In recent years, bullet journaling has become a popular hobby shared amongst creators, forming an online community with over 8 million posts on Instagram. Bullet Journaling, otherwise known as BUJO, is a form of self-organization that organizes schedules, reminders, notes, to-do lists, brainstorming, and other organizational tasks into a single notebook. Junior Veronica Weber started her own BUJO Instagram account (@veronicajournals) back in 2018 after her sister had introduced her to the hobby. Since then, her account has amassed over 54.8K followers and continues to grow, partnering with sponsors and other creators along the way.

The following is an interview with Weber regarding her journey as a bullet journalist.

Q: How would you describe your hobby to a stranger?

A: I would describe it as an organizational method, kind of a create-your-own planner because it’s very customizable and everyone creates stuff that works for them. But then also at the same time, it’s very artistic because I like to do a lot of things like brush lettering and drawing in it. I also know a lot of other people who like to do things like painting and scrapbooking. It’s kind of like journaling, but with a lot of different art forms and organizations mixed into it.

Q: How have you connected with other people through bullet journaling?

A: I definitely know a lot of people in person who also like to do bullet journaling, it may be that we introduced it to each other, or one of us got into it and then told the other person about it. But there’s definitely a really big community online, which I think is really cool to be a part of, because worldwide, there’s a lot of people who do bullet journaling and it’s really cool to see people who have the same hobby as you.

Q: How did you find your way to bullet journaling?

A: My sister introduced me to it, but before that, I had already started trying out brush lettering and I love to make a bunch of to-do lists. So I kind of just, fell into it eventually. But then, it became a bigger interest and more of a solid hobby once I found other accounts online that did journaling. I think one of the first artists I found is Amanda Rach Lee. She did journaling videos on YouTube, and I was really inspired by those.

Q: How did you decide to create your Instagram account?

A: You know, I’m not really sure. I started it at the beginning of my freshman year. So I think I had a lot of time back then. I had followed another bullet journal Instagram account, so I was like, “Oh, you know, might as well start one for fun,” but then I kept with it for longer. So I guess it was kind of spontaneous.

Q: What is your mindset going into a new journal/spread?

A: In general, I like to split up my spreads per month. I normally have a monthly theme where I choose a doodle or color palette or something like that. And then most of the spreads that I make that month will revolve around that theme. For example, this month’s theme was cute, wintery animals and winter doodles. I also have a color palette, so most of the spreads I made for December are based on that color palette. It uses those colors and then it also has some animal doodles. And then as a quick overview of the spreads I normally make, I like to do a cover page introducing the month. I like to do a calendar and then I do some trackers like a habit tracker with how much I’m on my phone, how much I study, and then I like to do weekly spreads for to-do lists and other artistic spreads like that.

Q: Did your mindset on bullet journaling change after you started gaining a following?

A: I don’t think I viewed bullet journaling very differently. I guess one thing that changed as I kept bullet journaling more often with my account was that I tried to create more spreads that were uniquely mine. I wouldn’t copy someone else’s, so it allowed me to be more creative.

Q: Do you have any future plans for bullet journaling?

A: I feel like I’m just going to continue to create content. I might reach out and try other platforms. But I haven’t really been thinking about doing anything more than just my account.

Q: What has been one of the biggest challenges as a creator online?

A: I feel like I didn’t face too many challenges, but that was because I didn’t really go in with any expectations. Looking at my account and its growth, when I started my account, it took me a while to gain new followers, especially at the beginning. But I didn’t have any expectations. I wasn’t trying to become famous or like anything like that and I wasn’t trying to grow. So I guess I was just happy with sharing my account. And the few people who did see it if they commented, all that just made me happy. So I guess I didn’t really face challenges in that sense. But now looking back at it, like when you’re a small artist, like Instagram is not very helpful with letting artists like helping to promote their work.

Q: What do you think it takes for an artist to gain an audience on Instagram?

A: I think it just takes a lot of dedication and you actually have to be passionate about what you do. For me, I did bullet journaling before I started until I knew that it would be a hobby that was more than just, “Oh, I’m doing this for follows or anything like that.” You really need to be dedicated to actually sharing content. There’ve been other people who I’ve met through the bullet journal community, and they’re really motivating, because they’re really inspiring people so I guess that motivates me to keep going.

Q: Do you think bullet journaling has changed yourself for the better?

A: I definitely think that because I use it as an organizational method, it has helped me stay on top of all the things I need to do, but also some of the goals that I want to do later, because I get to write it all down and it’s not just a thought that’s floating around in my head. It’s actually something that I can work towards.

Q: How has daily life changed since starting your account?

A: Some people who knew about my account have come up to me, and they’re like, “Oh, that’s really cool that you have your account,” and I didn’t tell them that I had my account. So they somehow found out and I guess it really just makes me really happy if someone notices it and they appreciated it.

Q: What do you think makes the bullet journaling community unique on its own?

A: We all have a passion for bullet journaling, obviously, but to some extent, we all have an obsession with stationery and pens and stickers. And I know it sounds kind of strange to someone who might not love collecting pens or like other stationery items, but just thinking about it, some people also have small sticker shops that sell stickers for bullet journalists. We all have this bond over the same hobby and we’re also invested in creating stuff and supporting each other, which I think is really unique because everyone in the community is really supportive.

Q: Do you think there are ways that you stand out in this community?

A: I feel like every account has its unique style, and in bullet journaling, there’s no right or wrong to it. Some people like to do scrapbooking spreads and other people like to do drawing and other people like to do painting. Because we all have our own style, we all stand out in our own way. But I feel like there’s nothing super amazing that I do that like no account other no other account does as well.

Q: How has your style changed over time?

A: When I started, I used to make pretty basic spreads. They were mostly for functionality. Like, here’s a place to write a to-do list, here’s a calendar to plan events, and then here’s some trackers but now I started making more artistic spreads like quote pages, mood boards, scrapbook pages, and stuff like that. I’ve also started to incorporate other elements. I tried out scrapbooking earlier this year, something I didn’t do at all in my previous journals, which I actually really liked.

Q: Do you think the community has evolved in any way?

A: Because there’s so much to bullet journaling, I feel like it’s all just based around the concept of this organizational method and like art. If one creator changes their style, there’s always going to be a different creator that still has the old style, because there are so many possibilities, so I wouldn’t say so.

Q: What are some tips you would give to someone who is starting out?

A: I think what I would say is to be more interactive. If you actually want to grow, you need to be very dedicated to your account and active on it. Interact with other accounts, comment on other people’s posts, because honestly, just telling someone else that you like their work is such a big compliment and it can make someone so happy. And I wish I really understood that better.