Calendars and planners 2022: Plan, play & put aside

They are more than just for keeping track of days. Some double as notepads, others inspire with pithy quotes, and still others are works of art. Statement makers for 2022 include the Lavazza calendar shot by Emmanuel Lubezki — the Oscar-winning cinematographer addresses climate change by shooting six artists and activists “who are committed to change”. Here’s our pick of calendars and planners that not only help you keep track of the big days and events, but, often, are collectibles all on their own.

With inputs from Shilpa Nair Anand and Medha Kartha

CALENDARS

Bhuli

Friends Tanya Kotnala and Tanya Singh have been creating limited-edition calendars to celebrate India’s arts and craft since 2017. This year, the theme is Headgears of India. “These are not just fashion pieces, but ornamental coverings that often reflect cultural identity, power, prestige, status, spiritual beliefs, etc. Hats and headdresses communicate ideas,” says Kotnala. Each of the illustrations — from the Himachali cap to Mizoram’s Chawi Lukhum Vakiria — come with a short write-up. ₹665 on bhuli.myinstamojo.com

The Spring Palette

Illustrator Swatee Dey would like a fresh start this new year. And she is channelling her wish through her set of five calendars for 2022. Hand-painted by Dey, each one comes with themes such as mindfulness, self-love, and positivity. The desk and wall calendars are priced at ₹529 and ₹599 respectively, while the combo offers start from ₹1,049 (each order will also include freebies like coasters and art prints). On thespringpalette.com

Art by Apu

Apurva Anand has something special for her 46.3k followers on Instagram. Her 2022 bundle is a treat, with a calendar titled Country Charms (with rustic landscapes), a set of two bookmarks, four mini cards, and 10 mini art prints. While the bundle is priced at ₹630, you can also pick up individual items (calendar at ₹630, bookmarks at ₹250, cards at ₹250, and art prints at ₹550). On @artbyapu

Nori

‘For all the wild days we missed and the wild days we have ahead!’ Darjeeling-born illustrator Nori Norbhu’s The Wilderness Calendar is fun and colourful, and the bold illustrations are all set in nature. Each month also has an inspirational quote to set the mood. ₹549, on noriiart.com

CELEBRATE YOUR CITY

Mumbai

From Dhanraj Mahal’s colorcrete (pigmented concrete) to Eros Cinema’s bas reliefs, Mumbai is replete with examples of Art Deco design. Discover more in Art Deco Mumbai Trust’s 2022-2023 calendar. Spotlighting 24 neighbourhoods in the city, each photograph is illustrated with facts about the architectural style, the colours, etc. ₹225. To order, email decomail@artdecomumbai.in

Chennai

“We aimed to capture the essence of the city, the aspects that make it unique and phenomenal,” says Ashmitha Athreya, Head of Operations of Madras Inherited, an organisation that is working towards heritage awareness and conservation. The bilingual calendar not only lists out the usual holidays, but also identifies dates significant to the city’s history. A special feature: each page transforms into a postcard with a QR code that Athreya promises will reveal a surprise when scanned. ₹449 on @madrasinherited

Goa

Visual designer Nadine Gracias has just the perfect travel-sized calendar — her set of Goan Windows illustrated calendar cards. Taking inspiration from the unique windows you can spot across the state, try to guess where each one is from (we spotted one from Saligao and another colourful example from Fontainhas). ₹450 plus shipping. To order, DM her on @thatgracias_studio

Kolkata

Seagull Books, the Kolkata-based indie publishing house and book store, is turning 40. And to kick off the celebrations, their 2022 calendar is celebrating life in the city. Birds and Beasts is designed by graphic artist and editor Sunandini Banerjee, and the 12 digital collage artworks are also available as signed prints on archival paper (in editions of five, for ₹15,000). The calendar is ₹799 on seagullbooks.org

PLANNERS

TheInk Bucket

Lush flora and colourful fauna fill Vidhi Khandelwal’s art works. While her calendars are gorgeous, we have a soft spot for her hand-illustrated journals. This year, she has three on offer: Comfortably Wild (spot the big cats on the cover!), Birds in Paradise, and Forest (with a gorgeous black-and-white cover). With vision boards, goals/plans pages, habit trackers and more, each purchase also comes with a free sticker book. From ₹1,899 onwards (available in hardbound and spiral versions) on theinkbucket.in

Alicia Souza

Fabric-covered and gold-wiro bound, the Ultimate Planner 2022 has textured pages to prevent ink bleed, monthly mini wellness trackers, two pockets (front and back) to store notes, and so much more. There are also pages to jot down highlights of the year, and record the films and books you’ve watched/read. And it comes with a 16-page sticker book. What’s Alicia Souza merch without her signature illustrations? ₹2,399 on aliciasouza.com

The June Shop

These undated planners encourage you to celebrate the small wins. With pages dedicated to affirmations, goals and the like, there are also sticker sheets, a monthly gratitude and reflection section, and morning and night-time ritual sections. For the music lover, a scannable Spotify code will get you motivational music. ₹1,499 on thejuneshop.com

Bare Necessities

The sustainable brand’s hardcover planner, Fresh Start, is quite minimalist — with a simple brown cover and a sprinkling of illustrations on each page. Designed to encourage mindfulness, it is for those looking to lead a ‘healthy and sustainable life’. There is space for a gratitude list, to identify daily habits that produce waste (and how you can make changes), and even sustainability tips. ₹900 on barenecessities.in