We’re 3 years old!
Wow, we did a lot together! The Writing Shed is 3 years old. It is good to savor this moment. 👏 🖊️
Blog – Grid4
Come eat your cake!
Dear friends,Does your cake recipe include: A sprinkle of growing up? A dash of soul-searching? Toppings both sweet and sour? Space for a surprise center? Layers more than the sum of their weight in chocolate grams?My teacher, Deborah Ross, at the Center for Journal Therapy shared with me that if you are just writing down […]
Journaling tool share: Motivational quotes
Ready to stay calm and journal on? Let’s try some more journaling together! Write an affirmation/quote/saying your parent or grandparent always said to you that felt inspiring. It could also be a line of poetry, verse from a spiritual text, or a saying from a group, like AA, that motivates you. Brain Fact: “Motivational quotes […]
The science behind emotional expression + . . .
For a trauma survivor such as myself, I have noticed that I continue to retell my story (to therapists, coaches, my partner) and retell it with different journaling tools (e.g., the dialogue tool to talk to my grandmother; the clustering tool to install positive memories about family). It feels like I am putting the pieces […]
Health benefits of storytelling
Did you know that the act of constructing your story has positive health benefits?Simple things like . . .having a beginning, middle, and an end orcreating characters that show a relationship with one another orincluding back story. . . are connected to gains in health. This is because these elements of structure help us make […]
Shedding old stories
What stories do you tell yourself? Do they serve you in some positive way?Before I transformed self hate into self love, I told myself a story that I wasn’t beautiful. This message eventually rang false, and I let go of that story.Before I knew my parents were doing the best they could, I told myself […]
Journaling Tool Share: Inner Wisdom
Dear creative women, What do you hear when your inner wisdom talks to you? Do you want to have a conversation with your inner wisdom? Maybe it’s what you know as the still, small voice; your Higher Self or Power; a religious/spiritual teacher; an angel or guide.Ask questions from your heart: What is the purpose […]
The power of self-compassion
The holiday season can be full of comparisons. What did we do last year for Christmas dinner? Is my partner buying me more gifts than I am for him? Why does my front yard look so bare when my neighbor’s lawn looks so jolly? Comparisons can be particularly troublesome when I compare my mothering to the […]
Journal Entry, Thanksgiving Day 2024
How do I let in the light?I give myself the benefit of the doubt. I give my partner and my son the benefit of the doubt. I know they are doing the best they can, and I also express when I am emotionally unsafe or vulnerable and I take the steps I need to return […]
Journaling Tool Share: The Masks I Wear
Journaling is one of the best ways to practice mindfulness! We bring intention, cultivate awareness, and bring focus (so that our brain can do its “neuroplastic” magic).When I’m “out of town,” I like to be creative with my five year old son. Time away from home seems to make the days longer and flow more […]
Want to relieve stress and connect with others?
Journaling “dates” can help you do both! It was not until I joined a women’s writing group held in Marilyn Bousquin’s home (now called Writing Women’s Lives Memoir Academy) about 15 years ago that I began to speak. And my story was held by the women who I had just recently met. It was like […]
The Brain Can Do Hard Things
This week has been a tough one. The spiraling nature of growth (post-trauma) has been hitting me hard. I have turned the kindness and love I show for others towards myself. This idea by Curt Thompson, author and psychiatrist, has helped. He writes that:the brain can do hard things for a long time if it’s […]