A Creative Reset for January

As 2021 begins, a new set of desktop wallpapers arrives to refresh your screens and inspire fresh energy for the months ahead. Created by artists and designers from around the world, this month's collection offers a mix of themes, visual styles, and moods — from cozy winter scenes to bold expressions of optimism for the year ahead.

Each design in this round-up is available in versions both with and without a calendar, so you can keep your favorite artwork on screen long after January ends. The artists were given full creative freedom for their submissions, allowing each piece to reflect an authentic and deeply personal interpretation of the new year. Many of this month's contributions carry a reflective tone, acknowledging the difficulties of 2020 while looking forward to the challenges and opportunities of 2021.

Ready For New Adventures

This month's collection kicks off with a piece by PopArt Studio from Novi Sad, Serbia. The artwork carries a clear motivational message: while the previous year was a bumpy ride, the outlook is one of enthusiasm, optimism, and vigor. The intention is to glide effortlessly through difficulties and jump over anything standing between us and our goals.

Ready for New Adventures

A Touch of Warmth for Winter Nights

From France, designer Ovidiu Pall brings a gentler, more intimate aesthetic to the collection. The theme here is one of comfort and shared hope for a better year ahead. The creator's own words capture the sentiment: it's been a rough year, but there are high hopes for the future. Until then, the piece encourages us to slow down and enjoy the winter holidays at home.

Stars In A Bottle

January Wallpapers for Every Screen

To welcome the new year, Ricardo Gimenes of Sweden crafted a design that urges us to "Spread The Love Online." The artwork carries a hopeful, community-minded message as we move into 2021, and it is offered in both calendar and no-calendar versions to suit your desktop preferences.

Spread The Love Online

Available for a wide range of display resolutions, the calendar edition covers standard 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios. The highest available resolutions reach 2560x1440 and 3840x2160 for those needing extra sharpness on larger monitors or 4K displays.

Downloads are broken down into two categories, one set with the monthly calendar integrated into the wallpaper and another clean set without any date markings for those who prefer a minimal look or use a separate calendar widget.

From the Archives: Timeless January Wallpaper Favorites

Looking back, the community has produced some memorable takes on the New Year theme. The designs below, drawn from past editions, are a sample of those contributions. Note that these older selections do not come with a calendar overlay.

Start Somewhere

Start Somewhere carries a motivational message for the year ahead: “If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives. Start today - somewhere, anywhere.” It was designed by Shawna Armstrong from the United States. A preview and calendar-free versions in resolutions from 1280x720 up to 2560x1440 are available.

PopArt Studio from Serbia has contributed to this theme more than once. Their piece Open The Doors Of The New Year ties the month’s name to its Latin root ianua, meaning door, framing January as the gateway to a new beginning. Preview and wallpapers without a calendar are offered in a wide range of sizes, including mobile-friendly options like 320x480 and 640x480.

Open the Doors of the New Year

A quieter, nature-inspired entry is Winter Leaves by Nathalie Ouederni from France, available without a calendar in sizes such as 1024x768, 1920x1200, and 2560x1440. Another reflective design, A New Start from Damn Perfect in India, focuses on the hope and resolutions that accompany the new year. It is offered in numerous aspect ratios and resolutions, from small screens to 2560x1440.

A New Start

Happy Hot Tea Month takes a cozier approach. Acodez IT Solutions from India celebrates the comfort of a warm cup of tea, with calendar-free files available in both .jpg and .png formats across many common resolutions up to 2560x1440. Meanwhile, Carolina Sequeira from Portugal created A New Beginning, a lettering-based design meant to convey that the new year is a positive starting point; it is offered in a smaller set of sizes, including 1680x1050 and 2560x1440.

Several other designs draw on seasonal traditions and folklore. Oaken January by PopArt Studio references the Serbian custom of burning oak branches at Christmas in January, a symbol of renewal and family togetherness. Its whimsical counterpart, January Fish by Arno De Decker from Belgium, was inspired by the designer’s home aquarium. Both are provided without calendars in a comprehensive list of resolutions from 320x480 to 2560x1440.

January Fish

A number of designers looked to nature for their inspiration. Hidden Gem features a kingfisher, a bird known in Dutch as an ijsvogel, or “ice-bird,” due to its bright blue and teal plumage rather than any preference for cold weather. Designed by Franke Margrete from the Netherlands, this wallpaper is available in an exceptionally broad range of sizes, including very large displays like 3840x2160 and 5120x2880. Similarly, Wolf-Month by Chiara Faes from Belgium nods to the old Dutch name for January, wolfsmaand, and comes in standard resolutions without a calendar. Zlatina Petrova from Bulgaria round out the animal-themed selections with The Early January Bird, inspired by the month’s association with new beginnings.

Wolf-Month

Some contributions are purely personal statements. Blue Neon Sign by Jong S. Kim from the United States offers a handful of calendar-free desktop sizes such as 1920x1080 and 1920x1200. Winter Melancholy by Aleksandra Laczek from Poland presents a moodier take on the season. For a touch of levity, Rubber Ducky Day by Ilya Plyusnin from Belgium was created to counteract the gloom of winter. That design is available in a wide variety of resolutions, including 1366x768 and 2560x1440.

Rubber Ducky Day

The collection also includes several pieces that speak to comfort and connection. Rest Up For The New Year by Dorothy Timmer from the USA celebrates the “Festival of Sleep” with a cozy scene, and its downloads include mobile-specific sizes like 640x1136 and 750x1334. Carry Warmth Carry Each Other by Marika Smirnova from Russia is another thoughtful entry, available in a selection of sizes without a calendar. A more scenic option, Caucasian Mountains from Ilona in Russia, captures the region’s landscape.

Rest Up For The New Year

A final group of designs focuses on symbolic imagery. Reindeer by Ana Masnikosa from Belgrade, Serbia, takes a familiar winter animal as its subject. Freedom by Marija Zaric also from Serbia, offers a more abstract interpretation inspired by birds in flight. Both are available in numerous resolutions without calendar overlays.

Reindeer

Are you interested in seeing your own work featured in an upcoming community roundup? Submissions for future month’s wallpapers are always open. Details on how to participate can be found on the community wallpapers submission page.

Further Reading

Smashing Editorial