Unless you have more time than you need, a daily journal is a great tool to make room for art in your life and stay on track with your projects. We show how to use our journal and explain the steps to plan out your goals.
As a tribute to Anna Atkins, we created a yearly journal, to showcase the work done by 60 cyanotype artists in the style of Anna Atkins.
Our journal is designed to help you find time and work on your art. Whether you are a full-time artist or practise art in your spare time, it can be hard to prioritize working on your next art project. Use this journal to help you stay on track.
Since life usually consists of more than just your art, the structure is divided into 4: Art, Work, Life & Home, Wellbeing & health.
- ART is where you plan, carry out and reflect on your art project. If you are not working with art at all, use the section for any other hobby you have, whether it is guitar playing, knitting, writing or anything else that you are passionate about.
- WORK may be what pays the bills, or if you are a full-time artist, use this for administrative tasks such as finding funding, bookkeeping or other paperwork.
- LIFE & HOME may contain anything from planning vacations, birthdays or redecorating.
- WELLBEING & HEALTH is to stay on track with getting exercise, eating well, yoga or whatever you need to feel good.
Work with your dreams and goals
The long-term goal will be made into a plan that can be carried out during the year.
Start the year by filling in your long-term goals: things you dream about doing that may seem a little far off, or things you are working to achieve in a few years.
Continue by making a plan for this year that will bring you closer to your dreams and goals. Think of steps you can take to get you there. For the sections Work, Life & Home, and Wellbeing & Health, you can plan what you want or need to do in these areas during the month as well.
Plot the steps out on the Project timeline to see if it is realistic to fit them in during the year. This way, you can see if one month becomes too “crowded” and the plan seems unrealistic to achieve.
Each month contains an overview. Here, you can break down the steps into actions that you can do during the month. These will help you get closer to your goal. There is also a habit tracker (and a mood tracker) if there are habits you want to work on and keep track of.
End the month with a reflection on what happened, what you will keep doing, and if you should change something. There is also a reflection at the end of the year.
It’s easy to “drown” in day-to-day tasks, and the big picture can become fuzzy. Therefore each weekly spread has a Focus-box where you specify what you want to achieve right now.
There is also a “Word of intention” to how you want to approach this. It could be “With curiosity” or “With the intention to experiment” or a similar mindset.
If you are used to journalling, you may have figured out your own system. if not, our Anna Atkins tribute journal is set up in this way, and there is both a yearly planner for 2024 and an undated version which you can use for any year.
If you have questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to contact us at talk@alternativephotography.com or comment below.
Good luck!
