A New Journal for A New Day
An official introduction to my new journal, Rise: A Journal for Perseverance
It’s time for something new—for me and you. I created a new journal, Rise: A Journal for Perseverance. I’m going to tell you about what it’s for and who it’s for (so that you can discern if it’s for you), how and why it works, the fun design details, how you can pre-order it today, and why it’s not available on Amazon.
First, a brief backstory…
When I published my first journal, Rest: A Journal for Lament, in November 2022, I imagined it as the first in a collection of journals. I wanted to create a line of high-quality journals to help women tap into the emotional, mental, and spiritual healing benefits of journaling, offering a framework inspired by spiritual wisdom1 and therapeutic practices.
At the time, I already had the vision for the journal that would come after Rest, including its title, framework, and even color. As with my lament journal, my new journal, Rise, has been years in the making—first in the living it out and then in the literal making and publishing of it.
About the Rise journal + who it’s for…
I created Rise: A Journal for Perseverance to meet you as you emerge from a time marked by darkness or difficulty and support you as you step forward into the dawn of a new day, season, or chapter (pick your metaphor). It's designed to be a companion as you return to life after a time of loss, lament, and rest.
The Rise journal is thoughtfully designed to help you persevere and come alive to your life when life holds remnants of the hard.
Because the reality is that a new day doesn’t wipe away the hard.
As I’ve shared before, it can be difficult to rise after life has knocked you down, when the fabric of your life has been destroyed or permanently altered, when a new path has been charted for you and you’re living in unfamiliar territory, and when painful events have etched their way into your bones and rewired your mind.
As Frederick Buechner puts it, we learn that in this world, “Beautiful and terrible things will happen." Or, we come to resonate with Kate Bowler’s words in her book Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!, “Blessed are you who see it all now. The terrible, beautiful truth that our world, our lives seem irreparably broken. And you can't unsee it.”
Our problems don’t disappear overnight, and life doesn’t suddenly make sense one day. Grief isn’t a thing to “get over.” Wounds inflicted on us still feel tender and sore, even as they heal. It can be downright hard to get out of bed some days—even when we want to and feel ready.
In this space, we want to regain autonomy and reconnect with the beautiful wonder of this world and life. We are practicing the expansion of honoring the hard and holding the good.
This is where the Rise journal comes in. It’s designed to help you do just that, to practice perseverance and to find the fortitude to keep going, reclaim your life, and resurrect your heart.
The Unique Journaling Framework
I am passionate about the journaling approach used in my journals.
Journals that include overly specific questions as prompts aren’t always helpful or healing. They have limitations and might be the kind you tend to abandon after a few pages because they don’t always have personal relevance or resonance.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, overly broad journals like blank journals aren’t always helpful or healing, either. They can be wonderful for free writing and practicing stream-of-conscious journaling, like Julia Cameron’s morning pages. But even as helpful as those can be, blank journals offer no guidance when most of us need it.
Both of my journals offer journal spreads/entries that use a four-part journaling process informed, as I’ve mentioned, by spiritual and therapeutic practices so that you’re actually writing in a healing way. Moreover, each journal includes a simple structure while allowing space and freedom to explore and uncover what you need.
The Rise journal’s framework offers you space to express authentic emotions, practice self-compassion, uncover new perspectives, empower yourself with choices, and rediscover the beauty and goodness in life.
It’s helpful for anyone navigating anxiety, grief, depression, uncertainty, or overwhelm for any variety of reasons, living within the tension of the terrible and beautiful, and longing to show up wholeheartedly in their life.
The Details + Design
It is really important to me that I create a journal that is not only functional but that it is also a beautiful, high-quality product.
The color of the linen fabric cover of this new journal is “dawn,” a warm peach color—inspired by the sun’s morning light rising over the horizon and representing the breaking up of darkness. Peach also evokes feelings of compassion and courage, which is how I want you to feel when you pick up your journal to write.
The Rise journal also includes one of my favorite features: a Swiss flat-lay binding. That means that the cover and pages won’t close on you as you write. Everything opens cleanly and nicely and stays open, offering you a comfortable, distraction-free journaling experience.
Last but certainly not least, gold details offer a touch of refinement and sacredness. The cover has gold foiling, and a gold ribbon inside helps you easily find your place.
Pre-Order Your Copy
The Rise journal will be released early this summer (likely June, official date pending), but you can pre-order it now!
If you pre-order, I’m working on a bundle of goodies to gift you as a thank you. Details on those are coming soon.
Both of my journals are sold exclusively through my website, www.KristinVanderlip.com. Here’s why…
I am the creator, maker, publisher, and shipper—it’s all just little old me. The beauty of how I’ve chosen to create and release these journals is that it has allowed me complete creative control. Many authors and creatives who take publishing into their own hands and self-publish do so through Amazon or Ingram Spark’s publishing services. I didn’t go that route because those services would not have allowed me to design and create the beautiful, high-quality journals I wanted. So, you can only find them available on my online shop.2
Another beautiful aspect of creating and publishing these journals as I have is that it intimately connects me with the people who buy them. I know every name and state these journals go to. They are hand-packaged and shipped by me. I love the intimacy of this experience as a creative.
When you order a journal, you’re not only receiving a product that I hope can transform your life for the better, you’re also supporting my small business and creative work.
I could use your support!
I’d love for you to pre-order a journal, but you don’t have to buy one to support me. Maybe this journal isn’t right for you right now. That’s okay.
If you’d still like to support my work and its launch into the world, there are many *free* ways to do so, and I’d honestly appreciate your help. In fact, I need it! I can’t do this alone.
I’ve hosted and run launch teams in the past, but I think we’re all a little exhausted from those. Plus, I don’t need a launch team to get pre-orders for a publisher or reviews for rankings. So, there won’t be a traditional launch team for this journal. I will still invite you along for this journey and offer you some extra goodies along the way (make sure you’re a subscriber).
Here are *free* ways to help:
First, helping me get the word out about this journal is a huge help.
Subscribe to my Substack or email list.
Follow me on Instagram.
Like, comment, tag, and share posts you see here or on Instagram about the journal.
Forward any emails you receive about the journal to people you think might be interested (friends, family, groups you’re a part of, churches, therapists, local bookstores, etc.).
Text or call your people.
Share in your own email newsletter or Substack.
Do you know someone who has a podcast and might be interested in having me on as a guest to discuss the journal? Connect us!
This journal has carried me through undiagnosed post-partum depression, living my life as a mother without her child, numerous deployments and seasons of solo-parenting, hard marriage seasons, countless moves and seasons of “starting over,” and my daily encounters with anxiety and depression.
I hope it helps carry you as it has carried me.
Whenever I think of this journal, the theme song to The Wonder Years (“I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends” by the Beatles) starts to play in my head: “What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me? …I get by with a little help from my friends.”
I hope this journal feels like a helpful hand from a friend when you need it. In turn, I know I’ll only get by and launch this journal with a little help from you, my friends.
Warmly,
—Kristin
If you’re wondering, “Are your journals ‘Christian’ journals?”
Short answer: Yes. The spiritual wisdom, insights, and practices that inform these journals come from Christianity and these journals do include scripture and references to God.
Longer answer/confessional: I struggle to label them as such yet not to do so would be unclear and maybe unkind. I’ve hesitated to put the “Christian” label on them because, for many people, within and outside of the Christian Church, it has come to be a “red flag” of sorts, being associated with toxic positivity, spiritually bypassing, shame, condemnation and judgment, and a general sense of being unsafe.
Some of the origin story behind the creation of these journals comes from my own experiences of being hurt by fellow Christians, having my pain spiritually bypassed and dismissed, and personally wrestling with God. My heart is for these journals to be a place of safety and compassion, holding the complex nature of our human experiences. At the same time, yes, my journals are spiritually rooted within Christianity and anchored in the Love and Hope I believe God offers all of us. I want these journals to feel safe regardless of where anyone is on their spiritual or healing journey. It breaks my heart that, for many people, American Christian churches and communities have not been this.
Friendly warning: This is not an invitation to comment on or debate about deconstruction or “church hurt” or share any shaming or disrespectful comments—any received will be immediately deleted. Thanks for keeping this a welcoming, safe space, and if you can’t, please move on!
With your help, I’d love to get my journals into local brick-and-mortar stores, churches, therapists' offices, etc. If you’re interested in this, please send me a private message!
All the best!
She's beautiful! Can't wait to get mine.