Last month, I wrote: “A prediction: August will provide more results of my new habit: messy art journaling. Yes? How? Why? Everyday, I not only schedule time for the activity, I spend the time so engaged and that is how a habit is made.”
My focus was to mess around with messy art journaling. Dinna happen. No pudding. No proof. Thinking: why my prediciton didn’t materialize, why I didn’t realize, accomplish my goal, what I did create – instead, I’ve concluded that I am not a messy art creating person … my tendencies lean more towards the other end: perfectionism, and that, I hastily add is also not who or what I am – perfect. I do own up to being, as Brené Brown says ” perfectly imperfect.” I’m OK with that for it keeps me honest and real.
September is just around the corner – can you believe? – and I am thinking ahead to my focus, about the vision I desire. This is how I accomplish -with just a few tweaks- the new habit I aim to create :
- change messy art journaling to daily art journaling;
- decide/schedule time between 6 A.M. and 6 PM;
- keep it visible, track and share! and finally
- Begin Today! there is no better time than now!
How has your word shown up for you this month of August? Please share via the link up and if for any reason you have a problem, do include a link to your post in the comments. Thank you for joining us and sharing your one little word experience.
Cheers~
Morning Glory Studio 
I love your plan to keep it visible, track, and share! That’s definitely kept me on track with all of my little goals!
I love how you reframed your habit to make it work for you: from “messy art journaling” to “daily art journaling.” It takes a lot of the pressure out, I think… all you have to do is show up and do SOMETHING. It’s okay if it’s not what you expected!
Thank you for the link up 🙂
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I think recognizing how you are is important to all.things.in.life! I used to do some coaching and trust me when I say this… not everyone is a salesperson… or messy artist 🙂
I love the idea of keeping it visible, tracking, and sharing! This absolutely works! I have a little space set up for my morning meditation/writing/reading. Nothing else goes there… just my journal, a couple of pens, and my meditation book. I sit down and my mind is happily consumed by the things around me. The key is no extras… like knitting, or stitching… my body knows what I am there for and it is the loveliest habit!
I can’t believe we are on the downhill slide to this year… sigh. And thank you so much for the link up!
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I got a chuckle when I read your insight into why messy art journaling was not for you. I had the same realization several years ago. Periodically, I come across a couple of journals I played with at the time, and I actually like some of what I did, but I DID NOT enjoy the process. I’m a “clean and simple” papercrafter most of the time, and messy art journaling is not in that wheelhouse! I’ll have my OLW post up early in September. I always need to wait until the end of the month before I’m ready. I’m planning on a rather radical change for September.
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Every year, when Ali does the messy journaling prompt, I jump in and soon realize that I like dry art, not wet. It isn’t the messiness as much as the medium for me. Yes to daily journaling. And yes to starting now. Why do I always think I will be more successful if I start on the first of the month?
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I know I definitely stick to habits better when they’re in a schedule, so I hope that shifting from messy to daily art journaling is useful and results in a more productive practice for you. I think it’s worth noting that the daily art journal can still be messy if that’s what appeals to you!
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I really appreciate you speaking to this. That realization of “I’ve been pushing myself to embrace, to create, something that isn’t me. But something else IS. And I’m going to do what feels right.” That’s how I feel about the time of day that I exercise. I’ve often felt ‘wrong’ because my ‘sweet spot’ isn’t first thing in the morning. It sure seems to work for the rest of the exercising world! But afternoon is what works for me. So simple–but it helped to acknowledge and readjust the schedule, or expectations of the self, so to speak, in whatever way that is. I wish you a rich September! (And rest of August.)
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You have learned a valuable lesson about yourself and I’m grateful for the reminder. Messy isn’t me either (well, unless it’s the general state of my desk or my craft room 😉 … I think you have a good plan for September. one that fits YOU and your schedule!
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Honore, I can never remember my word. But I love reading yours and all your friends comments. Perhaps my word should be REMEMBER lol
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I think messy art journals can be really nice, though not my thing either. It’s nice to experiment though, finding out what you don’t like is part of the learning process…and the same goes for mistakes…hmmm, maybe if something doesn’t come out as I like, I will just messy art journal over it. Reuse, repurpose😂😘 as always, lots to think about here and I love the red eye in the bunny statue. Cheers
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It’s always a process, isn’t it? We need to pay attention to that pull of wanting to try something new . . . but we also need to find a way to make it fit with who we are. I love reading about your reflection practices. Figuring out “how we go” is key. XO
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I’ve really enjoyed reading how listening to experiencing shows us what we actually enjoy and need … Hoping your September proves to be full of creativity.
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May your daily art journaling fill your heart with joy. And the idea of “perfectly imperfect” is a good thought to hold on to. Julia Cameron wrote that “writing is about perfect imperfection” Variations on a theme I think.
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