Be Present in May with The Creative Notebook

I’ve known my friend Holly for several years now, and she has been a big influence in my life. Even though we don’t get to see each other in real life all that often, I follow her on Facebook and take an art journaling class with her every now and then.

Her art journals are drool-worthy. I have no idea how she takes bits of found objects and turns them into beautiful works of art in notebook form. She eschews the fancy scrapbook papers and coordinated kits. When she has art journal classes and workshops she brings boxes and boxes of retro and vintage papers. Found objects. Things most of us would throw in the recycle bin. I stare at it and wonder where to begin. She picks up some markers and glue and turns out something beautiful and wise. I’m inspired. Sometimes I even come up with something on my own that I don’t want to throw in the trash. But then, when I get home, I forget about my art journal until I am feeling blue or until I go to another workshop.

Recently I asked Holly to come up with daily email prompts thinking it would help me remember to dust off the art journal. She decided to humor me. While I haven’t art journaled (sorry Holly!), I actually do read them every day and I reflect and sometimes write. One of these days I really will art journal. I hope she turns them into a book.

I was particularly struck by this month’s theme, Being Present. It is something I really need to work on.

Here’s a sample:

For the month of May, we’ll be exploring the theme of “being present.” What does it mean to be present in your everyday life? What does it me to be where you are? Who do you need to be truly present with? And what kinds of rituals or traditions can we create that will help us move forward and continue to be present, even after our daily journal explorations move to other topics?

Let’s see what comes out in our journals when we stop to explore the simple but always difficult concept of being present.

This week, we’ll be talking about the everyday life, in particular.

So today, we start with lodging ourselves into the present things that bring us joy.

Take a few minutes and list give things that make you really happy. Nothing extravagant or luxurious, but truly everyday.

Want to keep going after five? Great! But we are willing to bet that even stopping to write down five happy everyday moments or things in or your life will help you stop and notice where you are, just a little bit more.
Ready? Go.

May you find creativity everywhere,

Holly + Elizabeth
The Creative Notebook founders

You can sign up for the daily prompts on The Creative Notebook Facebook page. I hope you’ll join me in reading them and maybe even try journaling a bit. If you do, please stop by and let us know how it’s going, and if you blog about it please come back here and share the link!