Creative Ways To Start and Maintain a Journal Practice (With Mandy Thompson)

Many people describe their journaling practice as a keystone ritual in life. But what’s the point of it? Is it worth it? What are the benefits of it? Do you need to do it everyday? Or is it another unnecessary item on the morning ritual to do list as the preserve of the lucky ones who have time luxury on their side?

Mandy Thompson joined us in The Haven Courtyard, for a workshop exploring how to build a vibrant and strong journaling habit that works for each of us as individuals.

Mandy is an artist, creative journaling instructor, and creator of Analogue: A Field Guide for the Soul. Her art and writing have been featured in Strawberry Moon Magazine, Red Letter Christians, Gather at Dawn devotionals, and inCourage.

Does Any of This Sound Familiar?

  • You want to start a journal but struggle to get going
  • You journal occasionally but don’t maintain the consistency you desire
  • You feel stuck in a rut with your journal and in need of a fresh approach

Yes? This workshop is for you!

Mandy uses journaling to help people plug into the heart of life and pull back from the never-ending pressures of the modern life. Her personal relationship with journaling started accidentally during a season of depression.

She frames journaling as a practice unique to every individual that ought to feel exciting, compelling, and fun rather than a monotone boring chore. It is a generative, restorative, and exploratory anchor that supports so much of what makes life creatively meaningful. But for this to happen, we need to give ourselves permission to nurture practices that work for us.

The Benefits of a Creative Journaling Practice

  • Generate creative ideas
  • Cultivate observation and awareness in a digital age
  • Integrate self-care and soul-care into your routine

Mandy shared one tool, one tip, and two techniques to immediately add to our journal experience.

She advocates creating a journal toolkit so that we have access to a range of approaches we can use when we need them. She encourages a playful, curious, and flexible journal experience, which doesn’t need to take much time and which honours everyday chaos and unpredictability.

Whether you’ve been doing it for years or you haven’t yet started, I’m confident this will be an inspiring and encouraging session that (re)connects you with the potential benefits of embracing and maintaining a more vibrant and rewarding journaling practice in your life.

Our Courtyard gatherings are relaxed and informal, with plenty of opportunity to ask and respond to questions that come up along the way. Keep an eye on our events page for information about future sessions.

Learn more about Mandy through her website.

Session Replay and Workbook

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Join us in our Journal Circle, where we are meeting to keep our spirits, energy, and motivation up around our journal habits…

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