Cover Completion of A Journey Within.
Keys to creativity.
Back Cover.
After struggling with repairing the binding of the book, I
was finally able to glue and bind the
cover back on. The completed design for
the cover is much different than what I originally envisioned. I had planned for a bright, sunny color for
the background paper; purple was the front-runner. I came across the sheet of map paper with
the street sign and an idea formed in my head of using the phrase a map towards my Higher-Self. I then found the keys (representing unlocking
my creativity) and the brass brads which matched perfectly. While decidedly different, it is more fitting of the title of the course; A Journey
Within: a guide to unlocking your creativity.
New art journal: Navigating the Dark Night of the Soul
Page 6: Meditate on the light within you.
The delay for this post was my reluctance in sharing this new
art journal. I found myself putting off
posting without fully realizing why. I came
to the realization that I feared what people might say or worst yet, their
judgmental comments. Part of this
spiritual journal is recognizing my stumbling blocks and fear has moved in and
taken root. I don’t remember when it
stepped into my life. It wasn't that
long ago when I wasn't afraid to do or try anything. I have my theories but that’s for another
posting.
This art journal is a way to express the emotional turmoil I
have been, and still am, going through.
It began when winter arrived. I
found myself in this dark hole, unable to see beyond the moment that I was
living in. The desire to accomplish
anything was gone; I found myself literally wasting the days away in front of the
TV with this feeling of deep despair. I
recognized that I was in dark place but the gumption to start the climb out
simply wasn't there. Overwhelmed by all
the things I should be doing, I did nothing, as if frozen in ice waiting for
someone to use a pick ax and chip me out.
Spring arrived, a time when I normally spend the entire day working in
my gardens. Instead, the weeds grew and
the grass filled in my beautifully laid out flower beds. Then a friend unintentionally gave me the
initial push I needed (thanks Barb!). I
took the first step up that steep wall out of the hole.
I knew the place where my soul had gone. I recognized it from a book I had read three
years or so earlier, Defy
Gravity by Caroline Myss. When I
first read it, it had an impact on how I viewed my life. Little did I know that it was preparing me
for this spiritual journey, the Dark
Night of the Soul. I’ve always done personal book studies. I have composition books filled with notes
from various books I have read that helped me deal with or get through specific
trouble spots. Because I am shifting
internally, I needed to create something from my thoughts this time rather than
simply write so I chose to do an art journal.
There are many types of spiritual journeys. I would love to hear about yours if you would
be willing to share.
NOTE: If you need a
better understanding of what the Dark
Night of the Soul is, please go here. I stumbled upon her blog post while I was
looking for the original poem written by Saint John of the Cross.
