Armed with coloured pens, highlighters and a desk of motivation, these creatives are making a difference by pen and paper
Image courtesy of Daniela Garcia Allie
Oscar Wilde once said: “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.”
And for this artist, going out with her journal is a must.
“I take my journal everywhere with me. It’s a personal space to reflect and observe the patterns of who I am,” says Daniela Garcia Allie, creator of Amador Collective. “It’s a place to jot ideas and develop grand epiphanies…and, sometimes a silly phrase can turn into the perfect idiom that ends up on a card.”
Amador, meaning lover, is a greeting card line which features the chilled-out style and sweet Californian vibe of Allie. Although as cool and calm as the ocean surrounding her, the journey before was much more rocky.
“I felt taken over by a deep sense of purpose after becoming diagnosed with cancer. I wanted nothing more than to live,” says Allie.
A woman of strength and vitality, this warrior fought her way through adversity and conquered, embracing her love for life that is seen throughout her artwork.
“Everyday, I wake up and write for about an hour. I truly never knew how badly I wanted to live until I was faced with having cancer. I knew staying positive was the only thing that would get me through it and I had to come up with a way to cope with being uncomfortable.”
Allie says that her inspiration comes from the emotional ride of the human experience.
“I’m inspired by life and constantly finding deeper meaning in the ordinary,” says Allie. “There was discomfort with treatment and a huge of loss of control which took me about a month to realise that this discomfort wasn’t going away. But the hard stuff was part of what made me feel alive.”
With a summery sweet smile that matches her stunning style, this artist is bursting with life. Her handwritten cards feature oodles of doodles that she creates, giving a personal feel to each creation.
“My flow goes like this: creative energy sparks curiosity, then curiosity takes me on a journey, where I start to see coincidence. I get a lot of inspiration from doing collages. I love the chaotic feeling of not knowing what I’m searching for. It has a mood of synchronicity where you never know what is going to pop out at you…I’ll get one ‘sign’ after another, and before I know it, there’s a link of images that created an idea.”
Allie continues to shine a light as a fierce compass for others to follow.
“I like to think that my designs have a relatable voice, and that’s because they are inspired by real life,” says Allie.
Haniah A., is a law student studying at the University of Westminster, London. From bullet journals to highlighters, this student is tackling law with her flair for organisational skills.
“Iced coffee, having a clear, concise list, and keeping goals at the back of my mind is how I keep focused,” says Haniah.
With stellar sticky notes scattered throughout her desk space, she’s a student who gets things done effectively.
“I’m not a writer per se, but I do get writers block when I’m writing my essays,” she says. “I’ll write down whatever is my mind on an A3 sheet of paper and find the root of the problem. Then I’ll talk to someone about my ideas and find inspiration from my friends, family, or even social media.”
Some of her Instagram photos even feature Pantone colour cards that coordinate well with her ideas. Think macaw green or mars red. She’s even created her own monthly overview printable for motivation.
“I would struggle to think ahead about events or deadlines coming up so I created my own printable. Another favourite desk item of mine is Pusheen plushy, which simply makes me happy and livens up my mood. I also have a taotronics lamp that is hands down the best-est lamp I’ve ever purchased, which has various lighting modes making studying easier,” says Haniah.
A fan of the Five Minute Journal, Haniah loves to focuses on the good of each day. _shift spoke to two team members of Intelligent Change, the founders of this journal to see what makes this product successful.
“A 2003 study by Emmons and McCullough found that keeping a daily gratitude journal leads to not just increased sense of well-being, but better sleep, willingness to accept change, and even lowering symptoms of physical pain,” says Patricia H., team member of Intelligent Change. “The founders Alex and UJ were on a gratefulness morning walk and realised it took UJ 45 minutes to journal every day. Alex wanted to condense that time, so they created a journal.”
And for those who don’t like journaling?
“We say our journal is for people who don’t use journals,” says Patricia. “It’s short, sweet, and only asks 5 simple questions a day. The next step is staying consistent.”
Patricia recommends the Five Minute Journal Tips and How to Use the Five Minute Journal for those who’d like to start.
Kevin E., head of marketing and design for Intelligent Change says, “Rather than seeing setbacks as permanent, begin to recognize them as learning lessons. It takes the sting of bad situations away a little bit more each time. The goal is to transform pain to rewrite your story. Gratitude helps you do that.”
If you’re looking for something more visual, try junk journaling.
Erin Rooney is a student from Glasgow, Scotland. Studying mechanical systems engineering, Rooney is also a gifted photographer who likes to keep her memories inside a journal that she glues and creates herself.
“I just did advertisements for a show at the Edinburgh festival for example. I was in a lot of train journeys and liked using my tickets in my junk journals,” says Rooney.
So whether it’s junk journaling, doodling, or just becoming more self aware, you too can find your own strength in writing.
As Allie so eloquently says, “We all have discomfort, and hard times never leave us. But if we start to see it as vitality, we can learn to accept and appreciate the good and bad as qualities of being alive. When I’m seeking inspiration and I gather something meaningful, it feels like a gift.”
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This post has been published by _shiftLondon.org, a University of the Arts London student news website which you can also view HERE
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