If the holidays feel difficult this year—lonely, exhausting, complicated, or heavy—you’re not alone.

In this episode of Art Journaling for Calm & Self-Care, Barbara offers a gentle space to be honest about what you’re feeling and create a simple art journaling page that supports your nervous system.

You’ll choose one prompt:

• "If I’m honest, the holidays feel like…”
• “What I wish I could ask for (beyond stuff) is…”

…and then soften the page with color and kindness.

If you’d like a little more support as you practice, here are a couple of gentle places to continue:

• A Garden for the Soul – my meditative art journal

• The Joy of Journaling Circle – a nurturing community for calm & creative self-care
  

Inside the Joy of Journaling Circle, I’ll post a Holiday Honesty check-in where you can share one word for how this season feels and one small kindness you’re offering yourself in the next 24 hours.

Disclaimer:
This podcast is here to offer gentle ideas for art journaling and self-care. It’s not therapy and it’s not a replacement for professional support. If you’re having a really hard time, I encourage you to reach out to a licensed therapist, counselor, or medical provider who can walk alongside you.

Background music:
“Meditation Relaxing Music” by Dana Music (Pixabay).
“Relaxing Music: Beautiful Nature” by Tung Lam (Pixabay).

Christmas is less than two weeks away—and if life feelsloud, messy, a little out of control, and you’re craving even five minutes of calm, this episode is for you.

And if you’re listening at another time of year, you’restill in the right place. Chaos doesn’t wait for a calendar.

In From Chaos to Calm, we’ll slow down just enough tocatch your breath, soften your nervous system, and let some of that swirling stress land on the page instead of on your shoulders. You’ll be guided through a gentle art journaling prompt that helps you release what’s heavy and comeback to a steadier, quieter center—one simple mark at a time.

If this episode helped you shift from chaos to calm—evena little—here are a couple of ways to keep going:

📖 A Garden for the Soul Journal – My meditative art journal to gently support your creative self-care

✨ The Joy of Journaling Circle – A nurturing community for art journaling, calm, and creative self-discovery

This podcast is here to offer gentle ideas for art journaling and self-care. It’s not therapy and it’s not a replacement for professional support. If you’re having a really hard time, Iencourage you to reach out to a licensed therapist, counselor, or medical provider who can walk alongside you.

Background music:

"Meditation Relaxing Music" by DanaMusic (Pixabay).

"Relaxing Music: Beautiful Nature" by Tung Lam (Pixabay)

Does your brain love to speed up right when you’re finallyready to rest?

If your mind feels like it’s juggling 37 open tabs—conversations, to-dos, worries, and “don’t forgets”—this episode is for you.

In this gentle, guided session, we’ll use art journaling togive some of that mental noise a softer place to land. You’ll move through a short grounding practice and then create a simple “mental container” on the page that helps you:

• Empty a few of those thoughts onto the pageinstead of holding them all in your head
• Draw a visual boundary that says, “This isenough for today.”
• Notice what’s loudest in your mind right now.

You don’t need to be “artistic” to do this. A pen, a bit ofpaper, maybe some colored pencils or crayons, and a few minutes of willing attention are enough.

This is a great episode to return to on nights when yourthoughts won’t settle, or anytime you notice your mind spinning and need a gentle reset.

Grab your journal or a scrap of paper, get comfy, and let’screate a little more space inside your mind—one page at a time.

If this episode helped your mind slow down even a little, here are a couple of ways to keep going:

📖 A Garden for the Soul Journal - My meditative art journal to gently support your creative self-care

✨ The Joy of Journaling Circle - A nurturing community for art journaling, calm, and creative self-discovery

Background music:

"Meditation Relaxing Music” by DanaMusic (Pixabay).

"Relaxing Music: Beautiful Nature by Tung Lam (Pixabay)