September: Ailyak

Hello, journaling friends!

In 2025, our monthly Cafe Analog’s friendly journaling challenge, #caprojectme25, will draw its prompts from beautiful words/phrases from various languages around the world. We think it will be a fun way to start the year while also allowing you to design a spread based on the essence of a word/phrase, making it very personal to you! We will also have three journaling prompts for you to choose from, allowing you to connect more deeply with the month’s word/phrase selection. The word for September comes from the Bulgarian “ailyak”.

Ailyak (айляк) is a Bulgarian word borrowed from Turkish aylak, meaning something like “idling, leisure, being carefree.” In Bulgarian culture, this actually carries a positive nuance. It is not referred to as a sense of laziness, but more of a relaxed state of being in which you are unhurried, enjoying the moment, and detached from unnecessary stress.

The word reminds us to align with the natural rhythm of things, rather than forcing; to trust that when we release control, synchronicity and flow will follow. It is the idea that creativity and solutions often arise in the stillness of leisure, rather than in the midst of struggle. As creatives, we may struggle from time to time by pushing and stressing ourselves, expecting results, or creating something “good”. However, the philosophy behind ailyak encourages us to detach from the outcome and create for the joy of being immersed in the process, rather than expecting only the finished product. It also wants us to make space to allow ideas to come to us during relaxed states, like when we’re walking unhurriedly at the park, sipping tea, organizing our stationery capsule, or doing “nothing”.

September, with its transition from summer to autumn, invites reflection and a gentler pace, making “Ailyak” particularly relevant during this time of change. It reminds us to trust the rhythm, to know that creativity is cyclical, and inspiration comes naturally when you aren’t desperately grasping for it. It also gives us the permission to be playful and approach our creative act as leisure, rather than labor.

This month, create a spread using your stationery supplies or other materials to capture the essence of the word ‘ailyak’ for you. If the word is a journal spread, what would it look like? Here are some creative journaling prompts for you to choose from:

1.

REFLECTION ON RELAXATION

What does a leisurely day look like for you? Describe a time when you allowed yourself to unwind completely. What activities or environments help you to embrace the spirit of “Ailyak”?

2.

EMBRACING AUTUMN

As September ushers in the fall season, how do you plan to take things slow and savor the changes around you? Write about the colors, scents, and sounds of autumn that make you feel connected to the present moment.

3.

PRACTICAL CREATIVITY

What are some small, everyday rituals that bring you joy and inspiration? List out your favorite forms of creative expression and explore how you can incorporate them to design your own ritual for the day. For example, how will you create your own morning sipping-coffee ritual or a before-bed ritual that feels relaxing, flowing, and inspiring?

Feel free to share your pages and spreads with the hashtag #caprojectme25 if you’d like others who join the project to find yours, and you can also see how others translate AILYAK into their journal pages! We hope these prompts will enable you to nurture your soul through mindful expression in your daily routines and celebrate the beauty of gentle relaxation.

love, H.