Midori Travel Journal, Sharpies & Washi Tape

When we set off for a month-long European adventure earlier this spring, I knew I wanted to take along some resources for continuing my art on the road. Little did I know, I would be doing an important test to find out what was well-loved and used regularly, and what simply took up space and weight needlessly. 

I love my custom made Midori travel journal. I removed some extra notebooks in it prior to our departure, to lighten the load. But honestly it still felt like a brick in my backpack. Since we were only taking one backpack and one carry-on for the entire month, every single item had to pull its weight.

I did not use my pencil more than once or twice. I used my black sharpie constantly. The Paris journal was fun to look at, but didn’t get as much use as my travel notebook. The word cards were the best choice for this trip and sparked my entire 100 Day Project of European handnotes.

Everything fit in one small travel tote that I kept in my carry on for easy access while riding trains, busses, and airplanes from one country to the next!

What’s in your travel bag? Any favorite artistic tools or tricks?