WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH PAPER PLANNERS? (+ WHY WE ALL SHOULD CONSIDER GETTING ONE)

IDK about y’all, but paper planners are a huge sub-sect of the craft world I’ve been trying to figure out for a hot while now. 

Anyone who’s set foot inside a Hobby Lobby, Joann, Michael’s & even Wal-Mart in the last year or two (or four) knows what I’m talking about. It’s the whole aisle that’s usually next to the scrapbooking stuff, right before you hit the Cricut section; & considering the fact that a lot of us *probably* haven’t thought about cutesy customized agendas & journals since the furry little diaries we all had in third grade, it’s super fair to wonder why everyone’s suddenly interested in them after all of these years??

Since so much of the world is digital nowadays, things like e-calendars & the Notes app are what a lot of people swear by. And by that logic, physical planners, stationery & other specialty paper products tend to seem counterintuitive. However, around 2016 the DIY planner trend started to catch wind – & to this day, the world is still obsessed.

So much so that there are entire Instagram accounts & YouTube channels dedicated to people’s artfully crafted, weekly “planner spreads”, as well as hundreds of pages of planner stickers & other accessories for sale on Etsy.

Seriously, it’s insane. Which definitely goes to show the market is very real…yet still left me thoroughly perplexed about all the hype.

But then, (after going full-on Detective Pikachu) it finally clicked! It’s not about buying a plain-old planner to use the same way the Pilgrims did. Instead, the goal is buying a planner to completely redesign, customize & fill to the brim with every detail of your existence. Kind of like over-sharing on social media, only in this instance it’s acceptable. 

So if you’re looking for a more visual means of organization, new creative outlet or way to simply make life feel more digestible in general, then it’s possible the *~*#planneraddict*~* lifestyle could very well be for you.

Either way, here are a few tips on why it’s something we all should perhaps consider:

PAPER IS POWER

We’ve all heard the theory that physically writing things out can often times help us better remember them later; so if that’s true for you, then a paper planner makes total sense!

And in addition to that, having a central location of your schedules, to-do lists, goals, reminders & more that you’re looking at multiple times a day can help keep all of this vital info top of mind…in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you’re two chaotic grocery store runs away from a 5150.

THEY BRING MORE ORDER

You don’t need me to tell you that planners are nothing new. People have been using them forever (s/o to my mom’s series of 50-pound “DayTimers” throughout the early 2000s), along with to-do lists, written meal plans & sticky note reminders. But if you’re someone who’s never really bothered with such a system – no matter how admittedly scatterbrained you get – then implementing ANY sort of organizational structure like this will be game-changing in & of itself.

Because let’s face it—you’re human. And you’re not going to remember all of the things you always say you will.

And on top of that, there’s also the psychological benefit of having complete control over almost nothing in life – except for your little ring-bound, sticker-filled masterpiece (that also doesn’t need to be charged). 

It’s the simple things, ya know?

IT’S A MAJOR CREATIVE OUTLET

As we mentioned before, a huge part of the planner game is re-designing your little book from the ground up; so without a doubt, creative freedom is a huge part of the planner world’s appeal as well.

With SO much opportunity to use all of the half-box, full-box, date covers, washi tape & pointlessly decorative stickers to your heart’s content, the secondary point of planner-making is to create one that’s you on a page. Besides, scrapbooking was (& still is? Maybe?) a huge thing, so this is similar to that…only productive. 

YOU CAN EASILY ALIGN THEM WITH YOUR PRIORITIES

Part of what I never “got” about planners in the beginning, is that a lot of them tend to be pretty cookie cutter-looking. I mean, if you like watercolor flowers & declarations of “good vibes only” in sparkly script, then you’ve struck gold. But a huge part of my recent coming-to-terms with the idea was realizing that the book itself is literally just the starting point. You still have to make it your own!

Aesthetic design elements aside, a lot of planners also allow the ability to add additional pages & sections. Which means if all you want is a basic schedule/to-do list combo – great. If tracking finances/budgeting is your thing – covered. If organizing your recipes is the goal – done. Keeping tabs on your fitness goals & routines – NO PROBLEM! Whatever elements of life are the most important, these silly little planners can make a surprisingly significant difference in helping you keep it all in check.

THEY *CAN* BE DONE ECONOMICALLY 

Like a lot of craft store conspiracies, sure, it’s super easy to spend ungodly amounts of money on planners & all of the accessories. But if you’re scrappy & love going all in on a DIY project, then opting to make your own planner supplies is a totally viable & way more economical way to do it, too!

All you really need is a printer, sticker paper, the right measurements & a creative eye in order to artfully craft a ridiculously cute, totally unique planner vibe.

THEY OFFER A SOLID “RESET”

Especially for as crazy as times are right now, switching over to a physical planner can also be a great opportunity to reset & realign your brain for when the world finally returns back to (the new) normal.

You likely have a bit more time on your hands right now & might find the process nostalgically therapeutic, anyway. So it’s something to at least think about once you finish binging Tiger King & the entire Sex In The City series for the fourth time. 

So with all of that said, we couldn’t wrap up today’s convo without sharing a few awesome alternative/goth planner supply stores, too! If you’re in the market, check out:

+ Shine Sticker Studio on Etsy

+ Rockadeadly on Etsy

+ Less Than Misfit on Etsy

+ Vexed And Hexed on Etsy

+ Wilson Wylde Sticker Co on Etsy

+ Rough Seas Designs on Etsy

xxAA

(( pastel goth planner spread in feature image from Shine Sticker Studio’s YouTube channel ))

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