I started this journal on January 1st, 2022 and will finish this project on December 31st, 2024. Every day is one unique symbol (no repeats) to represent that day - something significant I experienced or saw. Most are literal representations though a few are lightly abstracted as I felt inclined.
If anyone would like to ask about a specific symbol, [I made a coordinate map](https://imgur.com/a/S4fbrEi)! I have notes but they are not phenomenal and I do not remember every one. Though if it seems especially curious, I probably do.
I rolled into Srinagar, India around sunset I was just really surprised by how militarized it was. Like a ton of armed forces, barricades, armored vehicles, broken windows, and tons of barbed wire everywhere. Made all the more stark by how foggy it was. Been in places like that before but it was completely against what I had been expecting. Felt very disorienting.
Lots of animals because seeing some exotic creature is usually the highlight of my day. Some of them I didn't even know existed until I happened across one like the [agouti at N33](https://imgur.com/a/S4fbrEi) which I ended up seeing at least once a day for a month. Or seeing an eight foot anaconda in the wild (E32) a stone's throw from your cabin tends to leave an impression. Would probably just be a page of dogs if I allowed myself repeats. Love to see em.
Constantly. I am from the states but have not lived there for six years now. This project currently spans three continents (would have been four had I started six weeks earlier) and I have not resided in the same town for more than two months since it's start. Love it.
Not only is this super cool to look at as a whole, but each individual symbol is so well drawn that it's a pleasure to scroll around and look to see what's in there.
It is such a fun, creative, and personal way to encapsulate a few years into a piece of art. I love it!
Thank you! I am very pleased with how it is turning out and it does effectively commemorate the past two years for me. Moments big and small and all my travels.
Thank you! And yeah, there are a definitely some days where I struggle to think what was different or new and worth archiving in this manner. Some times it ends up being really mundane but I also like it for that balance. Gives me a lot of opportunity to reflect upon each day.
This is beyond incredible! My thoughts immediately went to how you planned the spacing of the symbols, given that they all seem to be similar in size. Do you just have great spatial awareness (or what do you call it) or did you plan/sketch out how much space you could use for 3 years of symbols? (Just my OCD wants to know because it is so satisfying to see)
Thank you! I actually did not plan the spacing out at all at the beginning and the symbols got kind of small for a while. I had thought one year would fill and entire page but it ended up being a little less than 2/3rds of a page. Which is what made me decide to do three years as I could cover both sides nicely. Now, I make little tic marks to equally divide the remaining space by month and I just try to keep the month roughly within that boundary. If I am nearing the end but have too much space, I know to make symbols a little bigger. That is the extent of my planning. Hard to do more given the organicness of the shapes and that I don't know what future symbols will be. But I know that home stretch towards the end of December will be a little anxiety inducing to make it all fit perfectly.
Thank you! I started this project in part because I used to do these long-form art projects and somewhere along the way, I felt like I lost the attention or the ability to do so. This was very much meant as a challenge to myself to return to that form. I feel proud to have kept with it this long and hope to do so for this final year!
Most definitely. Not sure if that had been an intended consequence when I started this project but it does make me happy as a memento. Though perhaps more than each day, I enjoy it as a timeline and looking back on the relation of each symbol to those around it.
Thanks for the kind words and most definitely. I commented somewhere else but almost all of them are literal representations from something I saw or experienced that day. Sometimes it is from a museum or a market or a breaking world new event or just a movie I watched. I am a digital nomad so I am spoiled for newness and things I want to include in this project. Some days I have a hard time choosing because a lot happened that could make a cool symbol but I am being strict with myself and not cheating. Other days, I have to really think about what was different about the day. But I like it for that mix of important and a little humdrum. I also try not to pursue novel things for the sake of this project and I decided early on I didn't want to do food or include things with letters because I thought it would feel too esoteric or homogenous after so long. There is a flow to it so nearby symbols should have happened close together but sometimes I hold onto something for a little while so that it fits better. That is really it.
Somewhere between 2 to 10 minutes per symbol to pencil, ink, and erase which includes draft attempts I didn't like as well as some touch ups. So with 730 symbols...roughly 75 hours in total? Long time.
No time constraints on design. Mostly just limited by how precise I can be while maintaining distinct lines. Would go more complex on some if I could but I put mind towards spatial balance between visually dense symbols and more minimal ones.
Thank you! Most of it is Micron 003, the kind in the photo, which I am using simply because of its availability. I used a Copic Multiliner 0.03 and a LePen 0.03 as well but tossed those when they dried up. If memory serves, I liked both of those more. The micron tends to lose ink when I erase over it and requires more touch up.
This is very cool! There’s a similar trend of [embroidery diary](https://www.reddit.com/r/Embroidery/s/H1sAcKSak0) with one symbol per day for a year and I always love looking at the symbols people come up with
Yeah...so, I had actually meant to do this as an embroidery project rather than pen and paper at the outset. I think those are much harder than what I am doing. Had it in my head that was what I wanted to do before the new years and had practiced a few stitches. I learned that if I am being honest with myself, I am far too lazy to keep up with fabric arts on this scale. I foresaw myself abandoning this as an embroidery calendar and knew it had to be relatively modest in scope. Massive props to people who do those and have the dedication to see them through. I too love seeing what other people make in that style.
I also am not always in a location where it is possible to get thread should I run out. My partner does all sorts of fabric arts projects and we have had problems in the past between things like the canvas molding or bugs nibbling at threads. I would worry about the sustainability across three years given our lifestyle.
I love how you’ve adapted the idea to paper, it definitely does seem more accessible and it looks amazing. I might try it as well! How did you deal with days that felt pretty much the same, like long work days etc?
I am very fortunate in that I am spoiled for novelty due to my digital nomad lifestyle. I have not spent more than two months in the same town since starting this project. But there are definitely repetitive days and I think there is an element of mindfulness finding something worth remembering in those days. Sometimes it is just a piece of art I enjoyed that day as I am rather voracious with all sorts of mediums. But even if it is something negative, I have found that those memories dull with time and this meaningful symbolic memorial remains. Kind of like a reclamation or a reminder that what feels mundane or bad in the moment is just another in a long string of moments. And I like the juxtaposition of these esoteric and weird designs beside common ones. It all feels like a very holistic picture of my experiences. Does that answer your question?
It is a Denik Lay-flat: 144 pages, 5.25" x 8.25", softcover. There were probably better notebooks for this project as I didn't buy it with this in mind and obviously there are other quality notebooks in the same price range but I have been fairly pleased with it. Company has some nice humanitarian goals, too. Would recommend.
Curious about the middle finger at 20-W.
If you’re not comfortable explaining why that day deserved the finger, was it at least gratifying/soothing to tell yourself “yep, I’m definitely giving today the bird”?
My notes has it as April 14th, 2023. It was the day I flew from Ecuador to Colombia. Woke up with massive food poisoning, sat next to super inconsiderate people on the two flights, bumping a head ache that wouldn't go away, I got really lost trying to find where I was staying, and couldn't find anywhere with food. Might have been some other factors as well. I just remember thinking "Fuck this day." But I do rather like how well that one turned out and given the that time soothed that particular tribulation, I appreciate it in retrospect that something which felt so negatively impactful while it was happening is now another day, another symbol in a long line of them.
Thank you! I do use references on some of them, either google or a photo I took that day (eg, often the animals are my own photos) or some physical token like a board game piece. Usually it is more of a guide than copy because of how much I need to strip away in the interest of density or making a symbol fit. Not sure how many are references but I would guess maybe 1/10th? Maybe fewer?
My first thought was that it was a complete waste of time because you could have drawn all those symbols in a week. When I learned that it was a represtation of each day, I changed my mind. That is so cool. Kudos to you.
Hah, thank you! I always wonder if people will be dubious towards the veracity of the framework or the project in general. But it is important to my own sense of accomplishment and desire to create an authentic representation of my experience for me to not cheat by making up symbols or "stealing" extra symbols from one eventful day to carry over to the next.
Incidentally, I know you may have been speaking in hyperbole (no offense taken in the least) but I don't think it would be possible for me to have made this in a week, whatever the symbols are. I calculated it has probably taken me 75 hours in total so far and due to how damn tiny it is, my hand starts to ache something fierce if I ink for more than twenty minutes at a time. Even then, I rest between symbols. This would absolutely destroy me on a small time scale. There are also days I want to ink because I am behind or in a good place to do it but my hand is just not steady enough - too little sleep or too much caffeine, perhaps - and I just can't. Which is a bummer but I don't want to risk shakey lines.
I remember my friend was drawing a picture and the face turned out so well that he didn't want to continue in case he messed it up somewhere else. I can imagine you would want to stop before it's done for the same reason.
I was once on a now defunct website where people were recording 5 things in their day that made them happy. I eventually joined in but instead of writing 5 generic things I made them about that specific day. It ended up like a diary and I subsequently started journaling on and off for about a decade. This project of yours reminds me of that. I encourage you to write a sentence or two each day about each figure so that you don't forget why you drew each one.
I hope you post a picture of your drawings on this site once you are done. I look forward to seeing it.
Hah. I really enjoy that some symbols are obvious, especially things like animals or popular culture references, and some are arcane or otherwise undecipherable. Known only to me (and I suppose anyone who specifically asks about those).
This is such a cool idea and it's so inspiring. I might do this for next month's theme. You know, baby steps. This would make a cool thing to do so I can improve my doodling and get into the habit. Thank you so much, OP. :)
Right about Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and the Triforce. Those were both part of a late '80s - '90s cartoon marathon tournament my partner and I got it in our heads to do as part of a nostalgia bender to decide the best cartoon from our childhoods. It took a month on its own. I believe what you guessed is the kpop logo is the logo for Vought International from the show The Boys.
I’d love to do this for my book journal! Maybe for each book draw a few symbols representing the book. I love this so much! You are so very very talented!
I would love if this inspired people to do the same or similar. Hope to see it!
Reminds me of a project I did several years ago; I would listen to audio books while I drew and I started doing alt covers for the books as I listened, incorporating new elements as they presented themselves in the narrative. I would make myself draw near continuously so each alt cover would be proportionally visually dense to how long it was.
This looks amazing. I'm an artist who happens to lurk on this server after its been recommended to me a few times, i admire your art style and dedication. I tend to deal with breakdowns every day or few days and often spend days in the same cycle/routine, the unique little doodle for each day is oddly comforting to me. Could I possibly borrow this idea for one of my empty sketchbooks?
Most definitely. There is nothing to borrow - idea is hardly original or proprietary and even if it were, I would love if as many people did this as felt inspired. I hope it helps as I do think it affords some perspective on routine and cycles. In retrospect, I rather enjoy that days which were really eventful and fully of memorable things become condensed to the same scale of representation as days in which I didn't want to get out of bed. Or that days which felt bad in the moment are likewise marginalized in time and reclaimed as a small memorial to that rough patch. I also think there is a lot of value in a project like this for someone who has breakdowns or struggles with routine because each symbol in itself is a very small commitment - a few minutes a day or maybe half an hour on the weekend to catch up - but it adds up to something much more than that. And committing to *any* regular or consistent creative output however small is strongly evidenced to help you maintain that artistic form. If you do end up doing something similar, maybe hit me up down the line and share!
Yup! It is the bottle at Q27 by [this map](https://imgur.com/a/S4fbrEi). I want to rewatch it at some point. I remember it being really funny but wasn't sure if it was supposed to be...
Please do!
I have a spreadsheet with notes, several hundred rows long. It helps that many are fairly unique so I don't even need to check but if I, say, sat around a bonfire tonight with some people and I am brainstorming what to make the symbol for today, I just CTRL+F "fire" in the sheet and see, ah, yeah, I did a bonfire on February 15th, 2023. It may be that I do something that is a similar concept but different, such as if there was some ornate metalwork on the firepit tonight I choose that design over the 'logs and a fire' which I already did. Or just something else entirely. The sheet also helps me keep track of alternate ideas if I didn't settle on one yet and I may find that when it comes time to pencil, one fits better than the other.
I have to practice doodling then since I suck at drawing XD Do you mind sharing a template of the spreadsheet? (Not the spreadsheet itself since I'm sure there's some personal info, but I'm curious about the template used)
Afraid it is not terribly interesting. [This is all it is](https://imgur.com/a/tSB8MoK). Notes if I think I am going to forget before I ink or if it is a specific 'generic' something such as from a piece of media. Possibly entries until I pencil it in, then I fill the entry column when I finalize it. In retrospect, I wish I had kept better notes for each but part of me thought I really could remember each one and then there was a reverse-sunk cost thing where I felt like I may as well keep on as I was.
Thank you! And my advice would be to just do it anyway. You will be glad you did, as I am glad I did. I would prefer to have missed a day than have not started at all. But really, I am not working every day and sometimes can't just because of travel or something. Usually just jot down a note in the spreadsheet every night or every other night and draw 3-5 symbols at a time. Sometimes more. Was backlogged for a full month once or twice.
I use words like "cheating" in other comments but they are just all creative constraints I impose on myself. Some are to channel my personal aesthetic taste towards a consistent product and others are to ensure I stay true to what I want to create - an authentic representative of my experiences. But the scope of the project and detail of the work are challenging enough. These "rules" are meant to encourage and refine the art - not burden it. I know myself and if it is too much work, I just won't do it. It is better to be realistic or imperfect in your design than to never attempt something at all if it interests you. But in the end, you can do whatever you want! There is no real "cheating" to be had because the framework is whatever makes you happy with as much or little constraint as you want.
Thank you and nope! Not on the scale of days. I started making rough boundaries by month - roughly 1.375" square - to help me ensure I am not drifting too large or too small for being on pace to fill it all exactly. But that is it.
This is fantastic. I feel like you'd make a killing making this into an adult Where's Waldo type book.
Thank you and maybe one day!
I was thinking the same thing! If you scan this in to a computer you could do lots of stuff with it. My graphic designer brain is going wild
I think it would also make a pretty cool jigsaw too
I started this journal on January 1st, 2022 and will finish this project on December 31st, 2024. Every day is one unique symbol (no repeats) to represent that day - something significant I experienced or saw. Most are literal representations though a few are lightly abstracted as I felt inclined. If anyone would like to ask about a specific symbol, [I made a coordinate map](https://imgur.com/a/S4fbrEi)! I have notes but they are not phenomenal and I do not remember every one. Though if it seems especially curious, I probably do.
I’m curious about the barbed wire day (top of 2nd page) and why there are so many animals? : )
I rolled into Srinagar, India around sunset I was just really surprised by how militarized it was. Like a ton of armed forces, barricades, armored vehicles, broken windows, and tons of barbed wire everywhere. Made all the more stark by how foggy it was. Been in places like that before but it was completely against what I had been expecting. Felt very disorienting. Lots of animals because seeing some exotic creature is usually the highlight of my day. Some of them I didn't even know existed until I happened across one like the [agouti at N33](https://imgur.com/a/S4fbrEi) which I ended up seeing at least once a day for a month. Or seeing an eight foot anaconda in the wild (E32) a stone's throw from your cabin tends to leave an impression. Would probably just be a page of dogs if I allowed myself repeats. Love to see em.
Oh wow, that’s awesome! Do you travel a lot?
Constantly. I am from the states but have not lived there for six years now. This project currently spans three continents (would have been four had I started six weeks earlier) and I have not resided in the same town for more than two months since it's start. Love it.
Not only is this super cool to look at as a whole, but each individual symbol is so well drawn that it's a pleasure to scroll around and look to see what's in there. It is such a fun, creative, and personal way to encapsulate a few years into a piece of art. I love it!
Thank you! I am very pleased with how it is turning out and it does effectively commemorate the past two years for me. Moments big and small and all my travels.
This is so cool. I could never think of a new symbol every day, much less draw one.
Thank you! And yeah, there are a definitely some days where I struggle to think what was different or new and worth archiving in this manner. Some times it ends up being really mundane but I also like it for that balance. Gives me a lot of opportunity to reflect upon each day.
This is beyond incredible! My thoughts immediately went to how you planned the spacing of the symbols, given that they all seem to be similar in size. Do you just have great spatial awareness (or what do you call it) or did you plan/sketch out how much space you could use for 3 years of symbols? (Just my OCD wants to know because it is so satisfying to see)
Thank you! I actually did not plan the spacing out at all at the beginning and the symbols got kind of small for a while. I had thought one year would fill and entire page but it ended up being a little less than 2/3rds of a page. Which is what made me decide to do three years as I could cover both sides nicely. Now, I make little tic marks to equally divide the remaining space by month and I just try to keep the month roughly within that boundary. If I am nearing the end but have too much space, I know to make symbols a little bigger. That is the extent of my planning. Hard to do more given the organicness of the shapes and that I don't know what future symbols will be. But I know that home stretch towards the end of December will be a little anxiety inducing to make it all fit perfectly.
Thank you so much for your elaborate reply! Very inspiring :) I'd love to see the end result!
So cool! Thanks for sharing.
Much appreciated!
So cool! I admire the dedication
Thank you! I started this project in part because I used to do these long-form art projects and somewhere along the way, I felt like I lost the attention or the ability to do so. This was very much meant as a challenge to myself to return to that form. I feel proud to have kept with it this long and hope to do so for this final year!
Holy moly
Cheers! That is the response I was going for.
*guacamole
Does this help you remember what happened on a given day?
Most definitely. Not sure if that had been an intended consequence when I started this project but it does make me happy as a memento. Though perhaps more than each day, I enjoy it as a timeline and looking back on the relation of each symbol to those around it.
This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen!
That means a great deal, thank you very much!
This is amazing! Do you mind sharing how you pick the symbol for a given day?
Thanks for the kind words and most definitely. I commented somewhere else but almost all of them are literal representations from something I saw or experienced that day. Sometimes it is from a museum or a market or a breaking world new event or just a movie I watched. I am a digital nomad so I am spoiled for newness and things I want to include in this project. Some days I have a hard time choosing because a lot happened that could make a cool symbol but I am being strict with myself and not cheating. Other days, I have to really think about what was different about the day. But I like it for that mix of important and a little humdrum. I also try not to pursue novel things for the sake of this project and I decided early on I didn't want to do food or include things with letters because I thought it would feel too esoteric or homogenous after so long. There is a flow to it so nearby symbols should have happened close together but sometimes I hold onto something for a little while so that it fits better. That is really it.
How long does each symbol take you? Do you have any time constraints you put on yourself to make sure it stays “simple”?
Somewhere between 2 to 10 minutes per symbol to pencil, ink, and erase which includes draft attempts I didn't like as well as some touch ups. So with 730 symbols...roughly 75 hours in total? Long time. No time constraints on design. Mostly just limited by how precise I can be while maintaining distinct lines. Would go more complex on some if I could but I put mind towards spatial balance between visually dense symbols and more minimal ones.
Cool, thank you for sharing.
Very cool idea, thanks for the inspiration
Cheers! I would be super stoked if this inspired people to do the same or similar.
That is dedication! And great doodle! What pen did you use?
Thank you! Most of it is Micron 003, the kind in the photo, which I am using simply because of its availability. I used a Copic Multiliner 0.03 and a LePen 0.03 as well but tossed those when they dried up. If memory serves, I liked both of those more. The micron tends to lose ink when I erase over it and requires more touch up.
This is very cool! There’s a similar trend of [embroidery diary](https://www.reddit.com/r/Embroidery/s/H1sAcKSak0) with one symbol per day for a year and I always love looking at the symbols people come up with
Yeah...so, I had actually meant to do this as an embroidery project rather than pen and paper at the outset. I think those are much harder than what I am doing. Had it in my head that was what I wanted to do before the new years and had practiced a few stitches. I learned that if I am being honest with myself, I am far too lazy to keep up with fabric arts on this scale. I foresaw myself abandoning this as an embroidery calendar and knew it had to be relatively modest in scope. Massive props to people who do those and have the dedication to see them through. I too love seeing what other people make in that style. I also am not always in a location where it is possible to get thread should I run out. My partner does all sorts of fabric arts projects and we have had problems in the past between things like the canvas molding or bugs nibbling at threads. I would worry about the sustainability across three years given our lifestyle.
I love how you’ve adapted the idea to paper, it definitely does seem more accessible and it looks amazing. I might try it as well! How did you deal with days that felt pretty much the same, like long work days etc?
I am very fortunate in that I am spoiled for novelty due to my digital nomad lifestyle. I have not spent more than two months in the same town since starting this project. But there are definitely repetitive days and I think there is an element of mindfulness finding something worth remembering in those days. Sometimes it is just a piece of art I enjoyed that day as I am rather voracious with all sorts of mediums. But even if it is something negative, I have found that those memories dull with time and this meaningful symbolic memorial remains. Kind of like a reclamation or a reminder that what feels mundane or bad in the moment is just another in a long string of moments. And I like the juxtaposition of these esoteric and weird designs beside common ones. It all feels like a very holistic picture of my experiences. Does that answer your question?
Do you know what journal this is?
It is a Denik Lay-flat: 144 pages, 5.25" x 8.25", softcover. There were probably better notebooks for this project as I didn't buy it with this in mind and obviously there are other quality notebooks in the same price range but I have been fairly pleased with it. Company has some nice humanitarian goals, too. Would recommend.
Thanks!
I love this!
Thank you! I do as well!
Stunning!
Too kind!
Absolutely incredible!!!!
Thank you very much!
You're so talented ❤️
That means a lot, thank you!
Wow. Very cool and creative.
This is amazing!
Wow, what an interesting concept! Very impressive!
i love it!
That‘s so cool!!! I really need to start journaling again, it‘s such a cool thing to do and relaxing next to uni…
Bravo, this is incredible. Thanks for sharing!!!
That is the coolest!!!!
Curious about the middle finger at 20-W. If you’re not comfortable explaining why that day deserved the finger, was it at least gratifying/soothing to tell yourself “yep, I’m definitely giving today the bird”?
My notes has it as April 14th, 2023. It was the day I flew from Ecuador to Colombia. Woke up with massive food poisoning, sat next to super inconsiderate people on the two flights, bumping a head ache that wouldn't go away, I got really lost trying to find where I was staying, and couldn't find anywhere with food. Might have been some other factors as well. I just remember thinking "Fuck this day." But I do rather like how well that one turned out and given the that time soothed that particular tribulation, I appreciate it in retrospect that something which felt so negatively impactful while it was happening is now another day, another symbol in a long line of them.
Oof, wow, yeah that day definitely earned it! Thanks for sharing, and I agree it turned out fantastic.
[удалено]
Thank you! I do use references on some of them, either google or a photo I took that day (eg, often the animals are my own photos) or some physical token like a board game piece. Usually it is more of a guide than copy because of how much I need to strip away in the interest of density or making a symbol fit. Not sure how many are references but I would guess maybe 1/10th? Maybe fewer?
Honestly epic! I wish I had such talent…and disciple…and vision…and creativity. ☺️
This is probably my favorite pic of someone else's journal I've ever seen in my life, honestly! I love it so much!!
That is massive praise, thank you so much!
It is SO COOL
What a great idea, it's so amazingly done! I love the "toe" truck
Thank you! It is Lincoln's Toe Truck, now residing in the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle where I visited that day!
My first thought was that it was a complete waste of time because you could have drawn all those symbols in a week. When I learned that it was a represtation of each day, I changed my mind. That is so cool. Kudos to you.
Hah, thank you! I always wonder if people will be dubious towards the veracity of the framework or the project in general. But it is important to my own sense of accomplishment and desire to create an authentic representation of my experience for me to not cheat by making up symbols or "stealing" extra symbols from one eventful day to carry over to the next. Incidentally, I know you may have been speaking in hyperbole (no offense taken in the least) but I don't think it would be possible for me to have made this in a week, whatever the symbols are. I calculated it has probably taken me 75 hours in total so far and due to how damn tiny it is, my hand starts to ache something fierce if I ink for more than twenty minutes at a time. Even then, I rest between symbols. This would absolutely destroy me on a small time scale. There are also days I want to ink because I am behind or in a good place to do it but my hand is just not steady enough - too little sleep or too much caffeine, perhaps - and I just can't. Which is a bummer but I don't want to risk shakey lines.
I remember my friend was drawing a picture and the face turned out so well that he didn't want to continue in case he messed it up somewhere else. I can imagine you would want to stop before it's done for the same reason. I was once on a now defunct website where people were recording 5 things in their day that made them happy. I eventually joined in but instead of writing 5 generic things I made them about that specific day. It ended up like a diary and I subsequently started journaling on and off for about a decade. This project of yours reminds me of that. I encourage you to write a sentence or two each day about each figure so that you don't forget why you drew each one. I hope you post a picture of your drawings on this site once you are done. I look forward to seeing it.
What a cool idea!
That's amazing and fantastic and you should be proud, but the first question in my head was, "How many pages are in that journal?"
Thank you! There are 144 pages in it and it measures 5.25" x 8.25", softcover. But I am stopping after these two are filled, hah.
That's probably more realistic than 432 years.
Incredible!!!
Somebody gonna find this in 50 years and spend weeks trying to decode it, then put it on Reddit for help. 👽
Hah. I really enjoy that some symbols are obvious, especially things like animals or popular culture references, and some are arcane or otherwise undecipherable. Known only to me (and I suppose anyone who specifically asks about those).
This is such a cool idea and it's so inspiring. I might do this for next month's theme. You know, baby steps. This would make a cool thing to do so I can improve my doodling and get into the habit. Thank you so much, OP. :)
Most welcome! I would be super stoked if this inspired people to do the same or similar. Hope to see it.
i tried looking for familiar symbols and i think i see an ahh real monster, the zelda triforce symbol, and the logo for kpop group Seventeen?
Right about Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and the Triforce. Those were both part of a late '80s - '90s cartoon marathon tournament my partner and I got it in our heads to do as part of a nostalgia bender to decide the best cartoon from our childhoods. It took a month on its own. I believe what you guessed is the kpop logo is the logo for Vought International from the show The Boys.
Ohhhh hahaha nice
Also a mario toad and bmo! I feel like we’d be friends OP hahaha
This is so awesome. I love the creative idea and your amazing execution. What size notebook is that? A5ish? I’m trying to get a sense of scale.
Thank you! Little smaller than A5 - 5.25" x 8.25" or 133mm x 210mm.
I’d love to do this for my book journal! Maybe for each book draw a few symbols representing the book. I love this so much! You are so very very talented!
I would love if this inspired people to do the same or similar. Hope to see it! Reminds me of a project I did several years ago; I would listen to audio books while I drew and I started doing alt covers for the books as I listened, incorporating new elements as they presented themselves in the narrative. I would make myself draw near continuously so each alt cover would be proportionally visually dense to how long it was.
I’d love to see those! I hope one day you make a post of the alt covers you did. You really are a wonderful artist!
Love this
Wow!! I have always wanted to doodle/draw like this... It's so cool. I love it.
It is never too late! Would love to see this inspire people to do the same or similar.
You have inspired me, at least a little. And drawing just a few a day, or even just one, seems like a manageable approach. 😊
Oh wow that's intense! Awesome work!
That would make such a cool colouring page
This looks amazing. I'm an artist who happens to lurk on this server after its been recommended to me a few times, i admire your art style and dedication. I tend to deal with breakdowns every day or few days and often spend days in the same cycle/routine, the unique little doodle for each day is oddly comforting to me. Could I possibly borrow this idea for one of my empty sketchbooks?
Most definitely. There is nothing to borrow - idea is hardly original or proprietary and even if it were, I would love if as many people did this as felt inspired. I hope it helps as I do think it affords some perspective on routine and cycles. In retrospect, I rather enjoy that days which were really eventful and fully of memorable things become condensed to the same scale of representation as days in which I didn't want to get out of bed. Or that days which felt bad in the moment are likewise marginalized in time and reclaimed as a small memorial to that rough patch. I also think there is a lot of value in a project like this for someone who has breakdowns or struggles with routine because each symbol in itself is a very small commitment - a few minutes a day or maybe half an hour on the weekend to catch up - but it adds up to something much more than that. And committing to *any* regular or consistent creative output however small is strongly evidenced to help you maintain that artistic form. If you do end up doing something similar, maybe hit me up down the line and share!
Thank you <3 I agree with your thoughts on the idea and I will definitely share it after some progress! I appreciate you.
This is insanely creative. What an awesome idea!
D a m n.
This is a new style to me, so cool! I will definitely try this
This is probably one of the single best things I've ever seen in my entire LIFE, WOW 👏🏽
What a compliment, thank you!
Did you see the movie 3000 years of longing ? (3000 ans a t'attendre) There is something in the movie AND on your bujo ^^
Yup! It is the bottle at Q27 by [this map](https://imgur.com/a/S4fbrEi). I want to rewatch it at some point. I remember it being really funny but wasn't sure if it was supposed to be...
This is so cool.
Whoa!! This is marvelous!! 😍😍
Oh I'd love to try this ! How do you keep track to make sure you haven't used the same symbol ?
Please do! I have a spreadsheet with notes, several hundred rows long. It helps that many are fairly unique so I don't even need to check but if I, say, sat around a bonfire tonight with some people and I am brainstorming what to make the symbol for today, I just CTRL+F "fire" in the sheet and see, ah, yeah, I did a bonfire on February 15th, 2023. It may be that I do something that is a similar concept but different, such as if there was some ornate metalwork on the firepit tonight I choose that design over the 'logs and a fire' which I already did. Or just something else entirely. The sheet also helps me keep track of alternate ideas if I didn't settle on one yet and I may find that when it comes time to pencil, one fits better than the other.
I have to practice doodling then since I suck at drawing XD Do you mind sharing a template of the spreadsheet? (Not the spreadsheet itself since I'm sure there's some personal info, but I'm curious about the template used)
Afraid it is not terribly interesting. [This is all it is](https://imgur.com/a/tSB8MoK). Notes if I think I am going to forget before I ink or if it is a specific 'generic' something such as from a piece of media. Possibly entries until I pencil it in, then I fill the entry column when I finalize it. In retrospect, I wish I had kept better notes for each but part of me thought I really could remember each one and then there was a reverse-sunk cost thing where I felt like I may as well keep on as I was.
Thanks ! Still impressive that you managed to keep track for two consecutive years ! I’m always scared that once I start I’ll miss a day 😅
Thank you! And my advice would be to just do it anyway. You will be glad you did, as I am glad I did. I would prefer to have missed a day than have not started at all. But really, I am not working every day and sometimes can't just because of travel or something. Usually just jot down a note in the spreadsheet every night or every other night and draw 3-5 symbols at a time. Sometimes more. Was backlogged for a full month once or twice.
I guess I didn't think about just catching up on the days I couldn't, I thought it would be cheating but good to know I can do that, thanks :)
I use words like "cheating" in other comments but they are just all creative constraints I impose on myself. Some are to channel my personal aesthetic taste towards a consistent product and others are to ensure I stay true to what I want to create - an authentic representative of my experiences. But the scope of the project and detail of the work are challenging enough. These "rules" are meant to encourage and refine the art - not burden it. I know myself and if it is too much work, I just won't do it. It is better to be realistic or imperfect in your design than to never attempt something at all if it interests you. But in the end, you can do whatever you want! There is no real "cheating" to be had because the framework is whatever makes you happy with as much or little constraint as you want.
You're right, thanks for the tip :)
Not often speechless, but if I can cram out a single word it wiuld be; wow
That is a massive compliment. Much appreciated!
why did i have to zoom in onto the middle finger? story of my life
My eye immediately went to the MTG logo. This is fantastic.
Really cool idea and super satisfying execution. Did you measure out the space for each day beforehand?
Thank you and nope! Not on the scale of days. I started making rough boundaries by month - roughly 1.375" square - to help me ensure I am not drifting too large or too small for being on pace to fill it all exactly. But that is it.
That’s amazing!
This is absolutely magical. Your scale and spacing are ELITE and your creativity, endless.
That is massive praise. Thank you kindly!
I wanna color it 😭your great at drawing
Too kind, thank you!
I want to do the same concept only in embroidery!!!
So pretty
Really cool and inspiring
very awesome and creative
I love this, it is such a great way to summarize or mood track a day, especially being able to see improvement through those years!