the tiny little high five

the tiny little high five

making time for the work

my analog planners are my heroes

Apr 16, 2025
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Hello there! It's Jocelyn Mathewes from my studio in Appalachia. And I’m in the busiest week of my year—kids’ sports seasons have kicked into gear at the same time as planning for the ArtStruck festival has ramped up. My day job has some big projects underway, it’s Orthodox Holy Week.

The only reason I stay sane during these times is through planning—to let some things lie fallow.

Nearly 10 years of weekly planners all stacked in a pile.

During these seasons, my paper planner is my compass—it’s full of checklists, appointments, goals, and more.

I’ve shared before that an acquaintance once told me “You’re the most left-brained artist I’ve ever met.” This was after she had taken a look through my planners.

And I think she’s partially right.

Inside my head, it’s very messy and chaotic. I’ve also struggled with generalized anxiety my whole life.

So if I come across as “left-brained,” I believe it’s mostly because I’ve spent a lifetime creating systems to rein in the chaos.

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