I can be found all over the web... My blogs are at
(which I write with fellow Philofaxy reader Diane Hock). My art websites are
1. When did you buy your first Filofax and what was it?
I
know I bought a couple of organisers from Selfridges in around 1999
when I was doing a lot of travelling for work, the perk of which was
some London shopping time.I would have said from recollection that I
had a Personal Cherry Classic and a Personal Brown Cuban. However,
recently I found one of them in a memory box and... Shock! ... It was
not a Cuban, it was a knock off! So it is possible that my first genuine Filofax was an A5 Pink Classic I bought when I wanted a more creative
colour for my art organiser.
2. What other brands have you used or considered using?
The
knock off was a Microfile and it has simply disintegrated. Horrible! I
have tried to understand the allure of the Dodo pad but I am afraid it
passes me by totally. So I am pretty loyal to Filofax now.
3. Out of the organisers you own which is your current favourite (Style and Size)?
My A5 Cherry Classic. It feels really solid and business like in my hands and the colour is neither garish nor boring.
4. How many Filofax organisers do you own?
Ah
well that depends on the outcome of the Ebay Auction on going at the
moment! As I write I have eleven. None of which I have paid full price
for, I hasten to add! The hunt for a good price is part of the fun. And
part of reassuring my husband I will not remortage the house behind his
back to fund my passion. *
5. What do you use your Filofax for?
Short question, long answer necessary I am afraid...
(a) Personal
Mushroom Aston : this is my every day planner. It has a monthly, weekly
and daily diary. I have the Olympic inserts as my weekly diary and a personalised version of Ray and Steve's two pages to a day diary. I use
finance sheets to note my spending on and have a few sheets of notes.
To-dos go on the daily pages. This is carried with me.
(b)
A5 Cherry. This is my 'studio' journal and organises my textile art
practice which I take quite seriously. Sections include time recording,
project sheets for in progress works, calls for entry, ideas for
Articles, income/ expenditure, year planners, personal leaning plans (where I sort out what I want to learn in terms of new skills ) inspiration and evaluation of works completed.
(c)
A5 Pink. I have come to dislike the pepto - bismal colour of this and
may sell it to someone who is a pink girl in due course to justify a new
purchase. Brown and green is more me. I use this at work to make notes
on new statutes and case law. Homemade dividers separate topics like
Road Traffic Accidents and Domestic Violence from Child Law and Court of
Protection.
(d)
A4 Black Classic. Very serious looking! This contains notepaper (I
LOATHE the scratchy quality of the recycled paper we have to use at work
so I buy my own!) ,proformas, referral sheets etc. it keeps my desk
tidy. before I had it no matter how hard I tried paper would spread everywhere.
(e) Saddle brown Cuban A5. Sketchbook. Not nice drawings but notes and
inspirational clippings and scribbles that all relate to ongoing art
projects. So dividers at the moment include diverse topics such as kuba
cloth, transitions, Soweto riots and urban myths. A bound sketchbook
never worked for me as I do not work sequentially and I hated never
being able to find an idea from months ago that was now coming to
fruition.
(f)
Mustard Finchley. This was a gift and is the perfect colour for my
research notes on contemporary African art and artists. This has just two
sections. The first is a series of reading lists because every book Or
website I read seems to throw up twenty more names to research so I just
list as I read and then follow up whenever I have time. Then there is
an A to Z set of dividers containing notes on individual artists and
exhibitions.
(g) Olympic lineburst personal blue. I bought this for the inserts but
actually it has proved wonderful for a health filo and setting this up
has been key to me maintaining a good exercise habit which I never managed
before. I use a week with notes diary and use stickers to show that I
did exercise that day (red for cardio, blue for strength, green for
yoga) and note where I did it. The notes pages I use as a journal. i
have sections for health info, workout suggestions, goals and records of achievements, planned treats when my stickers show I met a goal (yes,
the Supernanny system works for adults too!) and yoga classes online to
try. Because it is cheap, both in price (£7 from staples) and in
construction I don't mind it being in my gym bag with sweaty clothes on
the way home! my dividers have pictures of athletes who inspire me with
space to add some from London 2012.
(h)
A5 Jade Finchley - due to a rejig this is awaiting new dividers. It is
now a combo life planning filo with monthly tabs for goals and a review
journal and a home filo with sections for recipes to try, planning the
garden redesign and the conversion of a garage to a dyeing studio, joint
finances etc.
(i)
A5 Chocolate Classic - this is the one I am also still setting up. It
is to accompany my very full cherry classic and will be what I am
calling my Prepared for Success Filo. As my at personal develops and as
the exhibiting group I have newly helped form also develops i know I
will need to know more about marketing, exhibitions spaces, social
media, photography etc. if the cherry is about my work now, this is to
be where I note what I learn in preparation for the future so I am ready
when opportunities come.
(j)
A5 Cuban chilli - using so many A5's works for me but it does mean that
sometimes I head for a cafe with an African basket full to the brim
with filos and my ipad. That's OK but less practical when I might get odd
moments here and there at work. I have just started to use this as the
centre of a hub and spoke system. Or a transit A5 if you like. All it
has is sheets of all the type soft paper I use in my various A5's and a
next step sheets on which I have listed a few things I need to do from
each of the other A5s. So right now I am in a cafe with that and ipad
and when this is done I see I plan to check out the price of garden
sheds, the Dak'art festival in Senegal and to read an art business
kindle sample. I make whatever notes I need to and every now and again
transfer them to the appropriate A5.
(k)
Personal Aston Orchid. Don't laugh but I bought this because it
matches my bedroom decor and looks great on my dresser next to the bed
and a real orchid plant. It is a little underused as a gratitude journal
and repository of 'i'll do that one day' dream plans. But it looks
great sitting there all elegant!
6. What was the feature about Filofax you like most?
The flexibility to move pages around as things change. And the tactilty. I
am wedded to my iPad but I like the feel of writing notes on ipad
content on paper. Its a good practice too. Otherwise I surf and the
information washes by me and links get lost. Making notes keeps it in my
working memory and ensures I use and retain what I read.
7. If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?
An
electronic chip linkable to an iPad app so that I can send the Filo a
signal and the iPad will tell me which room of the house I left the Filo
in.
8. How do you carry your Filofax?
Most
days I have a leather tote bag and the aston and the transit one go in
there with a bound journal and large amounts of other random rubbish. I
have a parking space at my work building so lugging it is not an issue.
Sometimes when I want to review the content of all my A5s (say on my
monthly reflection morning when I review my life goals) I put them all
in a woven African basket from Ghana and take them all for a day out.
9. Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? Are you going to buy it?
No I am not. No.No.No.No.NO.
Maybe:)
I
have all the classic colours so there is no temptation there , but I
love the colour of the Cuban chestnut.. I meant to buy that on ebay but
the vendor messed up and sent the saddle brown instead. I did a deal for
such a big compensatory discount off what was already a hugely reduced
price that it was worth keeping it but I still eye the chestnut. The Pennybridge looks intriguing for travel. And I am wondering if I ought
to try one of these Maldens people rave over. Maybe some floppiness in
my life would be a good thing?! *
10. What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax? Which model?
£75 for the pink A5 classic. The one I love least and have least used!
11. Turning to Philofaxy, what do you like the most?
The
Community. The ability to join in and belong. I confess that I stumbled
on Philofaxy when surfing on an entirely different topic and took it to
my husband to show him ," this crazy woman who has 28 Filofaxes". I am
now educated and know that either (a) you are not crazy at all and I
wholly apologise or (b) you are crazy as a coot but I am right there
with you and cannot throw any stones
12. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?
No
one ever puts on adspot the discontinued model I really want to buy. I
am not telling you which it is because that will only encourage you to
hike the price if you do sell one!
13. What was the last music album CD you bought or downloaded?
Lupercalia
by Patrick Wolf. I am glad that was my last one otherwise I would have
had to confess to the one before that which was Better Day by Dolly
Parton.
Helen
