Illustration Rolling Calendar @smartigraphicdesign
The year is a nebulous thing, right? Time passes quickly and it’s hard to visualize exactly what happens when. I always want to see the whole year at a glance when I push pencil to paper. For the past couple of years, I’ve been designing my own yearly calendars. Simple rolling year calendar that helps me plan and block out the year into design focus, seasons for adventures, and traditions. So I’ll chat a little bit of my process and link the calendar at the end - in case it is of service to you, dear reader.
Illustration: Calendar Planning in Pink @smartigraphicdesign
A rolling calendar is one with all the dates in a rolling fashion - no distinguishing spaces between months. There's something fascinating about seeing each month roll into each other to make up the entire year. It works well for me because I love planning and organizing things. And time is a concept that is hard for me to lasso. So seeing it in a big picture format makes it more tangible.
For planning, I start by forecasting design study for the year. It doesn’t always turn into a project, but it does focus my attention. Last year I was lucky because I studied colored pencil work, which resulted in the vintage object poster. This year was supposed to be watercolor, which got sideswiped for cultural learning in Namibia because of our move (which I'm hoping will turn into a tiny tourism ticket booklet at some point.) Next year, I'm going back to the watercolor idea, so I'll make my tools more accessible and schedule in reminders with prompts in my ToDoIst app.
Seasonal adventures help section the year with activities. I think it's easier for people with kids to do this, because they are coming home from school with seasonal activities like Valentines greetings, or Halloween dress-ups, etc. But without kids in our home, and our changing residencies, it's important to section something seasonally appropriate on the calendar. It helps remind us to be present in the season. For us, it's summer barbecues, fall bonfires, winter board game nights and spring camping.
Illustration: Summer BBQ, Fall Bonfire, Winter Games, Spring Camping @smartigraphicdesign
(Super side note: The seasons are flipped in the southern hemisphere, so we’ll be shifting things around with summer blooming in December and winter falling in July. Different but fun! We've done it before when we were stationed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was almost kind of nice to opt out of the winter holiday consumerism and instead enjoy tank tops and hot weather. But yea, it can be weird to complain to friends about the cold weather in July when the major news outlets are reporting record temperatures through the summer. Northern hemisphere-centricity is a real thing.)
Finally, I think the year is so special when it’s sprinkled with traditions. Although I did read in Think Again by Adam Grant that traditions are peer pressure from dead people. Hehe. That's a reminder to let go when it doesn’t serve anyone anymore. But also, from Meik Wiking’s books on Hygge and his other title The Art of Making Memories (and frankly, our 2-year residence in Copenhagen) I can recognize that traditions bring in magic delight to a community. I like sharing harvest pumpkin loaves in the early fall, hosting Thanksgiving, simmering a spring chili cook-off. It's also nice to join into local traditions (side note: I can't wait to join those while we're here in Namibia!)
Illustration: Calendar Blocked in Blue @smartigraphicdesign
I block off all of these things in the rolling calendar, along with possible travel so that I can foresee more or less how the year will go. (There’s always unexpected surprises!) It really helps me feel grounded. There's events to build up to, as well as quiet restful pauses to revel in. When the whole year is laid out like that, it can be both stimulating and relaxing.
Here's the link for my 2024 calendar. If you want that BIG PICTURE effect, just be sure to print it out in A3 size or larger at your local printer of choice.
Happy calendar planning to you,
smarti
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