Are you having major planner envy too? We’ve been seeing so many creative planners popping up on Instagram in the last couple of months. Check out the likes of @lifebywhitney, @boho.berry, and @tinyrayofsunshine to see what you’ve been missing out on. That leads us to ask the question: How can we personalize our own planner?
We started by asking some of the most creative ladies we know — our very own online class teachers. We reached out to them for tips on how they personalize their planners, and they even shared supplies that they love and why having an organized (and cute!) planner has helped them be the boss ladies they are today.
Read more about what our teachers had to say about their personal planners below.
AMY TANGERINE
Amy is the creative director, designer, and founder of Amy Tangerine. You’ll find all kinds of paper crafts, fashion designs, and creative projects on her site. She also stays busy with collaborations ranging from custom scrapbooks to consulting services.
With so much stuff on her plate, this is how Amy stays organized:
“What I love about planning on paper is that there are no rules. You can choose to decorate as little or as much as you’d like. Because this quote was inspiring to me, I decided to add a personal touch using my stamps.”
“Don’t be afraid of using your favorite supplies. Whether they be pens and markers (I LOVE Tombow) to scrapbooking die cuts and stickers. Use the things that motivate you and make you happy. As a lover of lists, I decided to incorporate my crafty projects and goals alongside this bold statement.”
Want to learn more about decorating on paper? Take Amy’s Modern Scrapbooking online class.
Planner photos via @amytangerine.
COURTNEY BURDEN
Courtney is a blogger by night (and weekends). But during the day, she’s an elementary school art teacher in Atlanta. With a love for art and painting, she started the #iliketoARTYhard hashtag. It’s meant to be a space to share work and inspire others to pursue arts and crafts. It was such a hit that Courtney decided to turn her creative projects into a gig. Today, she has the StudiOH Shoppe, where you can buy handmade and hand-painted products.
How does Courtney stay inspired? By making sure she’s organized:
“I feel more motivated when I look at my journal and it’s filled with happy, positive reminders that I CAN ACHIEVE MY GOALS!”
“Bullet journaling helps me focus on my to-do’s rather than having to adhere to a tight schedule of things all day. And that is what I am all about these days — developing and living by healthy routines.”
Learn how to add paint elements to your planner (or other everyday objects) by taking Courtney’s Intro to Acrylic Painting online class.
More tips from Courtney can be found here. Planner photos via @myfriendcourt.
LAUREN ESSL
Lauren is a bringing a modern twist to the art of calligraphy. Her full-service studio showcases all her gorgeous calligraphy designs. This includes custom wedding invitations, the day-of-event paper goods, and more! When she’s not in the studio, you can find Lauren sharing her passion for calligraphy with others. She offers workshops and online classes to those who are interested in learning.
How does Lauren make this a full-time job? With everything she has going on, it’s super important for her to write things down. Here’s how Lauren makes her planner her own:
“I like to pencil in a lot of things because… plans change. But for the big, fun things in life, I love to get out my calligraphy pens and write it down in a special way. The bright colors give me a constant reminder that I have something to look forward to.”
“Stickers. Don’t mind that I’m in my early 30s. Stickers are still fun.”
“Call me old-fashioned, but I do actually still keep a planner. If I don’t physically write it down, I forget about it. Rather than check my phone at night, I’ll look at my planner to see what’s in-store for the following day.”
Want to learn calligraphy? Take Lauren’s beginner-friendly Calligraphy 101 online class.
Planner photos via @hannahwilliamsphotos.
MAXIE MCCOY
Maxie is a writer and motivational speaker. Her goal is to help others find their full potential. She does this by developing videos and coaching sessions to help others tap into the power of inspired living. She’s also developed resources on sites like Business Insider, Levo League, and Huffington Post.
With so many events on her calendar, here’s how Maxie tries to keep it simple:
“Because I’m on a plane weekly, I have to keep my planner small and minimal. Every Sunday night I fill in my upcoming week using whatever is in my bag — pens, markers, highlighters. Each day I write in what absolutely must get done for that day. And the “me” time I’m scheduling in (like workouts, wine dates, etc).”
“When it comes to planners, I think you absolutely have to find a format that works for you and your lifestyle. While I love the big beautiful planners with a million decorations, it’s just not feasible to lug around the world. And although digital would be the most minimal way to go, it doesn’t fulfill my handwritten-everything obsession. I think the best kind of planner is one you’ll stick to — which is likely the same one most aligned with how you like to live your life.”
Need more of Maxie’s tips on being productive? Take her How to Boost Your Productivity online class.
Planner photos via @maxiemccoy.
LAUREN FITZMAURICE
Also known as “Ren,” Lauren is a lefty letterer from Kentucky and the founder of Remade Calligraphy. She loves helping others learn to letter by offering resources on her blog. If that’s not enough, Lauren is also a mom, wife, full-time teacher, and an ambassador for Tombow USA.
As you can imagine, Lauren has quite a busy schedule. Here’s how she stays sane in the process:
“In the everyday craziness of life, my planner is my happy place. When personalizing, I definitely believe that more is more. I love adding in bright colors, bold stickers, and fun lettering!”
“When I begin to personalize my planner, I, of course, start with adding in lettering to make it unique and my own. Tombow brush pens and pencils are my favorites for adding color and details into my planner.”
“Whether I’m adding in a note or attaching a colorful embellishment, I love to use Tombow adhesives to personalize my planner. A great adhesive keeps everything in its place. Washi tape also adds a lot of fun when spicing up a page with a lettered quote or filling in a blank space.”
Want to add hand lettering to your planner? Check out Lauren’s Lettering for Lefties class. Not a lefty? We have all kinds of lettering classes that you can take.
Planner photos bvia @renmadecalligraphy.
NICOLE MIYUKI SANTO
Nicole is not just a lettering artist. She’s also a graphic designer, illustrator, and a teacher. So let’s just start by saying she’s super busy. One day she could be up late lettering for a wedding. The next day she might be brainstorming with a small business owner on a creative project. And if she’s hopping on a plane for travel, she definitely makes time to squeeze in a yoga session before that.
So how does she keep it all together? Here’s how Nicole using her planner to make sure she’s focusing on what’s important:
“When it comes to my planner, I like to keep it bright. My to-do list gets long, overwhelming and often hard to look at each time I need to add something. But doing it in color — that’s the answer. It also helps me to color code by project. Yes, highlighters are in my desk drawer and I use them in my planner.”
“Add in a few brush pens and writing the big things in brush lettering, and that to do list/calendar can feel like something fun to come back to.”
Personalize your planner by learning brush lettering. Start by taking Nicole’s Waterbrush Lettering online class.
Planner photos via @nicolemiyuki.
It’s clear: These creative boss ladies have super busy schedules. But when it comes down to it, it’s the little things that have helped them be super productive. By using a planner and system that works for them, they’ve been able to stay organized even with their busy day-to-day. #plannergoals
Have you been looking around for a cute planner and planner accessories? Check out our new planner line at Target.
Artist Dev Heyrana On How Bravery, Resilience and Sunshine Influence Her Work
Ever meet someone who you feel immediate kinship with on a deep almost spiritual level? That is legit every person's experience upon meeting Dev Heyrana, the star of this edition of Creative Crushin'. A fine artist, hip hop dance teacher and constant collaborator, Dev's particular brand of creativity is one-of-a-kind. She manages to be warm, welcoming and woke, with a focus on inclusivity, social justice and motherhood that comes through in every piece of art she creates.
Anjelika Temple here, co-founder of Brit + Co and one of many humans who has benefitted from Dev's boundless generosity and kindness. We first connected at a launch event, then I asked her if she and her family would like to model for a B+C shoot (they did!), then months later, I asked the IG universe if anyone would be down to co-parent with me for a day so I could speak at a conference. Dev said yes! And for those that know her, none of these serendipitous moments are surprising.
Now it's time to delve more into Dev's story, her creative inspiration, her thoughtful approach to parenting and what makes her more passionate than ever about bringing her point of view and artistic voice into the universe.
Anjelika Temple: First, foundations. Where did you grow up? What is your heritage? What did you study in school? Where do you live now?
Dev Heyrana: Born in The Philippines and immigrated to the U.S. when I was 9 years old. Me and my family are from the island of Cebu and I'm a proud Cebuana. My childhood in the Philippines felt like freedom. I had my swimsuit in my backpack for whenever we decided to swim and I biked everywhere.
Immigrating here at 9 yrs old was a transition, to say the least. My parents had big dreams but the move was heavy on them. It wasn't easy. I had to grow up fast. I took care of my sisters while my parents worked night shifts. By the age of 12 I would cook dinner and get my sisters ready for bed. Something I didn't realize was that kids my age didn't do those things until I got older. We would play these make-believe games to make, in hindsight, our hard situation brighter.
I think this is really when art played a big role in my life. It was something I could escape in and always felt healing.
I witnessed racism towards my family and didn't know how to make sense of it. These events left a mark. I was a quiet kid and observed everything and everyone around me. I think about my grandparents, Lolo Jose and Lola Rita, a lot as I walk through life. When I make decisions. As hard as it feels, you have two choices, do you let it take you down or take it one step at a time forward. I kept going and it really shaped me as to why I am the way I am today.
I studied Fine Arts at The Corcoran in DC. I owe that decision to my art teacher, Mr Giles, in High School. He was retiring and wore a Hawaiian shirt every day during my senior year. He was a curmudgeon and I felt incredibly special since out of everyone in the school he really believed in me. As grumpy as he seemed to the class, he would tell me things like "Go into the other studio and break some glass, then put it on a canvas." He's the reason why my abstract pieces have elements like clay and sand in them.
I've had incredible mentors and all were teachers. Mr. Giles in High School and Christine George in College. Christine was the one who told me to go either to New York or San Francisco because "D.C. is no place for an artist like you." She told me to not listen to anyone, how I can still paint, be a graphic designer, and, if I choose to, have a family. I've never had anyone tell me anything like that before.
I took a chance because of her. Moved and went to Design School in 2006 and I've stayed in the Bay Area ever since, raising two girls with the love of my life.
Anj: You are one of those magical human beings that has figured out how to be a full-time artist. What was your career path like before you were able to dive fully into your creative passions?
Dev: The most radical thing I could have done in my family, I did, I went to college for Fine Arts. A mix of being so young and having to do it on my own, I went with the school that gave me more scholarships. Even then I worked three jobs to be able to get through it. Hard work is ingrained in me.
With my sculpture background, I fell in love with Print and Packaging and why I came out here to San Francisco. I appreciated the security of having a career in Graphic Design. I also learned how to work with clients and the business side of things. Even then, I never stopped painting.
A few years ago I went through a pretty hard time with my health. I dealt with six surgeries in one year and I still have to do some follow-up ones. That experience almost broke me and what got me through was my family and painting in bed while I recovered.
When I finally got back on my feet, my heart just wasn't in Graphic Design anymore. So I made a two year plan. With a toddler and a mortgage, I wanted to make sure my steps were thought out. I put myself out there as an Artist while I still worked in Design. After a year I worked part time as a Graphic Designer and stepped down from my Creative Director position. I loved it, to be creative as an Artist and as a Designer. I looked at 2018 as my year to make the jump. If my work as an Artist balances out with my salary then I would quit in the Summer of 2019. And so here we are. I also am sharing a studio with my good friend, Naomi PQ, and I feel like my creative drive is just beginning.
Anj: What do you love about painting? How do you feel when you're in a creative flow state?
Dev: Like every part of me is free. Free to express myself through the stroke of my hand. How all of it leads back to my heart. These elements I use to paint have a mind of their own and how I need to respect the process.
It centers me and reminds me that the process is just like the life we lead. I know I still have so much more to learn but while I'm painting no matter how it's going, I'll embrace this moment.
Anj: You reference your roots quite a bit in your work. Talk to me more about how your roots inspire your work.
Dev: One of my earliest memories is of my Lolo Jose teaching me how to water mango saplings. He converted to Buddhism when my mother was young, so he viewed the world with love and kindness. I didn't realize it then but watering those mango trees were life lessons. We need to take the time to nurture, practice patience, and respect all living things. I still imagine him walking beside me often, carrying his teachings as I find my way in this world.
Nature and the Sun drive my pieces. My abstract works are fragments of moments. Like the sunset I grew up with when I was seven years old in the Philippines, like how I saw the water in Cebu when I dove in as a young adult, and like when I saw the redwoods with my children for the first time.
I see earth in our skin and especially when I paint people. How our mango trees grew and blossomed because the dark earth was rich with nutrients. I imagine the Sun piercing through these women I depict. I paint their love and bravery because their resilience cannot be contained. I want to celebrate all of it.
This is the beauty of Art, I am able to paint exactly how I see it.
Anj: Motherhood and your daughters are also central themes in your work. How has motherhood changed your approach to creating artwork?
Dev: Everything. I was still deep in my Design Career and I would paint at home. One day Quinn, who was 3 years old at the time introduced me at the park to a mom. "This is my mom, she's an Artist." It struck me that my toddler knew who I was more than I knew myself. That's really when I really owned it. I am more fearless because of my girls.
I own my body, I thank people when they compliment me, and I am selective but fearless when I use my voice. I am more in tune how I speak about myself because of them. When I paint these women I want to celebrate them. I notice how I embrace myself is translated in my paintings.
Anj: What advice can you give to parents who are trying to tap into their kiddos' innate creativity?
Dev: I don't have a lot of guidelines set up. I'll say "Let's draw the biggest fish we can draw" or "how many silly lines can we make" and I let them lead me. They ask me questions, show me things, and I sit there with my coffee watching their eyes wide with excitement. Watching them in their creative process is pure joy for me. Those silly lines can turn into a dragon or waves and next thing we know, we're drawing a big beach scene. My advice would be that you can suggest something to start it off but be open to how they take it. It is such a beautiful window into their minds.
Anj: Shifting gears to HIP HOP DANCE! Talk to us about his component of your creative expression.
Dev: I loved the Hip Hop scene in DC and discovered how much fun the clubs were in college. My friends told me about this Hip Hop Crew I should try out for, I was so scared because I've never taken a dance class in my life. I got in and it was like having another family. We competed all over the East Coast, it was a blast!
I found hipline when I started my first Design Job and needed an outlet. It was exactly what I needed and one of the owners asked if I was interested to teach. I've been teaching there since 2009 and am still going strong. It's a wonderful community of women. Now we're virtual and reaching clients all over.
Anj: What does a typical [pandemic] day look like for you? How does it differ from your rhythm before COVID?
Dev: I've been practicing being kinder to myself lately. Both me and my husband work full time and so having the girls at home is a challenge. Some days we are amazed by how smooth it went and then there are others where if the girls are clean and bellies are full, it's a total win.
Now that we're on month 8 our rhythm before covid felt more chaotic to be honest. I felt like we were always rushing out the door while carrying so many bags. Now my husband and I try to have coffee together, if he has a break from his meeting, and we sit with Quinn before school to see what she has to do for the day. Rowan's preschool closed down but we were able to find a wonderful speech therapist for her and she has an Adventure Pod we go to two times a week.
The one thing we really try to do is go outside once a day. Have some magic in their childhood no matter how small. It could be just going up for a hike by our home and picking up leaves, riding our bikes, or watching the sunset from our window. Seeing how the girls' react to these adventures we have is pure magic.
Anj: When you get creatively blocked or burnt out, how do you reset? Do you have tips you can share?
Dev: I go outside. I go out for a hike or go to the beach. Even if it's 15 minutes, something about grounding yourself in Nature is really healing. I also do exercise where I doodle for two minutes because it feels doable. Judgment-free doodles, always opens the doorway to more.
Anj: I know firsthand that community-building is huge for you. Tell us more about what your support system and creative community looks like.
Dev: I feel a lot of love and strength when I think of my community. My relationship with my sister led the way what women supporting women looks like. It's listening, asking questions, remembering, cheering for all the wins, being there even if it's hard, and taking time to invest in them. The way me and my sister show up for each other is why I have these amazing women in my life. I can talk to them about my family, motherhood, and we're all trying to balance it all while sharing my most recent project. I feel really blessed especially looking back in my college years where I don't know where Art would take me.
Anj: When you need to give yourself a pep talk, what does it sound like?
Dev: I usually take a deep breath then say or think "One step forward". Most of the time, I'm scared (as shit) but the thought of not trying scares me more. That one step forward can be hard as hell and maybe even heartbreaking, but I have to try.
For more on this brilliant artist, mother and friend, follow Dev @_heyrana on Instagram and check out (and buy!) her artwork here.