The times we are living in are asking us to make sense of, and respond to, the seemingly insurmountable. The layers of hardship, grief and horror are piling up in these times, and at least in moments, the challenges may feel overwhelming. This is probably true even for the most unflappable among us.
I want to invite you to consider that you have more resources available to you than you ever thought imaginable. And it might even be fun to access them.
Through the arc of my own healing journey through profound suffering, to clear survival, and on to outright thriving (even in the face of hardship)... I have come to the conviction that inside every human being, there is a source of incredible insight, creativity, tender strength, playfulness, and.... resilience. I call this source the Inner Artist. And everyone has one (whether you think of yourself as an artist or not).
The impulse to create is part of what it means to be human. We are not wired to be passive recipients of what happens to us. We are not here to be victims of fate. Even tiny babies--the least resilient humans on earth!--have the powerful impulse to respond to whatever is at hand, pull in the best resources available, and create something lifegiving. From the very start, the Inner Artist craves to participate in delicious solutions... to feel it's life-giving impact in the world.
Sadly enough, school tends to hammer this impulse out of us, early on. But it can be revived! And reviving the Inner Artist can be deliciously fun, even in hard times. Which is good, because we need fun right now. In fact, we need our Inner Artists now more than ever. And the world needs us to access that inner fount of wisdom, vitality, and ingenuity and bring it forth. This work (which can feel more like play), is best done in community. Warm, compassionate, welcoming community, with no other agenda than creativity, togetherness and the delight of coming alive together.
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~ Howard Thurman
In just a few days, the doors will swing open to a new online creative healing space designed to (re)connect participants to the Inner Artist. It's called Junk Journaling for Resilience (JJ4R). It is kind of like a class (there will be six introductory lessons in the art of Junk Journaling for Resilience), but more than that: it's a gathering place and practice ground. It's a space for companionship and support as we reach for our Inner Artists and allow them to come out and explore, play, and begin to lead the way... Just as children resolve the biggest, hardest struggles through play, you might just consider Junk Journaling for Resilience a playground for our Inner Artists.
I want this offering to be widely accessible, so I am offering Junk Journaling for Resilience (JJ4R) on a subscription basis for $11 a month. I would love for you to join me, try out a few of our lessons and creative-play-meditations.... and if it doesn't feel good and you want to bow out, I will happily reimburse you your $11. And if you decide to stay, you can cancel at any time!
If you do stay, you will be happy to know that your $11 monthly contribution not only helps sustain this creative healing space, it also supports my Junk Journaling for Resilience class with high risk youth.
To make it through these times, personally and collectively, we need to connect with what brings us alive and delight in it. Come have weekly playdates with your Inner Artist. My Inner Artist can't wait to meet yours!
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