New Creative Journaling
164, rue Cowie J2G 3V3 Granby, QC, Canada

CREATIVE POETRY AND COLLAGE I would like to share with you a journal page I just created because I enjoyed the process so much. I love the combination of poetry and art and this was so relaxing and fun... This was an assignment for an art class I'm taking (teacher Greg Stump in Carla Sonheim's yearly program 2020: Words + Pictures) so the idea is from Greg. (www.carlasonheim.com) First you write a poem in 6 short lines, giving yourself random rules (in my example, first line... had to be a question; second had to include an historical character, third had to be a list; forth had to include eating; fifth had to have a number and 6th a color). Then you create a collage for your poem, cutting black paper shapes and arranging them in a 6 panel format - like a cartoon. To get into this kind of art project, I have to give it meaning - it has to be introspective, at least a little bit (and there you have the direct connection to New Creative Journaling). So my creation ended up being infused with my current involvment with the Work of Byron Katie (www.thework.com). If you know her work you'll recognize her in the Buddha of my comic strip :) Try it! it's such a peaceful way to spend a few hours. Anne-Marie Jobin See more

Saturday inspiration: I suggest we all devote a journal page to our inner duck . Same style. A drawing on the right side of your page and some writing on the left. Of course the drawing can be much simpler. Just for fun. I will try it right away and let you know how it goes . Anne-Marie

A SIMPLE JOURNALING PRACTICE I'd like to share with you a simple practice I find efficient to "close" a page, especially when I feel I have rambled a lot or I feel confused. I use it mostly after a page of freewriting - but it can be used on any page. Here are the steps : 1. "Empty your mind" on a page - by writing and/or drawing/doodling.... 2. Reread or contemplate your page then ask yourself: what is true here? what is important? what do I conclude? Imagine that your page has a message for you and write it down on a separate piece of paper (a small one). 3. Cover your page with paint or pastels (pick a color that feels soothing). Doing so, you let go of the rambling, the details, the process. 4. Paste the message of the page on top. It's simple yet I find that by doing this I integrate what comes out of my process more deeply. It's like harvesting the fruits of the process. And when I revisit those pages, they talk to me :) Anne-Marie

Kay Adams' new book has just been released! I can't wait to discover it... What a calming cover by the way : ) Anne-Marie