My pen bled through a whole month of spreads while I was on the train to Boston

So last week, I was finishing my weekly log on the Acela to Boston, using this new brush pen I got. I pressed a little too hard on a dot for a task, and the ink just soaked right through the page. I flipped it over and, sure enough, the whole grid for next week on the other side was ruined. I've been bullet journaling for about 3 years now, and this started a real debate in my head. On one side, I want my journal to look clean and last, so maybe I should only use pens that never bleed, even if they're more expensive. But on the other, part of the point for me is the freedom to use any tool I feel like that day, and just accepting the mess as part of the process. That ruined spread is now a memory of that specific train ride. How do you all decide between perfect pages and just using the pens you love, even if they sometimes cause problems?

2 comments

2 Comments

grace_fox316d ago

Oh wow, that's such a tough spot! I started seeing my journal as a tool, not a showpiece. If I need to test a fun new pen, I'll just do a quick scribble in the margin or the back pages first. That way I still get to use the pen I'm excited about that day, but I know what I'm getting into before it hits my weekly log. It keeps the freedom without the big surprise ruin. The bleed test scribble becomes part of the journal's story too.

jason11216d ago

Honestly I just use a cheap notebook for testing pens now, saves the good stuff for sure.