Creativity

Trust your intuition + journal prompts

Jen Morris

I learnt an interesting lesson this weekend – to trust that gut feeling, my intuition.

I had a hunch about something, and it proved to be right. Except, I kept second guessing myself, telling myself I was foolish. I felt so certain, but at the same time doubtful.

The doubt came from fear (my good old friend!) and sometimes it felt like the doubt was speaking louder than my intuition.

You know that feeling, when you just feel certain about something? When, even if it seems silly, or you can’t explain it, or you just have a knowing… listen to it. Because it’s probably right!

trust-your-intuition

Journaling ideas:

  • Do you listen to your intuition?
  • How loud is it? Is it easy to hear, or is it drowned out by logic, left brain thinking and the busyness of everyday life?
  • What does it sound like, or feel like?
  • Is there something your intuition is telling you right now that you’ve been ignoring or dismissing for some reason?
  • How could you tune into it more?
What Inspires Me

What’s inspired me this week

Jen Morris

I think I will make Thursdays my regular day for sharing links and things that have inspired me during the week. That way if you need something to kill time at work as you watch the clock on Friday, there will be a few things here to distract you.

Otherwise, if you’re someone who actually works hard (good on you!) then you will have something to enjoy over the weekend.

Enjoy!

  • I’ve signed up for the 30 Day Journal Project – have you? It’s free and runs for the month of August. You get a journal prompt emailed to you each day for 30 days. Should provide extra inspiration!
  • I’m excited about the upcoming August Break – just take a photo every day for a month and share!

If you’ve read anything recently that inspires you, please share it in the comments below!

I’ll be back tomorrow with another journaling prompt.

Creativity

When you’re pulled to the page

Jen Morris

Some days I am more pulled to the page than others. Today was one of those days.

When I say pulled to the page, I mean I want to journal – not just when I sit down to do it, but all day. I think about journaling; I want to pick up my journal and just write. Usually I can’t because I’m at work.

For some reason today I kept wanting to sit down with a cup of coffee and my journal, even though I had journaled this morning.

I just wanted time alone with my pen and paper.

When you establish a regular journaling practice you come to rely on your journal to guide you and help you each day. I’ve come to learn that when I feel like I want to journal more than I normally do, there is usually a reason. It could be:

  • A sign that there is something missing from my life – e.g. not enough creativity or self-expression
  • A need for time alone without having to think of others
  • A need to process or work through something I am thinking about/feeling
  • A desire to check in if I feel a bit out of touch with myself
  • My heart calling out to be heard about something – e.g. a deep desire that has been ignored

It can be especially hard if I am feeling pulled to journal but I can’t. I feel a bit out of sorts, almost like I’m living two lives: my public life, where I go to work and am professional; and then my private life where I just want to turn inwards and listen to what my heart wants.

The first thing I did when I got home was pull out the washi tape and stamps, decorate a journal page and write.

It made me feel so much better. Now I just need to listen to the little voice inside and see where it guides me.

Do you ever have days where you feel like you just want time alone to journal?

Self Empowerment

Be gentle with yourself

Jen Morris

Today I really don’t feel like being creative.

I’m tired. I started a new job this week and have to get up very early to get there before the traffic starts in order to avoid a long commute. It was pitch black when I left for work this morning.

I already get up early to journal, so an earlier start with the new job is tough. It will take me a while to adapt to this.

So tonight when I got home, I had a hot shower, made myself a hot water bottle (it’s winter here!) and climbed into bed.

As much as I love being creative and using my time after work to do pages in my art journal, or create found poetry, or do any number of the ‘productive’ things that bring me joy – today I’m just too tired.

And that’s ok, too.

I think to myself, what would I say to a friend who told me that she was tired from starting a new job? I would say:

Just rest. Be gentle with yourself. Treat yourself kindly.

Often I think we pride ourselves on keeping busy – people rant about all the things they have to do as if to show how important they are because they are so busy. We associate busyness with importance, with meaning.

And we have come to associate rest, quiet and slowness with a sign that something is wrong.

But I think there is as much joy to be found in being gentle with ourselves, in resting, as there is with being productive.

It is in the quiet time, the time between the rushing and the doing, that we nurture ourselves. By choosing a book and a cup of tea curled up in bed instead of my art journal and paints tonight, I am listening to my body and giving it what it needs. I am refilling the well of creativity inside, so that I can be productive and creative another time.

It’s all about balance: you need to receive rest and nourishment so that you can create and share your gifts with the world.

Take time out to rest and nurture yourself this week.

Creativity

Journal prompt: The perfect now

Jen Morris

In 1949 at age seventeen, Sylvia Plath wrote in her diary:

Somehow I have to keep and hold the rapture of being seventeen. Every day is so precious I feel infinitely sad at the thought of all this time melting farther and farther away from me as I grow older. Now, now is the perfect time of my life.

So often we are focused on what we want in the future, dreamwhat we hope to gain or achieve: a promotion, losing weight, getting a new car, house or spouse…

But what about right now?

I once described to a friend how things were going well for me at that point in my life. I said, ‘it’s all working out perfectly’, to which she replied, ‘how could it be anything but?’ She was suggesting that there is a perfection to the universe and the way things are in each moment, even if they are not as we intend them.

Sometimes we get so focused on what we want in the future (or what we miss from the past) that we forget to notice the perfection in our life right now, as it is.

There’s this line in the last episode of The Office where Andy says, ‘I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days, before you’ve actually left them.’ Even if where you are right now is not exactly where you want to be, there will most likely come a time when you look back fondly on something that you have right now.

>>> Prompt:

In your journal, note down all the wonderful things about your life right now. Regardless of what you hope to achieve in the future (and those are, of course, still good things to hope for!), try to really hone in on what it is that you like about your life now. It doesn’t matter how small or insignificant it may be, whatever you can think of about your life right now that makes you smile.

You could write this in list format, as a mind map, or just stream-of-consciousness. Use different coloured pens if that takes your fancy.

If you are visually inclined you may wish to create a page in an art journal or a collage of photographs, or words/images from magazines.

Here’s a few of the things I came up with – What I love about my life right now:

  • My washi tape collection
  • Spending time with my puppy
  • Journaling every day
  • Playing in my art journal
  • Getting a regular paycheque
  • Spending time with my partner
  • Watching The Office (obsessed much?)
  • Nurturing myself creatively every day

Happy journaling!

What Inspires Me

Found poem: The Artist

Jen Morris

I’d like to start sharing found poetry.

Mostly I ‘find’ my poetry within the pages of books I’ve loved (and bought extra copies of from second-hand bookstores just so I can cut the lovely words out). At the moment the two I’m most using are The Artist’s Way and Eat Pray Love.

 

I’m quite new to this and am just finding my way, but it’s lots of fun.

The Artist

When people feel

the light

of art,

it brings healing.

The artist may feel

mysterious vulnerability.

They call it

invisible achievement.

Creativity

A (very small) blogging milestone and what’s to come

Jen Morris

This is the first time I have ever blogged every day for over a week. And this is my first time completing a blog series.

I’m pretty pleased with myself, to be honest!

I’ve still got 91 days of journaling and blogging to go before the 100 Days Project is up. I started this project by diving straight into a series of posts – that way I knew I wouldn’t run out of material. It took a bit of pressure off because I didn’t need to come up with something new every day – I always knew where the series was going.This was safe, but a little limiting.

Now that I’ve finished the series, it’s wide open. I can blog about whatever I want. Anything. Except…

I’m getting a little bit of stage fright here. Over the past week I’ve managed to gain a few followers (hello and welcome!) and now I have a wee audience. It’s both scary and exciting.

I want to push myself to explore different ways of journaling and blogging. When I sit down to write a blog post, I try to make sure I have a point to make, some sort of insight to offer. And while that can certainly be good, I don’t think each post needs to reveal some deep mystery about life.

My goal is to offer both insight and inspiration, in equal doses.

creating-makes-me-happy

So I want to explore different blogging styles by including lists, poetry, more photography as well as journaling prompts and techniques. Things that can inspire people to take action and be creative, as well as posts that encourage reflection.

I’m doing (another) Susannah Conway course at the moment (because, trust me, she’s that awesome). She says, about blogging:

You don’t always have to be wise.

I like that. I can’t offer all the answers, but I can share what I do and what inspires me in the hopes that it will help or inspire someone else.

So while the journaling series was interesting and helpful as a way for me to ease into my blogging marathon, it’s time for me to take away the safety net and explore being more spontaneous and sharing more of myself on my blog.

What you can expect over the next 91 days:

  • Some short and some long posts
  • Poetry
  • Journaling techniques, tips and prompts
  • Some of my art journaling experiences
  • Maybe another series!
  • Reflections on creativity and journaling
  • More photos
  • Things that inspire me, including other blogs, quotes, lyrics etc
  • … And anything else that takes my fancy!

I look forward to getting to know you better as I move into the next leg of my blogging journey!

Creativity

The morning pages

Jen Morris

 

write write write

The morning pages are what Julia Cameron describes as ‘a pivotal tool in creative recovery’ in her book The Artist’s Way. She explains the morning pages as ‘three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness’ and also as a ‘brain dump’. I prefer the definition ‘brain dump’.

She notes that they are not supposed to sound smart, or have any particular purpose or direction except to empty your mind of all the chatter and nonsense in there. Just basically write down whatever comes to mind and keep your hand moving.

I do a sort of version of the morning pages. I say a sort of version because I don’t strictly follow the rule of keeping your hand moving at all times. I often pause to think or reflect, ponder, reconsider, then keep writing. Some days I write two pages, some days six. This is what works best for me.

I write about whatever is on my mind.

Often I am repetitive, complaining about something for days on end, or I’m listing the things I’m grateful for, or why I’m happy. It can be as simple as moaning about the things I have to do that day that I would rather avoid, or as profound as stumbling upon some sudden insight about myself. Sometimes I reflect on dreams I’ve had, or on what the day may have in store. Sometimes I start talking about one thing and end up somewhere else altogether.

Regardless, I show up each morning, first thing (after making a cup of coffee, of course) and write whatever is on my mind, for an allotted amount of time (30-45 minutes) rather than three pages.

You should write for whatever amount of time works for you – you might find that 10 minutes is enough, or that you need an hour. It may be different from day to day. Be flexible as you need. I think it’s important to respect how we are feeling at the time, rather than striving for some arbitrary time/page goal.

Some days I struggle to say much. Other days I feel like I could keep writing for hours. It doesn’t matter – the important thing is to just sit down and write whatever is on my mind.

There are a few tricks you can use if you are struggling to get started, if you feel the words just aren’t flowing:

  • Describe your physical surroundings – e.g. the room, the chair you’re sitting on, what you can smell, how your body feels, and so on
  • Write a list of what you are most grateful for at that moment
  • Describe the day before
  • Describe what you hope for in the day to come
  • Sit still and pay attention to your mind. You might find that you are worrying about something, distracted by preparing breakfast for the kids, or the fact that the car needs repairing, or that you didn’t pay a bill that’s overdue – once you notice what is going on in your mind, write it down
  • Sometimes we are overwhelmed by all the things we want to say at once, so just writing a list of key words and sentences rather than big lengthy paragraphs can be helpful
  • Start with sentences such as: I feel… I’m worried about… I’m thinking about…My body feels… I wish… and so on

Hopefully that gives you a little something to get started! I would love to hear from anyone who has tried morning pages before. Now, get writing!

Creativity, Self Empowerment

One hundred days of scaring away fear

Jen Morris

I’m starting something new. I have signed up to do something called the 100 Days Project. Basically all I have to do is choose one action then do it for the next 100 days. Sounds easy enough, right?

Um, no.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, I have trouble starting new ventures. My good old friends fear and procrastination are right here with me, making me question my every move. I’m trying my best to tune them out, and I guess that’s what the next 100 days will be about.

My plan is to journal every day in some form, although I’m using the word ‘journaling’ pretty loosely: I will write in my journal, create in my art journal, do work in my visioning journal(s), create found poetry or practise my handwritten typography. I guess I count these things as journaling in some sense because I do them all in some sort of journal. Some days I might use a prompt, other days I will just go where my creativity takes me.

Then, I will share what I have done here: what I learn, an image, a quote, an insight, or just something to (hopefully) inspire you for the day. Some days I may have a lot to say, others very little. But the main thing is to show up every day.*

There are a few things I’m hoping to achieve, or make some progress towards, over the next 100 days:

  • Get comfortable with blogging (yes, it still terrifies me each time I press ‘publish’)
  • Vary the way I blog – some longer posts, some shorter posts, some mostly photographs, some lists, etc
  • Get into the habit of blogging regularly
  • Overcome perfectionism and procrastination around blogging
  • Build a following of readers
  • Challenge myself to be vulnerable, to stick with something, to take risks and push myself
  • Challenge myself to find inspiration each day

I guess the idea of blogging each day is quite simple to some, and it probably seems like I’m making a big deal out of nothing. But for me, it is a big deal. I’m not a blogger. Not yet anyway.

I’m excited and terrified. But I guess that’s the point. Seth Godin said,

In the long run, the enemy of fear is creativity. I’m sure of it.

Here’s hoping I can scare fear away using creativity. I guess that is my true goal for the next 100 days.

*The irony is that as soon as I’ve posted this I have to pack for a trip I’m taking this weekend where there is no internet… But, I will still type up posts and share them when I am home on Sunday – I promise!