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.
Wesley Brinkhurst, VP Head of Marketing at Office Depot
