Have you ever felt that intimidating pressure of opening a brand-new notebook, staring at those blank pages? Hello there, Friends! It’s Ian DJ here from the Archer & Olive Ambassador team and RavenFox13 over on Instagram. Today I want to share some tips to help you break through the fear of getting started with a fresh notebook. Let's make those first pages exciting instead of overwhelming! I’ll be sharing five simple techniques I use to overcome the challenge of facing blank pages in my journal.

The materials that we will be using today are

• Archer & Olive Notebook 
• Archer & Olive Calliographs 
• Pencil and eraser
• Fine liners
• Ephemera (any image/sticker/scrap that is in your stash that can be pasted on the journal) and adhesive

You can use my code RavenFox13 for 10% your orders at Archer and Olive!

1. Creating a Swatch Page for your supplies

When I'm unsure where to start, I like to begin by swatching some of my journaling supplies on either the front or back page of my notebook. This simple step lets me explore color combinations, see how they look together on the page, and often sparks ideas for a new spread. Just getting familiar with the notebook and using supplies like pens, paints, or washi tapes helps to ease my mind and get into a creative flow.

2. Fill that page with shapes and colors

One of my favorite ways to break in a new notebook is by filling a page or two with random shapes. You can go with geometric or organic shapes—there’s no right or wrong way to do it! Play around with one or multiple colors, or mix different shapes together. The key is to place them freely across the page. If you prefer a bit of structure, you could line them up in an alternating or rhythmic pattern for a cool effect.

Tip: Start with light colors if you plan to layer shapes—this way, you can add darker colors on top if you decide to overlap. It's a great way to keep things flexible in case you get carried away!

3. Create organic doodles on that page

If filling your notebook with large shapes feels daunting, try using organic doodles instead. Think of terrain maps—that's one of my go-to inspirations! I usually begin by drawing an outer shape, then gradually add inner lines to create smaller outlines within it, repeating until the shape is filled. Alternatively, you can start with a small shape and let it expand by adding strokes that outline and grow it outward. In this example, I used one color, but feel free to experiment with multiple colors or different shapes to keep it interesting!

You can also add these organic doodles to the page of shapes you created in the previous example. They can be as simple as random lines or easy shapes you can draw without much thought, adding texture and interest to the page.

I’ve included some organic shape doodles in the downloadable printable link on this blog, which you can use as stencils or templates to make things even easier.

4. Choose an image, paste it onto your page, and let it inspire you as you create and experiment around it.

Take some time to browse through your collection of ephemera. This could be your favorite washi tape, a beloved sticker, or a page from a magazine that you really love. Feel free to cut the items with scissors or tear them by hand for a more artistic touch. Once you’ve chosen an image, paste it onto the page and start adding to it. Use your pens to create shapes and doodles around the image, or let the colors and patterns inspire the next elements you include. Sometimes, all it takes is starting with something to spark inspiration, especially when we let our creativity flow without overthinking it.

If you don’t have any ephemera on hand, feel free to use the hand-drawn flower printable to practice. Simply cut, color, and paste it onto your page.

5. Play with Positive and Negative Shapes

Choose a recognizable shape, like a circle, square, or star. If you’re a fan of coffee or tea, I've created a printable shape of a cup and saucer that you can use for this activity. Start by lightly sketching the silhouette of your chosen shape with a pencil. You can also draw a line to divide the page, ensuring it runs across the shape. On one side, fill the shape with words or organic doodles, while on the opposite side, focus on filling the background instead of the main shape. This approach creates an engaging visual contrast!

If you're curious about how I created the sample spreads featured in this blog, feel free to watch the full video below!

I hope these tips have inspired you! Feel free to experiment with one or more of them in your new Archer and Olive notebooks. For even more inspiration, follow me on social media—just search for RavenFox13 on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. If you create a page or two using the fun ideas I've shared here, don’t forget to tag me and @archerandolive, add these hashtags #AOShare and #archerandolive so the community can easily find your posts.

So let’s grab more notebooks to fill and share this blog with your friends. Remember you can use my code RavenFox13 for 10% your orders at Archer and Olive!

Stay Inspired, and doodle those worries away!