You are not just one thing. 

You are goodness and grit

Torn edges and truth

You are the chaos, the clarity, and the courage to hold both.

You are mess, and magic, and something in between

The collector, the seeker, the celebrator. 

The one who glues it all together.

Your journal is both a dumping ground and a treasure chest - a place where the “junk” of your thoughts, scraps, and chaos can coexist with moments of deep goodness, insight, and clarity.

This course is a journey through the many parts of you - the gritty, the magical, the mysterious. You’ll bind three handmade journals, each one becoming a mirror, a container, and a companion to a different part of your self.

These aren’t just notebooks.

They’re self-portraits.

They’re soul maps.

They’re portals.

Together, we’ll walk three distinct paths - not toward perfection, but toward deeper presence.

The Three Journals

1.  Alchemy - The Junk Journal

Gritty. Unfiltered. Raw.

This journal is a rebellion against neatness.

It’s built from scraps, messy thoughts, torn feelings, and honest truths.

You’ll gather junk - bits and pieces from your life and your day, and punch holes in them.

You’ll bind it all together with binder rings.

There’s no sequence, no symmetry. Just pure, glorious chaos.

Think:

Collaged. Messy. Bold. Free.

A space for ugly feelings, raw honesty, and truth without polish.

Not what you’re supposed to make... what you need to make.

Let this book hold your brave mess.

2.  In-Between - The Silva Rerum

Collecting. Curiosity. Becoming.

This journal is your gathering place.

A library of fragments. A living archive of inspiration.

We’ll create it from stitched glassine envelopes - soft, translucent, and simple.

You’ll fill it with collected ephemera, quotes, clippings, bits of self not yet stitched into story.

It’s not quite a raw journal. It’s not quite finished either.

It lives in the liminal, the space between knowing and becoming.

Think:

A commonplace book. A silva rerum. A poetic scrapbook of your evolution.

A home for your “not-yet” selves.

A way to celebrate curiosity without forcing conclusions.

Let this book hold what’s still unfolding.

3.  Light - The Goodness Journal

Golden. Magical. Gentle. True.

This is your place of reflection, gratitude, and affirmation.

We’ll bind it using Yotsume Toji, a traditional Japanese stab binding that holds pages tightly and beautifully. A sacred container for the light.

It’s soft. It’s intentional. It’s where your goodness lives.

Think:

Gold details, soft paper, calming colors.

Details you want to remember.

The truths that ground you and the glimmers that lift you.

This journal is your reminder: you are already enough.

Let this book hold your light.

The Journey Ahead

Through binding these three journals and working within them, you’ll chart a personal map:  one that doesn’t seek perfection, but welcomes paradox. You’ll find that the “junk” has its own kind of goodness, and the “good” often emerges when you allow the mess to speak.

There is no one right way to do this.

There is only your way.

Let’s begin.

This class is part of...

Bookbinding for Imperfect Enthusiasts

Your journal is more than just pages—it’s a container for your creativity, your experiments, and your beautiful mess. In Bookbinding for Imperfect Enthusiasts, we stitch together stress-free, handmade journals designed to hold your art, your thoughts, and everything in between. No perfection required—just curiosity, play, and a love for the process. Whether you’re binding your first book or your fiftieth, this is a space to explore, embrace imperfection, and go deeper into your art.

Come as you are, leave with a journal that’s perfectly imperfect.