Journaling the Rhythm of the Seasons: A New Collaboration with Jenn Begin

I think it's fair to say, before meeting Jenn Begin, I only ever thought about the seasons from the most fleeting perspective: spring is rainy, summer is hot, fall offers the best walks in the woods, and even though I love a good snowfall, winter always lasts a little too long.

I never wondered what the seasons in my little corner of Southern Ontario could teach me. I never appreciated their guiding energies or recognized I was missing out on a huge opportunity to experience my surroundings in more meaningful ways.

Jenn and me on a walk in the woods.

Over the past two years, Jenn has been sharing a different view of the seasons with me, an Indigenous view, based on her experience and those of her teachers. As a passionate music educator, multifaceted journaler, and creator of gorgeous, one-of-a-kind junk journals, she has patiently imparted her knowledge over long email threads and winding walks through one of the many conservation areas between our two homes.

Our resulting collaboration has been one in which I've taken a step back to listen, learn, and explore. I've loved thinking about how the wind carries me in fall, how I find light during the darkness of winter, and which ideas I can breathe life into in spring.

Today, I'm proud to share a set of four journal pages in which Jenn invites us all to attune ourselves to the rhythms of the seasons.

Jenn writes:

When we journal into the seasons, which signal the everchanging energy of Mother Earth or Ahkikwe (Anishinaabemowin), we become more aware of natural changes and perhaps can begin to connect to those changes in ourselves.

My family is Anishinaabe, Scottish and French. My teachings lead me to shift my life to attune with "all my relations": Nokomis Giizis, Grandmother the Moon and her monthly cycle, Mishimis Giizis, Grandfather Sun and his reliable shining light and Ahkikwe, and her changing seasons. As I became more aware of the changes in Ahkikwe, each season, I started to lean into the energy of that season and see the changes in myself as well.

I hope you can see possibilities of how you can attune your life to grounding and rooting in the spring, blooming in the summer, harvest and gratitude in the fall and then deep rest in the winter.

If you'd like to explore your connection to the seasons, you'll find these new pages right here.

To learn more about Jenn – and see her amazing junk journals! – visit her on Instagram and Linktree.

As always, I'd love to hear from you! In the comments below, let me know: How do you incorporate elements of the seasons into your own routines and practices?

Your Best (and Worst) Reading Rules: A Delightful Chat with Stephanie Affinito

How do you make your reading experiences your own?

This is the question Stephanie Affinito and I set out to answer at the outset of our new journal page collaboration. To our surprise, we ended up breaking a few rules along the way!

Stephanie is a literacy educator, author, podcaster, reader, journaler, and notebook keeper. She believes in the power of books and reading to transform lives and she brings the promise of discovery and growth through reading to her podcast, teaching, writing, and community building.

We began our first collaboration conversation with some of the questions we've encountered — and asked of ourselves — around personalizing a practice like reading or journaling: What if I don't do it right? What if I make mistakes? What if I end up doing it differently from everyone else?

We wondered, who makes the rules we read by?

Together, we created two colourful pages dedicated to exploring the rules that encourage us toward the best possible experience and the ones that are standing in the way of rewarding reading. Then, last week, Stephanie invited me to return to her podcast to discuss the final result.

I loved this conversation.

Sharing our rules — like reading one book at a time or reading from beginning to end without skipping ahead — and asking about each other's hows and whys led me to discoveries I'm not sure I would have encountered on my own. It also made me feel so supported in the process of re-thinking long-held ideas and beliefs. I want to have more conversations like this!

If you'd like to explore your reading rules – the ones you make and the ones you might consider breaking, you'll find our new pages right here.* This is a perfect set for sharing. Why not start your own conversation about rules with someone you know and trust!

To learn more about Stephanie and all the ways she can help you grow and enrich your reading life, and your life beyond reading, visit her podcast, website, and Patreon community.

As always, I'd love to hear from you! What's one rule that enriches your reading life? What's one rule that needs some tweaking? You can leave a comment below or reach me through my contact page anytime. Can't wait to chat!

*In order to fit a variety of binders and journals, these pages are offered in four different page sizes: letter, half letter, A4 and A5.

A new journal page collaboration with Derek Tellier

Two journalers, one journal page. How exciting is that?

I'm thrilled to share a new set of journal pages created in collaboration with Derek Tellier, a dedicated 5th and 6th grade teacher, journaler, thinker about the world today and young people's experience of it, and a huge supporter of his students' learning and growth.

We began our journal project with the understanding that recognizing good things about ourselves and our efforts doesn't always come easily or naturally. It takes time, effort, patience, and courage to reflect on our abilities and accomplishments and to share them with the people around us.

So why not make it a team effort? Why not create a journal experience that encourages positive exchanges of observations between journalers on the things they do and make?

The result is a set of pages made for swapping.

It begins very much like previous journal adventures, with a set of prompts inviting you to write about one thing you do well or know how to make.

Here's the twist:

After you describe your process for doing or making your thing, you hand your page to a second journaler who is invited to add their reflections before passing the page back to you for some final thoughts.

Derek's students have been enthusiastic participants every step of the way. They worked through early versions of these pages, providing feedback on their experiences and suggestions for improvement.

Here's what they've said along the way:

Filling this out made me realize how many things I don't realize.

I found it a bit challenging, cause when we look at ourselves, it's hard to tell what you're good at. This made us really look at what we have done, and how we do it. I like this because it makes us more aware of who we are.

I thought it was kind of cool because at first I didn't know what I was good at, so I wrote the first thing that came to mind and how other people thought on how I did that made it easier to understand that I'm better at doing that thing than I thought I was.

They're already asking when we'll have more journal pages ready for them!

Derek’s classroom

Derek Tellier

We won't be running out of ideas for new pages anytime soon! This project has opened the door to other exciting avenues of exploration around meaningful feedback, the impact of words, and asking constructive questions.

For now though, these pages still feel very much like works in progress. We'd love for you to try them with your class, discussion group, or meeting participants. They work with groups of any size, but all it really takes is two or more journalers to get the ball rolling.

If you don't have a group in mind, invite your best friend, colleague, parent, or child to write with you. I've journaled both pages with my 14-year-old daughter and we ended up having fascinating discussions about the things we love to do and make.

And please let us know how it goes!

We'd love to hear your thoughts, feedback and suggestions on making these pages the best they can be. Send us a note or leave a quick comment below anytime.

You'll find both pages all ready for download right here.*

We hope they’ll spark delightful insights and fantastic conversations!

*This page is offered in two sizes: letter and A4.

A new journal page collaboration with Carolyn Flower

Carolyn Flower

One of my favourite things about collaborating on a journal project with a wonderful new friend like Carolyn is that the process often starts in one place, with one idea, and ends up in a new place we didn't entirely expect.

This page began with a lovely first draft of Carolyn's artwork and an initial set of prompts. As the seasons changed from summer to fall, our ideas grew in strength and clarity. The prompts we began with were replaced by a whole new set and we added an excerpt from one of Carolyn's emails -- right on the page! -- that exemplified our ongoing conversation.

To me, this page feels like a dialogue with Carolyn, who shares her artwork and thought process as both an introduction to the journal prompts and an invitation to reflect on your own experience of the world.

Here are a few words from Carolyn about her approach to journaling and drawing:

It can be challenging and vulnerable to articulate our true inner thoughts and feelings. Journaling and drawing have been an empowering method for me to express my internal world and connect with others.

I hope you find this journal page fun and also thought and feeling provoking. It can be fun to think in different ways. We can learn a lot about ourselves from stretching our emotional and thinking comfort zones.

I hope you'll be inspired by Carolyn's imagery and perspective, and perhaps discover something new and unexpected about yourself along the way.

If you'd like to download this page for your journal, you'll find it right here!

You'll find more information about Carolyn -- and her artwork! -- over at her website and Instagram page.

A new journal page collaboration with Paul Day

Paul and his grandson, Frederick

One thing Paul Day and I share in our approach to journaling is a deep appreciation for the surprises that seem to accompany every aspect of self-reflection. For both of us, each unexpected discovery is its own reward and keeps us coming back to our journals day after day.

Together, we set out to create a set of journal pages that looked for lovely little surprises in the juxtaposition between past and present. Paul was also eager to explore his progress through the years and capture cherished memories, old and new.

The result is a set of pages that seeks out the good things and meaningful moments that shaped us long ago and the ones that are continuing to guide us now.

Here are a few words from Paul about his experience with journaling and our work on these pages:

Hi I'm Paul. About 4 years ago I became aware of journaling and the many positive aspects, especially prompt lead journaling.

About a year ago I stumbled across Christie, and her friendly approach, encouragement, and prompts have allowed me to expand my journaling further, and I've found it very cathartic at times. This opportunity to work with Christie and create these prompts has been a real joy.

We hope you’ll find joy in these pages too! If you’d like to download them for your journal, you’ll find them right here.

A new journal page collaboration with Krizi Venter

Krizi and Charlie

I'm so excited to share a special pair of journal pages with you today. They were created in collaboration with Krizi Venter, a writer, reader, journaler, crafter, and pet parent to her pups Charlie and Chico.

These pages started with the spectacular South African sunrises and sunsets that bookend Krizi's days. She wanted to write about the joy of pulling back the curtains every morning to reveal each unique sunrise. She was also keen to explore the parts of her days she hadn't yet found an appreciation for, to see if she could uncover something meaningful there too.

Through a series of email conversations and early drafts, we discovered that creating a page for sorting through the events of her day needed to include capturing what they felt like and what they could mean, in the moment and moving forward.

The end result is a pair of pages for writing about experiences of joy, thinking through the bumps in the road, and appreciating the people you meet along the way. We hope you'll love using them to sort through your day.

If you'd like to give them a try, you'll find them right here!