Quadrant Journal: A Prompt to Get Writing
A collection of notebooks scribbled in when journaling or writing.
I’ve been thinking a lot about why journaling is so important to me lately. I have a lot of different sorts of journals going at any given time. I have a hard time sticking with one, so I let myself move freely between them. It makes archiving them a little interesting, but, hey, whatever gets those words down on the page. Currently I have four journals tucked into cubbies on my desk and three active ones in my TN (plus my calendar). The TN notebooks are a little more themed, while the ones in the cubbies are mostly random scribblings (with the exception of my Life x Kleid A5 which is my weekly/monthly reflection journal and the Hobonichi Five-Year Journal).
I find myself daily having an overwhelming want, even need, to write. I even went back into Project Chaos mode and swapped all of my gold nibs back out of rotation. However, I keep sitting down and staring at the page, my mind swirling with thoughts I want to put down. And somehow I still don’t write a word.
Even though I know my head will be clearer if I write things down. Good things as well as challenging things.
Joan Didion put it extremely well: “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” As we all live deeply embedded in the “information age,” we are processing so much information every day. It takes ordering, just like cleaning up the house (something else I need to do, haha).
Beyond that, I have pretty pens filled with pretty inks that I love and I want to use ‘em, darn it!
So, how can I get going even when my brain decides it doesn’t want to communicate with my hand?
Recently I revived a journaling technique that I’d learned from Trina O’Gorman, former Instagram journaler and present blogger for Baum-Kuchen. I re-entered the journal community after I was really burnt out by grad school, the jobs I was aiming at seemed even more unattainable, and I was dealing with trying to decide on the next few years of my adult future (and parents nagging me about applying to a PhD program). Trina’s work focused on reflecting on tough stuff and letting the journal hold those stories for you.
A technique she used to talk about often, and share from her notebook pages, was quadrant journaling (although I can’t remember if that’s what she called it). It’s a simple technique that is just like it sounds, you create four quadrants on your page, pop a one-word prompt in each one, and see what your mind comes up with.
For me, I don’t like to go larger than an A5 page for this (so a double spread in my A6 journals) because it limits the space I need to fill - it can make it less daunting. If I run out of space? No big deal, I like to use different color inks when I do this and if it spills over I draw an arrow and keep writing on the next page. In fact, it’s an awesome feeling when the thoughts jump out of the square you’ve created. It’s a sign to keep exploring your thoughts on that.
Step 1. Separate your page into 4 parts. I used an A6 Wonderland222 notebook (my current thoughts journal) which has the center line helpfully marked already. Using my very well-loved Tools to Liveby acrylic mini ruler and a FWP Dabbler (not sure if they are continuing with these or if it was a test product - essentially it’s a felt tip pen you can fill up with fountain pen ink.)
Step 2. Choose four prompts and write them as headers turning the page as you go so they are in a wheel shape. Just for fun I chose stationery related prompts, but you can use anything. And if you really don’t want to have to decide, use a random word generator to choose words for you. I like to make my headers fancy, but it’s definitely not a requirement.
Step 3. Start writing! I like to use different colors in the different sections so they are easier to differentiate. You can see in the ink section that I drew an arrow to indicate that I continued those thoughts on the next page. By using the different colored inks I can keep track of where I picked up. The idea is to at least fill up each box - not only does it make the page pretty, but sometimes it helps direct thoughts (which can then lead to more journaling).
What do you think about this journaling technique? Have you given it a try?
Currently Inked
Colorverse Windy City Blue (Chicago Pen Show 45th Anniversary Ink) - Kaweco Art Sport Tiger’s Eye B - I’ve been trying to figure out what other ink this reminds me of, but it may just be because of how many blues there are with sheen out there. This one is a great entry, has a little bit of shading from light blue to dark where it pools and a pink sheen on some papers. The flow is great as well. I’m trying to figure out how to tackle an ink comparison project that I’ve been thinking about doing, this one will definitely be a candidate.
Ferris Wheel Press Madame Mulberry - Kaweco liliput fireblue B - Another entry in revisiting an old favorite. This was probably one of the first FWP inks I ever bought. I would describe it as a purple-gray and it can have great shading. It’s one drawback is that it can be as dry as a desert in some nibs. I personally just add a little bit of white lightning which makes it smooth, but still keeps most of the shading (especially once you get past the first few darker lines when you start writing).
Ferris Wheel Press Wayfinder’s Slate - Kaweco liliput copper M - I am still really enjoying this color, although right before I finished this post I ran out of ink. I will have to decide if it gets a second inking this time or if I want to play with something else. This ink is a warm gray with silver shimmer and it’s just lovely.
Amarillo Stationery Blue Suntan - Kaweco Art Sport Terrazzo B ‘imperial’ - One of the inks I was very excited to pick up at the pen show (the whole Amarillo Vibes set is pretty fun). I told myself I had to stick to just one, so I went with the dusty blue (big surprise there…). I need to bug Erick and find out if there is a little bit of pigment in this ink because the shading comes out really cool, with the darker parts of the letters almost looking gray-blue. This is a great release that added to the exclusive lineup!
Ferris Wheel Press Lantern Crossing - FWP Carousel Hearty Harvest M - This got a second inking this week, because I was just having too much fun with it. This is such a unique shimmer orange and I am a sucker for the imagery that inspired it, kitsune from Japanese mythology, which are second favorites right behind karasu tengu for favorite Japanese mythological beings. I still need to try this one in a stub, I bet it looks even better.
Just epic shimmer.