I’m an avid journaler. I’d just finished filling a long-standing, beloved Moleskine, and was looking for something new. I had been searching for quite some time when I came across AllSwell.
What’s so cool about AllSwell notebooks is that they’re two-sided–one is lined and one is blank. As both a writer and an illustrator, this allows me a new tactile freedom.
What is also really cool about AllSwell is that the company is created by Laura Rubin–a Creative Director, Consultant and Writer with a passion for journaling. She created the notebooks out of a personal need and it all grew from there. She also wanted to help give people–who may not necessarily identify as writers or engage in a regular journal practice–the tools to tap into their own creative mind. That’s when she started the AllSwell workshops, open to all!
During the workshop, Laura guides participants through a series of prompts. She shares passages from favorite writers, related to the workshop’s specific theme. I was giddy to find my personal favorite, Joan Didion, represented. The prompts that Laura proposes progressively open up the room, inviting everyone to get deeper, become more thoughtful, to share more intimately. By the end of the experience, the room is brimming with emotion and everyone in it leaves more accepting of nuance and more attuned to their own hearts.
It’s a beautiful experience and I urge everyone to partake. But, if you’re unable to make it to one of Laura’s upcoming workshops (info here!), you can pick up an AllSwell journal here and get started on your own journaling ritual!
Source: Atelier Doré – Linne Halpern