Hasta La Ideas

Does the thought of a traditional calendar leave you feeling oppressed and anxious? Do you long for a highly creative way to keep track of passing days and in a more enduring format? Then toss that “Epic Sunsets 2011″ wall calendar and “Kittens! Kittens! Kittens!” desk diary in favor of The Open Daybook (Mark Batty Publisher), a new hardcover book of days that can function as a perpetual calendar, chunky desk planner, sketchbook, journal, or just a fun addition to your coffee table. Over the course of a year, editor David P. Earle gave 371 creative people—including Leanne Shapton, David Rakoff, Miranda July, and Tim Barber—24 hours to come up with a piece of art for a particular day of the year. Their contributions are artfully arranged on 365 pages that feature the month and day (in a range of fonts, languages, and formats) along with ample white space for your own jottings, doodles, or pressing engagements. “Curating this book was a bit like making a mix tape,” writes Earle in the book’s introduction. “I wanted each month to have a rhythm composed of similarities and differences….A wide variety of artists and styles seemed to be the best way to evoke the multiplicity of moods, impressions, and associations that make up the experience of a single year.” And with The Open Daybook by your side, there’s no telling what 2011 (or any year!) might bring. We’re already looking forward to May 19, which features Sara Strahan‘s photograph of legumes assembled into letters that spell “Today is an auspicious day for lentils.”

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