home exploring in water visualizing it as a lawn quiet the critic asparagus fern analogy perfect, beautiful imperfection journaling living in a 'dream' world? book list When we create something, we always create it first in a thought form. - Shakti Gawain	Journaling for Creativity Journaling is a great tool for living a creative life. It serves many purposes including being a vehicle by which to process emotions. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way recommends writing 'daily pages'. She describes this process as essentially a method to clean out the clutter or chatter in the mind. I like to think of it as a writing meditation or stream of consciousness. Pick up a pen, sit at the keyboard or grab a sketch book -- yep, journaling can be done by drawing too. The important part of this process is to leave your self critic behind and just let it flow. Maybe you want to journal on a moment when you felt everything just made sense to you. You might find some interesting information if you allow the process to flow. sample entry: feathered audience Recently I was in my yard cleaning up and taking care of the flowers. It's a bit of a ritual for me when the weather gets warm -- sort of like having a cup of coffee in the morning. The large plastic watering can always sits next to the faucet outside to simplify the process. The ritual goes like this. I go outside, fill the can, and water the plants and flowers around the yard ending at the hanging fuschia. It's been with me for a number of years not growing too huge, just enough to add beauty to the environment and keep the hummingbirds happy. This plant is perfectly shaded as it hangs from the branch of a peach tree. I've also hung a couple of wind chimes, a bird feeder and a hanging bird bath close by the fuschia. You could say it's quite a nice apartment complex for the local birds. As I was watering the fuschia this particular morning I happened to look up into the branches of the tree and notice I was being watched. Scattered across a couple of branches were perched a small audience of about 6 or 7 very small finches. It was a bit unnerving at first. They were not doing their standard bird behavior -- cleaning their beaks or ruffling their feathers. They were ALL looking right at me, completely still. It felt like that dream -- being completely naked at center stage. I didn't stop what I was doing but I focused my attention on the birds and one in particular that was quite intent and close to me. I could sense it was trying to communicate with me but I couldn't pick up what the message was. It jumped closer, grasping to the chain on the bird bath. Then it jumped onto on of the branches of the fuschia plant. I did not stop watering. This little bird had never interrupted it's focus on me. It was maybe 6 inches from my hand and exhibited no fear or altered caution. We just looked at each other. I could not get the message he was trying to give me but I said hello to her and thanked him for visiting me. She sat there for just a moment longer said thank you and flew off. I did get that last message. I can't explain in words what that moment felt like. I've had the experience of connecting with animals before and each time feels like a gift given to me. We all have the ability to connect and communicate with animals whether we do it consciously is by choice. Most people can 'read' or sense what their pet is feeling and wanting. hmm ... this IS communication.