Between Love and Madness Lies… Markers?

You know when you discover something new and suddenly you have to know everything about it? No? Maybe that's just me.

For example, me and brush lettering. It started with a pack of Tombow markers and… well, let's say it exploded into a full-blown creative obsession. To the point that I dedicated an entire journaling layout to it.

How (and maybe even why) do you make a page about markers? That's exactly what I explored in this week's episode of The Scrapbook Lab, where I test ideas, try new techniques, and make time to play.

How it works: I pull three cards from my Prompt Card Deck, which I designed to spark creativity without overthinking. These cards are meant to inspire you to document your current interests, experiences, and emotions in a fun and creative way. 

Here's what I pulled:

• Theme card: Moments of Joy

• Story card: Current Obsession

• Technique card: Markers or Pens

Let's see where the cards take me...

Brush Lettering: A Love Story

Years ago, I tried brush lettering and gave up almost immediately. I hated how my letters looked. As a lefty, I also struggled with the dreaded smudge problem.

But this past spring, I took a brush lettering class at my local stationery store—just for fun. That little spark turned into a wildfire. I went on a buying bender: Tombows, Karins, Stabilos, Pentels. Books. Practice sheets. YouTube rabbit holes. Endless loops, curves, and swoops, trying to master each stroke.

Did I perfect it? Not even close. Did I contort my wrist into impossible shapes trying to avoid smears? Absolutely. Did I keep going? Of course. Because I loved it. Obsessively.

The Layout: Obsession in Action

The prompts led me to make a journaling spread about this very obsession.

I used my lettering journal and illustrated a big brush marker diagonally across the page. A rainbow flows from the tip, made with bright paint markers to embody the colorful energy of the ink.

For the background, I brush-lettered the alphabet repeatedly as a nod to all those practice sessions. And for the title? I borrowing from Obsession cologne: "Between love and madness lies obsession." (If you know, you know.)

Why Document Something Like This?

Honestly, I would never have created a page like this if it weren't for the prompt cards. But that's the beauty of this process. It pushes me to document the now, the little quirks, the things I'm into that may seem random but actually say a lot about who I am.

Documenting your creative obsessions not only serves as a fun activity, but it also helps you understand yourself better and appreciate the little joys in life. And isn't that what memory keeping is all about?

What About You?

Would you try this prompt combo? What are your current creative obsessions lately? What little joy could you capture on a page?

Let me know in the comments!

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Pages in Progress is where I share creative reflections, experiments, and behind-the-scenes thoughts from my studio.

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