What’s an Art Planner and why should I use one?

There’s a good chance you already use a planner, or you’re probably planning to get one. If that’s the case, why use an Art Planner in addition to that? Honestly, I have been guilty of using two to three planners at a time! I know that’s intense, but there’s a lot going on for me and it’s important that I not only stay organized, but also stay inspired and motivated.

I'm sure you can relate to having a busy life. Especially if you have kids, which I do not. I really admire mothers who keep it all going, and that's another reason to be organized. It may sound overwhelming right now, but once you see the benefits of how this can simplify all your processes, it becomes quite addicting.

There are several ways you can go about this. Although we are all creative's, we all come from different backgrounds, cultures, and upbringings. That gives us each a bit of a different twist. I'm going to be sharing what works best for me, but keep in mind that you'll have to experiment and adjust to be sure you discover what for works best for YOU.

Why use an Art Planner in addition to your normal planner?

Can you believe there was a time I couldn't use a planner at all? Actually up until 2020, I had bought many planners, and threw them away after a month. Year after year, I would try over and over again to no avail. I couldn't be bothered to be that structured. I had a full-time job and I was just winging it with my creative projects.

Then, during the shut down in 2020 I really needed some extra piece of mind. Didn't we all? That's when I took Bonnie Christine’s Immersion course, and when she taught me the importance of planning. So I started using a planner and also journaling. I found that it helped me get my muddled thoughts, more coherent. It also helped me to distinguish what was important to me and what was just fluff.

Consequently, everything changed for me after that. I quit my day job, and started a full-time creative life:

Now I realize that I can't afford not to use a planner! And I'm totally addicted to journaling because it helps me get clarity so much more quickly.

Yes, I did have more free time by then, but using a planner and journaling changed everything for me. No joke. It was more important to me than ever to guard all that extra time and make sure I was being intentional. Now I realize that I can't afford not to use a planner! And I'm totally addicted to journaling because it helps me get clarity so much more quickly. Want to save time and fast track your creative journey? Start planning, and if you can start journaling too.

I started small and figured out what worked for me along the way. In 2020, I got Bonnie Christine's Flourish Planner (sold at the end of each year) because it was geared for the creative mind. The larger hardback version was undated so I could start it at any time. (I’m not an affiliate for this planner, I just really enjoyed using it). Having lots of categories, to put down my thoughts, projects, and appointments gave me a lot of freedom to think differently. It even came with stickers. Who doesn't love stickers?

After a few months of using it, I realized I needed more freedom in my planning, as well as a place to journal. I had searched and searched for the perfect store bought planner, but it just wasn’t out there. After using Bonnie's planner, I knew what I needed in a planner:

  • A bigger space for weekly planning (especially for Saturday and Sunday as I take weekdays off to be with my family).

  • A place to journal, included with the planner pages

  • A habit tracker

  • A quarterly and yearly spread

  • A place to make lists

  • Colorful stickers

You get the idea of why I was getting frustrated with the options out there? This dream planner just didn't seem to exist anywhere I was looking.

It was 2020 and I needed an excuse to get my watercolor paints out. They calmed me during this very stressful time, but I needed to justify the time spent.

That's when I decided I would create my own Abstract Watercolor Planner. I found an unused journal in my stacks, and I began to paint some abstract backgrounds light enough to write over. I chose colors carefully so that they would be calming, plus I journaled and created all the spreads I mentioned above and more. I even designed a way to make custom hand painted watercolor stickers. So fun!

I found this process so therapeutic that I created a class to share this with others, needing the same kind of calming therapeutic organization that I had found. It was a real revelation for me, and really changed my process forever. I used my abstract, watercolor painting techniques from my abstract class series on Skillshare, so I had no shortage of interesting things to paint. It was life-changing! I found myself so much more mentally stable, and my outlook was so much brighter during those times.

I never forgot the effect that this process had on me. I would've never thought I would be painting abstracts in the first place, let alone, creating an entire class series, and using this process to plan and journal. I was pretty against them most of my adult life, but that’s another story you can read about here.

I created some very specific pages in this planner for you to fill out that will target your growth as an artist.

You just never know what surprises life is going to throw at you, but it's important to go with it. We truly learn everything we need to along the way! That's why this year I created an Art Planner PDF. This is something you can also create by hand and abstract, watercolor, planner form. However, I wanted to have this PDF available to you for quick use.

Why an Art Planner? I realized that every aspect of my life works a bit differently than the next. For example, last year I started cooking, and now I need a place to record recipes, jot down different cooking results, and meal plan. I realized if I'm doing this for my new cuisine practice, why not with my art practice? I created some very specific pages in this planner for you to fill out that will target your growth as an artist.

Here’s what’s inside:

  • A Big Goals form (so you can dream and get honest about what you’d like to accomplish this year.

  • An art practice habit tracker (It’s important to see how much your practice so you can reach your big goals).

  • A monthly planner (to map out your Big Goals for the year).

  • An art supplies list (so you don’t run out of important tools in the middle of your projects).

  • A brain dump area (because sometimes you have to dump it all out before you can make any sense of things).

  • And more…

All of these pages are designed to help you drill down on the what, the how, and the when of your art practice. Who knows, it could be life-changing for you, too!

Oh and did I mention the Art Planner is FREE?

Just click the button below, if you'd like to download the art planner to use as your art practice fast-tracker this year.

Click the button below that, to watch the Abstract Watercolor Planner and Journal class if you have your heart set on making your own custom planner and journal. Or maybe do a bit of both like I do?

Let me know your thoughts the comments!

Chris VComment