When a Journal Calls to You: How Do You Choose Yours?

Have you ever picked up a journal and just known it was the right one? No overthinking, no second-guessing - just a deep feeling that this is the one. It happens all the time with my Hypatia books, and I love hearing the reasons why.

Here are just a few of the heartwarming stories Hypatia book owners have shared with me, their bookbinder!

A Storyteller that Feels Just Right

Eva recently reached out looking for a journal to help her feel “grounded” in uncertain times. As we explored the collection together, she stopped instantly at the Leaf Doodle Storyteller and said, “That’s it!”  Curious, I asked what made this one stand out, and she said, “I don’t know ... I just felt supported and grounded the moment I saw it. The earthy colors, the rich textures of the handmade paper, the rustic leather, and that strong vibrant tie – it all feels right, and I can already picture myself holding it and writing in it.”

Leaf Doodles Leather Journal Storyteller

Preserving Family History, One Page at a Time: Perfect Size and Perfect Theme

Jean, who was gifted a Hypatia Storyteller as a wedding gift, needed two books for heart-felt family projects - one XXL Hypatia sketchbook to hold large original family documents and a Storyteller just right to hold special memories. Both projects turned out amazingly!

XXL “River Nile” Hypatia Leather Bound Sketchbook & The Muse Storyteller

Hypatia books are more than pages bound together – they become keepers of love, memory, and legacy: Ranks of Flowers, Fancy Print, hardcover Coptic bound book

I received a text requesting one of the new special edition Coptic books, Ranks of Flowers, Fancy Prints, to hold the memories of a couple navigating a tender chapter - five weeks into an extended stay in the oncology ward. One partner wrote: “I just spent a quiet hour in front of the fireplace after leaving the hospital and had the time to realize I need this beautiful journal for us to record the past 41 years of our life together. With so much going on, we are spending too much time on what will be missing and not enough time on all that we have very fortunately had together.” Amen. May this journal be a worthy keeper of those 41 years - a vessel of comfort, reflection, and enduring love. May their story continue to be written and never forgotten.

Hard Cover Coptic Journal - ‘Ranks of Flowers’,  featuring original VPCoUK prints on antique text print, filled with handmade khadi cotton rag paper, lined with marbled paper

Nagyi’s Kitchen: A Storyteller Filled with Family, Flavor, and Love

Another wonderful request came from a woman named Ilka, who chose the Bavarian Chocolate Storyteller because it “felt like her grandmother’s (Nagyi’s) kitchen, and she plans to fill the Storyteller with family recipes, memories, and Hungarian phrases that she remembers her Nagyi telling her, like: Always feed those who are hungry, or, Never forget to add a pinch of love.

Bavarian Chocolate Storyteller with decadently delicious handmade papers

Finding the Perfect Companion

Barbara felt an immediate connection to the Golden Ray Storyteller for her daily Zentangle art practices and affirmations! In case you’ve never heard of it, Zentangle is a meditative art form created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, a mindful practice that encourages the creative state of flow, focus, and reflection.

Barbara’s Zentangle & Affirmation Practice in the Golden Ray Storyteller

A Serendipitous Connection: How this Storyteller waited for its rightful owner!

A gentleman with a collection of antiquated documents was looking for a place to archive them, and as soon as he saw the one-of-a-kind Rising Phoenix Storyteller with its dramatic natural markings on the hide, he responded: That Storyteller has been waiting for me to find it. It’s coming home with me!

Rising Phoenix Storyteller

Hypatia Storytellers and Weddings: A Meaningful Keepsake

Brittani and Elliott were looking for a special way to capture the love and well-wishes of their guests on their wedding day aboard the Queen Mary. They chose the Bella Vita large Storyteller as their guest book, drawn to its elegance and how it perfectly matched their wedding’s color scheme. For them, it wasn’t just a book - it was a lasting keepsake to hold the memories of their incredible day, creating something they could treasure forever.

Bella Vita Storyteller aboard the Queen Mary: Wedding Guest Book

The Kwan Yin Storyteller: Chosen with Intention for a Space of Peace & Presence

When the founders of a new West Coast tea house dedicated to the healing arts, tea rituals, service and community came across the Kwan Yin Storyteller, they knew: “This one,” they said. With her gentle presence and timeless grace, “She Who Hears the Cries of the World” felt like the right spirit to welcome guests, hold their reflections, and honor the space they were creating.

Kwan Yin Storyteller featuring Japanese Chiyogami paper, embossed mulberry and other stunning handmade papers from around the world

These deep, instinctive connections to a Storyteller or Hypatia journal isn’t uncommon. It’s exactly why I create such a diverse collection – because the right journal doesn’t just hold your words; it calls to you, offering a place to land, to dream, to breathe.

How Do You Choose?

Sometimes it’s an instant knowing, and sometimes it’s a slow pull - pages waiting for the right person to find them. Do you go by color, texture, feeling? Do you hold it in your hands and wait for that click? Or does the story behind the materials speak to you first?

I’d love to hear - how do you choose the journal that feels like yours, and how does it serve you in your creative journey or daily life?

Our lives and histories are preserved in books, so our books need to be beautiful, durable, and inspiring.