My favorite #OOTD from this past week. I love the colors in the blouse plus I appreciate having a pair of tan pants to match!
Hello friends, creatives, journal keepers, artists, and small business owners! It's good to be with you again to share my insights on the past week as a Creative, Artist, Journal Keeper, Grandma, wife and friend.
The thread that really showed itself this week was on communication and how important communicating clearly is, to meet goals, to enhance the family dynamic, to recognize the​ value of my perspective as woman and creative.
One way that communication really stood out to me was through affirmations in my personal journal (you can see the one I'm currently using which is available below!) and really taking the time to verbalize what I desire and record it at the same time. This is something new I'm delving into during my spiritual practice (it continues to amaze me how important my Connection with Spirit really is--every day!). It has helped to define my goals, see the importance of family, and affirming Who I Am as Artist and Creative and how all the elements of my life intertwine and influence each other. From food choices to time to create to spending time with my husband. So, this was an invaluable beginning, not something I've done before. So, communicating with my Self and with Spirit as I verbalized was the focal point here.
Being able to speak my mind and set boundaries for self-care was another way of communication that was important to me. Recognizing stress points and choosing how to discern what needs to be done to keep myself on track, with the aim and goal to create a relaxing, restful, quiet environment where I can thrive.
Another path of communication has been through chatting behind the scenes with those who support me, cheer me on, and are interested in my message and in my purpose here at Refresh with Dawn Herring. Being understood and appreciated is invaluable to me and hearing from those who are paying attention and reflecting the value of what I provide back to me has been super inspiring!
One of my paths of communication with you is through my complimentary resources, The ART of Journaling Toolbox and The ART of Journaling Prompt PLAY Book. If you haven't already signed up and received these two downloads, you're welcome to click on either image below and get ready to either start journaling for the first time or get fresh inspiration to take your journaling practice to the next level! Prompts and Power Tools are ready and waiting for you to tap into the positive change you can initiate on the pages of your journal. Get ready to PLAY!
I find it so important to communicate first with My Self and with Spirit. That's where I find the most clarity and direction for my day, especially on issues that either split hairs or directly impact my well being based on how I choose to act.
Where are the communication lines most open in your space, in your heart, in your mind, in your spirit? Are you listening carefully to the truths ready to be shown to you?
I recognize the necessity to be honest with my Self, whether I'm writing in my journal or reckoning with a situation that requires careful action. This enhances Communication so it's clear and resonant.
And the best communication is sincere and comes from the heart. Thank you for reading this blog post; I want to communicate clearly that you are valued and appreciated. And if you want to stay in communication outside of this blog and social media, you are welcome to subscribe. I'd love to have you in my Refresh with Dawn Herring Community where I share what is inspiring me with the aim of helping you Find Your Creative Voice. I look forward to connecting with you!
How do you communicate with your Self? Do you use affirmations, answer questions? What is the best form of communication for you: is it visual (collage or doodling), text (like quotes or blog posts) or video (watching an interview or inspiring directives). Listen carefully and record what resonates and what feels false.
Using images of communication, create a spread that showcases what you see and hear communicated to you about yourself. What is it telling you right now?
Either draw an old fashioned telephone or words coming out of a mouth; you can also use the word communicate as your focal point.
Hello friends, creatives, journal keepers, artists, and small business owners! This week I wanted to share with you a practice deep in my heart in conjunction with my spiritual practice, which includes singing with my tambourine, prayer, study, journaling, quiet, song writing. Of course, my spiritual practice didn't start out with all those components.
Just like the seed of a journaling power tool or a journaling prompt, both of which are available just by clicking on the images below. The ART of Journaling Tool Box and The ART of Journaling Prompt PLAY Book are both resources to take your journaling to a whole new level. Subscribe today to get your complimentary downloads.
Then, in addition to study, journaling and prayer, about two years ago I began to delve into the possibility of music, specifically using the tambourine, with the idea of writing songs as a result of my study. To me, this practice has been meditative in and of itself. Those lyrics and using my tambourine have brought great JOY to my spiritual practice, heightening my experience and my connection with Spirit.
Since then, I have added time for Quiet, where I just sit in a chair or in my bed. I often focus on a word that has deep spiritual meaning for me, both visualizing and verbalizing for greater focus.
Often you hear, when it comes to meditation, to focus on the breath. Every time I've tried to do that, it is only a distraction for me, thus contributing to my struggle to stick with it. So, instead, I decided to use my senses, specifically Hearing, to tune in more deeply and to focus when I'm not using my focal word.
When I first started keeping this Quiet practice, I determined to do the 15 minutes recommended. It truly slows things down. Being very deliberate about the restful quality of lack of activity is amazing, very much in contrast with always doing, which I can Always Be Doing!
Then during the month of January, I decided to take my Quiet up a notch and increase it to 30 minutes. Of course, this doesn't happen every day, just on those days when I have the time to actually donate to this practice, when all is completely quiet, which is most weekdays.
I noticed with the 30 minutes, it intensifies the experience. I hear more clearly, ideas are more succinct, the energy is more alive. More restful. More rejuvenating.
So, now I try to Start my Spiritual Practice with Quiet, then song, then prayer, journaling/study and poem/song writing and more singing. When I can get a full practice in, I feel deeply Connected with Spirit, with Truth, with JOY.
Recognizing what works for me based on my senses instead of the breath, along with writing, singing, studying and taking time to really Listen, makes my Meditation all the more impactful, more energizing, more clarifying, more faith building.
Listen to your heart and where it might lead you in your spiritual practice. Don't be afraid to try what works for you instead of trying to fit into a pre-conceived box that doesn't fit right.
Honor who you are in Spirit and see what opens up for you--in your heart. It's always listening.
Record previous meditative experiences in your spiritual practice. What worked for you and why? What didn't resonate? What did you start and quit? What did you start and stay with? What works for you now? Detail your journey, connecting with Spirit in a whole new way.
Using images that truly resonate with your spirit, create a spread to honor your Spiritual Practice showing all it entails.
Using the word, Spirit or Meditate, draw the word in colors that speak to your soul. Or Sketch an object that you keep in your spiritual practice that holds great meaning for you.