artistic masterpiece when you see all the beautiful journals online. 

We have heard from so many people that have tried again and again to journal but ended up giving up because it was just too hard, they felt like their journal was a failure or that they just weren’t artistic enough to journal. 

Over the past two years, we have created a site with over 100 posts that can help our readers with everything from monthly spreads to journaling accessories and drawing doodles. We also have an online store that has printable journaling pages as well as doodle and hand lettering step-by-step tutorials. 

Now we are hearing success stories from readers that love experimenting with their journals, are okay with making mistakes, and are using the right pages and spreads to make big changes in their lives. It makes us feel so happy to see people succeeding and creating. 

I think our secret is that as well as being from opposite sides of the world we are also kind of opposite in journaling style. 

Thass is amazing at doodling and hand lettering. Her spreads are always artistic and look beautiful. I have a more minimalist style and love to really plan and get organized. We think this works well helping our readers see that no two journals are the same and that every journal should be individual to your needs, passions, and style.

One journal trait we do have in common is our love for washi tape! I mean what is there not to love. It’s perfect for any style of journaling and can be used for so many things. From page dividers to theme setting and even help you cover up mistakes (because we all make them, right?). We both have a huge collection that we keep adding to when we fall in love with a new design. And our motto is that you can never have too much washi tape. 

We love The Washi Tape Shop as each tape is not only beautiful but of amazing quality. It’s so nice to find unique designs that fit with any need or style you want. In fact, it’s so beautiful that we use it for lots more than in our journals.

One of my favorite uses is to decorate envelopes and letters with tapes that fit the receiver's personality (such an easy way to make someone feel special when they receive a post from you). But the possibilities are endless. 

We often get asked what our top tips for journaling successfully are, and the answers really surprise people. It’s not about creating the perfect spreads or having a huge journal full of every spread you can think of. 

The secrets to success are much simpler. 

It’s about creating a journaling habit, starting simple, and letting go of perfection. 

Just blocking out a minimum of 10 minutes a day to use your journal is a great way to start a successful habit. As you use your journal more and start to see improvements in your life then you naturally will begin to use your journal more and more… but those 10 minutes are the perfect way to start. Set a timer on your phone or choose an ideal time of day to journal. I like to do this early before anyone else in my house is up, but you may find before bed suits you or some other time in the day. It really doesn’t matter when, just as long as you commit to that daily practice. 

We also tell people to start simple. Even just one spread in your journal is a wonderful way to begin. You will find that you want to add more as your confidence grows and you see how helpful your journaling is. Starting simple can also include how you set out your journal. Sometimes a basic spread with washi tape for interest is much less overwhelming than creating an artistic masterpiece.

Lastly, letting go of perfection. This is one of the hardest parts of journaling. We all make mistakes in our journals, no matter how long we have been keeping one. Once you give up the idea that every page must be perfect you will realize that making a mistake doesn’t actually make the spread or page any less efficient. We have found that when people give up the idea that their pages have to be perfect, they have much more fun, are willing to experiment with their journals more, and increase their creativity.

We hope that we have helped give you the confidence to try new things with your journal, have fun with it and create a journaling habit… because who knows what amazing places it may take you in life.

Happy Journaling.

Thass and Kirsty

You can find more from us with the links below.

Our website - Diary Of A Journal Planner

Our Printables and Tutorials - Online Store

Beat Journal Overwhelm Ebook