Category: What Inspires Me

What Inspires Me

Weekly inspiration

Jen Morris

Each week I publish a series of the most inspiring links and posts I’ve enjoyed. Feel free to share any of your own in the comments!

shoes-and-flowers

I love, love, LOVE seeing into other people’s journals and hearing about how they use their journal, so I really enjoyed this post by Nairobi Nicole

I love this idea for a daily affirmations project by Nicole

I have only just discovered Cynthia’s blog (it’s awesome!), and I love the look of these journals she creates. But she is going to stop making them soon! She has a really good offer on them here

As my partner and I begin preparing for our tiny house build, we are starting a very slow and steady downsizing process. I really loved Courtney’s post about downsizing

I am getting back into written journaling at the moment, and yesterday posted about using simple prompts to help you journal when you’re short on time. I came across this great post which uses a list style prompt to get to know yourself a little better. Will definitely be using these as writing prompts when I take some time out for myself over the next couple weeks.

Creativity, What Inspires Me

Prompt and poem: Roses, late summer

Jen Morris

Today I’m struggling to find my own words, so I once again turn to the wonderful words of Mary Oliver. I only have her New and Selected Poems, but I think I will need to buy more of her poetry collections!

Roses, Late Summer

What happens
to the leaves after
they turn red and golden and fall
away? What happens

to the singing birds
when they can’t sing
any longer? What happens
to their quick wings?

Do you think there is any
personal heaven
for any of us?
Do you think anyone,

the other side of that darkness,
will call to us, meaning us?
Beyond the trees
the foxes keep teaching their children

to live in the valley.
So they never seem to vanish, they are always there
in the blossom of the light
that stands up every morning

in the dark sky.
And over one more set of hills,
along the sea,
the last roses have opened their factories of sweetness

and are giving it back to the world.
If I had another life
I would want to spend it all on some
unstinting happiness.

I would be a fox, or a tree
full of waving branches.
I wouldn’t mind being a rose
in a field full of roses.

Fear has not yet occurred to them, nor ambition.
Reason they have not yet thought of.
Neither do they ask how long they must be roses, and then what.
Or any other foolish question.

Prompt >>>

You might use the poem above as a prompt in your journal – to be answered with words, or with images as you like.

Oliver suggests that roses, foxes and birds – all of nature – just gets on with living without asking questions. She suggests their sense of purpose is innate and they are not distracted from it with ponderings about the world and how it works.

I love the final stanza. If you were to stop being fearful, or ambitious, what would you be doing?

If you were to stop feeling uncertain, to stop asking ‘foolish questions’, what would be your innate purpose?

‘Fear has not yet occurred to them’ – what are you afraid of?

Creativity, What Inspires Me

Found poem: Finding peace in the rain

Jen Morris

Today I’d like to share a simple found poem I created in my Moleskine journal, using random words I cut out of Eat Pray Love:

Finding Peace in the Rain

Happiness,

like butterflies

visible on the horizon.

A window of hope left open:

ancient pleasure.

I could start finding my peace,

but

I’m not sure where to start

with my search.

Energetic,

I run out in the rain

and it’s delicious.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

What Inspires Me

Weekly inspiration

Jen Morris
Every week I share the blogs and posts that have most inspired me. Feel free to share anything that has inspired you in the comments!
forest
Dolly shares some great journaling prompts to help you get motivated
I really like the way that Heather discovered her own sense of style. I think this would make a great journal prompt: what would your 60 year old self look like if she sat down with you to breakfast?
I’ve been stealing awesome Victorian images from this website to print out in an effort to emulate the wonderful style of Hope Wallace
Speaking of Hope Wallace (I’m totally obsessed with her journaling!) – she has this awesome page of journaling tips and her essential journaling bits and pieces. I’ll definitely be returning to this one again and again!
What Inspires Me

Weekly inspiration

Jen Morris

Each week I share the blogs and posts that have been the most inspiring to me. Feel free to share any that have inspired you in the comments below.

I am honoured to have been part of a journaling discussion on Facebook over the past two days – hosted by Dawn Herring in the Journal Chat Facebook group. You can read the transcript of yesterday’s chat here and Dawn will be adding today and tomorrow’s chat too. Join us in the Facebook group (it’s open to the public) tomorrow at 2pm CST for the final day of our journal chat on the topic of Making the Commitment: Saying Yes to Positive Change.

I stumbled across this awesome post about how to use mindmaps in your journal. Beautiful images too!

I also discovered these free art courses online! Am so going to do these!

Beth has been on the journaling panel on Facebook with me over the past couple of days. She has a great post about the health benefits of journaling that includes journaling techniques and a reading list! A must-read.

Sue is also part of the journaling panel and has written this fantastic post about using journaling to make positive changes in our lives.

Enjoy the remainder of the week!

What Inspires Me

Found poem: Write the truth

Jen Morris

This poem was ‘found’ on page 80 of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way (totally amazing book, if you haven’t read it).

 

I have noticed

an unpleasant

evasion.

The creeping feeling that

this possibility

will stay lost

in the

extreme emotions of the pages themselves,

unable to perform

a course adjustment,

if I don’t

write the truth.

What Inspires Me

Weekly inspiration

Jen Morris

Every week I share a series of inspiring links. Feel free to share anything that has inspired you in the comments below!

 

This is why it’s important to create a routine around your creative pursuits (including journaling!) – if you get out of the habit it can be really hard to get back into it (but it’s worth getting back into it).

As I have been sick for a week I enjoyed this post by Courtney, where she gives us permission to leave a few things off our to-do list if we’re not up to it.

I love journaling (duh) and inspirational quotes – so this post really spoke to me!

This post is a great summary of the tiny house movement. My partner and I will be meeting with the trailer company next week to discuss our build, so excited!

I could spend hours looking at the crafty creations on this gorgeous blog. I WISH I had talent like this!

What Inspires Me

Wild Geese

Jen Morris

Today I just wanted to share another poem I love by Mary Oliver. I love her poetry. She has an amazing way of weaving together beautiful natural imagery and the wonder that is life.

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

What Inspires Me

Weekly inspiration

Jen Morris

Each week I share a series of the blogs/posts that have most inspired me. Feel free to share anything that has inspired you in the comments below!

 

Artist Nichole Rae has finally released her art journaling book. Yay! I am so excited about this and can’t wait for my copy to arrive.

Leonie tells us why burnout is normal and how to manage it. I love this woman’s approach to life and business. An inspiration!

After discussing how I define success, I was very interested to read Barry’s definition of success.

I recently missed a day of blogging in my 100 days, and I can SO totally relate to this post about starting and stopping and starting again!

I can’t get enough of my Neat and Tangled stamps that I bought from Butterfly Reflections Ink! I use them to add images and colour to my journal pages. Vanessa at Butterfly Reflections Ink is so lovely, totally recommend her store!

What Inspires Me

Found poem: Finding certainty

Jen Morris

Her certainty in her own strength.
Maybe.
But who lives without question for what’s
to be?

What do I believe
and where can I imagine,
living a life without my favourite destination?

I accept bliss
and, of course,
the complete self.

Something about my recent joy has made me certain
that I must love in stupid excess.
I have to.

So I write.

I asked for guidance on my journey.
I’m entering life again.
It will happen.

The simple I need,
to have blessings.
My hands sign with love.