The Creative Planning Workshop presented by the Planner Academy

The Creative Planning Workshop held last September 9th, 2017 at the Wotso Workspace in Canberra was nothing short of amazing! To be honest, I still can’t get over the fact how much I enjoyed myself meeting like-minded individuals from the planning world, learning new things, and most especially, getting my hands on a drool-worthy swag bag! 

I’ve been living in Canberra with my husband and 2 kids for over a year and we make it a point to participate in social events within the community, specifically markets and anything that basically piques our interest. I saw the event for the said planning workshop online and didn’t think twice about singing up for a spot. (I got my ticket in July!)

A bit of an overview about the event before I delve into the juicy bits….

The Creative Planning Workshop is the brainchild of two stationery fanatics, Wita and Aline.

Wita is the talent behind DoodlesDo stickers and Design is Yay. Both brands have been around for a long time and are doing quite well in the very competitive sticker/planner industry.

Aline – also known by the handle @vipplanner on the other hand, is a PR officer for some of the most prominent sticker brands in the world. 

With both of their creative influences combined, they decided to share their knowledge and expertise through the Creative Planning Workshop in hopes to get individuals inspired to get organised through fun and artistic ways.

You can read more about their journey by clicking the banner below.

Photo Grabbed from the Planner Academy

Getting Cosy…

As mentioned earlier, the event was held at the Wotso Workspace in Canberra that basically provides co-working spaces and office suites to those wanting a piece of a professional yet modern work environment. (This is absolutely perfect for those working remotely.)

I got there around 20 minutes before the event took place. I waited in front of the building with a couple of early birds until we were finally let in by one of the maintenance people. (The building is usually closed on weekends.)

We were taken into a dining room-like area that overlooked the cubicles situated in the centre of the hall.

More girls arrived with the same eager excitement in their eyes – all looking forward to the wonderful things the day would bring.

We all exchanged hi’s and hello’s as more attendees started pouring in. Everyone started chatting and getting acquainted with each other. I found out that some of the ladies in the group weren’t even from Canberra. One had to drive up all the way from Sydney just to witness the event. (The love of stickers is totally understandable!)

I was also happy to know that some of them were from the planning groups on Facebook. 

Then, it was time..

Aline emerged from one side of the building and beckoned us to follow her. There were excited giggles and murmurs in the air.

We were led into a beautiful office suite with each aspect decorated intricately and thoughtfully.

There were flowers everywhere which provided a whimsical yet cosy ambience – just wonderful!

Each worktable had a centrepiece of nice pretty craft things too. Die cuts, decorative paper, pencils, and other tools that were essential to bringing out the magic to an already-beautiful start of the day. (And don’t forget about the complimentary refreshments and snacks!)

The best part? Each attendee received their very own swag bag and planner box containing a lot of things that every stationery lover desires.

Each bag held different sticker kits from event sponsors, as well as washi tape, scented candle, planner inserts, tea sampler, paper clips/charms, fillers, and a travellers notebook – which was the focal point of the event. (I love my A5 ringed-planner but I am always on the lookout for different types of organisers that I can use for certain things)

Aline and Wita then started with the introductions on their backgrounds within the planner community, how they came up with the event, what to expect during the workshop, and what we will learn from their masterclasses.

The first Masterclass was all about using Creative and Functional Planner Supplies to decorate your planner pages. This was seamlessly handled by sticker-guru Wita. We learned about the different types of weekly layouts and decorative possibilities. Everyone was given the chance to showcase their talents and interpret what they’ve learned so far.

We were given enough time to experiment with the layouts using the beautiful items from our swag bags and boxes.

Here is my WO4P (Week on 4 Pages) Layout

Here’s one showing a WO2P (Week on 2 Pages) Vertical Layout

And another one showing a WO2P (Week on 2 Pages) Horizontal Layout

Lunch time…

After a fun couple of hours working on our own designs and showing-off our work, it was time to fill our bellies with delicious local food. I had a chance to take a couple of photos before stuffing my face (haha!) with different types of cheeses, salami, prosciutto, crackers, and dip. (because THIS girl loves deli!)

On to the next part…

The second Masterclass, initiated by Aline, was all about Setting up a #GirlBoss Planner. Basically, we were taught how to make our planners work for us by creating and using functional elements without compromising creativity and design.

We learned how to make pocket dashboards…

Notebook/insert covers…

Laminated bookmarks…

As well as using binder clips to work as a pen holder (How amazing, right?!)

At the end of the session, everyone had big smiles on their faces indicating the happiness and utter satisfaction that the workshop afforded us.  

We not only made new-found friends/acquaintances, but I am certain that most of us also discovered within ourselves how planning and decorative ornaments fused together can make a whole difference when it comes to getting organised.

Here’s most of us <3
Photo by Wita & Aline

Looking forward to the next workshop!

A shout-out to all the sponsors (please let me know if I’ve missed anyone)