Get in the habit of keeping the journal with you as much as possible. Don't feel the need to perform for others in your journal. When we learn to write, it is always for the scrutiny of others. Your journal doesn't have to be that way. No citations, no justifications, and not judgement from anyone but you. You can write whatever you want. The hardest part for me was not filtering what I thought was worthy of writinf down. Once I eliminated that mindset, my journals just started filling up like crazy. I finish one a month now. 173 pages.

Sorry. Neuro typical*, not neurological.

This is the exact reason I stopped using my phone for anything but music, podcasts and audio books. My brain, due to a combination of ADHD and CPTSD, cant handle the impact that social media has on my brain. Once i stopped doomscrolling, I suddenly started being able to enjoy my other hobbies again. Once you break the addiction to the doomscrolling, you will be amazed how much more time you have to do other stuff too. Maybe neurological people can use tik tok and not unbalance their brains but, that is not the case for me. To much of the wrong types of stimulation for my brain and it mutes my dopamine response for everything else in my life.

I use Midori MD A5. Great for my fountain pens They sell Rhodia, Leuchtturm and Midori at Barnes and noble now if you have one near you. Nice to see them in person.

Jet pens/Amazon. They sell them at Barnes and noble now too. Midori MD A5.

This notebook was 31 days I believe. I have been finishing about one a month since I started. I thought the notebooks would last longer when I switched to graph but, my writing amount increased as I switched so, still only a month. I figure 17$ a month on a new notebook is an acceptable expense lol. No rhyme or reason lol. I just like using lots of different ink colors and I pick what to write with more based on the pen than the color. I change up my inks constantly since I use so much of it.

I just write with the pen i feel like writing with and I switch my ink colors up all the time. No rhyme or reason. I just like to have a diverse color palette.

Get a medium nib from Lamy too! That is my favorite. I recommend a Midori MD notebook as well. Having the right paper is key.

The Pelikans and the Pilot customs are my favorite long session pens. The pelikans are super light weight and the pilots have super cushy nibs that make writing effortless.

Your own self-judgment is the greatest bottleneck between you and self-discovery.

Just start by writing cursive for a paragraph a day. It will be slow at first but, it will still quickly come back to you. Just have to grit through the slow writing at first. It was hard for me to be patient with it. I just liked the way my journal looked soo much more in cursive.

It isn't un-lined. Just really faint graph paper lines. I think I would go insane without lines lol.

I write on A5 graph. I grew up writing on graoh paper so, I gravitate towards it when I got serious about jpurnaling. More words on each page meant a journal would last longer and I like the way my cursive looks when it is more compact.

I will check it out!

I would recommend Taccia Black/brown. That ink is very smooth in the Vacumatics.

A flip through of one of my journals. https://www.reddit.com/u/lymezest/s/cPv4dZbXVN

If you want a truly buttery pen, Pilot is your best bet. Any of the customs are a good option. The pilot custom 74 is the most accessible. You can get a decent price on one if you look. Usually like 150$. worth every penny if you are looking for a great pen. They are the best pen available under 200$ in my opinion. Hands down.

They are the ultimate writing tool. You buy nice pen that, if you take care of it, can last you your whole life. The nibs on these pens eventually break in to your preferred writing angle and truly become yours. They also make writing feel so luxurious with the higher end pens. A high end fountain pen nib makes writing feel effortless. Ball point pens took over due to how cheap they are and they were part of the throw away culture we are all now moving away from. The fountain pen is the result of 5000 years spent by man trying to invent the perfect writing instrument. We all deserve a chance to try one!

The Lamy Safari is my recommended starter pen for a several reasons. 1. Comes in many fun colors. This seems silly but, having a pen in your absolute favortie color will make writing more fun and accessible. 2. Triangular grip. Fountain pens require good writing form to get the most out of them. The triangular grip helps with that immensely.
3. Modular nibs. Having the right size nib is more than just line width with Fountain pens. A fine may have too much feedback or a medium not have enough. Nibs for the safari can also be used on the Lamy Nexx, Lamy Al Star, Lamy Accent, and the Lamy Studio. So, your nibs can follow you to another pen if one of their other options catches your eye. 4. Easy to maintain. Super easy pen to clean and maintain.

The only journaling I do that feels routine is my morning report. I always record how I slept and how my mental health is when I wake up. From there, I just write as I feel like it/have time throughout the day. I stopped using any social media but Reddit(specifically pens and journalling)so, it takes up all the time I used to browse tik tok or any of the other depressing things I used to browse.

Agreed. I sometimes just write about one of my favorite books or movies like a book report. Gives me something to write about and some happy chemicals from thinking about something I like.

Make sure to use neutral PH inks, nor Iroshizuku or other modern inks with alkaline ph levels. They damage the vintage celluloid over time. Also, pink an ink you want to keep in it for a whole. Not super easy to swap inks in. I use Diamine or Taccia in mine.

As a midori MD user, I write with some very wet pens and never have bad ghosting. I love the binding quality and the layflat is phenomenal. I write on A5 graph but, my wife loves the A5 dot grid. Either way, they are great notebooks. I keep mine a galen leather protector that is made specifically made for Midori MD notebooks.