05 May The Creative Woman’s Dream Journal

For a writer (or any creative person for that matter) it is imperative to carry a notebook at all times. At least that’s what the greats advise. For you never know when brilliance may strike.

I am always on the lookout for that ideal journal or perfect diary to pen my thoughtsand end up spending countless hours just browsing through the stationery stores in search of either. And yet every journal I pick seemed to somehow fall short of my expectations. Some are either too small for me to write comfortably in or too big to carry in my bag, some not hardy enough and yet others just not attractive enough. Diaries that I chance upon are usually too thick and unwieldy.

When a friend tagged me in the Matrikas Blogger Outreach Program, I was intrigued to see the four options advertised in their range of the Creative Woman’s Journal – To Dream, To Fly, To Write, To Glide – each with a different design on the cover, for those of us in a pursuit of creative arts.

Their description said –

This journal is for the creative woman, who uses the diary to write her dreams, and escape to a different place, albeit for a short while.

How in the world is any aspiring author, dreamer, or rebel supposed to resist that?!
Being the writer/blogger/aspiring novelist that I am, I picked up the one which is specifically designed ‘to write’ – Feather.

The journal arrived in neat packaging accompanied by a personalized letter which I found to be impressive and thoughtful. What it contained was even more attractive – a beautiful red notebook with the design of a golden quill on it. Next to the golden quill is the word ‘write’ (also in gold), urging me to complete that unfinished draft right away.

But wait, there’s more.

If I had fallen in love at the first sight of the notebook then turning the pages deepened that love. For I have seen many a notebooks, of course, but none that furthers one’s creativity like this one.

There are 8 adult colouring sheets and over 25 blank pages for doodling, apart from the lined pages to make notes and pen those runaway thoughts. There are four sheets of stickers – fun and inspiring  – that prompt creative thoughts and ideas for new blog posts and lists.
Writing, colouring, doodling are all healthy forms of expressions of one’s innermost feelings and thoughts. The journal provides the perfect outlet and lives up to the promise of being ‘a joyful place for every creative woman to escape into’.

If I were to choose between this and any other notebook, even the famed Moleskin (I don’t understand the craze over those tiny blank pages anyway but then I’ve never used one so what would I know?) I’d prefer this one for sure.

What I loved –

• The appearance – the hardbound cover , the golden quill with the word ‘write’ (I dislike covers with abstract designs or images of monuments or Gods – the notebook should reflect me, I feel, not Qutab Minar or Buddha) urging me to open the notebook and start scribbling right away…
• The thickness and size of the notebook. It is easy to carry in my bag and yet isn’t too small.
• Superior paper quality
• It’s undated pages (the date isn’t printed, there is space for you to note the date by hand) make it easy to use as a day-to-day journal without being restricted to a single page. This is helpful for people like me, who on some days end up not writing at all and other times write more than one page in a single day.
• The ruled sheets alongwith the colouring sheets and the blank pages, spread throughout the journal instead of being tagged at the back, further your creative juices.
• The stickers are fun and can be used not just in the journal to embellish your writing or prompt new thoughts and ideas but also elsewhere to make your room, laptop or phone look cool.
• The pages for making a list of books to read or places to visit are a welcome addition to the notebook. Looks like they anticipated every fantasy of the creative woman.

What could be better –

• The price! At INR 450/- the poor, unemployed writer in me finds it a bit steep.
• The pages dedicated for making those lists for books to read and places to visit aren’t enough. Need more of those pages, please.
• I thought the phone book pages were redundant (especially since everyone now uses mobile phones) and while some may say that it is a great addition to help wean away from over-dependence on mobile phones, I would prefer those pages be added to the sections on books to read or places to visit. 😀

Overall, I’d say it’s a beautiful notebook and a must buy if you like splurging on expensive stationery. And even if you don’t, a creative albeit expensive indulgence like this is allowed once in a while, isn’t it? 😉

I for one can’t wait to get started on weaving new dreams and spinning new tales in this journal.

The journals are available for purchase on Amazon and also on their website.

Matrikas provided me with a free journal in exchange for a review. The above is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Do you think Moleskin is the best? Which is your favourite journal? Share your comments via the box below.