I’m always stunned by what the people think the bullet journal is when they have came across the concept wandering on Pinterest or Instagram: they usually see it as being mainly an art journal, with of course lot of decorations and a time consuming hobby. A lot of the people who are not familiar with the bullet journal are just overhelmed by all the beautiful decorated bullet journals out there and just assume it’s not for them. Even though the system created by Ryder Carroll can be twisted to (almost) anyone needs and the minimal bullet journal could be the answer they’re seeking.
The minimalist approach of the bullet journal system is far from anecdotal and a lot of bullet journalists try to keep their system as simple as possible. The super clean and minimalist notebooks are the perfect examples that the bullet journal can be a super easy to use planning tool as well as a perfect tailor made one: just as the decorated bullet journals, there are infinite variations of the minimalist version of the system.
I’m following some of them since my beginnings on Instagram, and I just discovered some others. Some of them have thousands of followers, and some of them are quite new… Here are 5 Instagram accounts that prove (if it was necessary) that a bullet journal is not only about doodles and stickers, but an effective, versatile planning system.
Jennifer – Ink By Jeng
If you don’t know Jennifer’s bullet journal yet, I highly recommend you give her account a follow! It’s really one of my all favorites Instagram accounts, and even though she doesn’t post as often as she used too (at least for the moment), I regularly head on over her account to take some inspiration.
Jennifer’s spreads are super clean and simple. The layouts are always clear and allows to comfortably read the content. Beside the pure functional side of it, I love how serene Jennifer’s journal looks. It’s definitely one of my top inspiration to create minimalist spreads and I wish I can one day create such a beautiful minimal bullet journal from scratch.
Lazy Bujo
This account is the proof (if you needed proof anyway) that starting and keeping a bullet journal doesn’t require more than a notebook and a pen: minimal supplies and minimal layouts. Nothing fancy in this journal, but simple and functional spreads for what looks like an effective planning system.
And on top of that, some posts feature mistakes and imperfections that can be found in any journal. And it really feels good to see people taking their journals not too seriously and admitting mistakes as being normal, when all the bullet journal pictures shared on Instagram and Pinterest always look so perfect (I’m currently working on admitting mistakes myself, but I find it super hard!).
Austin – MinimalJournal
“It’s about getting crap done, not making your crap look good”
Well I think the headline is pretty clear! Austin’s journal is the perfect example of a super simple and functional bullet journal that uses strictly the system created by Ryder Carroll.
No fancy handwriting or complicated trackers and layouts here, but minimal tasks lists and scribbles. It’s not perfectly clean and sometimes a bit busy, but this journal focus is clearly on the organisation system above the look. Austin’s notebook is the perfect down to earth, easy to use, minimal bullet journal that offers all the advantages of the system without anything superfluous.
Dara – Gothamhaus
Dara’s bullet journal is special, as it is a pre-printed planner (actually a Hobonichi) that she twists with Ryder Carroll’s planning system. I found it super interesting as it is, in my view, the perfect balance of a “pure” bullet journal (meaning plain notebook) and a regular planner: the pre-printed layout is light enough to allow almost any twist, but can be also used just as it to save time if needed. I really love how functional and easy to use Dara’s journal seems, and how she uses colours to highlight some infos on her spreads.
Fun fact: after months using a regular boxed monthly calendar in my not so minimal bullet journal, Dara’s posts finally convinced me to try the bullet journal vertical monthly log. And I seriously couldn’t get back to my old monthly layout.
Kristin – Pickymama
I’m following Kristin’s bullet journal adventures for months now and I’m still amazed by her beautiful, clean and minimal bullet journal spreads. I especially like the review system she uses to regularly take a step back and adjust her planning system.
Her journal has evolved a lot these past few months, as Kristin replaced her analogue, trustful notebook for a digital bullet journal (created on a tablet). I have to say that I’m super curious to see how this experiment will turn out. I feel like there’s a trend in the bullet journal world to adapt the system with digital tools. Even though I couldn’t take that step myself (I’m not a technological girl AT ALL), I’m eager to see what the result will be.
I could honestly feature dozens of amazing minimal bullet journal accounts that are super inspiring. But I created this super sharp selection to show that the minimalist approach of the bullet journal can lead to endless variations. Far from being boring, the minimalist style allows versatility and experimentations.
I’ll try to update this post as often as I can (and maybe create a full category of posts) to share new accounts. I’m pretty sure you know some super inspiring minimalist accounts too, so feel free to share your own favorites in the comments!
More inspiration :
- I highly recommend to head on over the official Bullet Journal website. It is, of course, THE place for anyone who is not yet familiar with the basics of the system. It also features a blog with tons of super talented bullet journalists guests posts (minimalists or not).
- Even though some of the links are broken, Kim (Tiny Ray of Sunshine) also shares her favorites minimal bullet journals on her blog.
- Last but certainly not least, some Instagram accounts are reposting bullet journal pictures. They’re the perfect place to begin if you’re seeking inspiration. One of them, Minimalistbujo, is dedicated to minimal bullet journals posts.