Creative paves way for community, connection through '707 Journal Club'

May 1-What started as a simple call for community has quickly transformed into Vallejo's newest, inclusive, all-ages club for creatives, the 707 Journal Club.

Through intimate meetups and larger cafe crawls, the club serves as a space to inspire community junk journaling, scrapbooking, and creative writing.

Margaret Pail, the 24-year-old founder of 707 Journal Club, first moved to Vallejo in August. Her mind bogged by ideas, and her heart set on securing a space where local creatives can do what they do best - create.

Earlier this year, after a friend had gifted a generous amount of supplies for Pail to get started in the journaling scene, she was instantly hooked.

"I wanted to find a way to journal with other people as soon as possible," she said. "This was my way of having, one, a way to meet other people with my hobbies and get to know the area, and two, get a chance to journal more."

By mid-February, those ambitions came to fruition.

With "707" in the name, Pail tailored the club toward Solano County creatives, building a space for, as the website reads, "journalers, sticker collectors, junk hoarders, whimsical crafters, and anyone in between."

Pail debuted the club in full swing with the launch of a website, Instagram, and TikTok, hoping to reach as much of her desired audience as possible.

And in April, as her first event proved, she did just that.

Held at the Exchange, a like-minded spot where community-driven art workshops and creative programming regularly take place, Pail's debut event sold out with a whopping 62 attendees.

Since then, Pail said the feedback and response have been equally astounding.

"There are a lot more people who want to partake in (the club) than I ever could have imagined," she said.

Months back, before her move to Vallejo, Pail had attempted to join nearby craft clubs in surrounding cities, but soon found that high demand made it nearly impossible to get in.

"I would never be able to grab a ticket, and because they'd sell out so fast," she said, "I was waiting maybe three or four months."

Fueled by a handful of motivators - including what she described as a mid-20s crisis brought on by the celebration of her 24th birthday and a New Year's resolution to devote more time to hobbies - she took matters into her own hands, creating a club of her very own.

"It was a New Year's resolution of mine to spend more time doing things that bring me joy again, like getting back to my hobbies," reflected Pail. "And, this year, I also just wanted to take more initiative."

As far as the mid-20s crisis goes, for the young creative, it sparked an inescapable realization: time is ticking.

"I turned 24 and thought, 'Oh my God, I already spent almost half of my twenties waiting on things,'" she said. "And I thought, 'Am I going to spend the rest of my twenties doing the same?'"

The epiphany pushed her to "kick it into gear" and pursue her passions.

"I just wanted to make the most of my time," she said. "And if I wanted to do something, I thought, 'Why should I wait for someone else to do it? I should just start it myself.'"

The creation of the 707 Journal Club became the culmination of those thoughts.

Now, through the club, like-minded creatives have the opportunity to meet, mingle, and - most importantly - create.

Still relatively new to the journaling scene herself, Pail said she is continuing to find her footing. Through club events, she hopes to showcase what she calls a wide range of journaling "ecosystems," each with different styles and purposes.

"I like to keep it open," she added, "really, with journaling, there are no rules."

There's junk journaling - a more popular style that her club frequently explores - which centers around creating collages using repurposed memorabilia like cafe receipts, magazine clippings, concert tickets, stamps, and postcards.

Other approaches are more traditional, like the classic scrapbooking, which incorporates photos and decorative stationery, and written journaling, which often leans more reflective or includes gratitude writing.

Regardless of the style, "it's become the sweetest community that I've ever met," said Pail.

She added that a perk has been watching as self-proclaimed "introverts" come out of their shell with each meetup, and seeing the attendees' relationships spill over into friendships.

For those looking to get involved, upcoming events include:

-"2014 Tumblr-Themed Journal Night" on May 23

-"Lover Girl Café" on May 17 at Vacaville's Journeys

-Pop-Up Stationery Market on June 20 in Petaluma

For details and sign-up opportunities, visit @707JournalClub on Instagram.

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