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Set your goals - make the plans - artfully create your life - live it beautifully. Grab the good chocolate and find your muse.

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Home » modern calligraphy

January Week #1 Bicycle Weekly – Using Objects in your Design

January 5, 2018 3 Comments

Using Objects in your Weekly Layout

Bicycle Weekly

I love the idea of using objects as functional pieces of my layout. I call this one ‘Bicycle Weekly’. Just so it adds some extra flair to the page and changes it up. Especially for the weeks I don’t have a lot of plans. This week was perfect because the kids wouldn’t go back to school until Thursday. So I used the big wheel from the bike to track weekly ‘to dos’ and appointments, the small wheel for dinner meal plans. I’m not saying that every week should be like this, but it is fun for a change every once in a while.

Question:

Do you have any objects you’ve included in your bullet journal as part of your design? What’s your favorite? Or do you have one that you want to include but just can’t find a way?

Bicycle Weekly: Turning objects into functional designs in your bullet journal: bicycle spokes for a weekly layout:

This Week’s Layout

This week I sketched out the circles and added details to the penny farthing bike (I think that’s what it’s called). The tiny 7 boxes on the right are so I can include flower doodles – which I want to start learning to draw. As you saw on the welcome page for 2018/January (or if you haven’t seen it, view it here). You can also watch an overview wrapping up December and the January’s spreads planned out. For those of you who are nervous about creating circles – never fear! I am working on a post to put your mind at ease when creating circles.

Monthly Theme: Transportation

This month’s theme is transportation. I was going to do superheroes but somehow the bullet train found its way in and that was it. I came up with a different type of transportation for each week. The last week I was running out of ideas – and I just could not get that cruise ship to look like a cruise ship! Ah well.

Here is the Plan With Me Video – watch below and if you’d like to see more, subscribe on YouTube. I already drew out the circles, so now it was adding details to make it look like a bike.

Just Keep Pedaling

Through writing this post, I’ve come up with several other ideas to help you in your bullet journal journey. I’m very excited for them (you might even get a sneak peek of my very first entry in my first attempt at bullet journaling!) My bullet journal has become a companion of sorts. It makes the adventure even better (in my opinion, of course). I’ve always needed some sort of notebook or planner but I have never found one that speaks…well…. speaks my language. I think bullet journaling and I soul mates. Did I just say that? Well if it’s posted on the internet, it’s true, right?!

I hope you have a fabulous week!

Remember to plan your life so you live beautifully.

~Tricia

3 Comments
Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2018, Planner Spreads Tagged: #BuJo, 2018, Bicycle, brush lettering, Bullet Journal, bullet journal layout, bullet journal spread, Circle, circle design, circles, creativity, hand drawn, hand lettering, how to, January, January 2018, lettering, leuchtturm1917, minimal, minimalistic, modern calligraphy, plan with me, video, weekly, Weekly Layout, weekly log, weekly spread

Modern Calligraphy – There is Beauty in the Process

November 28, 2017 10 Comments

Developing a Talent: There is Beauty in the Process

A few months ago, I set out on learning how to paint on canvas in the beautiful thick-and-thin stroke writing. I had NO IDEA what a process it was, I also had no idea how fun it was. I didn’t realize that my hand needed the training to know when to push harder on the brush to make the gorgeous thick downstrokes or that my hand would shake so badly when trying to make coveted thin upstroke. And who in their right mind would think it would be so difficult to make an oval? I learned all these things and more. Though I am far from being the ultimate source of lettering, I have come far in the process. There are many methods, and they are not all called calligraphy. The definitions are interwoven and not clear – this could be called faux calligraphy or even modern calligraphy. I will certainly try to bring a better definition next time.

Whenever you are starting a journey of developing a talent any sort – there will be pain, frustration, and tears. Time will pass and seem like there is no improvement. But then all at once, you begin to see progress and know that all of your perseverance has been worth it. There is beauty in the process. Sometimes you cannot see the beauty when you are in the middle, but once you can step back and see your progress, the journey can be more stunning than even the end result.

Things I never expected to happen during this process:

  • The muscles in my hand are stronger, I’ve developed muscle memory so the movement is nearly automatic.
  • I want to practice every day, especially since I got past the initial development part of practicing. It’s now actually fun to practice.
  • I have heard that it takes 10,000 hours to master something. I do plan on mastering hand lettering. Every day I practice is another step closer to my 10,000 hours logged. But 10,000 hours is a long time.
  • I’ve gained a love for the process. I wanted to just jump from beginner to incredible, but that is not a realistic expectation. If you are in the middle of a talent acquisition of your own, gain an appreciation for where I am now regardless of how close I am to what I consider ‘the end’.
  • my handwriting has improved – overall. Even on my notes at work, I see little extra flourishes and sometimes a ‘bounce’ in my letters. Some days I stop for a moment and smile inwardly at this sub-conscious result of practicing my lettering for months.
  • There is beauty in the process – not just the end result.

I discovered that there are lots of different ways to letter a word. Here is one method to start learning where the thick and thin strokes would go.

Downstrokes are thick

When you start the letter at the top and come down, those lines will be thick.

Upstrokes are thin

Anytime your pen/pencil starts going upward, use the lightest pressure and those strokes stay thin.

Faux/Modern Calligraphy:

This does method does not need a brush pen or anything fancy. I used a PaperMate Flair pen in this case, but you could use anything.

  1. I started with writing out the word but left extra spacing between the letters.
  2. Then on either side of any downstroke, I added extra width to the line as you can see in the ‘b’ and the ‘e’
  3. Fill in the extra lines
  4. Keep going until your downstrokes are completely filled
Faux Calligraphy, Modern Calligraphy, hand lettering, what ever it is called, there is a process and it is beautiful

Now What?

Once you have the basic shapes completed and the down strokes are as thick as you want, you can keep it as-is or you can start embellishing. Add white strokes to the thick parts. Then add highlights to one side of the letters and a slight shadow to the other side. (I always think about where the light is coming from so I don’t get my highlights and shadows mixed up). Then if you want, add more strokes around the edges. Remember that there is beauty in the process – not just in the end result.

In my December 2017 Welcome page, I talk about another method to add fonts to your journaling or pages. Read the post here!

Faux Calligraphy, Modern Calligraphy, hand lettering, what ever it is called, there is a process and it is beautiful

Remember to plan your life so you live beautifully.

~Tricia

10 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Fun with Handlettering, Get Creative, Start Handlettering Here, Tutorials & How To Tagged: calligraphy styles, faux calligraphy, how to, modern calligraphy, practice, thick strokes, thin strokes, writing

Life is Happening Now – Layout Your Planner To Keep it on Track

November 9, 2017 2 Comments

Life is Passing by so Fast! Keep Life on Track.

Ah yes. November is zipping by. November is great here in the states because the focus seems to shift to gratitude. A whole month dedicated to gratitude. And food.  But it really is a nice time to reflect on the year gone by.

One thing I am thankful for – my planner. It keeps my life on track because I don’t just watch it pass by. I may seem like I have my nose stuck in my planner all day; but in reality, I plan at night when the kids are in bed as my creative release. My planner actually reminds me to put down my phone and have ‘kid time’ and enjoy their moments.

Life is Happening Now Hand Lettered Quote

If We Could Just Pause Time

My husband was talking to my two oldest children – they were trying to both climb on his lap. He told them that they were getting so big that they weren’t going to fit anymore and he would like for them to stop growing up right now.  Needless to say, the 6 and 8-year-old were not agreeable to that notion. They look forward to all the things in their life. They have so many possibilities to look forward to! But as their parents, we know that this time is all too fleeting.

I included ‘kid time’ as part of my habit trackers. This has spurred me to play outside with them, invent games, read with them, I remember to put my phone down and live in the moment as their childhood flits by. I am not missing it and for that I am grateful.

Squared boxes for the month of November - Minimal Row Layout with mini time-blocking - Keep Life on Track

Weekly Spread Design

I created this layout in kind with the other weeks in November. Minimal with a lot of white space. The 12×12 boxes seem to work well when I want enough room to plan for each day’s activities and still leaves ample space for doodling or writing in between. The extra box on the bottom right is just for symmetry. Last week I was all about the asymmetry. This week, the rows are nice and even and very symmetrical.

One thing I would do differently if I were to use this spread again – is I would start with Monday and label the days across the two pages to Thursday then start with Friday under Monday. Instead of Wednesday underneath Monday (see the picture versus the digital measurements below). I think it would flow better. It’s what I get for doing a ‘Plan With Me Video’. Sometimes on video things are not as clear as they would be when it’s just you planning. View the video here in the monthly setup post.

I enjoy these weekly layouts, just like I am enjoying life right now.

Guess what?

Life is happening now. And I am not letting it just pass me by. I am enjoying every moment.

I hope you remember to plan your life so you live beautifully and don’t let life pass you by either.

~Tricia

2 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Habits, Plan With Me 2017, Start Planning Here Tagged: #BuJo, Bullet Journal, bullet journal spread, children, creativity, leuchtturm1917, minimal, minimalistic, modern calligraphy, page layout, plan with me, Quotes, weekly, Weekly Layout, weekly spread

Give your Goals & Plans a Defined Timeline

October 31, 2017 7 Comments

End of Year Planning – Don’t Leave it to the Last Minute

Start Early on Next Year’s Planning with a Super Simple Planning Spread – Give Your Goals & Plans a Defined Timeline. November seems like a great time to set some goals for next year. Specifically the first two weeks of November. Why then? Well because Halloween has come and gone and Thanksgiving or other holidays have not come yet. Visiting family will not arrive yet, and if you are vacationing or leaving, you have some time before the packing begins. There is a certain quiet about this time – the air is still buzzing with excitement that comes from the end of the year activities, but parties and plans have not started up – yet.

Goals & Plans a Defined Timeline - setting up for this month, next month & next year

The other reason it makes for perfect planning for next year is that next year is close, but not too close. You have some time to think. You have some time to reflect. The time is perfect to think about what you want from the next year. I am not talking about achieving anything – though you can certainly include achievements – I am mostly talking about what you want to become as a person. Become what is important to you.  Decide to spend your time doing the things that will give you happiness, joy, and peace in your life.

Use the quiet spaces in the month to plan ahead and define your goal timelines | Start your goals with a timeline, not an obscure 'someday'

Define Your Timelines

This is my variation of the short-term, mid-term, and long-term goal planning. I was never good at using those planning terms – I needed a definition for the meaning of short-term, mid-term, and long-term. So I defined the timelines for me. It makes me work harder because I now have an accountability to time.

Short-term for me is Monthly.

Mid-term is something I want to accomplish in the next 2 months (sometimes I extend it to 3 months). In this case, I will be planning to complete by the end of the year.

“Next Year” I define as ‘by the end of next year’ – these are long-term goals**. I will define these more in-depth for the start of the year. This section is actually the reason I created this spread. I wanted to start thinking about my plans and goals for next year so they didn’t get swept away by the flurry of the holidays.

**I have an even longer-term goal type (more than a year) but I did not include that on this spread.

Break Your Goals into Achievable Times

Break your goals down into achievable times – when you expect to get these things done. Start where you are and give yourself a timeline – not an obscure ‘someday’. Stretch yourself a little, be patient with yourself and make goals realistic.

This month with my focus on simplicity, I made a planning & goals page extremely simple so I was not distracted by all the ‘shiny’ things. I tend to flit from one place to another and never get anything done. So I laid out this page with simple functionality in mind. (The bottom picture shows without lines for an even more simplified look).

Start Early on Next Year's Planning with a Super Simple Planning Spread - Give Your Goals & Plans a Defined Timeline

Whatever Your Plans, No Matter Your Goals

Whatever your plans or goals for the coming months or year might be, take a moment to begin your planning for next year, whether it be to spend more time on self-care, cook more, lose weight, de-junk your house, using a planning & goals page is a good place for jotting down your ideas for yourself.

Do this now before life becomes more hectic so when you are sitting down after Christmas laying out your January planner you smile knowingly at yourself and can think “I’ve already set my goals for next year”. Go ahead, call yourself an overachiever. Because you are ahead of the game.

View the entire Monthly Planner Set up

I’d love to hear what you do to plan out your next year’s plans & goals.

Remember to plan your life so you live beautifully.

Use the quiet spaces in the month to plan ahead and define your goal timelines.

Tricia

7 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Find Your Happy, Habits, Journal Prompts & Ideas, Planner Spreads Tagged: #BuJo, brush lettering, Bullet Journal, bullet journal spread, collection, goal setting, hand drawn, ideas, inspiration, Inspire, leuchtturm1917, modern calligraphy, motivation, page layout, plan with me, planner goals, planner layout, planning to plan, self-improvement, timeline, tips & tricks, tips and tricks

Keep the Function of a Monthly Calendar Spread with a Touch of Flair

October 6, 2017 1 Comment

October Monthly Calendar Layout

Near-Minimalist Monthly Spread with Rounded corners

I didn’t always use a bullet journal as my preferred method of keeping track of my life. I used other planners. In fact, I used a planner once as a journal so I would have just a snippet of space to write in. It worked, for a while. But here is the thing, I was flipping through my old planners and they were so boring. The function was there, but the inspiration wasn’t. I have many half-filled or abandoned planners – it’s really embarrassing. There were planners where there months where there was nothing recorded.  It wasn’t until I found the freedom of creating in the bullet journal system that I used it consistently.

Bullet Journaling = Flexibility and Variety

Part of the reason I have stuck with bullet journaling for so long is the variations you can add to your planner. You allow for as much space as needed any given month or week. Be as creative or minimalistic as desired. For me, This may not always be a priority, but now I need that space as a creative outlet. That being said, monthly calendar-style layouts offer the least amount of flexibility. I tried to create a gravestone monthly calendar layout. That didn’t work well because I use my monthly as a way to glance at the month and see what is coming and it was overwhelming to look at – so I just turned the page and did something different.

If having a monthly grid layout works for you, by all means, go, be productive and love the square you are in (I’ll only be a tinge jealous). Maybe someday you can teach me of your ways.

The monthly calendar is so incredibly functional, my month wouldn’t be complete without it! This start of the month page may just be the most functional page in the whole month’s layouts. Can you hear the accusing tone in my words? Don’t get me wrong…functional is essential but it’s usually so boring.

I like seeing a monthly calendar – I am a very visual person, so seeing the relationship between events helps me plan my days. Especially with the monthly calendar with its familiar boxed days. But sometimes, those boxes are just too boxy.

Whimsy and sparkle make a monthly calendar so nice

Just a little change to your monthly calendar makes it look completely new!

Round the corners for a change on the monthly calendar set up, add a bit of sparkle and whimsy with iridescent paints, a couple of cute spiders with webs and your (near) minimalist monthly spread is all dressed up. Keep function and add a touch of flair.

So if you find yourself bored with the same-old-same-old in your planner, tweak your functional layout ever so slightly, adding details that don’t scare you (see what I did there with the Halloween reference) by keeping function but adding some whimsy. It may not take much to brighten your planner and shake off the cobwebs (I did it again!) from your planning routine.

In review:

September’s monthly log was full of color and added elements.

I’d love to hear!

Leave me a comment below: What planner change-ups have you made to spice up your planner? I’d love to know what you’ve done!

Pin an image for your own inspiration and Follow me on Pinterest for inspiration and ideas!
Follow @ChocolateMusingsCreates

 

October Monthly Calendar layout - rounded boxes and combined weekend adds variety. A little cobweb and spiders and shimmery paint - viola! the calendar is all dressed up for Halloween.

 

Want to know what supplies I used? I’ll tell you – contains affiliate links.

This post contains affiliate links. The cost is the same to you but, I will receive a small commission to help support my blogging and creativity habits. 🙂 All opinions expressed were solely mine and from my heart.

1 Comment
Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Plan With Me, Planner Spreads Tagged: change, DIY, halloween, Inspire, leuchtturm1917, minimal, modern calligraphy, monthly calendar, monthly layout, monthly log, October, page layout, plan with me, spiders, spiderwebs, spooky

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About Me


Hi! I'm Tricia, the creative behind ChocolateMusings.com, I know how it feels to lose your inner muse. After years of darkness (which I call the dark ages of my life), I found my inner muse hiding in the forgotten corners of my soul, I vowed never to lose sight of her again.

Bullet journaling helped reignite the passion for art and living life again while organizing my days. I also discovered modern calligraphy and watercolor. Since then, my use of the bullet journal system has evlolved and I call it 'creative planning'. Here on the blog, I show you how to use your planner to ignite your inner muse and explore creativity and art while staying beautifully organized and living a joyful life.

I invite you to grab some good chocolate and dive into my musings. Let’s ignite your inner muse.

Read more on the about me page. You can also find my policies and disclosures here.

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