“Owning our stories means acknowledging our feelings and wrestling with the hard emotions—our fear, anger, aggression, shame, and blame. This isn’t easy, but the alternative—denying our stories and disengaging from emotion—means choosing to live our entire lives in the dark. It means no accountability, no learning, no growth.” -Brené Brown
TL;DR — Life is uncertain; mindfulness is a means of remembering time as ongoing (life.goes.on). Our daily opportunity is to [own our story-unfolding]; to b-r-e-a-t-h-e; to hold steady even as we explore + discover and move beyond (perceived) limits and experience true 🔔 freedom.
“The thing about working with time, instead of against it [is] that it is not wasted. Even pain counts.” -Ursula K. Le Guin
Prioritizing space and time for right brain planning (mindful, dated chronicles of self-compassion + expression) allows us to come to terms with whatever we are experiencing—including the uncertain and painful.
“You need to claim the events of your life to make yourself yours.” -Florida Scott-Maxwell
Turning the 🔺🔻 kaleidoscope of my life means I give my attention to my life, including the uncertain and painful—but I meet that with curiosity—and I honor my pace. ♻️
- This also means I remain open and curious to what is different than I imagined and hoped to be experiencing at this stage of my life. 🦄
- Turning the 🔺🔻 kaleidoscope of my life means I continue to define (redefine) my life as it is now, as I am now.
“Kaleidoscope Perspectives“ was the theme for Right Brain Planner resources during 2024. It was an opportunity to explore and discover the facets of one’s experiences (lessons, sensory notes, creativity and life-roles) as an intentional act of 🪄 imagination.
“Perhaps all anxiety might derive from a fixation on moments—an inability to accept life as ongoing.” -Sarah Manguso
“It’s like nature has sent us all to our rooms to have a good hard look at ourselves. [COVID] was an interruption. It got us to pause and question our lives. … [Offering] an invitation, an opportunity to reimagine a more connected, entirely-not-normal, joyous path forward.” -Sarah Wilson
The “interruptions” of 2020 proved to be essential mile markers for a specific journey that actually began in 2019 for me. Time + intention have enabled me to heal and re-imagine my living—to continue to turn the 🔺🔻 kaleidoscope of my life—and see its precious ongoingness.
Time is continuous (even when we feel paused). Life is ongoing (even when we feel stalled or are consumed with doubt about our tomorrows).
- My right brain planning practice (self-compassion + expression via mindfulness, journaling and holding space within the pauses of my days) helps me to continuously see my life from a new and healing perspective.
- I can see everything I have ignored out of necessity—and I gain insight about what I can choose not to live (endure; tolerate).
- The past two years have been a glorious and continuous reconstruction.
- A long-awaited (life-altering) tipping point after years of guided art therapy and faithful support from my partner, my adult children and kindred friends.
Right Brain Planner is a collection of lunar + seasonal prompts and journal-planning ideas to encourage self-compassion and review, reflection and expression, discovery and healing.
Braveheart, we learn by doing: we discover details about ourselves through dated, chronicled observations 👀✍️📔 because everything we experience is data. 📊
Data is value-neutral; it is neither “good’ or “bad”—it is merely information to use for our choices, intentions and conclusions. Remembering this helps us to live free from judgment and shoulds.
Thank you kindly for your presence here.
I appreciate your interest and support.
~love & good wishes~
Artist’s Statement 😊🔮🔎📝🖌️🎨❤️📊
❤️ Braveheart, as the Creator/Artist of Right Brain Planner I am ever-grateful to have the opportunity to share my creative work online + support other creators! 🎉 For almost 20 years I have had the privilege of sharing my art and writing about right brain planning while also hosting kindred 👭🏽💞👭 communities. ✨ I consider it an absolute delight to continue this portion of my creative work (even as I retire from full-time work).
This is possible, in part, by {you} and your presence here. ❤️ But also because of the support of my Ko-fi patrons and the other member/subscriber communities I host.
If you already have your own system of creative journal-planning, but are interested in financially supporting my creative work, you may do so by making a donation:
- Make a one-time contribution in any amount via [this link]. (Thank you!) ❤️