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How do you use your creative energy?

I used to squander mine.

I have always been perpetually on a diet. And if I wasn’t actually on a diet, I was planning which diet was going to be next. Because, as every good dieter knows, the next diet will be the one that works. The next diet will always be the last one. Except, of course, that it isn’t.

It’s exhausting constantly going through this cycle.

So exhausting that, with work and relationships and money problems and everything else thrown in, there isn’t much energy left for anything else. Especially new and scary creative ventures.

About a year ago I started exploring dieting alternatives, without realising that was what I was doing. Actually at the time I thought I was looking for the next diet – although of course I didn’t think of it as a diet, because everyone knows that diets don’t work; I was looking for my next ‘lifestyle change’ (read: diet). The two things that really spoke to me and slowly started to make more and more sense were this woman and this group.

After a while I started to realise that what I had been doing all along was never going to work. I’m not going to list all the diets I tried, or thought about trying, or researched, or contemplated last thing at night before falling asleep and first thing in the morning after waking. Suffice it to say, I was very busy using a lot of my energy on this whole weight-loss venture, as I pretty much had been, on and off since about the age of 10.

So when I eventually made the conscious decision to quit dieting at the start of this year, I freed up a lot of my creative energy without realising it. It wasn’t until I started journaling daily and creating regularly that I realised what had happened.

I had harnessed all of the energy I used to spend obsessing about my weight, diet and exercise for my creativity!

Now I find that the more I create, the more I want to create. The way I’m using my creative energy now is so productive – it fills me with joy and inspiration, leading to more creative energy. When I was using my energy to obsess about dieting, it got me nothing (not even weight-loss, or at least not for very long).

As someone who has spent their whole life worrying about their weight, there is something so liberating about channelling that energy to something that fills me up.

The irony is that expressing my creativity does fill me up in a way that food can’t.

So in the end, it’s really more productive for my health, anyway.

I will say this: I’m not totally happy with my body. I still look in the mirror and sometimes feel unhappy, or disappointed, or even disgusted. But I’m actively practising self-love, self-acceptance and trying to make peace with my body. Dieting never helped me to lose weight – long term I’ve ended up bigger than before I started (a total cliche, but of course it’s spot on) so it’s not the solution. Maybe loving myself and nourishing myself creatively, eating what I feel like in moderation and doing exercise I actually like will make me happier, whether I’m thinner or not.

So that’s my plan from here on out.

Creativity

Journal prompt: Goodbye 2014, hello new year!

December 27, 2014December 11, 2018 Jen Morris

I love this time of year. It always feels like a chance to reflect on the year that’s been and get excited about the year to come.

It feels like a fresh start, a clean slate, a do-over. It feels full of possibility.

But the only real way to get the most out of a new year is to make peace with the year that’s been, then set some clear intentions for the year ahead. If you don’t let go of what’s been, you may drag it into the new year with you.

I cherish this time of year as a chance to spend extra time with my journal; reflecting, dreaming and planning.

For me, this has been a tremendous year, personally. I’ve started a blog and welcomed my soul sister Kelly on board, I’ve created a regular journaling and creative practice that lights me up, I’ve gotten engaged to the man of my dreams and he and I have begun a journey to build our own little house. I couldn’t be happier with these things.

Professionally, this year has been challenging for me. I’ve been working full-time in a teaching job that I find stressful and, at times, overwhelming. While it certainly has its rewarding and enjoyable moments, as a highly-sensitive person and introvert, it is harder for me than many. Perhaps not the ideal career choice, I now realise after getting to know myself a bit better through my journal. Nonetheless, I made it through the year in one piece.

Our school years run from the start to end of the calendar year in New Zealand, so I am currently in between jobs, deciding upon my next move for next year. Instead of being fearful about this, I’m excited for what could be ahead.

So now, I’m going to take out my journal and explore the year that’s been and the possibilities that lie ahead of me.

>>> Prompt:

Take a fresh page in your journal and create a heading: Goodbye 2014, welcome new year! (Or whatever floats your boat).

Begin by answering some of these questions, and if something stands out to you, go as deep as you like:

How would you describe 2014 in one sentence?
If you could redo 2014, what would you do differently? Why?
List three things that went well for you this year.
List three things that did not go well for you this year.
What was the absolute highlight of 2014?
What was your lowest point?
If 2014 was a book, what would be the title? Come up with a few chapter names.
Draw a timeline of the year from start to finish with all of your achievements and greatest joys.
What was the predominant feeling for you in 2014?

Now, think about the year ahead:

If you were writing this at the end of 2015, how would you ideally like to be able to describe the year in one sentence?
If 2015 could be a book, what would you like it to be titled? Come up with a few possible chapter names.
What do you hope to achieve/do/complete/have happen next year?
What will you absolutely make happen, without a doubt?
How would you most like to predominantly feel, next year?
Create an art journal page or collage that best represents how you would like 2015 to be.
Choose one word to guide you through the next 12 months. The word I have chosen for 2015 is focus. Kelly’s word is joy. Choose whatever word most sings to you. If you’re a bit stumped, visit Susannah Conway for guidance on this. Once you’ve chosen your word, write it in big bold letters and put it somewhere you will see it every day.

Most importantly, be kind and gentle with yourself while you go through this process. If this hasn’t been the best year for you, try your best to acknowledge that and then look forward to the new year. It’s a new beginning for us all.

What Inspires Me

Weekly inspiration

December 22, 2014December 11, 2018 Jen Morris

Each week I share the posts and links that I’ve most enjoyed. Feel free to share anything that has inspired you this week in the comments below.

Loving these gorgeous stamps and going to try carving some of my own

This brilliant post on how to archive your journals – I am so going to do this!

I’ve already signed up for Lifebook 2015, and I’m also thinking about signing up for The Documented Life Project (it’s free!)

This interesting article (based on the work of James Pennebaker) about how writing about the things that upset us can be healing

An interesting perspective on the reasons not to do morning pages

Really loving these tips on how to deal with feeling a bit creatively stuck

>>> From me: I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, spend some time with your loved ones, and take some time out with your journal to reflect on the things you are most grateful for. Try not to let the Christmas madness overwhelm you!

Creativity

5 inexpensive journaling-themed Christmas gift ideas

December 17, 2014December 11, 2018 Jen Morris

As Christmas rapidly approaches I feel inspired to include a post that is both Christmas and journaling themed. So here it is: my five inexpensive or homemade Christmas gift ideas that allow you to spread some journaling joy!

My partner and I are in the process of saving money to build our tiny house so we don’t have a lot to spend on Christmas gifts. I know we aren’t the only ones who will be coming up with creative gift ideas this year!

If you’ve got the money and the energy to face the shopping malls, then by all means do that. But if you’re a bit strapped for cash, or you want to give something a bit more unique, then these ideas might help.

You might be thinking, I can’t possibly give something home-made for Christmas. Why not? Would you be thinking differently if this was you receiving a scarf someone had carefully knitted, or a box of home-made cookies baked by a close friend? How would you feel to receive something lovingly made just for you from someone else?

People love handmade gifts because they show you have put thought, care, and time into making them. They receive something totally unique that they wouldn’t be able to buy for themselves.

And besides, a gift that encourages more journaling will be rewarding in many ways!

As a side note: Obviously, these types of gifts won’t be suitable for everyone – for example, I don’t see my dad jumping with joy if he was to receive a jar of journaling prompts from me, or my partner getting excited about homemade stamps.

But, I do have friends and other relatives who would love to receive something that is unique and creative. For example, my mum would love to receive art work from me, my bestie would love to receive homemade stickers and stamps, and my sister would enjoy journal prompts or a personalised journal. I have another friend who wants to do more journaling but isn’t sure how to start, so a combination of a few of these things might be good for her.

1. Personalise a journal: buy a basic Moleskine journal or a less expensive notebook or spiral-bound visual journal and cover it with images. You could choose photographs of you and your gift recipient, or just inspirational/beautiful images. Create a collage from magazine images or print out pictures from online. Include some inspiring words and washi tape in bright colours. Finish the cover with Mod Podge or an acrylic binding medium to seal it. Write a small heartfelt message on the inside cover.

2. Carve your own stamps: I use so many stamps in my journals! Buy a few basic pink erasers (I’m told these are the best for carving) and using either a hobby knife or a basic carving set, carve some unique stamp designs. It’s actually quite straight-forward to carve basic designs (think interesting shapes like clouds, trees, stars or arrows). They don’t have to be perfect and they make interesting tools for journaling and art journaling that can’t be bought anywhere! Wrap them in a gorgeous gift box and tissue paper. For an easy-to-follow tutorial, watch this video.

3. Journal prompts: create a jar or box of journal prompts written on tags or plain journal cards. I’ve used plain Project Life journaling cards with a simple watercolour border and stamp on one side, and then more detail for the prompt on the other side. Look online for journal prompts, or use some from our archives.

4. Take your art journaling off the page: take a favourite art journal spread of yours and either tear it out or copy it (scan it or reproduce it) and frame it as a gift for someone. Or, if you feel your art journal is a bit too personal to share you could browse Pinterest or Instagram for art journal inspiration and create something new as a gift.

5. Make your own stickers: I love using stickers in my journals. They brighten up the pages and can add inspirational messages. Buy sheets of printable sticky paper from your local stationery store. Then, go online and find images that inspire you, including lovely inspirational messages. Or, scan some of your own work into the computer. Print these out onto the sticky sheets and cut out each sticker. Place into a little gift box tied up with string.

It’s all in the wrapping

Creating gorgeous wrapping can make a gift feel even more luxurious and extravagant. Here are some ideas to make your lovely journal-themed gift even more beautiful:

Create or buy a beautiful gift box to hold your treasures.
Nestle your gift in beautiful tissue paper.
Create your own gift wrap with a roll of kraft paper and some Christmas themed stamps.
Secure with a big gold bow.
Create your own labels/gift tags using stamps and washi tape.
Choose a simple, plain gift wrap but use washi tape instead of clear tape to wrap.
Add a bit of gold glitter or confetti inside your wrapping.
Wrap your present the old-fashioned way: brown kraft paper and brown string – add a handmade label and a little shape cut out of felt or card to embellish (e.g. a heart, tree, star, etc).

Hopefully this has given you a few ideas for how you can share your love of journaling with others this Christmas. And if not, at least put aside some time with just you, a cup of tea and your journal in the midst of all the Christmas chaos.

Happy journaling!

Creativity

5 ways to fill your creative well

December 4, 2014December 11, 2018 Jen Morris

I love to create.

The past two years I have been through a period of intense creativity and inspiration. It has been an amazing journey into the creative unknown, and a feeling of coming home to myself. I’m finally feeling like I’ve found my true creative center.

But right now, after a hard year of work and creative exploration, I’m feeling a little spent. I go to sit down with my art journal and paints, and feel aimless. I try to write a blog post, and feel stuck. I’m even feeling disinterested in picking up my written journal, which is strange because I’ve been writing most days since early this year.

At first, I panicked. All the lovely inspiration and excitement about my creativity was gone! I worried it was a phase, a one-off, a part of my history.

Now, I’m feeling pulled to do things like watch TV shows, read, sleep or browse aimlessly online. I’m trying to want to create, but am finding myself wanting to rest and zone out instead.

Why? Because my creative well is empty. In The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron says,

In order to create, we draw from our inner well… we must learn to be self-nourishing… to consciously replenish our creative resources as we draw on them.

I’ve spent the whole year creating – both at home for myself and at work for others. I’m drained.

This is reassuring in this time of creative down-time.

I’m not out of creativity – I just need to refill my creative well.

I think this is something we all need, in order to keep creating. Creativity requires an outpouring of energy from us, so we must refill that in some way.

Cameron goes on to say,

The artist brain is the sensory brain: sight and sound, smell and taste, touch. These are the elements of magic, and magic is the elemental stuff of art. In filling the well, think magic. Think delight. Think fun. Do not think duty. Do not think what you should do… Do what intrigues you, explore what interests you.

This is going to look different for everyone. What inspires and excites one person will possibly bore someone else senseless.

So, in order to refill the creative well, we need to engage our senses. While this can include just bringing presence and awareness to more everyday tasks, I’m looking for something to shake up my routine and reignite the inspiration I was feeling earlier this year.

1. Visit somewhere new

This could be simply going to a new cafe or bookstore that you’ve not yet explored, or it could be taking a drive to a different part of town, or it could be taking some time to go to a new city or country. It doesn’t have to be huge, just go somewhere you’ve not been before, and pay attention to what’s around you. Take your journal and note down what you can see, smell, taste, hear and feel.

2. Rest

This might seem a bit counter-intuitive, but it might be that you are simply tired or burnt-out after a period of creativity or work, and you just need to get your body (and spirit) back into balance. Creativity requires an expenditure of energy and this can be too demanding if we are already feeling run-down. Take some guilt-free time to nap, sleep late, curl up on the couch with a movie, lie in the sun and just be still. After a while you will be itching to get back into it!

3. Go somewhere you find inspiring

This could be an art gallery, your local library, a favourite restaurant, a scenic lookout with a fantastic view, a favourite hiking spot, a secluded beach, a music store, an art store… whatever it is that reminds you about the creative possibilities for your life. Take your journal and freewrite about the feelings of inspiration that arise.

4. Do something new

Listen to music you’ve not listened to before, try a new food or recipe, read a book by a new author, watch a film that is a different genre to your usual favourites, meet new people in a class or meetup group, learn a new skill like dancing, knitting, guitar, or even just rearrange the furniture in your house. Surprise and delight your senses by doing something unexpected. Make a list in your journal of things you’ve always wanted to try and do one of them.

5. Get rid of stuff

It’s easy to slowly accumulate things: clothes we don’t wear, art supplies we don’t use, books we don’t read, sports gear and fitness equipment that started with the best intentions… after a while this can feel overwhelming. The physical space this excess stuff fills also spills over into our creative space. You need to make room, both physically and spiritually, for inspiration to flourish and your creativity to bloom. In your journal make a list of 5 things you could get rid of every day for the next 30 days, either big or small. Sell them or donate them to charity – either way, you will start to notice a space opening up as you make room for your creativity and inspiration.

* * *

Regardless of what you do, Cameron notes that paying attention is most important: put your phone away, your laptop away, take your headphones out of your ears, stop worrying and be present.

In your journal, note down which of the above ideas appeals most to you. It could be helpful to write your own list of ways to fill your creative well when you are feeling drained, so that you can easily turn to it to find inspiration again.

How do you fill your creative well? Share in the comments below.

Creativity, Self Empowerment

Journal prompt: I need…

November 29, 2014December 11, 2018 Jen Morris

It’s easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of every day life. Sometimes we are so busy running from one thing to the next that we forget to do the things we need to look after ourselves. In other words, we let our self-care take a backseat.

Sometimes, just bringing awareness to things we need at a particular time in our lives can help us start to address the imbalance.

I know for me that I have been feeling especially run-down and unwell lately. This is a sign that my body, mind and spirit need things that I’m not currently providing. So, I found this simple journal prompt to be really helpful.

>>> Prompt:

Take a blank page in your journal. If you like to write big, a two page spread might be better.

At the top of one page, write the words ‘I need more…’ and then write ‘I need less…’ at the top of the other page.

Then, write whatever comes to mind under each of the headings.

You may choose to do this in list format, as a mindmap, or just stream-of-consciousness. You could even do it as an art journal page and doodle/draw or collage images and colours that represent how you want to feel. Do whatever feels best for you.

If you want to stay focused on the positive, then you might just do the ‘I need more’ list.

Here are a few of the things from my lists right now:

I need more:

magic
time out in nature
art-making
connection
rest
nourishing food
action

I need less:

rushing
stress
numbing
television
worry
comparison
doubt

Your lists may look similar to mine, or they may be totally different.

You might find that there are a few things on the list that appear to be in conflict with one another. For example, on my ‘I need more list’ I put both rest and action. I can take these two words and do some free-writing to explore this further.

It might also be helpful to choose one or two things that really stand out to you from each list, then jot down a few ideas of how to get more/less of that thing.

So for me, I want more rest and less television, more creativity and less numbing – I could spend more time reading, journaling and napping when I feel tired, rather than turning to television or the internet to distract myself.

What do you most need right now? Share your experiences with this prompt in the comments below.

What Inspires Me

Weekly inspiration

November 24, 2014December 11, 2018 Jen Morris

Each week I share links to the posts and pages that have most inspired me. Feel free to share anything that has inspired you in the comments below.

Loving this idea of being deliberate with our words by Jamie Ridler.

This post is a bit old, but the message is timeless. Wise words for anyone struggling at the moment.

This is such a simple question to ask ourselves each day. A good journal prompt to get you thinking.

This fantastic list of art journal prompts.

A simple journal prompt that could lead to big change.

Have a lovely and inspiring week!

Creativity

Journaling: Traveling within

November 19, 2014December 11, 2018 Jen Morris

I’ve been thinking a bit lately about travel. I love traveling.

There’s something so inspiring about seeing new places and cultures, being out of your ordinary routine and, sometimes, out of your comfort zone.

explore Whenever I travel, I learn so much about myself simply from being in new environments and out of my normal realm. In fact, there’s this fantastic quote by Danny Kaye:

To travel is to take a journey into yourself.

This is so very true. When I explored Europe and parts of North America last year, I returned to my home country of little old New Zealand as a different person. I had a stronger sense of who I was, a greater confidence in myself, and I was bursting at the seams with inspiration and creative ideas.

Looking back on my travel journal, I can see the growth I experienced as I ventured out into the big wide world. Once back home though, it wasn’t long before my feet were itching to get back on a plane and off to a new location.

Unfortunately, traveling far and wide as often as we might like is not always possible. But do we need to? Rilke said,

The only journey is the one within.

I can’t help but wonder if that is true. As much as I love seeing new places and exploring the world, the things that are most truly valuable for me from traveling are the lessons I learn about myself, the growth I experience and the inspiration that fills me.

What if I could capture even a fraction of that, without stepping foot in an airport?

That is exactly what journaling gives me. Now – let’s be honest – it doesn’t give me quite the same rush of excitement as boarding a plane and landing somewhere new, but it does allow me to journey inwards and learn more about myself.

I was recently asked to describe myself, and found myself saying I am an ‘intrepid explorer of the wild within’. And you know what? I am.

There exists inside us a wild and undiscovered realm, an untouched landscape, a history waiting to be explored. We have within us whole worlds, both new and familiar. We are rich and layered beings with stories of our own to share. There is so much to be explored when we journey within.

I find that every day when I sit down to journal, I venture further into myself. I don’t always like what I find and I don’t always unearth treasures. If I get stuck I use journal prompts or switch over to my art journal. But I keep exploring and learning, and that is what’s important. Because, at the end of the day, the main reason I venture out into the world is, really, to venture into myself.

And that should keep me happy until I can next board a plane.

How does your journaling help you venture within?

What Inspires Me

Weekly inspiration

November 13, 2014December 11, 2018 Jen Morris

Every week I share the posts and blogs that have most inspired me. Feel free to share anything that has inspired you in the comments below. Enjoy!

I love this post that suggests lots of different female poets to enjoy. I’m going to work my way through the list!

Speaking of poetry, this post which includes a Mary Oliver poem (and a cute picture of a dog) is gorgeous! I can’t help but think about how right it is, too.

How have I not been to this website before? I’ll definitely be printing out some of these planner pages.

Really love this artist’s approach to collage.

This awesome post on what it means to be an artist (of any kind, really).

Lovely art journal page with some step-by-step photos.

Creativity

Overcoming my creative wall: Peek inside my new journal

November 12, 2014December 11, 2018 Jen Morris

I’ll be honest – I haven’t been feeling all that creative lately. I’ve been in a bit of a creativity rut.

As the school year wraps up and I’m slowing down, the tiredness from three and a half full terms has hit.

I’m still journaling most days, but creatively, I’ve hit a bit of a wall.

But you see, I want to create. I keep browsing instagram and looking at all these amazing art journals (I’m always inspired when looking at work by Samie Harding, Lisa Sonora, Mary Wangerin and Nichole Rae, to name a few) but I can’t bring myself to pick up my paintbrush.

The solution? Create a new journal (this seems to be a pattern with me…)

But this journal is all about using magazine images with words I find, and words I add, to create my own images. A kind of visioning/collage process. It takes away my inertia because there are ready-made images to work with.

I love looking through magazines to find images that inspire me. I’m careful about what I read, and I tend to be drawn to the same sorts of images time and again:

Landscapes, trees, gardens, nature – green
Water, sky – blue
Beds and pillows
Cups or tea or coffee, teapots
Books, handwriting, journals
Deskscapes
Bright colours
Crafty things like knitting, sewing, painting
Images of families
Simple, rustic houses – wood, stone, exposed beams, cosy fireplaces etc

At first I felt like this didn’t count as ‘creativity’ – but then I had a wee chuckle. Creativity is anything really. And besides, I’m taking images and arranging them in unique ways, with my own words and ideas. The images are really just a building block.

I want to get back into painting and I will when I’m rested and open to it. For now, playing with these words and images is soothing my creative urges.

How do you break out of a creativity rut?