If July were an aesthetic, it would be of sparklers and sunflowers and sunshine-steeped iced tea. This midsummer month brims with perfect weather that makes you want to stay outside all day, the quiet wash of waves on the beach, the taste of strawberry ice cream, and time rusting like the slow turning of pages in a book. With this vision in mind, grab your journal and let’s plan for July 2020.
PLAN WITH ME: VISION BOARD
To begin the month of July, I created a vision board to capture the feeling I want to embody this summer. On my gallery board, I arranged photos of sunsets at the beach, butterflies, the phases of the moon, cerulean blue, the piano, paintings of the sky, and a few lovely quotes.
Because this board is the last thing I see before leaving the room, and one of the first things I see when I walk in, it continually reminds me of the authentic version of life I want to live this summer. I want to enjoy every moment, and find beauty in every passing day.
PLAN WITH ME: JOURNAL
Next, let’s get out our journals. I spent a leisurely afternoon clipping out pictures to recreate a tiny version of the vision board in my journal. I copied out the monthly spread and a quote I’m loving.
On the following page, as usual, I left room to jot down a highlight reel of all my favorite memories this month, and a playlist of all the songs I’m listening to on repeat.
A NEVER-TO-BE-FORGOTTEN SUMMER
“It was a never-to-be-forgotten summer—one of those summers which seldom come into any life, but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going—one of those summers, which, in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends, and delightful doings, come as near to perfection as anything can come in this world.”
—Lucy Maud Montgomery (“Anne’s House of Dreams”)
ON MY MIND: SUMMER 2020 EDITION
Before I wrap up this post, I want to share some thoughts that have been steeping in my mind lately. Since graduating college and figuring out life in the midst of the pandemic, I’ve been doing a lot of soul work—by which I mean, I’ve been tracing the journey of life that led me here. I’ve been rereading old journals and reflecting on patterns in my life. In short, I’ve been getting to know the interior of my mind a bit better.
I’ll write a whole post on this soon, because there’s been a lot of mental rearranging of furniture. For now, here’s the abbreviated version: for most of my life, I believed my self-worth was dependent on how much I achieved or created. I always wanted to “win” at the next level of life, whatever that looked like. But now, I’m realizing I need to learn to enjoy life without pressure to be constantly productive or perfectionistic.
In her book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron writes that creativity is a person’s true nature. To be truly creative, we must fall in love with our life. That’s where I am right now… I want to create for the fun of it. I want to read for fun again, instead of just checking books off my list. I’ll take time to rest: get enough sleep, take long walks in solitude, sit on the back porch and soak in the sunshine. Also, I’ll enjoy beautiful art, rediscover my love for poetry, practice piano, dance more often, and share meaningful conversations with friends. That’s my vision for my “never-to-be-forgotten summer.” How about you?
Thanks for coming along to plan with me for July!
<3 Olivia Grace
