Cool Stuff: April Harrison Journal

April's Song, April Harrison.

Recently I had to stop into the bookstore to buy a new journal. My recent one is getting down to its last pages (it's been an eventful year!). If there is anything that I can say I actually "collect" it'd be journals. I've been writing in them since about 8th or 9th grade and I still have all of them. I get embarrassed for MYSELF sometimes when I go back and read some of the things I wrote, haha. But it's also great to see where I've been, remember good/bad times, and compare it all to where I am now. I've found that there's always room to learn about yourself. Writing in journals is such a habit that it's something that I NEED to do in my life. So helpful.

I usually shop for mine at Barnes and Noble. I think that store always has decent-looking journals for reasonable prices, but I can't just get any ol' journal. No, no, no! I spend at least half an hour deciding on one to buy each time I go. For me, a journal has to look interesting in some way (I usually avoid solid colors, though some of my older ones are solid). And the line spacing has to be a mature narrow width, not that Bobby Brown-gap wide, elementary school paper line spacing. It also has to be around 10 bucks or less. I mean, I've seen some really sexy looking journals in Barnes and Noble but a lot of those are over 25 bucks. I'm sorry but even I can't justify a purchase like that...but I digress.

So this time the journal that met the criteria the best was one that had some lovely artwork by artist, April Harrison. She's a painter but she also incorporates found objects and other mixed media into her pieces in interesting ways. She's also self-taught! No I didn't get this journal just because there's a black female on it with natural hair (but it might be part of the reason subconsciously, haha). I was drawn to it because it evoked thoughts in me of creativity, peace, and freedom. I think that's exactly the content that I would like this next journal to have. One can hope, right? I think I'm already on that path, slowly but surely!

What do you think?! Is there something that you're really picky about purchasing?