GATHER... A reminder to build what matters

Tina Adams
Jan 5
3 min read

Updated: Jan 6

I didn’t plan to make a new journal for the new year.

In fact, I’ve been in a creative slump for a long while — the kind where you want to make something, but everything feels heavy, overthought, or like it needs a purpose before you even begin.

On New Year’s Eve, something shifted.

Instead of reaching for “good” supplies or a fresh notebook, I grabbed packing paper. The kind you normally throw away. I let myself be loose. Messy. Unprecious. I used whatever was already on my desk — you know that little box we all have, filled with things we don’t quite know where to put? Old scraps, half-used pieces, odd bits that don’t belong anywhere else.

That box.

And it was incredibly freeing.

Letting Go of the Rules

There was no plan for this journal. No theme. No attempt to make it impressive or sellable or even cohesive. I tore paper. I layered without measuring. I didn’t worry about color palettes or balance or whether something was “too much.”

I just kept going.

What surprised me most was how quickly the pressure lifted. Once I stopped trying to make something right, my hands remembered how to make something true.

This journal became what I now think of as my 2026 Gather journal — not an official planner, not a structured system, but a place to hold thoughts, ideas, small goals, reflections, and beautiful things as the year unfolds.

Why “Gather”

The word gather kept coming back to me.

I’m not starting from nothing. I’m not rebuilding from scratch. I’m gathering pieces — creative ideas, business plans, lessons learned, emotional truths, scraps of inspiration — and letting them exist together.

On the cover, I added a simple phrase beneath the title:

“A reminder to build what matters.”

That’s what this journal is for me. Not productivity for productivity’s sake. Not hustle. Not perfection. Just a reminder to choose what actually deserves my energy as I move into 2026.

What I Learned About My Supplies (and Myself)

Making this journal also changed how I see my junk journal supplies.

Like many creatives, I’ve collected a lot over the years — papers, ephemera, bits and pieces saved “for later.” Somewhere along the way, that volume started to feel overwhelming instead of inspiring.

This project reminded me of something important:the magic isn’t in having more — it’s in using what’s already there.

Over the span of just a few days, my mindset shifted:

from saving supplies to using them
from organizing perfectly to organizing accessibly
from waiting for the right project to letting the project reveal itself

I’m now thinking differently about how I store my materials, how I approach new projects, and how I want to work moving forward — with more trust, less pressure, and a lot more play.

A Quiet Bridge Forward

I shared photos of this journal in a junk journal group on Facebook, and the response reminded me why I love creative community so much. There’s something deeply affirming about sharing work that’s made from honesty instead of polish.

For now, I’m choosing to write about this here rather than jumping straight into a YouTube video. A blog feels like the right bridge — a way to slow down, explain the why, and let the idea breathe. Maybe this will turn into videos later. Maybe it won’t. That’s okay.

What matters is that something has opened again.

Moving Into 2026

This journal isn’t about planning every step of the year ahead. It’s about giving myself a place to think, feel, experiment, and build — gently.

If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed by your supplies, or disconnected from your creativity, I hope this encourages you to try something similar. Grab the scraps. Use the paper you usually ignore. Let it be messy. Let it be yours.

Sometimes, the thing that brings us back isn’t a new system — it’s permission.

Thank you for being here and for sharing this creative space with me.

Love and Hugs!

Tina

P.S.-Download the PDF below to get more details on my inspiration and how I'm challenging myself more.