This is a post about paying attention.

To themes that continue to come back into your life.

To what you do that keeps you in your own creative rhythm – your flow.

And most of all, to what brings you joy.

For me that was – and will be again – making time for being creative. One way I did that was Visual Journaling.

Years ago I discovered the practice of Visual Journaling from Lisa Sonora, author of THE CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR.

I used my journal to work through ideas and issues both personal and professional.

I loved this practice. I would lose track of time – find my flow, my creative rhythm.

And have many “aha” moments that working with spreadsheets or other traditional methods (like writing business plans) didn’t provide for me.

I was even able to turn this practice into a business venture designing creative journals for others, including journals for the coaches attending the 2010 and 2012 Martha Beck Coaches Conferences.

Talk about making work feel like play!

But flash forward a few years and my practice of journaling fell by the wayside.

I got “serious” about my business. Covid. Uprisings. Life.

RIGHT: my ideal client b4: She feels colorless, boxed in… lost her mojo | ABOVE – after! mojo rebooted! Color coming back into her life

Left is a spread from an early Visual Journal where I was working (yes! WORKING) on who my ideal client was for my Life Coaching practice.

Lately, though, I’ve been feeling that there’s something missing. That thing is ‘joy’ and that joy, for me comes from creating.

And when I think of creating, visual journaling pops into my mind… keeps popping up around me … I need to pay attention.

The latest nudge came yesterday while working on my website reboot I ran across this email from Florence Moyer who’d been at that 2010 Martha Beck conference:

2010
Kelly, I’m having a blast with my visual journal and I just posted on my blog about some of the things I’m learning from it. Hope you enjoy it and that I’m representing your ideas well. – Flo

I re-read her post and it did indeed represent my ideas well. So well, in fact, that I’m inspired to repost it here for you!

I’m hopeful that she will inspire you to explore visual journaling. And then to join us in the Village where joy, and I and our Collective members will be hosting some fun creativity and play dates over the next several months.

Without Further Ado, Here’s Flo’s article from August of 2010

Member Nela Donato Shares her creative process for writing her book.

My current book-writing process Nela Dunato, Rijeka, Croatia·Posted Mon, January 30 [excerpt from full article in Athena Village] Join us for Nela's #AskHerAnything conversation on March 30, 2023 12:30 CT I'm working on my second book, so I wanted to share a few...