I. I want to talk to you about Journal Jam because it has been one of the only “silver linings” of the COVID experience.
II. Journal Jam started in March of 2020 when we were all on lockdown and pretty much terrified. I wanted a way to connect with my coterie of Wildlings, be they students or friends, so I decided to take the lesson I taught in Life Book back in 2017 and turn it into a regular live community event.
III. This forced me to teach live – something I was a) sure I hated doing and b) terrified to fail at, but it turns out I love it and I’m really good at it. Who knew!?!?
Teaching live in this way has made me very curious about the potential for teaching in-person workshops in a future where that may be possible. I imagine weekend retreats that include gorgeous meals and bonfires and shenanigans as well as deep dives into art journaling as a spiritual creative practice.
IV. Dreaming about that has given me a lot to look forward to and this dream would *not exist* if not for Journal Jam.
V. Journal Jam has also had a massive impact on my creative life since the randomness of the prompts creates tension that I can break only by following through. In other words, the jams force me out of my comfort zone which is where our most potent potential for growth lies dormant.
VI. It’s also led me to learn new technologies and new ways of connecting with my people. This has been so delicious, y’all. Meeting with you live over the course of this pandemic has been a bright spot. There have been times when my promise to you to show up has kept me anchored to the planet.
VII. This is what came through in the latest Journal Jam.
It is not like anything I would create if I were left to my own devices, and I *love it*. You can watch the unedited replay of this jam here. If you’d like to get a more organized version of Journal Jams with an edited replay + prompts + images of the final work, please join me on Patreon where access is offered to everyone from the $2 tier and up.
VIII. In other news, I missed my second post yesterday because I was completely spent after putting together a bunch of month end stuff. I will try to make up for the 1 missing post between now and the 30th of this month, but I am not going to stress about it. Kimi reports that I’ve skipped at least one post every single time I’ve done the blog along and lo, no one died or even noticed. *Giggles* So, yanno. Gently onward we go.
IX. I found a fantastic podcast (THANK YOU SARAH TRUMPP) about the dark side of the woo-sphere and I am finding it super validating. I have been talking about the shadow side of the Love & Light Brigade for a long time now, and it is very good to see it coming into the collective.
What I really love about it is that the hostess is very much into and a part of the “Woosphere” so she isn’t coming at it from a cynical or vitriolic headspace. She is a *critical* thinker, though, and deconstructs and examines spiritual modalities to discern whether or not they are helpful or harmful.
I started with this episode on Empaths & Twin Flames.
X. I’ve got Kimi and The Viking coming over for New Amsterdam tonight, and I’m really looking forward to it. The Viking will probably stay after for an episode of Sense8. He likes to hold my hand. I like to let him.
He’s not my Twin Flame (bwahahahahahahaha) but he is a very sweet friend to have, and I am blessed that he met my amends making for last year’s door slam with curiosity, a willingness to listen, changed behaviour (there was some love bombing going on back then and it *freaked me the fuck out*), and grace.
I’m planning to blog every day this month along with a crew of almost 300 other bloggers in my “Artfully Wild Blog Along“. If you’d like to join us, you are most welcome! Both bloggers and readers are invited to join in the fun! The only requirement is that you agree to comment on three blog posts for every blog post you share in our Facebook
journal jams have been *life*
They’ve been the best thing about *waves at all of this* for sure. <3
You are a natural born leader and teacher. Stellar. Period. I had to laugh because I feel the opposite. Teaching live – sign me up. Teach online through video?! The thought sends me running to curl up in the fetal position and call for my mommy.
Thank you. <3 Teaching live always felt too vulnerable to me. What if I say the wrong thing? What if I mess up? Now I just roll with it and it is so. much. fun.
This painting is beautiful, I love it all. I’m grateful for your post.
I’ve been reading, not commenting, been in a rough flare. That kind that takes 2 canes to walk and shaking from pain.
Not looking for “oh poor you” just saying, I’ve not abandoned, just observing more.
Be blessed, light and love
<3
Observing is totally lovely. <3 I hope you ease out of that flare pronto!
Definitely loving your journal page!
Thanks Deb!!
Journal jams are awesome. Thank you for all that you do❤
Mwah! Thank you for showing up!
Oh how I love that journal page!!
I’ve enjoyed every journal jam I have been able to join in with. You are a fantastic teacher.
Thank you for doing these and making them available.❤
It has really truly been my pleasure. <3
This was my first Journal Jam and I am excited to try using prompts. I’ve never been motivated by prompts before but yours looked much more fun. I’m LOVING your Darling Human lessons which is how I found you. I’m only on the fourth one and I’ve LEARNED SO MUCH… AND, YES, I totally think you should do a podcast! :).
The podcast idea is really fun to kick around. I used to be a pagan podcaster and it was *a lot of work* but I really enjoyed it.
Lately, my calendar has not lined up with your journal jams or the Moonshine events, so I feel very disconnected. I hope life starts slowing down again for me soon. It’s funny because as much as there were parts of this pandemic that I hated, the ability to have downtime was not one of them!
I would love to go to any type of retreat you offered. I’m longing for real world connection along the lines of what I’m reading about in Sue Monk Kidd’s book “The Dance of the Dissident Daughter.” I can’t thank you enough for recommending this book. I wish I would have read it years ago!
You are a gem, Effy! I’m so glad I found you.
I hope you can wend your way back soon, lovely. <3
The Dance of The Dissident Daughter is a fantastic gateway to new ways of being spiritual. <3
I so wish I could get myself together and attend a jam, I love what I see, I never seem to make it to class.
I thank you for this blog along. It’s really pushed me, but it’s been amazing!
Have you tried watching the replays? They are also super fun.
Now see, I always just *assumed* most of your classes were shot live. I couldn’t see you not loving that. 😁
I am loving this blog along 💗
Nope! Everything was prerecorded before this pandemic hit so I had control over what I was presenting and how I was presenting it. I’ve realized that I work really well by the seat of my pants!
Love the journal jam. Love your future plans. Love changed behaviour. Winning at life in this moment!
Yesssssss. <3
I missed the last journal jam but I do want to watch one. I really admire all that you do, create and write.
Is there any possibility for this blogging to continue? I’m having so much fun with it but I don’t think I will alone.
I would love it if our little coterie of bloggers would continue – maybe not daily until we do it again in September – but as often as we can. <3
I wish I had known about your journal jams last year. They sound like they were fun and something hopeful to do during those dark days. Also, thanks for sharing the term “Woosphere.” I had never heard that before and it kind of made my day!
The Jams are ongoing! Every second Monday! See if you can join us. They’re wonderful, even on the replay.
That page is making me swoon! I love the Journal Jams even though I have only done a couple. I like to just watch them sometimes. :) Thank you for doing them! And if those in-person retreats happen, I am going to do my darndest to make it to one!
That page was so much fun and I love how it came together!!
Love the Journal Jams, can’t always get to them live but appreciate the full replays. Thank you!
My pleasure!!
Journal Jams are a treasure. I rearrange my life around them as much as possible so I can attend live. I’m glad they give you so much pleasure, too, Effy. <3
I never had a clue how to deal with an art journal until I started doing journal jams… It’s great fun and was the perfect solution to not being able to get together with my artist friends for a year…and now that we have actually met in the park, I’ll still be a loyal “jammer” as it’s fun to have more than one group of “artist buddies”. Effy, you rock!
I would retreat with you just to bask in your glow in real life. I love you so.
Although I do not post much of my art, I absolutely LOVE journal jam, so much that I made 5 different sets of art cards. Every time there is a journal jam, I do at least 4-5 different spreads with those same prompts…and each one comes out so different!! Thank you so much Effy for your time and effort through all of this! It is greatly appreciated more then you know!