How I Went From Hoarding Pretty Supplies to Actually Using Them (And 3 Things I Would Never Do Again)

Why was I hoarding supplies in the first place?

Remember when you first got into journaling?

The "I want everything" phase.

The "don't throw away any trash because everything is treasure" phase.

Scraps. Receipts. Old fabric. Random packaging.

A piece of paper with one pretty flower on it.

Because obviously... I might need it someday.

And then comes the shopping.

Looking at what every shop is releasing.

Watching new collections.

Adding things to cart.

Telling yourself this is the last order.

(It was never the last order.)

Somehow groceries feel expensive.

But stationery?

Stationery is an investment.

At least that's what I told myself.

There was even a time I bought two of everything.

One for using.

One for hoarding.

And then I hoarded both.

Because what if I waste it?

What if I don't make a perfect spread?

What if I regret using it?

And then when I actually sit down to craft...

it is sooooo overwhelming.

Should I use this sticker or that one?

Oh no, that paper is too pretty.

Maybe I'll save it for a better project.

And suddenly I'm 20 minutes in and haven't stuck down a single thing.

Buying supplies became easier than crafting.

Collecting inspiration became easier than creating.

Even though I genuinely wanted to journal.

There were suddenly so many things to think about.

The aesthetic.

The theme.

The colors.

Whether it would look good enough to share on Instagram.

And somewhere along the way, I stopped having fun.

What finally made me start using my supplies?

Every time I sat down to craft, I couldn't find what I wanted.

Worse...

I couldn't even remember what I owned.

I'd spend more time digging through supplies than actually creating.

And one day I remember thinking:

Why did I start journaling in the first place?

It wasn't to collect the most supplies.

It wasn't to make perfect spreads.

It wasn't to impress strangers on the internet.

I started because I loved:

• escaping from real life for a little while

• the feel and texture of paper

• the smell of stationery

• making something with my hands

• having creative fun with zero pressure

Honestly, all I wanted was to sit down for 30 minutes and craft.

That's it.

No pressure.

No perfection.

Just create.

And eventually I realized something.

The problem wasn't a lack of ideas.

The problem wasn't inspiration.

The problem was getting started.

Every single time.

So instead of trying to become a more disciplined person, I created a few simple systems.

And they changed everything.

1. Make your supplies easy to use

When I want to craft, I don't want to spend 20 minutes searching for scissors.

Or digging through six boxes looking for that sticker sheet I know I own somewhere.

So I created a simple caddy system.

Inside it I keep:

• 10–20 favorite supplies

• stickers I'm currently loving

• papers I want to use

• scissors

• adhesive

• tools I use all the time

Basically everything I need to start.

No searching.

No decision fatigue.

No excuses.

And when I get bored?

I shop my own stash.

I swap things out.

Maybe every week.

Maybe every month.

Whenever I feel like it.

The funny thing is that old supplies suddenly feel new again.

I started rotating through things I hadn't touched in months.

And yes...

I still get the urge to buy new stationery.

I don't think that ever completely goes away.

So now I keep a small stationery budget and buy once a month instead of randomly throughout the month.

Honestly, that's one of the reasons I started my Mail Club.

I wanted happy mail that felt exciting without feeling overwhelming.

A small collection of things to use, play with, and maybe hoard just a little bit.

You know... for balance.

2. Keep inspiration where you can actually find it

Let's talk about saved posts.

How many beautiful spreads have you saved from Instagram or Pinterest?

Hundreds?

Thousands?

And how many have you actually gone back and looked at?

Exactly.

I realized I was collecting inspiration the same way I was collecting supplies.

Saving everything.

Using nothing.

So now I keep inspiration in one place.

A folder on my phone.

A folder on my laptop.

Nothing fancy.

Just easy to find.

Whenever I feel stuck, I open the folder and scroll for a few minutes.

Usually that's enough to spark an idea.

No endless scrolling.

No falling into a social media rabbit hole.

Just inspiration when I need it.

This is actually something we set up on Day 1 inside my 7-Day Creative Reset Challenge because it removes one more barrier between wanting to create and actually creating.

3. Stop waiting for enough time

For the longest time I thought journaling meant creating a full-page masterpiece.

Every single time.

Which meant if I didn't have an hour...

I did nothing.

Turns out that wasn't helping.

So I started making grid journals instead.

I divide a page into little sections and fill them one at a time.

A sticker here.

A label there.

Maybe a tiny cluster.

Maybe a quote.

Maybe just a scrap of paper I found in a drawer.

They're quick.

They're satisfying.

And somehow they always look cute.

The best part?

I use way more supplies.

Because I'm not sitting there wondering if everything matches perfectly.

Sometimes I make a full spread.

Sometimes I fill one tiny square.

Both count.

Both are creative time.

3 Things I Would Never Do Again

❌ Force myself to make full-page spreads every day

Some days it's a full spread.

Some days it's writing.

Some days it's one sticker and a date.

Some days it's half finished.

It all counts.

❌ Worry so much about the aesthetic

My journal is a place to create.

Not a museum.

Not a portfolio.

Not an Instagram audition.

The goal is to enjoy the process.

Not perform creativity for other people.

❌ Feel guilty about my supplies

For years I felt guilty every time I looked at my stationery collection.

I spent money on it.

I should be using it.

Why am I saving everything?

But guilt never made me use supplies.

It just made me avoid them.

Now I rotate a small selection into my caddy and enjoy whatever I'm currently using.

Everything else can wait its turn.

Final thoughts

If you have drawers full of journaling supplies, a growing stationery collection, and a pile of stickers you're afraid to use...

I get it.

I've been there.

Honestly, I still catch myself doing it sometimes.

But the goal isn't to use everything perfectly.

The goal is to enjoy the supplies you already love.

Use the pretty sticker.

Cut into the fancy paper.

Make the messy spread.

Fill one tiny grid.

Create something today instead of waiting for the perfect project.

Because the perfect project probably isn't coming.

But the fun part?

That can start today.

And if you're feeling stuck, that's exactly why I created the 7-Day Creative Reset Challenge—to help you build a simple creative habit, use your supplies, and start enjoying journaling again without all the pressure.