I kick off the new year with a minimalist theme that consists of a dotted pattern. I’ve used negative space to create my journal’s elements, to a varying degree of success. As I’m sure you’ll understand this took a lot of time and effort, but I’m pleased with the results of this experiment.

With this month being a notable exception, we generally do not experience snow very often in the Netherlands nowadays. When it does snow, it usually melts as soon as it hits the ground. Snowy days generally means wading through cold slurry turned brown from the underlying dirt for a day or two.

So when I was deciding how to photograph my journal this time, I thought it was a serendipitous occasion when I saw actual snow and rushed outside. I think it creates an appropriate backdrop for this month’s theme. The falling snow did actually end up ruining much of the ink for me, so I was only able to create these images once. An almost poetic reminder that all the beauty touched by snow is temporary, even if we are currently experiencing more snow for longer than we have in years.

Using stamps to create calendars has become challenging since I started creating themes for full week periods. I had to stamp each month three times to get the full five weeks on the page. Even if it isn’t quite perfect, it will do just fine. I’m curious if you think you would have noticed if I hadn’t pointed it out, so you should tell me in a comment below!

This way of creating boxes to write in was actually the idea that this whole theme originated from. I really love how it came out, it looks very professional and clean in my opinion. I’m very proud of it and it’ll be a joy to use every day.

Most of the boxes to record my mood are only implied and frankly a lot harder to see than I would have hoped. I bet it’ll look glorious once it’s all filled in though, so I’m excited to find out at the end of the month.

The exercise tracker is one I’ve used a lot lately. I printed it out on sticker paper and stuck it in my journal after cutting it out. I was able to recreate the dotted grid in the middle of the circle, which really brings it all together in my opinion.

Look, I don’t know what happened with the stamped titles here either, okay? I guess I must have had shaky fingers that day, creating a bouncy playful vibe ha!

Everything starts from a dot.

This quote, by artist Wassily Kandinsky, seemed fitting not only for this month’s theme but also the start of a new year. The following is part of an explanation I found online. It resonates with me a lot and I share it here because I honestly couldn’t have written it better myself.

The dot is small and seemingly insignificant alone, yet it holds infinite promise. Within its confines exists the possibility of expansion and connection. Add motion to the dot, and a line appears. Multiply and arrange them, and figures, patterns, and spatial relationships emerge. Every grand design, every expressive work, finds its origins in a simple, intentional gesture: placing a point onto a surface. This act is the spark that both grounds and liberates creativity.

Source: FixQuotes.com
Source: Eemskrant

As a little bonus image, I share this beautiful photo of the town of Spijk with you. It was taken by an unnamed reader of a local newspaper in the north of the country. While my windows don’t treat me to such a glorious view and I’m sadly no longer able to go out for a walk to enjoy such vistas, it does serve well as a reminder of what my country looks like right now.

I hope your start of the new year started safely and I wish you health, love and the mindfulness to enjoy small joys for the coming year. Make a point of scheduling in time to take care of yourself, mind, body and soul. 🖤