Having your own space to go to
It was during my second morning routine—tea, a book, and two cats nestled on my chair with me—that something clicked.
My first ritual is quieter, just the simple act of making tea, often while I'm not quite fully awake yet.
But back to the chair. We were settled in. The cats had gone back to sleep. And it hit me: how much energy we spend on worry. About what's happened. What's happening now. What might happen next.
If we didn't see our lives as a problem that needed fixing, would we still think of ourselves as broken or not capable?
Serious things would still appear. Life wouldn't suddenly become easy. But we wouldn’t be so clutched by fear.
Instead, we’d find a creative place for our feelings to go.
There’s something in quantum physics called the observer effect—the idea that the fact of looking changes what's being seen.
And sitting there, I saw, yet again, how this plays out in our lives. If I’m looking at my life with feelings of fear, worry, anger, or hopelessness, those feelings shape what I see and how I respond.
Like looking through a cracked or dirty lens rather than a clear one.
If we have a place to put our feelings that doesn’t include judgment or self-blame, we’re far more likely to see what’s actually happening and respond with more intelligence and ease.
I’ve spent more and more of my time creating that space for myself. It’s simple, grounding and brings me and the world back into focus. And all it involves is paper and various art-making markers.
It’s my own private place where I can express my feelings. I can share them if I want, but I don’t have to.
There’s no one to tell me I’m doing it wrong. The marks can be simple or more elaborate - it doesn't matter.
And once the feelings are on paper, I can see them. They're no longer hidden.
This kind of creative expression has changed my life. Not only because I’m no longer afraid of my feelings, but I'm no longer telling myself stories that only make things harder.
If you're curious about this, I'm going to be sharing some small Zoom sessions where you can actually try it for yourself. No art skills, no pressure. Just a chance to see what happens when your feelings have some place to go.
My first ritual is quieter, just the simple act of making tea, often while I'm not quite fully awake yet.
But back to the chair. We were settled in. The cats had gone back to sleep. And it hit me: how much energy we spend on worry. About what's happened. What's happening now. What might happen next.
If we didn't see our lives as a problem that needed fixing, would we still think of ourselves as broken or not capable?
Serious things would still appear. Life wouldn't suddenly become easy. But we wouldn’t be so clutched by fear.
Instead, we’d find a creative place for our feelings to go.
There’s something in quantum physics called the observer effect—the idea that the fact of looking changes what's being seen.
And sitting there, I saw, yet again, how this plays out in our lives. If I’m looking at my life with feelings of fear, worry, anger, or hopelessness, those feelings shape what I see and how I respond.
Like looking through a cracked or dirty lens rather than a clear one.
If we have a place to put our feelings that doesn’t include judgment or self-blame, we’re far more likely to see what’s actually happening and respond with more intelligence and ease.
I’ve spent more and more of my time creating that space for myself. It’s simple, grounding and brings me and the world back into focus. And all it involves is paper and various art-making markers.
It’s my own private place where I can express my feelings. I can share them if I want, but I don’t have to.
There’s no one to tell me I’m doing it wrong. The marks can be simple or more elaborate - it doesn't matter.
And once the feelings are on paper, I can see them. They're no longer hidden.
This kind of creative expression has changed my life. Not only because I’m no longer afraid of my feelings, but I'm no longer telling myself stories that only make things harder.
If you're curious about this, I'm going to be sharing some small Zoom sessions where you can actually try it for yourself. No art skills, no pressure. Just a chance to see what happens when your feelings have some place to go.