Sometimes we want to make a very unique and personalized journal, but would like it filled with lined pages rather than reclaimed pages, or scrapbooking pages. Every journal needs to be functional for its purpose. Also, we always try to save anywhere we can in a project. Check out our latest video to see how to do a Cheap Notebook Makeover.
1134’s very first handmade book was a mini-comic called The Adventures of Blakbone. I made about ten copies and was stoked to have sold one to a reader all the way in Australia. Was I an international author at that point? Since then, we’ve made numerous handmade books of varying genres.
In recent years, Bryonna has taken our handmade books to a new level of creativity. Unlike the printed and roughly stapled mini-comics and zines of our past, Bryonna’s journals are made with creative intention. Each journal has its own creative spirit.
We thought that the next logical step would be to share the process of journal making with everyone. Learn How to Make a Junk Journal from Old Books in the video below; presented by Bryonna.
For Us: A Self Care Journal for Mamas is the first collaborative project that we, 1134 Press, have published. Between life’s responsibilities, Bri “Bam” Mobley and I worked diligently for over a year to create a special journal for mothers’ journey in self-care and love.
I am not a mother, but I know so many amazing women that are. Working on this project was a way for me show my gratitude to all those women who have helped shape me into the person that I am today. It takes a lot to raise children and mentor others. Taking time to replenish yourself mentally and spiritually is not just a practice for those who don’t have children, yet, we expect (demand, even) for moms to put their wants and needs last. As Mobley said, “How are you going to pour into your little one if you’re pouring from an empty cup?”
In early discussions about what For Us could be, the conversation always returned to the idea of a room. We wanted this journal to feel like a vibrant room filled with flora and fauna, affirmations, a safe space to question, forgive, and reflect. There are too many aspects in life where women, especially mothers, don’t have autonomy over their spaces, be it internal or external. For Us attempts to achieve just that—a room of your own to be as loud or quiet as you want.
As a person who has kept a journal since I was eight-years-old, I was surprised by the transformation that my personal journaling underwent while working on this project. Yes, For Uswas made for moms, but prompts such as, “Here is the tribe I can call on for help” and “What kind of woman do I want to be in the world,”struck a chord in me. It is our hope that For Us will do the same for you.
