Finding the words

In my newsletter last week, I suggested we make a new journal page together as a way to focus on something good and constructive. As a place to start, I asked if you'd write back and tell me one thing that's on your mind these days.

I received such heartfelt replies and as I read through each one with gratitude and great interest, three themes emerged:

1. the uncertainty of emotions: identifying them, exploring them and figuring out what to do with them,

2. the complicated nature of personal experiences and world events, a sense that they're too big or overwhelming to reflect on in meaningful ways, and

3. the heavy weight of these thoughts right now.

In the end, one journal page didn't feel like enough room to think it all through. The final result is a two-page set dedicated to finding the words for events and experiences -- in our own lives and out in the world -- that feel too big, too difficult, or too complicated to make sense of.

I'm posting this set a few days later than I wanted to, but it felt important to me to answer all of the replies I received to last week's email first. I sent an early draft of these pages to everyone who emailed me.

This is an aspect of my work I'm exploring more deeply these days -- seeking out opportunities to engage in conversation; sharing thoughts and experiences with the goal of creating more (and better!) ways to encourage you as you develop a rewarding and truly useful journal practice.

As someone who is not always comfortable reaching out, I feel very much as if I'm figuring this out as I go and I'm so grateful you're here with me for the journey. I hope we can create journal pages together again soon!

If you'd like to give this set a try, you can click here or on the image above to download them. You'll find four different page sizes (letter, half letter, A4, A5) and, as a new feature, I've included grayscale versions of all four sets, just in case you're not printing in colour.

As always, if you have thoughts or questions, I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me anytime by commenting below or via my contact page. Occasionally, I need to a little extra time to think about and reply to comments and messages, but I'll do my very best to get back to you as quickly as I can!

Daring adventures and exhilarating escapades

Over the years, I've experimented a lot with finding ways to explore our days from new and noteworthy perspectives. My aim, as always, is to start right here, where we are right now -- our to-do lists, our everyday issues and routine activities. But no matter where I start, I always seem to arrive at the idea of adventure. I can't help it. When I look at daily living, even the most mundane parts, I almost always see adventure.

Now, I'm not talking about fun-and-games adventures. No, I mean the kind of adventures that require courage and perseverance, where success is not guaranteed, where you -- the intrepid* adventurer -- will almost certainly stumble along the way, but you'll also grow in strength and skill in ways you might not have previously thought possible.

Lately, more than ever before, I've taken to telling myself, when yet another daunting challenge presents itself, like planning for the weeks and months ahead, reaching out to new people with new ideas, or returning to activities after long absences, "Well, I'm sure it will be an adventure!" It always gives me a little boost of courage and helps me focus on each step forward and not feel quite so invested in the outcome.

I see a lot of potential for some exciting, perspective-changing journaling in this approach, so I set out to create a set of journal pages that explores our days from a variety of big picture perspectives. Another adventure!

First came the titles for the pages, as exuberant as I could imagine them.

Next, I dove into the nuts and bolts of our daily adventures with the goal of capturing the memorable, momentous, perspective-bending aspects.

The final result is a set that I hope will encourage you to see yourself and your days from surprising perspectives -- as an adventurer, explorer, thrill seeker, storyteller, risk taker; you know, the stuff that reminds you to go out there into your days with courage and confidence and make them count.

I hope these pages inspire you to turn your experiences into memories you can look back on for years to come, including:

• the adventures that inspire you to grow in new and unexpected ways,

• the exploits that bring out the very best in you,

• the shenanigans that make your days interesting and unique,

• the bloopers that move you forward,

• the escapades that bring you joy, and

• the encounters that connect you to the people and places in your world.

You'll find this set right here in my shop.

In the meantime, if you're up for a chat, tell me about one of your adventures that requires courage and perseverance in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you and can't wait to cheer you on!

*I've always had a vague idea of what the word intrepid means. Brave, strong, determined, laughs in the face of adversity -- that sort of thing. I decided to look it up, just to be sure. I find I'm doing that a lot lately, making sure I know the precise meaning of the words that have snuck** into my vocabulary. According to the folks at Merriam-Webster, intrepid is "characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance." I like that fearlessness is preceded by resolve in the definition. In my own adventures, I would say that I'm almost never fearless, but in order to move forward, I have to resolve to act as if I am. How about you?

**The spell checker is trying to tell me that snuck isn't a word, but I looked it up too and it's fine

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.

M is for Merry - New alphabet-inspired journal page

Isn't it perfect that we've arrived at the letter m and m is for merry? Even in the midst of the most difficult challenges, and this year has been full of them, a few moments of journaling here and there offer a delightful opportunity to focus in on the good stuff.

With that thought in mind, I've used this lovely, holiday season-y, merry coincidence to create a journal page that celebrates the little joys you find around you and the ones you create for yourself and those you love.

If you're familiar with my previous letter pages, this is the part where I usually write, "If you'd like to journal the letter m with me, I'll send it to you!"

On this one occasion, I'm switching things up a bit. Since it's a super busy time for many, including me, and I'd like to make sure there's no delay in sending out this page, you can download it right now, right here or by clicking on the image above.

I'd still love to hear from you! If you're looking forward to our usual email chat, leave a comment below and tell me one merry thing about your favourite holiday or tradition. I'll reply as soon as I can with one merry thing about mine.

Sending lots of joyful journal wishes your way!

P.S. If you're new to this alphabet-inspired journal series, I'm sharing the process with you -- and these printable journal pages! -- as I go. You can find more information about pages a through l, plus some of my other page projects, here.

* The file will include two page sizes: letter and A4.

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!

L is for Lovely - New alphabet-inspired journal page

This week's alphabet-inspired journal page begins with one lovely thing about being you. It's a variation of a question I've been exploring for a while now: What does it feel like to be you?

I haven't considered the question in quite this way before and do you know what I noticed while I was journaling my one lovely thing? Gratitude. Which surprised me a little because it wasn't my initial intention with this prompt. Originally, I thought it would be more about getting to know yourself from an inward-looking perspective, which I know can be a little uncomfortable, scary even. I thought writing about a lovely thing might be a lovely way in. It was, but it also took me in a direction I didn't foresee, which happens ALL THE TIME while journaling! It's what makes it so worth the effort -- and the scary bits here and there.

And wouldn't you know it, it also gave me an idea for answering this prompt. If looking for one lovely thing about being you it feels a little too sensitive to approach directly or if the answer feels elusive, why not start with gratitude? For example, is there a special someone you're grateful to have in your life? Perhaps that can lead you to one lovely thing about your relationships. Is there a project you're thrilled to be involved in? Perhaps that reveals one lovely thing about the work you do or the adventures you're drawn to.

I hope you'll find all sorts of lovely surprises in your journal today!

If you'd like to journal the letter l with me, I'll send it to you! In the comments below, tell me one lovely thing about being you. Not only will you get a head start on the first prompt in this printable, but I'll also send a reply in return along with the pdf file* so you can keep journaling!

P.S. If you're new to this alphabet-inspired journal series, I'm sharing the process with you -- and these printable journal pages! -- as I go. You can find more information about pages a through k, plus some of my other page projects, here.

* The file will include two page sizes: letter and A4.

K is for Kaboom! - New alphabet-inspired journal page

As soon as I added kaboom! to my list of potential k-words for this page, I knew I wanted to use it. I pictured that comic book illustration, you know the one, with the bold kaboom! lettering and puffs of smoke and stars bursting out from all sides. It's such a fun word, especially when you add an exclamation mark!

I settled in to write an exciting new journal prompt and quickly discovered that all of my initial ideas involved destruction. Things were going kaboom! all over the place. And, just like that, it didn't feel like fun anymore. For a while, I replaced kaboom! with other words and wrote other prompts.

But I kept coming back to it. Maybe I could turn it around or upside down or inside out. After all, thinking about opposites and contradictions is one of my favourite ways to explore new perspectives in my journal.

So, I turned my attention to things that don't go kaboom!. Which reminded me of the hero of the story (that's you, by the way!), who swoops in, uses their superpowers to keep things from kabooming! all over the place, and saves the day. Suddenly, I had a new prompt!

I hope the kaboom! on this page reminds you of the ways you persevere, overcome, and follow through on the projects that matter to you.

If you'd like to journal the letter k with me, I'll send it to you! In the comments below, tell me one project you've kept from going kaboom! Not only will you get a head start on the first prompt in this printable, but I'll also send a reply in return along with the pdf file* so you can keep journaling!

P.S. If you're new to this alphabet-inspired journal series, I'm sharing the process with you -- and these printable journal pages! -- as I go. You can find more information about pages a through j, plus some of my other page projects, here.

* The file will include two page sizes: letter and A4.

J is for Jettison - New alphabet-inspired journal page

I used to think of the word jettison in simple terms, as a synonym for throw away or toss out, but after coming across it in my dictionary while working on today's alphabet-inspired journal page, I realized I've been missing an important part of its meaning.

Yes, it's about getting rid of something, but it's the why that makes it special. Jettisoning is about removing something in order to lighten the load. It's the thing you do to keep a heavy cargo from bringing the plane down or sinking the ship. It's the thing you do to keep going.

It has interesting parallels when you think about it from a personal perspective. Are there parts of your day, for example, that weigh you down? Things that make it difficult to get to the end of the day feeling like you're still in one piece? If you could jettison one of those things, even just for today, would it lighten your load and make it easier to keep flying?

In my own planning, I've been thinking about it in terms of narrowing my focus. What's one important thing I want to accomplish today? Is there anything on my to-do list for the day that makes it more difficult to accomplish that one thing? What would happen if I jettisoned it?

Poof! It's off the list! Not necessarily forever, just until I get the important thing done. Then I can circle back, but with the added confidence and motivation of having achieved something that matters to me.

How about you? Is there one task, big or small, you can jettison from your day in order to lighten your load?

If you'd like to journal the letter j with me, I'll send it to you! In the comments below, tell me one item you'd like to jettison from your to-do list today. Not only will you get a head start on the first prompt in this printable, but I'll also send an email in return along with the pdf file* so you can keep journaling!

P.S. If you're new to this alphabet-inspired journal series, I'm sharing the process with you -- and these printable journal pages! -- as I go. You can find more information about pages a through i, plus some of my other page projects, here.

* The file will include two page sizes: letter and A4.