A journal is a place to keep thoughts, notes and memories, but it can become much more: a space to let your imagination run free, experiment and bring your ideas to life. Within its pages, curiosity finds new ways to express itself.

That curiosity inspired the collaboration between Legatoria Koiné and artist Lydia Jayne Art (@lydiajayneart): an opportunity to put our journals and their paper to the test, and to show that there’s room for much more than writing between their pages.

What kind of paper are we talking about?

The paper in Legatoria Koiné journals is designed to work well with even the most demanding fountain-pen inks. It helps prevent smudging, resists ink bleeding through the page (watch our video) and has a finish that lets the nib glide smoothly.

We offer three types of paper, each with its own weight and qualities:

• 100 gsm ivory uncoated paper;
• 120 gsm ivory laid paper, hand-cut;
• 130 gsm handmade cotton-fibre paper.

Wonderful, you might say. But what can you do with a journal besides write? Lydia Jayne Art shows us in her videos: she talks us through her creative process as she experiments with and combines different techniques, inviting us to see journals in a new light and discover what can grow from a blank page.

Collage: combine, experiment, be surprised

In this post, we invite you to try collage, a technique that brings different materials together images, paper, shapes and colours to create a new composition.

Original artwork by Lydia Jayne Art

You don’t need to be an expert, or know what the finished piece will look like. Start with whatever catches your eye, follow an impulse and see where it takes you.

The best part is giving yourself the freedom to experiment: choose colours you love, move things around, change your mind and, above all, enjoy the process. There’s no single right answer. Each page becomes personal because it reflects your own way of putting things together.

A little time for yourself

As you cut and combine materials, you can take a break from the rush and constant connection. It’s time for you, a different kind of headspace in which to slow down and focus on what’s in front of you. Creating can be relaxing and restorative, without the pressure to produce a perfect result. All you need to do is be present and let go.

Original collage by Legatoria Koiné

Creativity as a moment of wellbeing

Making art can give you the space to reconnect with yourself and express your emotions. Focusing on shapes, colours and materials can help you slow down and tune in to how you feel. You don’t need to be an expert: the value may lie in the creative process itself, personal and free from expectations. This experience can support wellbeing, though it is not a substitute for art therapy with a qualified professional.

To give it a try, all you need is a page in your journal and the willingness to experiment. Find inspiration in Lydia Jayne Art’s videos and discover your own way of creating.

Our journals come in different sizes and binding styles, so you can choose the one that feels right for the way you like to create. 

Explore the journals on the Legatoria Koiné website and visit the 

YouTube playlist dedicated to the collaboration. Your next page might begin with a piece of paper, a colour or a simple moment of curiosity.

Follow us:

Legatoria Koiné: Online shop, Instagram, Youtube, Facebook

Lydia Jayne Art: Youtube, Instagram