Keeping it creative

Analogue activities, intentional living, life hacks, lifestyle, Mindfulness, Setting goals and intentions, wellbeing, wellness

Monday Matters: Stop mindlessly scrolling and choose something that actually supports your wellbeing (40+ ideas)

Posted on Jul 27, 2026Jul 26, 2026 by Laura

I think most of us will agree that we spend far too much time on our mobile phones, scrolling social media on apps such as Facebook and Instagram, watching endless YouTube or Tiktok videos and reading emotive ‘news’ content which has drawn us in through the usual click bait titles or pop ups. And, if we took the time to really think about what we want from life, reading random content and wasting hours on our phones does not feature on our mental or physical list of priorities for 2026.

So, for today’s blog post, I’m sharing lots of ideas for alternative activities that will actually make you feel good and won’t waste precious minutes (or more likely hours) of your day. I’ve tried to include something for everyone and hopefully you’ll be able to pick out a few from each category which sound good and are easily actionable. Without further ado, let’s dive in:

Meditative and mindful activities

I’ve talked about the many benefits of engaging in mindfulness and flow state activities before but importantly they include a reduction in stress, anxiety and depression, plus improved concentration, attention and decision making, all of which support better wellbeing. Here’s some activities to turn to when you find yourself reaching for your phone a little too much.

Try a spot of journalling – e.g. stream of consciousness (i.e. whatever comes into your head and out on paper), gratitude, favourite things about the current season, intentions for your morning / evening / weekend, goals for the month
Do a short meditation or sit/lie doing nothing for 10 minutes, focusing on just your breath (and don’t worry if you get distracted or your mind bobs about)
Engage in mindful movement such as yoga or tai chi. Or, why not dance around your kitchen or the bedroom to an upbeat song or piece of classical music
Work on a jigsaw (my favourite are 1000 piece ones because they’re challenging enough to really get you ‘in the zone’)
Drawing, painting or colouring – or a combination of all 3
Find a cosy corner of your home (or make one using cushions and blankets) or a quite space in your garden and read a few chapters of a book
Grab a puzzle book and do a crossword, wordsearch, sudoku or other personal favourite to get your brain really working
Buy or borrow a glossy magazine and find a peaceful space to read / flick through
Pick a photography genre e.g. landscape, wildlife or nature, pet, street, macro, abstract and explore. You can use your phone for this but make sure you put it on ‘do not disturb’ first as you don’t want to get distracted.
Tend to your houseplants – check for signs of destress and evaluate care, wipe dust from leaves, remove decayed parts, check moisture levels of the soil, feed them, decide if any need repotting, rotate to ensure balanced growth, prune if required
Watch a cartoon you used to love as a child and really immerse yourself in it (phone in another room) – can you remember what you particularly loved?
Make a cup of tea or coffee and really take your time to appreciate it – use your senses to explore the sound of the kettle being boiled and the water filling the container, aroma, colour, warmth of the mug or cup, taste etc. Be grateful by thinking about the processes and effort involved in the production to ensure a quality product.
Declutter your handbag – empty it out and then decide what you want to put back in and what is fit for the bin or needs filing.
Check in with your vision board for the year or goals for the month or quarter. Have you forgotten about some of them? What are your next actions? Have your priorities changed? etc.

Outdoor fun

You can enjoy spending time outdoors at any time of year but as we’re having some lovely weather at the moment, here are some activities to engage in whilst it’s fine:

Make a paper aeroplane and see how well it flies in your garden, backyard or local park – there’s various instructions online if you need them (I did this as a Finch App challenge last week and had such a laugh!)
Try something else you enjoyed as a child – frisbee, hoola hoop, ball in a bucket, skipping, hopscotch, ring toss etc.
Fill a picnic bag with fresh summer fruits (e.g. strawberries, peach, watermelon, mango, raspberries or cherries) and some dainty sandwiches (cut into little triangles) and enjoy an impromptu picnic in your garden or yard or go a bit further a field and pop to a local park. Take a picnic rug or blanket and choose an area in the sunshine or under the shade of a tree depending on your preferences.
Take a short drive or walk to an area of your city or town that you’ve never visited before and explore. We did this a few nights ago and walked across a new bridge over the river and found some new bars and eateries, plus gorgeous park which is soon to open.
Go to a local nature area and engage in observation and exploration e.g. do bird or wildlife spotting, take a short hike to a water feature such as a pond, stream, river or waterfall, or go armed with a field guide or app (okay you’ll have to look at your phone for this one, but it’ll be more purposeful) and identify insects, trees, wildflowers, grasses, fungi or lichens.
Try out a new art or craft in the garden or at a picnic bench somewhere – I bought a cyanotype “sunography” kit from a National Trust shop and had great fun experimenting with it on a sunny afternoon in the garden. I also took my watercolours out and did a mini painting session.
Lie on a blanket on the grass during the day and do some cloud gazing or, find a clear night and do some star gazing. You could even print off a constellations map and see what you can spot.
Take a brisk, short walk round the block to get some fresh air (whatever the weather)
Grab a sketchbook and have a go at drawing something in nature e.g a wildflower, a leaf, a tree, a stream, mountains or hills in the distance etc.
Enjoy a short bike ride around your local area.

Sensory / hands on

Sensory activities have a great many benefits including stress and anxiety relief, better connection with emotions and ability to process difficult feelings, improved cognition, memory and attention and opportunities for much needed self care. They can also encourage a sense of curiosity, creativity and playfulness.

(N.B. Many of these ideas are mindful and meditative too)

Spend half an hour tending to your garden – weeding, pruning, setting seeds, mowing the lawn etc.
Make a refreshing mocktail or smoothie as a fun drink to enjoy supping.
Create a vision board using photographs from magazines.
Bake a tasty treat in the kitchen.
Try out origami or balloon modelling.
Buy a small chocolate bar then mindfully and slowly savour every single bite.
Do a sensory check in – notice 5 things you see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.
Try out different teas or flavoured coffee syrups.
Visit your local library and spend time browsing the books.
Buy a packet of air dry clay (or make playdough) and use it to create animals, patterns or simple shapes.
Declutter or re-organise a drawer, cupboard or shelf in your home (okay, this might not be fun but you’ll feel so good afterwards).
Have an at home spa evening with soothing essential oils, scented candles, face or body masks, luxurious hand and foot creams or maybe a manicure or pedicure.
Grab a mirror, paper and pencils and doodle a quick self portrait (and if you draw faces and people like I do – laugh or smile at the results!)
Go to a local park or cafe and do some people watching.
Spend quality time with your pet – obviously what this looks like depends on the animal but it could include grooming, playing a game, giving treats, enjoying snuggles etc.
Fix something that is in need of repair – sew on a button, replace sealant, tighten up a handle somewhere, unclog a plug hole, touch up paint, fill in a hole in a wall etc.
Try out calligraphy or hand lettering -there’s lots of practice sheets available for free online.

Final words…

A lovely idea which I saw on YouTube a few weeks ago (yes, I was randomly watching videos that popped up at the time, you caught me!), was to create a hobby basket full of items to reach for when you’re in need of some me time. However, I think this could be adapted to an anti-scroll basket full of resources for some of the above ideas. You could add things like a small colouring book and pencils, a deck of yoga pose cards, a project you’re working on such as knitting, crochet, cross stitch or embroidery, a sketch pad and pencil, a poetry book you can dip into, a print out of some recipes you want to try, or even an anti-scroll menu or list (which could include pictures for inspo too.

Once you start reaching for analogue activities instead of your phone, you’ll begin to realise how long you actually wasted on scrolling and discover that you have plenty of time to try out new activities or engage in those which already bring you so much joy but that you never seem to fit into your busy schedule.

Habit formation, Hobbies, intentional living, learning, life hacks, lifelong learning, lifestyle, personal development, personal growth, wellbeing

Discover Fun Hobbies That Boost Skills, Wellbeing, and Growth (a guest post by Linda Chase)

Posted on Jul 16, 2026 by Laura

This week, we have another fantastic article from regular guest contributor Linda Chase. The focus of today’s piece is hobbies which your boost skills and wellbeing and, provide opportunities for personal or professional growth. Linda shares some excellent tips for getting started and maintaining consistency. She also offers thoughtful and honest answers to common hobby related questions. I hope you enjoy reading the piece and that her writing provides you with as much food for thought in relation to different pastimes as it did for me. From here, I’ll leave you in Linda’s capable hands…

Busy professionals juggling work, responsibilities, and a shrinking sense of curiosity often feel the same tension: plenty of interests, but no clear starting point and no desire to add another “should” to the week. The result is drifting into default downtime while the urge for momentum, to feel engaged again, keeps tapping at the door. The right hobbies for adults turn that restless feeling into learning new skills through options that span creative hobbies, physical activities, intellectual hobbies, and lifestyle interests. Choosing well makes free time feel purposeful.

Understanding Hobby Types and Their Payoffs

A useful way to choose a hobby is to sort options into five buckets: creative, physical, intellectual, social, and lifestyle. Each category tends to build a different mix of skills, confidence, and connection. That framing helps you choose based on the outcome you want, not whatever looks trendy.

This matters because hobbies can support mental health, personal growth, and relationships at the same time. Research has found lower depressive symptoms among people with hobby engagement, which makes “fun” a practical investment.

Think of it like building a balanced menu. If work already uses your brain all day, a physical hobby can reset your mood, while a social hobby keeps you from isolating. If life feels scattered, a lifestyle hobby adds structure you can actually look forward to. With clear categories, you can map hobby strengths into real skill pathways that support career momentum.

Turn a Hobby Into a Career Plan With Structured Learning

Once you see how different hobbies pay off in real-life skills, it’s natural to wonder which ones could become something bigger. If you’ve fallen in love with a new hobby or skill, whether it’s something you practice every weekend or can’t stop thinking about, going back to school can help you turn that momentum into a career path. Formal learning can give your passion a clearer direction, strengthen what you already do well, and make your next move feel more achievable.

If you’re starting a business, earning a business management degree can build your skills in leadership, operations, and project management, and a clear reference can help you explore what that coursework looks like. An online degree can also make it easier to keep learning while you balance work, family, and the hobby you’re growing into something more.

Try Beginner-Friendly Hobbies With First-Week Steps

Pick one hobby that fits the skill you want to grow, creative output, social connection, fitness, or career-relevant capability, and commit to a “first-week sprint.” These beginner hobby ideas and practical hobby tips keep the barrier low while still building real momentum you can map to longer-term learning goals.

Run a 7-day “minimum viable hobby” plan: Define a tiny outcome you can finish in one week, one photo set, one stitched item, one song, or one conversation. Block three sessions of 25–40 minutes and write a one-sentence success rule like “I practice even if it’s messy.” This works because repetition beats intensity, and the plan is easy to track if you’re treating hobbies as structured skill-building.
Start sewing basics with a two-seam project: Begin with a low-stakes item like a simple tote, pillow cover, or reusable cloth. Your first week goal is mastering two skills, threading the needle and stitching straight, so you don’t overload yourself with patterns, zippers, and fit. Use scrap fabric to practice three lines a day, then sew the final piece in one sitting so you get a quick win.
Use one photography technique per walk: Take a 15-minute walk and shoot only one subject category, doors, shadows, or hands, to sharpen your eye. On day one, practice exposure by taking three versions of the same shot: darker, normal, brighter. Later in the week, add composition by using the rule of thirds for 10 photos, then review and keep only three; editing your “keepers” teaches faster than saving everything.
Learn a new language by experiencing it first: For the first 3–5 days, listen and read without drilling rules, aiming to recognize repeated phrases you can reuse. The Circe Institute’s idea that the first stage is poetic supports starting with experience over grammar charts, which reduces overwhelm and builds intuition. Finish the week with a 60-second self-introduction you can say from memory, even if the accent isn’t perfect.
Play a musical instrument with a “two-chord + rhythm” target: Choose a single rhythm pattern and two easy chords or notes, then practice switching between them slowly for 5 minutes a day. Add one new element only after you can do 10 clean switches in a row; this prevents the common trap of bouncing between tutorials without mastery. By day seven, record a 30–45 second clip so you can hear progress objectively.
Pick a hobby that doubles as a career skill and document it: If you’re building toward a career plan, select a hobby with transferable outputs, cooking becomes process planning, gardening becomes measurement and iteration, crafting becomes project estimation. Keep a simple log: time spent, what improved, what blocked you, and one “next rep” task. This creates a portfolio-style trail you can use to identify skill gaps and decide what structured learning would accelerate results.

Common Hobby Questions (and Honest Answers)

Q: What if I’m “bad” at the hobby I picked?
A: Being bad is the starting line, not a red flag. Choose one tiny skill to repeat (one stitch line, one photo setting, one chord change) and track reps, not talent. Treat mistakes as data you can adjust next time.

Q: How do I make time for a hobby with a busy schedule?
A: Use a fixed, small appointment like 25 minutes three times a week. Put it next to an existing routine (after dinner, before shower, during lunch) so it has a cue. If you miss a day, restart the next day without “making up” time.

Q: Why does motivation disappear after the first few days?
A: Novelty fades fast, so lean on structure instead of feelings. Many people use adult hobbies as a steady outlet, not a constant thrill, so keep the goal simple and repeatable.

Q: Can I balance hobbies with work without feeling guilty?
A: Yes, if you define your hobby as recovery plus growth, not “extra productivity.” Remember that leisure activities can reduce the stresses of grown-up life, which often supports better focus at work.

Q: What should I do when progress feels painfully slow?
A: Shrink the task and raise the consistency: five minutes, one drill, one page, one sketch. Then do a “reset review” by comparing your first attempt to today’s and writing one specific next step.

Build Lifelong Learning With One Hobby and 30 Days

It’s easy to want a hobby for relief and growth, then get stuck on time, motivation, or slow progress. The way through is the mindset this guide emphasized: treat hobbies as playful practice, small, consistent effort that values learning over perfection, supported by simple self-improvement strategies. Done that way, the lifelong learning benefits stack up quietly, personal growth through hobbies feels earned, and the hobby’s impact on wellbeing shows up in steadier mood and confidence. Pick a hobby you can return to, and let consistency do the teaching. Choose one skill today and run a 30-day experiment, tracking tiny wins daily in a note. That’s how inspiration to start hobbies turns into resilience, health, and momentum that carries into everything else.

Final words…

Last month, I made a commitment to a summer personal curriculum which involved learning macro photography across the months of June, July and August. I created a page of aspects of the topic with a view to dedicating around two hours each week to learning. I started off well and was enjoying finding out about this aspect of photography, however, work took over much of my time in June and early July and my photography hobby has very much taken a back seat. I absolutely love Linda’s idea of developing hobby consistency through tracking my daily wins, and that, along with actually getting my camera out of the cupboard, attaching the lens and beginning to explore what I can do based on the theoretical aspects of the topic, should help me to maintain momentum. I’ll be able to record my wins in my bullet journal and this will help me to celebrate tiny achievements across the remainder of the summer months.

Let me know in the comments which aspects of Linda’s article particularly resonated with you and feel free to also share your hobby ideas and intentions for the next month or so. I love to hear what my readers are focusing on in their free time.

goal setting, intentional living, lifestyle, Mindfulness, nature, wellbeing, wellness

Easy and fun ways to make the most of your summer

Posted on Jun 25, 2026Jun 26, 2026 by Laura

For the last week or so, it’s felt like summer has finally arrived in the North East of England with better weather, more sunshine, warm breezes and the chance to wear some of my new seasonal outfits whilst sitting out in the garden. Although I struggle when (if!) it gets really hot due to my very fair skin burning super easily, I love it when it gets up to around 22 degrees C (around 72 degrees Fahrenheit) especially on days when I can just sit and relax outdoors.

Every season, I create a personal bucket list full of activities, including things I always enjoy at that time of year, and new things I’d like to try (harnessing the power of firsts as advised by Meik Wiking in his book The Art of Making Memories). This year, I’m also taking part in the monthly bingo challenges being run by Kelseyleigh over at My Abiding Journal, which is currently providing even more ideas for making the most of my summer.

So, today, I thought I’d share this year’s summer bucket list and also some further suggestions to help you make the most of the summer months whether you want adventures, experiences, opportunities to relax and recharge or a combination of all three. I hope my post gives you some new ideas or provides helpful reminders about maximising your days throughout the season. I would love to hear about your plans for the summer in the comments and if you’re excited about trying something new in 2026 feel free to share so others can take inspiration from you.

Summer 2026 Bucket List

I like to start planning my summer towards the end of spring by creating a bucket list in my bullet journal. For me, the season begins on June 1st so you’ll see I have a few items ticked off already. The cupcakes I made were vegan strawberry ones and although I think I would slightly modify the recipe if I made them again, I had such fun with my afternoon of baking and the cupcakes tasted great too.

It’s not too late to create your own summer bucket list for 2026 and you don’t have to make it super decorative like I have. Just a plain piece of paper or a page in a journal will do. You don’t have to get everything on your list ticked off but it helps to have something to work towards and provide inspiration.

Photo credit: Laura Jones for Keeping it Creative

I’ve just signed my husband and I up for strawberry picking on Sunday and I’m excited to try this for the first time at a farm in Northumberland where we enjoyed visiting a pumpkin patch a few years ago. I’m going to take my DSLR camera with me to record our time there.

Bingo boards

There are loads of seasonal bingo boards available online which you could use, or you could have a go at making your own. I found this lovely example, which is good for spotting various signs of the season, and most of the items can be observed in the UK. It was created by Haley Post at MyMoonstoneKitchen, whose content I really enjoy on YouTube. Her printable can be found on Patreon as a free download if you sign up as a (free) member.

The monthly bingo boards I’m having fun with are available if you become a paid member of My Abiding Journal on Patreon and you can see glimpses of them on Kelseyleigh’s Monthly Journalling livestreams too. I stick mine in my monthly highlights journal and add photos or a description to say how I’ve completed the items I have checked off. Although some of the activities are perhaps more aimed at people in the USA with the creator being based there, it still offers plenty of food for thought and you can always tweak a few of the ideas if they don’t suit.

A Summer Reading Challenge

This summer, I thought it would be fun to set myself a little reading challenge to help me try to diversify my reading and choose some books that I wouldn’t ordinarily pick. I generally go for psychological thrillers and police procedural crime novels, but I wanted to push myself to opt for something different during the summer months. So, having explored various 2026 summer reading bingo boards and reading challenges I found online for ideas, these are my chosen categories:

A book originally published in another country
A historical fiction book to be listened to on Audible
A children’s classic that I’ve never read before
A modern classic
A book published this year by an author whose work I’ve never read before
A memoir
A collection of poetry

I decided on 7 books for the challenge and I’m already on my second book which is Land by Maggie O’Farrell. Set in Ireland, it’s a historical novel which spans the years directly before and after the great hunger. I’m enjoying it so far and I’m glad I chose it as my audio book as the narrator is Irish actor Dane Whyte O’Hara which adds to the atmospheric and lyrical prose and enhances the reading experience wonderfully.

The first book was the children’s classic The Velveteen Rabbit and I found it available for free as an audio edition read by Richard Armitage. It was such a sweet little story and I listened to it to wind down after a busy day.

Seasonal eating

One of my favourite foods is in season in the UK in the summertime, and that’s strawberries which I like to enjoy in salads, with ice cream or yogurt, and, more recently in cupcakes! This year we’ve bought our own little plant, but, as it’s an alpine variety, we’ll only get mini fruits from it (as long as the flowers get pollinated!). I can see some tiny yellow fruits on the plant but I’m not sure if that guarantees they’ll turn into red strawberries or not. There’s also lots of flowers but I’m yet to spot a bee on any of them!

Other fruits we love to eat in the summer include watermelon, peaches, nectarines, cherries, pineapple, raspberries, plums and juicy tomatoes, most of which are grown in the UK. Eating locally grown produce (or at least from the UK) means that they retain their nutritional content, taste better and are better for the environment (less food miles). This recipe for watermelon, green bean, halloumi and mint salad is a favourite of ours and we even have own homegrown mint leaves to add this year.

In the summer, there are lots of vegetables that thrive here in the sunshine including peas, beans, courgettes, aubergines, peppers, lettuce and potatoes. When it’s a hot day, one of our favourite meals to create is a poke bowl (pronounced poh kay). This often includes layers of lettuce or spinach, cooled roasted veggies such as pepper, aubergine, butternut squash and broccoli, a protein source such as chickpeas and coucous, sweet potato chunks or cooled salad potatoes for the carbs. We then drizzle on salad dressing and enjoy our bowl al fresco at our outdoor table and chairs.

And, of course, as well as eating seasonal produce, you can also make some amazingly tasty fruity drinks too. Our current favourite is a refreshing ‘Cinderella’ mocktail which we found a recipe for last summer. It uses a combination of citrus flavours, sweetened with a small amount of grenadine syrups and, once shaken, is topped up with the spice of fizzy ginger ale. Here’s the ingredients to make two glasses full:

150ml orange juice
150ml pineapple juice
60ml lemon juice
3 teaspoons grenadine
1/2 litre ginger ale (or soda water if you prefer)

Add the orange juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice and grenadine to a cocktail shaker (or give it a good stir in a glass) and shake until combined. Divide into two tall glasses and add some ice. Top up with ginger ale. Enjoy!

Embracing the outdoors

Summer is the perfect time to connect with nature and enjoy spending lots of time outdoors. Being in natural environments improves our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing and is known to reduce stress and enhance our mood. I’ve been trying to spend as much time as I can in the garden this year and my husband and I have treated ourselves to a mini tabletop firepit which is perfect for sitting out in the late evening.

Have fun playing an outdoor game – my husband and I purchased a bright orange frisbee last year and we took it to a large outdoor space at a National Trust place we go to regularly. We both had smiles on our faces for the entire time, even though the wind kept lifting it and sending it off in the wrong direction! And it was fantastic exercise too. Other lovely outdoor games include bowls, badminton, quoits, croquet, throw and catch or even trying to get a ball or beanbag in an empty bucket.
Tend to your garden – summer is not the time for digging, moving plants or completely overhauling the garden but a few gentle maintenance activities such as hoeing a few weeds, deadheading spent flowers, checking on the progress of home growing fruit or vegetables helps to keep things progressing and looking good. It’s also important to do some early morning or early evening watering which allows the water to penetrate the soil and get to deep roots. Established plants should be watered deeply every few days or so, whereas seedling or delicate plants may require daily watering, especially during spells of hot weather. And, don’t forget to take time to observe your achievements and appreciate your hard work.
Take a hike – There are so many beautiful places to explore in the UK including the lake district, the highlands of Scotland, Snowdonia in Wales, The Peak District in Derbyshire and surrounding areas, the South West coastal path. It’s best to avoid walking during the hottest part of the day (11am – 3pm) but an early morning or evening trek can be wonderful. Also, remember to take plenty of rest breaks to look at the stunning scenery and always carry plenty of water to take sips from throughout your walk.
Go somewhere new and take a self-guided walking trail (you can find lots of these online or at a tourist information place) – depending on your preferences, this could be a historic tour of a nearby town or village, a nature walk through woodland, forest or around a lake or you could even follow a path around a nature reserve spotting birds from various hides. Just remember to dress appropriately for the weather, wear comfortable shoes and use sun protection.

Relax, reset and recharge

Just because the days are longer in the summer, doesn’t mean you have to fill every waking moment with tasks and adventurous activities. It’s also important to find time to rest and just be, especially when temperatures are particularly high and the Sun is blazing. Here are some ways to recharge and build wellbeing related activities into your routine:

Enjoy an analogue hobby outdoors – do some reflective journalling, read a book, sketch some of the flowers in your garden or at a local park, grab your paints and have a go at watercolour painting
Sit or lie outside (either in the sun with SPF on, or in the shade of a parasol or tree) and simply be. Try doing a mini meditation or other mindful activity such as using your senses to appreciate the here and now (take off your shoes and feel the grass beneath your feet, close your eyes and notice the different sounds around you, look up and watch the clouds moving and changing shape). I lay back on one of our reclining chairs a few days ago and I set the timer on my Fitbit for 20 minutes. I closed my eyes and relaxed for the whole time and those 20 minutes felt like a really long time. It was so good to just do nothing for a while – even though there was someone getting noisy building work done further down the street!
Pack a picnic and head to a local park, the coast, a lake or riverside. Depending on your preference, you could take a picnic rug or research somewhere nearby which has picnic benches available.
Give forest bathing a go – this restful, nature based activity was first developed in Japan but is now really popular in other cultures. This article from The National Trust provides a good introduction and also explains the wellbeing benefits.

Final words…

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading today’s blog post and it’s help you to come up with some lovely ways to make the most of Summer 2026. Although some of the activities will incur at least a small cost, there are also free suggestions if you’re living on a tight budget.

As I write these last few sentences of today’s blog post, it’s gone really dark and there are rumbles of thunder in the distance. And rather than thinking how awful the weather has turned, I’m excited to tick off an item on the summer bingo board – summer thunderstorm!

Wishing you your best summer yet!

bullet journal, Bullet journaling, creativity, Cricut Design Space, Cricut Joy Xtra, goal setting, intentional living, lifestyle, planner girl, planner lifestyle, Planning and journaling, productivity

Setting up my Bullet Journal for July 2026 – Strawberries theme

Posted on Jun 23, 2026Jun 23, 2026 by Laura

Hi all! It’s been a while since I last shared my monthly BuJo pages, but, as I’ve finished my July spreads super early (I actually finished the last few bits over a week ago!), I thought I’d get the various pages photographed and uploaded to my blog so you could see my finished designs and chosen theme. Obviously I’ve used stickers but you could quite easily simplify the pages and hand draw and colour different strawberry (or other fruit) themed images.

The front cover

I wanted to create a slightly thicker grid than the one above but I only had a Tombow pen in the colour I wanted so I used the bullet tip for it. I created strawberry stickers with no white border for a clean look and I was pleased with how well my Cricut Joy Xtra cut out the images. Overall, I think the page looks quite cute!

Monthly calendar

I already have quite a few things happening in July so I was glad to have my calendar ready early so I had a space to put them after initially adding them to my future log. I love how bright and colourful the spread turned out and, if you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that strawberries are my absolute favourite fruit and so this theme was a great option for me this month.

The calendar is the usual six by six dot grid spaces as I find I have just enough room to write in all (or most) of whst I need to add.

Finances – income and expenditure

This month, you may have noticed that I appear to have forgotten to use a ruler. Actually, I did it on purpose and it made it sooooo much quicker to do the grid for my calendar and the finances log. And, to be honest, I think it looks okay, and I might do it again and again for the rest of 2026! I saw a tip on a YouTube video (might have been Shayda Campbell) about using two hand drawn lines to show that the wobbly bits are intentional and it certainly doesn’t look as messy if you’re ruler accidentally smudges things or if you accidentally move the ruler.

Reviewing the previous month and getting ready for July

I started creating this spread as a way to think about how things went the previous month including what went well, what didn’t go as planned, changes I might make the next month and anything that I needed to look into to help me going forwards. It’s also a space where I can record any actions I want to take before I start to work towards my monthly goals. For example, this month, I need to read information on the Brockbushes website to find out when the strawberry picking is, how much it costs, what’s on the lunch menu at the cafe there (we can’t just eat strawberries all day), how long it takes to get there and what photos I might want to take so I have a nice record of what we did and any displays they have.

Monthly goals and space for evaluation

I tend to choose about 4 or 5 goals each month, sometimes related to hobbies or experiences I want to have, usually at least one related to my blog or Etsy shop (not included this time as I did a lot of work in June and now, a personal curriculum aim. These fall outside of the time I spend at work and I’m mindful of how much time I will have depending on my hours. In July, I have quite a lot of commitments and I’m getting sessions through regularly (2 since I photographed my spreads) so realistically, I can’t made my goals too lofty or I’m setting myself up to fail.

Weekly plan

I made all of my weekly plans the same for July so I’m just sharing one of them as an example. I kept the decoration very minimal but I do have some spare strawberry stickers if I want to add some later.

Final words…

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my pages for the month of July and are suitably impressed with how early I’ve got them finished (ha ha!). I appreciate that not everyone has the time and inclination to create such highly decorated spreads but for me, it’s really one of my hobbies and something I find a fun, relaxing and mindful activity. I also think I’m more likely to use my planner functionally if it looks pretty! I check in with my bullet journal every day, and throughout the day if I’m at home, and it really works to keep me organised and on track to succeed in creating a life I love.

Wishing you a joyful July,

Business growth, Business management, Creative business strategy

How to Confidently Manage Your Creative Business Without Losing Your Spark (A guest post by Linda Chase)

Posted on Jun 10, 2026 by Laura

Today I’m sharing a wonderfully comprehensive guest post from regular contributor Linda Chase, which is packed full of tips for the confident and smooth running of your creative business ensuring that you can spend more time and energy focusing on what, for me, are the more exciting and rewarding elements such as conceptualization of ideas, planning, designing and making. Whether you’re just starting out or have been running your business for a while, you may feel that the financial and management aspects are a huge, laborious chores and tend to squash your creativity. If this is the case, and for many of us creatives I think it is, I’m sure you’ll find Linda’s article a huge help and full of key takeaways. Let me know what you’ve learnt in the comments and I’ll be sure to pass on your feedback to Linda.

Freelance designers, photographers, illustrators, writers, and other creative professionals often end up doing two full-time jobs: making the work and managing everything around it. The core tension is plain, balancing creativity and business can pull attention away from the craft, yet ignoring business challenges for artists makes income, client relationships, and time feel shaky. When creative work management gets messy, even strong talent can start to feel like a grind instead of a choice. Creative career sustainability comes from building enough structure to protect creative energy.

Quick Summary: Manage Your Creative Business Confidently

Set pricing basics so your work stays profitable and your decisions feel confident.
Use simple contracts and invoices to protect projects and get paid smoothly.
Build a lightweight workflow to keep projects organized without draining creativity.
Organize finances in a straightforward system so you always know what is coming in and going out.
Market authentically so promotion feels aligned with your voice and supports steady growth.

Build Money Confidence with Structured Business Foundations

Once you’ve got the core business basics on your radar, the next step is building the kind of confidence that makes pricing and money decisions feel less like guesswork. Earning a business degree can give creatives practical skills in pricing strategy, financial management, contracts, marketing, and operations, so you can set up simple systems that support your work while preserving your creative energy.

Instead of reinventing the wheel every time you quote a project, negotiate terms, or plan next month’s spending, structured coursework can help you understand the “why” behind everyday decisions and apply it consistently. If you want to learn while you work, options like bachelor’s-level business courses online let you build these foundations without stepping away from client projects or your creative practice. With that grounding in place, you’ll be ready to put a practical, step-by-step system into action in your day-to-day business.

Set Up Simple Systems for Pricing, Payments, and Promotion

This routine turns the business side of your creative work into a repeatable setup you can trust. It matters because fewer money surprises and clearer expectations leave you more energy for the work itself.

Set pricing you can explain in one minute Start with a base rate that covers your time, tools, and overhead, then create 2 to 3 packaged options (basic, standard, premium) so clients can self-select. Use contrast pricing to frame value in plain language by comparing your fee to the client’s current cost of doing it the hard way.
Choose a contract template and lock your scope Pick one contract template that matches your most common project type, then fill in the same few fields every time: deliverables, timeline, rounds of revisions, usage rights, and payment schedule. Add one simple “change request” rule so extra work becomes a clear add-on instead of an awkward conversation.
Send invoices that are clear and easy to pay Standardize your billing so every invoice includes the same essentials, and prepare your invoice with your details, the client’s details, line items, total due, due date, and payment options. Then choose one invoicing method/software so you are not rebuilding the process for every client.
Streamline your workflow with a reusable checklist Write a simple project checklist from inquiry to final delivery, including your key decision points like deposit received, kickoff scheduled, draft sent, and approval captured. Save email and message templates for common moments (welcome, revision request, final files) so you can stay warm and professional without starting from scratch.
Track money weekly and market in your natural voice Block 20 minutes once a week to log income, categorize expenses, and note what is still outstanding so you always know where you stand. For marketing, pick one channel you enjoy and one story you can tell regularly (process, before and after, lessons learned) so your promotion feels like sharing, not performing.

Creative Business FAQs That Keep You in Control

Q: How do I set time boundaries without sounding difficult?
A: Put your hours and response window in writing and repeat it calmly in every onboarding message. Offer one clear alternative, like “I reply within 24 hours on weekdays” plus an option for a paid rush fee. Boundaries feel professional when they are consistent and predictable.

Q: What deposit rule protects me and keeps clients committed?
A: A simple standard is 30% to 50% upfront before any work begins, with the balance tied to milestones or delivery. State that production time starts after the deposit clears, and pause work if payments fall behind. This protects your calendar and reduces awkward follow-ups.

Q: How can I stop scope creep without constant confrontation?
A: Define what is included and what is not included before kickoff, because defining project scope is the foundation of planning. Then use one written change-request policy: new requests get a revised quote, timeline, or both.

Q: When should I charge for revisions or extra rounds?
A: Charge once the client goes beyond the agreed number of rounds or changes direction after approval. Put your revision limits in the agreement and list your hourly or per-round rate for add-ons. Clients usually accept it when the rule is stated upfront.

Q: How often should I review my system as my workload grows?
A: Do a 20-minute monthly review: what ran late, what took extra energy, and what got underpaid. Update one template or checklist each time so improvements are small and sustainable. 47 percent of respondents believe their project management practices are damaging their profitability, so tightening your process is a real revenue move.

Simple Systems That Protect Your Creativity as Business Grows

Running a creative business can feel like a tug-of-war between making great work and managing the admin that keeps it paid and predictable. The steadier path is a mindset of sustainable business growth: keep expectations clear, build routine business practices, and adjust the system as real projects reveal what’s missing. With that approach, decisions get faster, boundaries hold, and scaling creative careers becomes less stressful and more intentional. Pick a few systems, review them regularly, and let your business support your art. Choose 3 foundational creative tools and set one monthly business review to check finances, workflow, and policies. That small rhythm builds resilience, stability, and room to keep creating for the long haul.

Final words…

Thank you to Linda for her super useful guide to effective management of creative businesses. I hope you found the content of today’s article beneficial and I encourage you to bookmark it on your computer (or add it to a dedicated page of links on Notion) so you can reference it in the future as your business starts to grow and expand.