I was still figuring out how I wanted these notebooks to look and feel, and this was the first time I used one of the “fancy” Field Notes books. Isn’t the cover gorgeous? You’ll see lots of simple pages, like a single sticker or stamp, and a few moments where I dipped my toe into trying new things (like colored ink!).

What I love about this book is how real it is. It’s the calm before the weirdness. And it’s such a good reminder that you don’t need elaborate pages or perfect handwriting to build a creative habit. One sticker, one label, one thought—that’s how it starts.

✨ WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE

This is also the last Flipthrough in our regular Tuesday slot before we break for the summer (my studio doesn’t have AC and the tech is cranky in the heat). I’ll either pop in earlier in the mornings or pick this up again in the fall—but either way, thank you for being part of this retrospective project. It means the world.

Your Turn:

• What do your “before times” projects look like?

• What small supply (a stamp, a pen, a sticker sheet) can help you build your habit?

• What’s one simple page you’ve made that still sticks with you?

Hit reply or come chat with me in the comments — I’d love to hear about what helps you keep coming back to your notebooks and albums.

The pages in this book are super simple—a lot of just showing up, jotting things down, keeping it moving. I didn’t even fully finish the notebook. I stapled the last few pages together and called it done. And you know what? It was done. It held what it needed to hold.

That’s one of the reasons I love doing these Flipthroughs — you get to see how real and flexible this practice really is.

✨ WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE

Next week, we’ll open up the January 2020 book — and things are about to shift. Starting in the new year, I began building each notebook more intentionally, roughly one per month. You’ll see the project really evolve into its next version, and this notebook feels like the moment just before that change.

Your Turn:

• Ever stapled pages together just to move on? That’s legit.

• What did your creative practice look like at the end of 2019?

• What does “done” mean to you when it comes to a notebook?

You can always hit reply or come chat with me in the comments below. I’d love to hear about your own seasons of creative transition.

xoxo,

K

In the pages:

• 📸 Little context clues—like background details in photos—remind me how much can change (desk setup, lighting, life).

• 📅 This book finishes in March, and in upcoming flipthroughs we’ll look at pages from August, October, and then December 2019—right before I shifted into daily journaling during the early days of the pandemic.

• 🌀 It's wild to see how my practice evolved—what stayed, what changed, and what continues to matter.

💬 I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions—whether you're catching the replay or tuning in live.

Thanks for being here. I hope you carve out a little creative time for yourself today.
Your story matters.

xoxo,

Kristin

That little experiment taught me so much about what felt fun and sustainable as I continued to build this into a project that I would continue with, for the next 7+ years. Flipping through it now in 2025 feels like catching up with an old friend 🎉.

A few of my favorite takeaways:

• Resourceful collage beginnings
  That botany-textbook page from the MSU Surplus Store paired with my go-to sticker sheet reminds me how I leaned on both thrifted finds and desk-drawer staples to spark ideas in those early notebooks.

• Early rhythm-finding in Daily Pages
  In Book Three I was still exploring my own pace—some days I added multiple spreads, other days I stepped away entirely—simply discovering what felt sustainable rather than chasing any “right” output.

• The intentional gap before Book Four
  After wrapping this notebook in under a month, I paused until mid-February 2019 to let my process settle. That interval wasn’t a productivity measure—it was part of learning what cadence worked for me before moving into the next book.

Your Turn

Did you ever take a creative sabbatical and come back refreshed? Hit reply and let me know—you might inspire someone else to give themselves permission to pause.

Next week I’ll be back with Book Four at Tuesday, 2 PM ET, so set a reminder if you want to drop in live or catch the replay shortly after.

Thanks for coming along on this notebook journey—your support means the world. See you next Tuesday!

xo
Kristin

Back then? I was deep in burnout. I had deadlines I didn’t care about, zero creative energy, and everything felt like too much. So I gave myself permission to start small. Like…really small.

This notebook is full of:

• currently lists and post-it notes

• half-sarcastic jokes to myself

• photos I stuck in just because they made me happy

• literal one-sentence pages

• scraps, stickers, old supplies — the “use your stuff” revolution in action

• questions I didn’t have answers to

And honestly? That was the whole point. These pages weren’t about doing something impressive. They were about doing something at all.

If you’re new to Daily Pages or just feeling creatively stuck—this video is for you. You’ll see where I started (and how simple it really was).

🎥 Watch the Flipthrough Above (or on YouTube later on)

And hey—if you want to make this part of your own creative routine, I do Daily Pages live Monday through Friday at noon ET. Come make a page with me inside the Inner Circle.

Your story matters. You don’t need a plan or a perfect idea. Just a page.
Let’s make something.

See you for Book #3 on Tuesday at 2pm ET!

xoxo,

Kristin

Hey friends!

Thanks so much to everyone who joined me live for the very first Daily Pages Flipthrough. It means the world to start this new tradition with you. Every week, we’ll flip through one of my completed notebooks—talking about creative practice, playing with supplies, and finding our storytelling style.

In this first episode:

• Where Daily Pages began (and why I still do them after 5 years)

• How this practice helps you level up your art and your confidence

• The joy of creative play and imperfect pages

🎨Here’s a few fav pages!

Next week, we’re cracking open Book 2. Join me live on Tuesday at 2pm ET!

📬 Got questions? Reply to this email or bring them to the next live session.

See you soon,
Kristin

I did something new this week—I went live on Substack for the first time (!!) and shared a full flip-through of my most recently finished Daily Pages notebook. It’s the one I started on February 5th and wrapped up on March 7th — and if you’ve ever wondered what a complete Daily Pages journal looks like, this is your chance to peek inside.

It w…

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