You may have noticed that I launched the 2025 calendar pre-orders with one cover a few weeks ago, and a new cover this week, and wondered "what’s up with that?" Here’s what’s up with that.
This calendar started as a fun little side project in 2019 and has become something much bigger. As it has evolved, the cover design has felt more important, and sometimes when things feel important and serious I get a little lost. I chose what felt like a good, responsible cover with artwork I’m familiar with.
Here are some of the original cover ideas, some of which made it to the interior pages—but not the first cover (top left).
This calendar started as a fun little side project in 2019 and has become something much bigger. As it has evolved, the cover design has felt more important, and sometimes when things feel important and serious I get a little lost. I chose what felt like a good, responsible cover with artwork I’m familiar with.
Here are some of the original cover ideas, some of which made it to the interior pages—but not the first cover (top left).
As I fought with the colors, trying to get two slightly different, hard-to-print oranges to play nicely together...
... I realized I had forgotten something. I had forgotten the whole point: This is a joyous project, celebrating play and exploration.
As you may have noticed, I’m obsessed with color – unusual combinations, and relationships, exploring rules of color and how to playfully break them, along with the wonderful world of how colors make us feel. These colors were making me sad.
So I backed up. I got quiet and clear. The conversation with the Calendar Gods was very simple, it went like this:
Calendar Gods: What are you working on?
Me: Cascade.
Me: Cascade.
CGs: What’s your favorite color?
Me: Green Ochre.
Me: Green Ochre.
CGs: How does it make you feel?
Me: Joyous.
Me: Joyous.
CGs: Cool, that’s your cover.
So there you go. That’s the cover and a reminder to choose joy.
Pre-orders are open through September. Let me know if you have any questions!
xo
Leila
