Well it’s November which means it’s time to at least start thinking about planners/bujos for the new year. Afterall “New year new planner.” In 2021, I chose to use the much hyped Scribbles that Matter bullet journal.
Scribbles That Matter promise of no ghosting is quite alluring for those of us who just use the basics. So after almost a year, how did it hold up? Does it live up to the hype?
Color Selection
I wasn’t impressed by the journal color selection. I would have expected the colors to be a bit more….. trendy. Maybe a few beige neutrals or pastels. The colors felt very 5th grade folder collection you get at Staples. . With all that said, I got the white journal.
Paper Quality
The paper is thicc👀 🍑. And held up well against marker with essentially no bleeding and no ghosting.
Water color
Despite the paper being thick, it’s not watercolor paper. BUT it’s still pretty good. I was cautious not to use too much water and had very little buckling or bleeding to the next page. If you want to watercolor sparingly I’d say these pages would hold up.
Details
Aside from the paper quality I think one of the things I was most impressed and surprised by was the small details put into this book. It has all the basics I expected: Index, Key, page number. But something I wasn’t expecting was On every page there are little hash marks that denote the middle of the page which is super helpful when you’re doing layouts that need to be symmetrical. 10/10 on the product design.
Pen
Each journal comes with a branded Scribbles That Matter pen and the journal has a pen loop. The pen was an unexpected addition and the is quality top tier. I’d guess that the tip is 0.5mm or so and glides across the page with no smudging. I haven’t yet, but I’m seriously eyeing the full Scribbles That Matter Pen pack because the feebie pen was so nice. They obviously know what they’re doing over there.
Mixmedia
This year I started adding in polaroids into my bujo spreads. I use double sided tape and elmers glue. None of the polaroids have fallen out and the pages hold up well. No ripping or buckling. I’d say this journal would do fine if you wanted to do paper layering or collages. (Link to polaroid printer)
All the thick paper and thoughtful details are useless if the journal falls apart. So after a year how did the journal hold up. I use my journal everyday and I am constantly handling it. The binding is still holding up and no pages ever fell out. So if you’ve had journals in the past that have fallen apart and that is a concern I’d say the Scribbles That Matter journal can really take a beating and might be the right choice for you.
So is the Scribbles That Matter Journal worth $30?
In short, yes. It’s a beautifully designed product with a lot of thought put into it. If you’re a Ryder Carol originalist and only do minimalist bullet journaling….you don’t need this. It’s overkill. But if you enjoy putting artwork into your journaling and want to use a range of artistic supplies Scribbles That Matter could be the journal for you.
Happy Journaling and thanks for reading!
