The Art of Creative Planning

The Art of Creative Planning

We are now in the technology era. In this age, as we may all notice, a lot of things can be squeezed into your mobile phones or tablets. Calendars, tasks, memos and reminders apps are very much useful as it can all be opened and synced on these smaller devices. But in this digital world, there still has been a blossoming community of people who have found love again on using the “old school” planners and journals. And this is not just the simple use of it. Owners are incorporating it with art as what we call it today as creative planning.

The Art of Creative Planning

To start with, planners and journals are commonly being used to organize and keep track on plans. What not’s, to finish, to blog, to read and other to do’s are things planner owners would usually put on it. With arts and crafts tools come creative planning. Creative Planning is decorating planners while not losing its functionality.

On Instagram, you would usually see wildly used hashtags like #PlannerCommunity, #PlannerEnthusiast #PlannerGirl, #PlannerJunkie and more. These Instagram users are those who are in to this bandwagon. I have lived to think that the “bandwagon” word connotes negativity. It’s like you just want to jump in because it’s cool. Well, the planner bandwagon isn’t. It’s positive. It is worth a hobby to jump in.

The start…

I started doing this early last year. I am a scrapbooker. One time, I am filling my Belle De Jour Power Planner with magazine cut outs and stickers when I decided why not I do that for the rest of the planner’s pages. I looked for inspirations and to my surprised; this hobby has been going for quite a while already.

How do you do it?

Me having a planning session at Amo Yamie Crib

Maybe you are asking what are the supplies planner junkies use to decorate their planners. How can someone call it creative planning? To start off, what are the [brand] planners that we have.? In my case, I have a BDJ Planner which I have been buying annually for 3 years already; I also have a Kikki.K Medium Cute Planner which I won from Pretty Planners Birthday Giveaway and a red generic journal I personally bought for 200 bucks at a local bookstore. I know for a reader who is not into this hobby would somehow raise their eyebrows and ask, “what’s the need to have more than 1 planner?” Let’s just look on my case. As a blogger, a specialist and a part time businesswoman, I need more than 1 planner to be sure everything gets done. Here’s how I use them. (NOTE: I am not suggesting to get more than 1 planner and journal. This is just how I want to be organized.)

1. BDJ Planner – tracking orders on my retail business, work related stuff, bills and expenses
2. Kikki.K – blog events to attend, birthdays (using the birthday inserts), lists of restaurants to visit (using Kikki.k’s Shops and Restaurants inserts), to blog, to do’s.
3. Generic Journal – as this is a journal, this is where I write my article/blog drafts.

There’s also a lot more brands of planners and journals in the market. Among the common planners my fellow planner enthusiasts use are Titta Witty Planner, Filofox FauxDori/Midori Travelers Notebook, Webster Pages, Happy Planner, Erin Condren, Hobonichi and Love Doki.

dashboard/dividers made by @crafty.cathy’s | DIY planner dashboard for her Kikki.K Mint Planner.

 

Traveler’s Notebook/Journal Kath (@Kikaykraftrina) bought from @notedjournalph

My usual supplies are washi/paper tapes, stickers, adhesive notes, colored pens and calligraphy pens. To date, I am recently getting addicted to stamps and planner clips.

Newest addition to my craft supplies collection ☺️💞

I have recently asked my fellow planner enthusiasts what supply they usually use and here’s what I got.

1. Washi Tapes
2. Stickers
3. Stamps
4. Deco Paper
5. Doodle drawings
6. Printable Designs from Pinterest
7. Adhesive Notes
8. Cut outs
9. Colored Pens/Calligraphy Pens
10. Doilies

Planner Supplies of momi thinz | Instagram: momithinz0131

Jennie Li (spic3_soda) obvious love for clear stamps. 😍

Inspiration

I asked my fellow planner girls on how they got inspired to be engaged to the hobby of decorating planners and the common reason is the love for cute stuff, scrap books and stationery. Some got inspired too when they saw their friends and relatives happily doing this hobby. Others started doing it when they saw random videos on YouTube and, simply because they just love writing, scribbling and crafting.

Ever since I was in high school, I’ve been always a collector of journals and stationery… I’ve seen a lot of ladies posting a picture of their planner layouts, I found it very.. Umm.. I can’t explain. Then I decided to buy a planner from Typo, and [eventually] created an IG account dedicated only to this hobby. 

-Zuellen | @plannerxnerd

Why design?

For me, I design my planner because it makes everything personalized. I love looking at it especially that I know I did it by myself. Colors make my day lively. Especially bright colors. When you look at my planner, it will suggest to you a specific theme.

planner friends’ reason(s)

It helps me squeeze my creative juices on designing.

– Anne

Because I love being functional and creative at the same time.

– Zuellene

Nakakarelax nakakatuwa masaya tingnan.

– Kath

It is more motivating to use when it is aesthetically beautiful.

– Erris

And how do these planners look like after designing? Here are some of it.

How neat and lovely staring at craftingmeow’s planner week spread. 😍

my layout for this week. focused on orange and light shades. ♥

And then, there’s @acrodil’s beautiful floral week spread. 🌸

Being organized and creative combined

Creative Planning is a good way to show creativity. You get to enjoy scheduling your tasks ahead because you also enjoy designing and decorating. When people see my planner, I would usually hear comments like – “I used to do scrapbooking/designing before when I was young” or “I was too busy I don’t have time. ” We must admit that career women/men [of course! Creative planning is not just for girls] and parents are busy people. I am too. But that’s why a planner is needed. It will keep you on track so you will know which task(s) should be prioritized or not. I like scrapbooking/designing too when I was young. The time I missed doing scrapbooking a lot is the time I decided – why not incorporate it while planning? That way, I was able to rekindle my love for crafts.

Take a look too at this hobby and find the additional joy planner enthusiasts feel. Be organized and creative at the same time.  ♥

Happy Planning!

💃🏼Thank you so much to my planner sissies who helped me out gathering facts and info for this blog post. 💃🏼

Jam Aledo, Karen, momi thinz, Haniel, Anne, Joy Roldan, Zuellene, Kathm Erin, Catherine, Aya, Jelly, Janica, Jennie and Erris

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