3 Planner-Inspired Journals for the New Year
One of the many hallmarks at the end of every year is reaching the last page in a planner. We’re left with a book containing hundreds of memories from the closing year, many mundane but all worth remembering. Instead of tossing your old planner as you start a new one, why not transform it into an art journal? Below you’ll find inspiring planner journals to get the ideas flowing — one that embraced the given format and one that is more freeform — as well as an innovative take on daily, sequential journaling that can fit in the palm of your hand. Here’s to an art-filled new year!
CHER SALVATORE⎟ ART JOURNALING WINTER 2024
When artist Cher Salvatore repurposed her old panner as an art journal, she embraced the grid-like format by creating a mini-collage for each day. For those who favor imagery over writing in their journals, this is a great way to record your days through art or simply to ensure you fit in a bit of creative time every day. As Cher explained, “This planner was the perfect start to my new habit of art-making as a daily practice [ … ] I began to take more notice of just how fortunate I was, in so many ways! Already, this exercise was improving my daily life.” To see more from Cher’s art journal, check out Art Journaling Winter 2024 Issue.
DEBBIE MCGRATH⎟ ART JOURNALING WINTER 2026
Inspired by the colorful, sunny landscape of Florida, Debbie McGrath decided to fill her free time after retiring with art journaling. As it turned out, planners became her favorite substrate: “I discovered that planners usually have sturdy covers and thick pages that make great substrates for painting and layering all sorts of materials, so they make the perfect journals,” she shared. On some of Debbie’s pages, you can see the planner’s grid peeking through, adding to the intrigue of the background, while on others it’s been completely covered in color, pattern, and more. To see more from Debbie’s art journal, check out the upcoming Art Journaling Winter 2026 Issue.
DANA TATAR⎟ ART JOURNALING WINTER 2024
Looking for a way to ensure daily self-expression within her hectic schedule, Dana Tatar decided to create a mini-journal, each day captured on a page about the size of a playing card. This unbound approach is perfect for those who don’t have an old planner on hand but want an easy way to create every day. As Dana shared, “These small monthly journals are the closest thing I have to a diary. There are many secrets hidden inside these mini-books. Flipping through the pages will give the reader a good impression of what I was feeling on a particular day, but only I will know the specific memories, events, thoughts, and emotions…” To see more from Dana’s art journal, check out the Art Journaling Winter 2024 Issue.
Why not turn your planner into an art journal and see what story your year tells?
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