Valerie Sjodin

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August 2022 + NEW Planner Journal Set-Up

Valerie Sjodin

August may seem like an untimely month for a new beginning, but my planner journal told me it was time since I have come to the end of the space left in my journal. Like moving into the new, I had to decide what to bring with me and what I needed to let go of. This is where my one art rule applies to life as well as to art: ‘Do what you’re sure of first.’ I say this because once something certain is done, it often leads to the next thing, and then the next… that leads to a new space in a new time. It helps when facing the unknown and known challenges that lie ahead.

One thing I am sure of is my word of the year, Space. So I made a copy of my space definition pages to include in my new planner journal. It is shown here below with a page of Psalm 19 tipped out from the Scripture page.

For the past few years I’ve been using journals with 160 gsm dotted paper so I could use watercolor and some wet media in my planner journal. The paper is thicker, so the journal has less pages than my previously used Leuchtturm1917 or Moleskine journals. Therefore, I’ve been using two journals per year for my planner.

For a portion of the past year, I had a hand/thumb injury that limited my writing and drawing in my journal. It made me consider if I wanted to spend so much time on my planner journal and if I could scale it down to fit into one journal for the year. Then, when the 2022 journal ran out of space at the end of July, it seemed like a good opportunity to try something I’ve wanted to try for a number of years.

September has always seemed like the beginning of the year to me because of school starting - being a student, and then a teacher. If I had planned out my journal earlier, I would’ve ended it in August in order to begin the new year and new journal with September. Running out of space in my current journal and August left to do, I decided to make August a transition month in my new journal and try and fit 13 whole months in my new journal. I usually only fit about six months in the journal, so this is a challenge. There is another reason why I want to start a new planner journal in September and go through August of the following year, but I’ll share more about that next month.

The video below shows the pages I’ve included in the new journal set-up, including the pages I’ve consolidated space on in order to fit a year plus one month in the journal. Time and space will tell if my goal is reached.

Weekly Calendar pages

Below you can see the July daily/weekly pages of one week are fit in a 2-page spread. The August daily/weekly 2-page spread includes two weeks, the first on the left page and the second on the right, taking up half the space. I hope it will be enough for me to list appointments and tasks for the day. I may change the format as I go, but that’s part of the adventure.

Themes of the Cosmos and astronomy still run through the journal, and even more so than the previous space journal. I’m continuing to include the monthly moons and a list of dates for new and full moons. I’m adding a page for the dates on the Hebrew calendar as well as the Gregorian calendar of the Zodiac constellations.

Word of the Year Themed Scripture pages

Astronomy, ‘the study of objects and matter outside the earth's atmosphere and of their physical and chemical properties’ (Merriam Webster) has been a hobby of mine for a number of years, but as a follower of Jesus I’ve found that much of the exploration has led to astrology, which is ‘the divination of the supposed influences of the stars and planets on human affairs and terrestrial events by their positions and aspects.’ (Merriam Webster) I want to be clear that I am not following astrology or witchcraft, but instead am seeking a Biblical view of the night sky as well as science. I’ve looked up all of the Scripture in the Bible that has to do with the Cosmos and have included some key Scripture verses from the Bible and am studying what God has to say through the heavens. I’ll be sharing more about the discoveries in the coming months on my blog.

‘And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon and stars -
all the forces of heaven - don’t be seduced into worshiping them.
The LORD your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth.’

Deuteronomy 4:19 NLT

‘O Sovereign Lord!
You made the heavens and earth by Your strong hand and powerful arm.
Nothing is too hard for You!’

Jeremiah 32:17

Word of the Year Themed Quotes pages

It is typical for me to add quotes in my planner journal. I use the Scripture pages more, but the quotes encourage me that I am not alone in my quest to discover on my learning adventure throughout the year. My word ‘Space’ extends to more than the cosmos; it reaches into my daily life impacting my living space, the space between me and others, and the space in my schedule, time.

‘Age is opportunity no less than youth itself,
though in another dress,
And as the evening twilight fades away,
the sky is filled with stars.’

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Pages I’ve kept the same

There are a few pages I’ve kept the same - at least for now: My gratitude page and workflow page to fill in over the course of the month.

Pages I’ve consolidated or altered to save space in the journal

Here are a few pages I’ve consolidated or changed to take up less space. I used the same ‘birthday’ title as the 2-page spread in the previous journal, but this time I put it on one page and listed the months of the year and family names and birthdays below the title.

I’m excited about the books page. My friend Kim Alme showed us her ‘books’ page with a library card pocket. If you are as old as I am you remember library card catalogs, drawers of cards listing books in the library, and the card in the pocket of the back of each book where you wrote your name and the library would stamp the date of when the book was due back. I remember being sad when it ‘progressed’ to digital and we no longer added our names or read the handwritten names of others who wrote their name on the card in the pocket. I am writing a list of books I’ve read on one side and audio books I’ve listened to on the other side. I could also add a card in the pocket for books I want to read.

I went back and forth on whether to add my movie, media and music page, but decided to add a thoughts and ideas page instead. If I decide I’d rather have the movie/media/music page I can make a new header and glue it on top of the ‘thoughts & ideas’ heading. I’m all for changing things and experimenting in these types of journals.

Hymn of the month & monthly calendar page

How fitting to have the transition month have the theme of the hymn ‘How Great Thou Art.’ I couldn’t have planned it any better. I find myself singing it at random times throughout the days, worshiping, and becoming more hopeful as my my soul sings to ‘my Savior God to Thee: How Great Thou art!’ I’ve listened to quite a few versions on YouTube. This Celtic one featuring Steph Macleod is one of my favorites, and it includes all the verses: https://youtu.be/uKGf06YM7rQ

How Great Thou Art

Lyrics

Chorus

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on a Cross, my burdens gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Chorus

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Chorus

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, 
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; 
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, 
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Chorus:
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
How great Thou art, How great Thou art! 

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander, 
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Author: Carl Gustav Boberg;
Translator: Stuart K. Hine (1949)

https://howgreatthouarthymn.com/the-hymn/
https://stuarthinetrust.com/about-stuart/

May you be filled with joy of a new beginning!
Valerie

Digital Art Downloads used in the pages above are from my shop

STENCILS:

https://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/stencils-valerie-sjodin-s/2044.htm

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SUPPLIES:

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Featured Word of the Year Blog Posts

For more how-to videos for your word of the year planner journal scroll through these blog posts and read more for inspiration!

See this gallery in the original post