Managing Missives

One of the most popular questions I'm asked when I'm leading a letter writing workshop is "How do you keep up with all your pen pals and letters?" This is understandable and I'm happy to share.

I'm very familiar with the excitement that comes when first learning about others around the globe that want to exchange written correspondence. And because I lead workshops and manage social media accounts promoting letter writing, I have more than the average amount of pen pals. Things can get out of hand quickly if you don't have a system in place to keep track of incoming and outgoing letters. 

There are several ways I stay on track. First, I keep a weekly journal and record incoming and outgoing mail. Second, I set a goal for myself to write an average of two letters per week. Third, I developed a simple filing system for all missives. If you are interested in this system, please check out the video below. 

Always remember that writing letters should be a pleasure. Never feel guilty about not responding to letters immediately. Most mature pen pals will understand that and enjoy the surprise of receiving your letters at random. 

Journal Entry: Weeks 8 & 9

The past two weeks have been busy and that's a good thing. Moving forward and toward our goals and vision is a very satisfying feeling. One thing I have to remember is it's not always the things I do, but often the things happening around me that get me where I need to be.

Over the years I've learned to pause and pay more attention to others instead of just focusing on my personal action items. I believe achieving your goals and vision is a combination of personal action and mindfulness. I'm learning to pay more attention to the people, ideas and inspiration that come into my life as I'm trying to get things done. This approach is a lot less self absorbed and a lot more satisfying. 

My journal entries for the past few weeks capture both the things I've personally accomplished and the things sent to me from the universe. I'm learning to take breaks, observe and be more patient. If you'd like to see more details about my journal entries, check out the video below:

Materials used in this week's entry:

Midori Notebook Insert 019 http://amzn.to/1Xt24Nx
Calligraphy Ink (Higgins black) http://amzn.to/1p2UwoL
Calligraphy Nib http://amzn.to/1R3B08c
Calligraphy Nib Holder http://amzn.to/1Qynrua
Washi Tape is MT brand
Rubber stamp is from Letter Writers Alliance

Please be advised that some of the links provided are affiliate links and I do receive a small commission if you make a purchase using those links.  This does not cost you any extra when you make a purchase. Thank you for your support. 

Make Your Journals and Notebooks Unique With a Cover

I've had several people comment on my Midori Traveler's Notebook inserts. I enjoy covering them with paper and ephemera sent to me from pen pals and friends. Using what I have makes the creative process more fun for me. I like to see if I can use items the universe sends and create a common look and feel. 

This past week, some beautiful new paper came to me from Christina at Girl About Downtown. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to share my simple notebook covering process. If you'd like to learn more about my covers, check out this video below: