The Process Behind Creating My Diorama Calendar

Planning my yearly calendar is a labor of love. It requires careful thought, from coming up with a theme and developing a range of concepts, to selecting a cohesive color palette and sourcing new pieces for each scene. The process begins in June when I start to solidify the theme and brainstorm ideas. By July, I have a working outline of the concepts, and August becomes my month of inventory. During this time, I re-organize my collection to figure out what I already have and what I need to source to bring each diorama to life.

Since most of the furniture or miniatures I use are custom-made or come from overseas, it's important that I have everything ordered, created, or purchased by mid-August. This gives me enough time to ensure everything is in place by mid-September, so I can dive into building the dioramas.

August and early September are dedicated to creating the holiday-themed dioramas and planning the layout for the calendar and accompanying zine. It’s crucial to get this groundwork done early, especially since the fall months are filled with holidays, which can make time management tricky. By mid-September, I’m fully focused on shooting the calendar, tweaking concepts, and making sure each photo fits cohesively into the series.

Once shooting wraps up in early November, I get test prints from the printer. After that, it’s time to shoot the product images and have everything ready for my shop by mid-to-late November.

I know my schedule is tight, and the general advice is to have calendars for sale by October. However, September and October are when my creativity really flourishes, allowing me to produce my best work. And for me, that’s what matters most.