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Self Portrait using your non preferred hand.
WOW This one was interesting for me. Using your non preferred hand taps into a different part of your brain. It takes away your stronger skills and leaves you will a child like skill level. It was both challenging and liberating to try something, knowing there was no possible way it would end up perfectly, or even to be controlled or end up how I might like it to look. And with that, it meant I had full permission for it to be whatever it ends up being. The process did bring up the fear of it not being “good enough” and this feeling and acknowledging this feeling meant I could then see that the very purpose of these creative journaling prompts was to EXPLORE and DISCOVER not to develop art skills or perfectionism. And so- if you haven’t tried this one yet, it is a good one to explore and discover, to let go of expectations and making something perfect. To just be, to see your face as just that, a face, without judgement. What comes up for you when you look at your face? Do you see the parts you wish you could change? What if you look a little closer? The longer you spend the longer you see it without judgement, as lines, shades, shapes… And what about your eyes? What do you see when you look deep within? It is an activity that offers the time and space to transform how you see yourself, not only on a physical level but on an emotional level also. Set your mind free, set yourself free, and allow yourself to be you, all parts, unashamedly raw and real.

What is your star sign? Make this page show the parts of your star sign you feel are true for you.

This below is an image using the symbol of my star sign- Libra. I do not know much about star signs, but I have friends who know a great deal. In fact, my friend Courtney did a full birth chart reading for me last week, and I was blown away with how spot on it was. I am not sure it is because she already knows me or if she could have been so spot on with someone she had just met, but I found it so incredibly amazing that there were insights, suggestions and traits that my personality is connected with depending on what the planets were doing when I came into this world.

My sign is about balance. This reminds me the subtle changes in balance in my life in different areas and how sometimes the smallest change can throw me off balance for a little while. It also reminded me that as everything is in constant change all the time, that having a complete balance outside of ourselves in life is unrealistic and impossible. I feel that the balance comes from within. I also believe that this is constantly moving also, back and forth tuning in to that moment when things feel right, centred, balanced, and when they are not, adjusting my internal workings so that I can find that equilibrium.

Day 25: Trace your hand or foot. Fill the shape in with paper, words, color, pattern..

Creating a Dream
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My Wish for you for 2013
My wish for you this year you special soul, is to daringly open yourself up to change, to follow the dreams in your heart, to smile and laugh without containment, to spend time in nature, ponder life with beautiful friends new and old. Allow yourself to receive! There are so many people who love and care for you. You can ask for help, and it does not make you weak, but stronger, and more connected to others and yourself. Take good care of yourself. Breathe. Move your body. Eat good food, mindfully present to the tastes and textures. Remember to relax and take time out. Take risks and be brave, try things you never thought you would! If you ever feel lonely, give yourself a kiss on the shoulder, to remind yourself that you are here for you, and you are your own friend, and you are never alone. Love and be loved, share, give to others, random acts of kindness, ESPECIALLY for yourself. Remember there is a purpose just for you, by just being you.

An intimate relationship does not banish loneliness. Only when we are comfortable with who we are can we truly function independently in a healthy way, can we truly function in a relationship. Two halves do not make a whole when it comes to a healthy relationship. It takes two wholes.

Patricia Fry

Creative Journal 21: Find an object or item that is significant to you in some way. Make an image that represents this.

This object is a Claddagh Ring that I got on my travels in 2008. It is an Irish wedding ring, and I bought it and married myself. It holds the symbols of loyalty, friendship and love. These things are what I am for myself and others.

It is a special item to me for what it represents about my commitment to myself, and how I have shown this over the years with my travels, journeys, challenges, relationships and by following my dreams.

It was a lovely image to make because it helped me to reconnect with these qualities and meanings and fill up my heart and spirit. After I made this I felt light and full at the same time, hopeful, grounded and alive.

Creative Journaling Challenge day 20: pick an emotion and make a page about that emotion.

When I set this challenge, every person that sent through their picture chose the emotion of fear to work with. It is interesting that this came up, and it shows that fear plays such a big part in our lives, it can be serving so many purposes. It gives us resistance and shows us when we are growing. It reminds us when we are about to do something that matters to us. It shows us when we are about to enter the unknown. It alerts us to danger, sometime not realistically. And for me it serves as a challenge to step into, feeling fear and not shying away from that which scares me. It is a continual development of resilience and embracing all experiences as felt sense, not good or bad. Just an experience that may be uncomfortable, can I be with it? Can I surrender to the feeling and therefore release something, learn something, transform a fear into a realisation that feeling it will not kill me? The fear has been given my full attention and then it is not so scary, because it has transformed from unknown to known. And then there is always something new that is unknown. Someone asked me a question this week. Can you surrender the story of the ego and embrace the mysteries? This applies to so many different things, and invites me to feel the sensation of letting go of what I may think I have control over. What are you being asked to surrender to?

Creative Journaling Challenge Day 19: Use one or more items from nature as inspiration for this page (eg. leaves. flowers, bark etc). You can use the items to apply paint, as a stamp (put paint on them and press the imprint onto the page), or draw the items somewhere on the page.

This was a repetitive and calming venture, using markers and watered down paint to create a pattern. I am inspired by some of the images I have been seeing on p interest lately, using this sort of doodling technique. I really enjoyed this, and felt that I let go of everything in my mind, it all just emptied out and all I was focused on was color, line, and shape. It was quite refreshing!