I didn’t plan this, but here we are

Hi, I’m Ivan. Shu En actually started by accident. I didn’t plan to make a brand or even sell journals. One day, I just posted a photo of a leather journal I made for myself. I’ve always wanted to give someone a handmade journal, something meaningful, personal, and lasting, but that never really happened because we had already grown distant.

I didn’t think much about that post, but suddenly it got a lot of attention. People started asking where I got it, if I could make one for them, and if I was open for custom orders. I was surprised, because it was just something I made out of curiosity and quiet feelings.

Now, Shu En has slowly grown into a small studio where I make and ship each journal by hand. I still do everything myself, from cutting and stitching, to packing, to writing small thank you notes. The leather I use comes from local Indonesian tanneries, chosen carefully to make sure it’s ethically sourced and high-quality.

For me, Shu En isn’t just about journals. It’s about connection, between stories, time, and people who still believe in writing things down by hand.

So I decided to turn it into a small giveaway, just for fun, as a way to share the piece with someone else. But then, even more people started asking for pre-orders. That’s when I realized maybe this thing I made out of a personal moment could actually mean something to others too.

That’s how Shu En began. No marketing plan, no business goal, just a small act of making something with my hands, and the unexpected warmth that followed.