End of year musings

Property of Stormberry
The picture just wants to look like that.
So I let it.

As 2022 slips away, I've found myself listening to more viking-inspired music, mostly from Peyton Parrish. No, I'm not preparing to hop on a ship and go raiding, but there is something in that music that gets to me in this moment of my life. What does it make me feel? It makes me feel strong, like my capabilities are there, even if I'm tired, even if I have no idea how to continue or proceed with my thesis, if it feels like I am up against a giant: I am not giving up, I will strap on the shield, tighten my fingers around the axe or the sword and I'll keep on going.

Something I talked about in one of my videos was the Wheel of Life, which is like a pie chart for you to map important areas of your life, or whatever. I had one completed, based on a pre-made template, but it didn't really do much for me. In it there were areas I was scoring quite high (as in, 10), and so, as I was looking at it - with areas that are not important for me at all, or do not apply to my case, I decided to make a blank chart and fill it with the things I do want to concentrate on. The thing was, what do I want to concentrate on?

This took me a while, and I printed out many charts named them, colored them in, and slowly the final version is coming out. I want to chart areas that are important for me, over which I have some degree of control, and that I can measure to some degree of confidence. This is an experiment I will try to get on for 2023, as well as my planners and diaries channel. Boy, it already feels ominous, trying to come up with 52 topics to talk about next year. How will I manage? Right now, I don't know, but I will figure it out.

Planning

 

Property of Stormberry

I started a new YouTube channel dedicated to planners and diaries but un Spanish. I was inspired, in part, by my new planner and all the research I did around it, and also in part by the friends I talked about the ordeal of getting my planner. I've met these friends through a book club and through it we've talked about journaling and how do we journal.

In here I have this "thing" about the concept of "journaling". For me, journaling means writing a diary, recording events past and thoughts about things that have happened or I hope to happen, while "keeping a planner" or an agenda is more a matter of... well... planning. I make a difference between planning and recording. With the fanciful spreads of bullet journals and planners - full of painting, collaging and extensive use of stickers - the division between both ideas blur into inexistence.

I found the small slice where I could speak my mind and share a simpler, less decorated, more functional style. My friend Pri told me to break into the Spanish market, for she found there were not enough planner content in Spanish, and so I started. Little by little I started filming and uploading, and then I found myself selecting a date and planning out topics.

I have ideas from here to the end of the year, and then... then I'll have to come up with new ideas. But be it as it may, I am happy I can put this out. Maybe there's someone who can't enjoy videos in English, so they can watch mine. Maybe I can help someone to feel ok with their less than artistic spreads. Maybe I can help someone who doesn't feel like fitting into the bullet journal world. I want to believe I am helping someone, but I also enjoy this.