I finished off another half-letter sized page in my journal calendar today. (And with a sparkly purple pen, no less!)
The prompt was “planned”. One project I’m planning is a new set of journal pages with watercolour backgrounds.
How about you? What did you plan today?
Last week, I wrote about the 7 characteristics I’m bringing to my experiences this year. They are: courage, openness, curiosity, effort, focus, honesty, and confidence.
I thought you might like to join me, so I created a new free printable prompt. This one feels kind of special. Not only do I adore this prompt, but I’ve also included one of my experiments in watercolour as a background. It took me a while to figure out how to scan the original and use it in Illustrator, but I love that I can share it with you like this.
You can download my new page by clicking here or by clicking on the image above.
And if you haven’t already replied to last week’s prompt (or even if you have!), what characteristics are you bringing to your experiences this year?
I’ve been thinking about new ways to play with colour and shapes in my journal pages — both my personal pages and my printables. Today, I think I figured out the beginnings of a new journal project — one that will involve a little paint, a scanner and lots of prompts. I love new projects!
What did you figure out today?
Today’s journal calendar entry:
Started the day in the worst mood. Ignoring it until it goes away. Making, writing.
(Just one of those days.)
What did you start today?
Today’s journal calendar entry:
On a very chilly January day here in Southern Ontario, I very much appreciated all the things that kept me warm — my cozy duvet, a steaming mug of coffee this morning and tea this afternoon, wool socks, my long coat, the heating in my car and home, and my lucky turtleneck sweater.
What did you appreciate today?
Today’s journal calendar entry:
Made the best of feeling under the weather by drinking lots of tea and wearing several fuzzy layers to keep the chills at bay.
What did you make the best of today?
I tend to wish for the same two things every day — time and courage — and today is no exception. Daily life is often a little too fast and a little too scary for my liking, but it helps to reflect on the things I can do to make the most of the time I do have and to face the stuff that scares me — like setting priorities and taking big projects and decisions one tiny step at a time.
What did you wish today?
My only visit today was to one of our local parks with the puppy at lunchtime. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it. The park, while within walking distance, is part of our regular route. I’ve been there a thousand times and felt sure I’d be hard pressed to journal anything interesting about it.
So I set myself a challenge — to find one beautiful thing while we were there. It started raining along the way and the park was dull and muddy. I worried I wouldn’t find anything beautiful.
Then I looked up. The sky, while mostly grey, showed the slightest hint of purple and the trees around me, while bare and spindly, took on another quality when viewed from directly below. The shapes made by their overlapping branches reminded me of cracks in the ice on a pond or a system of rivers and their tributaries photographed from far above. It was mesmerizing. I snapped a quick photo from beneath the trees on my phone before returning home — a little soggier than before, but also kind of ridiculously happy.
I printed the photo on some copy paper, cropped off a little snippet and added it to my journal entry for today.
Who or what or where did you visit today?
It has been such fun journaling the first seven days of January in my journal calendar. My gel pens are getting lots of exercise.
Today’s prompt is - listened to.
On my list: freezing rain dancing on our front window, an interview with Sandra Oh on CBC radio, a lovely cover of Elvis’s “Don’t Be Cruel” by Billy Swan (also on CBC radio), and school day recaps from my girls.
What did you listen to today?
Lines, dots, scribbles, and splats!
What did you make today?