Category Archives: Create Boldly

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Unearthing Creativity: A Journey Back to Morning Pages

Why do I write? Often, it’s a delightful blend of self-inspiration and cosmic detective work: nudging myself into new ventures, finding my footing in this wonderfully chaotic world, unearthing meaning in the mundane (or the magnificent), and generally figuring out why I am the way I am and what truly lights my fire today.

Lately, my quest has been to forge a morning routine template, a sort of daily superpower, to supercharge my creative process. As one does when seeking wisdom (or procrastination, depending on the day or moment…), I recently dove into the digital archives, specifically searching Facebook for “Morning Pages” groups. Lo and behold, a blog post I penned two and a half years ago popped up.

Reading it was… a punch to the gut. I’d written it during the harrowing time my eldest sister was in ICU, fighting for her life. A fight she ultimately lost. And with her, I lost my big sister, my confidante, my support system, my champion, my cheerleader, my friend.

As I reread those paragraphs, my mind went numb, tears pricked. Grief, it turns out, is a spectacularly messy business. It adheres to no timeline, no polite schedule. It’s less a well-behaved houseguest and more a rogue wave, crashing in when you least expect it. A name, a scent, or in my case, a few written words, can fling open the gates to a memory awash in all the feelings and emotions it contains.

I miss my big sister. I always will.

I’m learning to embrace that “always will,” so that when grief still washes over me, I can simply stop and feel the missing. It’s a quiet acknowledgment that the profound love we shared never truly died; it simply changed course when the river of life, carrying us both, split.

If you’d like to read the original post – which, despite the unexpected emotional detour, was all about reestablishing my habit of “Morning Pages” – you can access it here: https://dareboldly.com/2023/11/18/morning-pages-the-journey-of-self-recovery

Next week, I’ll be sharing a crash course in How to Set a Morning Routine – your personal blueprint for creative consistency. Watch for the announcement!

In Lavender Fields

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Surrounded by the exquisite scent of 700 Lavender plants in bloom and serenaded by wind chimes and birdsong, my sister, Anne and I, along with 4 other women and the amazing Dar Yuill spun lavender into beautiful wreaths.It was a delightful afternoon of creating, chatting and celebrating our human connections and community.

And… I decided, just for fun, to write a song for the day and ask AI (I know, I’ve crossed over to the ‘dark’ side – but it’s really cool!) to put my song to music. And this is what I got! (Lyrics are mine)

And these are the complete song lyrics:

In Lavender Fields
by Louise Gallagher

In lavender fields where the sun sets wide,
Gentle breezes whisper tales of old.
Memories float like clouds in the sky,
Soft petals dance under the sun's gold light.

Oh, lavender fields, how you bring me peace,
With every breath, my heart finds release.
In your charms, I find the quiet ease,
Of simple days when life was full of rest.

Through the rows of purple, I create a wreath,
Feeling the warm sun caress my cheeks.
Each strand weaves a memory, each scent a tone,
Nature's melody, sweet and sweet.

In lavender fields, I let go and rest,
Where worries fade and calm takes hold.
In your gentle beauty, I find my best,
A peaceful journey, soul and fold.

My Struggle with Self-Care (and How I’m Finding My Way Back)

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Six days into the new year and it already feels like a rocky start. I’ve slipped on all levels of my commitment to self-care and fostering calm. It’s as if the moment the calendar flipped to January 1st, some invisible switch was thrown, and the pressure to be better, do better, achieve more, kicked the critter chatter in my mind into high gear as my inner wise woman slipped into reverse.

Yesterday, I succumbed to the siren song of junk food. The rain was coming down in sheets as I drove back from Victoria, the early morning ferry (6:20 am – ouch!) catching up with me. Each mile felt longer, each raindrop a tiny hammer against the windshield. By the time I reached Duncan, the golden arches of self-indulgence were glowing like a beacon of comfort, and the gremlin on my shoulder was whispering promises of salty, greasy satisfaction. Resistance crumbled.

And it’s not just the diet. 10,000 steps? More like 10,000 excuses. Between ferrying C.C. to Seattle and navigating the labyrinth of Canadian customs and residency paperwork, my Fitbit has been gathering dust. The book? Those 1000 words a day are mocking me from the blank page.

I find myself making excuses, defending my actions as if I’m in front of a judge. Why this need to justify? Is it the fear of being judged, of not living up to some impossible standard of “New Year, New Me”? Or is it something deeper, a fear of failing myself, of not being disciplined enough, strong enough to stick to my resolutions?

Perhaps the real struggle isn’t with the self-care itself, but with the expectations I’ve piled upon myself. Maybe calm isn’t something to be achieved, but a state of being, a way of approaching life that I need to rediscover. Maybe it’s time to take off these judgmental glasses and see the world, and myself, with a little more kindness.

Maybe, rather than loading myself up with expectations and then giving my inner critic free rein to criticize my perceived “lack” of progress, commitment, or achievement—obscuring my gratitude like a dark cloud hiding the sun—maybe I need to step fully into gratitude. Maybe I need to choose to celebrate the beauty, wonder, and awe that already exist in my world.

Perhaps counting moments that take my breath away, instead of milestones that constantly raise the bar higher, will help me focus on taking one step at a time towards my goals. And maybe, just maybe, all I need to keep my steps moving gently and calmly forward is to carry gratitude in my heart—gratitude for the journey, for the present moment, and for the abundance that surrounds me.

What about you? What would it look like to silence your inner critic and embrace the gift of this moment?

The Language of the Soul

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Perhaps it’s the unwinding of memories as I declutter and organize, or the echoes of poet and philosopher David Whyte’s words echoeing in my mind from the podcast I listened to yesterday as I worked in the garage. Or, perhaps it’s simply that my focus turns inward as I sift through the outward markings of our life in this beautiful home…

Whatever the impetus, this morning was not meant for poetry. I awoke early, completed my morning puzzles (Wordle, Connections, The Mini) and embarked on the all-consuming quest for Spelling Bee Genius status. Barefoot, I made coffee, tidied the kitchen, and took Sir Beaumont for his morning saunter.

But as I sipped my latte, sitting at my desk, looking out at the river flowing past, responding to messages on my computer, the muse beckoned. I fell under her thrall. Words flowed in that space of limitless expansiveness. Two hours later, a poem was born. Heart unburdened, now it’s time to return to the task of decluttering.

Those two hours were not lost time in preparing our house for market. They were overflowing with soulful nourishment, soothing the edges of sadness as we leave this beloved home and our wonderful community here and fueling the excitement for our next adventure—into the mists of the known and unknown.

Life is an incredible journey when I listen to my heart, live with soul, and weave creativity into everything I do.

Namaste

Awakening – April Poetry Month

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April is Poetry Month. A month to create and celebrate words that rhyme, words that flow on gentle wisps of promise, words that stir hearts to dance and cry and spin about.

This is the third poem I’ve written this poetry month. It arose unbidden, like a memory awakened by the sound of a laugh, a retreating figure, a voice on the phone, as I sat down to journal this morning.

It seems to pair well with this image I created as part of my She Dares series.

I hope you feel the call this month to read a poem, share one, perhaps even cast one to a page in the hope the words will flow into images that make your heart want to dance as you come alive to the poetry of life.

Beautiful Tender Mercy

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Beautiful Tender Mercy

by Louise Gallagher

One day, when you least expect it
you will stand at the threshold of your heart
and hear its pounding insistence
you step across the liminal space between not loving yourself
and loving yourself with all your being awakened to every beat of your heart.

In that moment, you must choose between
staying locked in the darkness of believing your flaws and many imperfections
are too wide and bulky to fit through the doorway to your heart
or
stripping away the heaviness of your belief you do not deserve your love
because you are so imperfect and scarred and scared of loving yourself
you will never be free of the fear of loving yourself.

To choose to stay locked in darkness is easy.
It’s the comfortable shirt you’ve worn forever.
The one you thoughtlessly put through the washing cycle so often
you no longer worry about putting the machine on delicate.
You know this shirt is tough enough to take your abuse.

But, to risk stripping away the shirt and tearing it to shreds.
To risk standing exposed with all your scars and scared self naked
to the prying eyes of imperfection.
Ah, well that is the penultimate act of courage you will ever commit.

One day, you will stand at the threshold of your heart
and be asked to commit to loving yourself in all your wounded, flawed beauty.

On that day you will know the sound of freedom is not a song
sung by those with the courage to climb every mountain and ford every sea.
It is the sound of your heart falling
deeply in love
with the perfection of the beautiful tender mercy of being held
in the loving embrace of your arms wrapping themselves around your heart
as you whisper joyfully, I Love You.

#dareboldly #dareboldlypoetry #dareboldlyart #poetryofinstagram #poetrycommunity #poemsoflove #selflovepoetry #selfloveisgoodlove #selfloveisgoodforthesoul #mydailydoseofcalm #loveyourselfpoem #beyourbestfriend #instagood

How to rewrite your stars.

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In the quiet of each morning, I am greeted by the unwritten story of the day ahead—a narrative waiting to be crafted with intention and purpose. In these moments, I am reminded of the ReWrite Journey course I have the honour of guiding—a course designed to delve into the art of storytelling, our storytelling.

Every Monday evening, in the sanctuary of our virtual circle, seven women, a collective of seekers and storytellers, explore the contours of our Origin Stories. It is here that we acknowledge our agency, summon our strength, celebrate our courage, and distill the wisdom from life’s intricate journey. This is the groundwork of the course, The ReWrite Journey I’ve created, a journey of reflection and empowerment.

Every choice we make—every word, every action—becomes a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter in the ongoing story of our lives. As we begin to chart our paths forward, we set markers—goals and dreams that beckon us with the promise of fulfillment and transformation.

In the ReWrite Journey course, we don’t just look back; we also cast our gaze forward, rewriting our trajectory with markers that serve as beacons towards a future we dare to design. What kind of story do we aspire to live out? What are the empowered choices we will make to propel us towards our envisioned horizon?

As we write and create, we ask… What if, instead of drifting on the currents of habit, we took the helm with hyper-conscious awareness, navigating our existence with the recognition that we are here, now, fully capable of scripting the grand narrative of our lives? What if today, we chose to live out the greatest story ever told, our own, with every choice a stroke of the author’s pen?

What if?

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Gratitude is the foundation of so much joy in my life. I am deeply grateful for the seven women who have joined me in this, the inaugral session of The ReWrite Journey: Your Past, Reimagined. Your Future, Reclaimed. The ReWrite Journey is a transformative eight-week odyssey that weaves the wisdom of the past into the tapestry of a future rich with possibility.

The ReWrite Journey offers a sanctuary for women of all walks of life who seek to embrace the vibrant threads of their experience and weave them into a future tapestry, vibrant with the hues of their wildest dreams and richest aspirations.

The return of the light

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There is a moment in eternity when the earth pauses momentarily in its orbit around the sun before it begins to tilt in the opposite direction. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this is a beginning of the shift towards longer days, shorter nights.

It is time to welcome back the light.

It’s also a time to reflect, renew, and embrace the changing seasons. The Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year, is more than just a mark on the calendar; it’s a moment of deep spiritual significance, a time to welcome the return of light into our lives.

Tomorrow, the Solstice heralds in the longest night and the promise of returning light. My heart is both heavy and hopeful. This year, the Solstice holds a special significance for me. Just a month ago, on November 24th, my beloved eldest sister passed away. Her absence has cast a long shadow, yet the approaching Solstice reminds me that even in the deepest darkness, light and love continue to flow.

This year, it feels like a tender metaphor for my own journey through grief. As the earth experiences its shortest day and longest night, I too have been navigating through my darkest hours, learning to find light in unexpected places.

In honor of my sister, and as a beacon for all who are walking through the shadows of loss, I offer this blessing:

"May the Winter Solstice envelop you in its loving light and profound joy. Even as the darkness lingers, let the promise of returning light open your heart, mind, and soul to the enchanting possibilities of life. May it serve as an invitation to dance in the radiant embrace of love that endures and transforms, even through grief."

Morning Pages: The Journey of Self-Recovery

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In March 2007, I embarked on a journey as a blogger, committing to daily writing, seven days a week. This discipline persisted for about five years until life’s complexities – work, responsibilities, and the inevitable “busyness” – prompted me to reassess. Gradually, my posts became less frequent, transitioning from a Monday-to-Friday routine to a more sporadic ‘when inspiration strikes’ schedule.

However, in recently having retired from the workplace, I’ve realized the importance of consistency and discipline, not just in writing but in life. Since stepping away from formal employment, I’ve missed the structure of having to turn up, pay attention and be accountable, not just to myself but to others. For me, ‘a job’ fosters focus and self-discipline in my life. This realization was driven home during my recent solo writer’s retreat in Ireland, where I successfully reintroduced a structured routine into my life. Since returning, I have not touched the project I began on that retreat. It’s become clear: it’s time to embrace this structure once again.

Now, in my defence, amidst the horrific natural and man-made devastation, violence and wars unfolding around the globe, my sister’s health struggles have been a profound emotional journey. She remains in ICU, still in a deep sleep following major surgery over a week ago. My daily visits, standing by her bedside, sharing messages of love and support, have been emotionally draining. This exhaustion has clouded my thoughts, dampening my drive and creativity.

I’ve come to accept that I cannot alter my sister’s path. My role is to hold space for the best for her while continuing to live and create meaningfully in my own life. In this period of emotional turmoil, I confess to succumbing to self-pity. This isn’t self-reproach but a candid acknowledgment, a form of ‘tough loving-kindness’ to break free from the despair and worry engulfing me.

Which is why, in the darkness of an unseasonably warm November morning, I have chosen to mark this day as my turning point. It is time to reconnect to the practices I know create better in my world.

To begin, this morning I revisited a long-abandoned practice: my morning pages, inspired by “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. This practice of free-hand writing three pages daily was once a cornerstone of my creativity, which I had set aside when I began blogging. Today, as part of my recovery process to embrace peace, calm, balance and love in my daily living, I recommit to this and other nurturing practices.

What about you? What practices have you abandoned that once lifted and supported you? Where in your life is there a need to reconnect and recommit to self-care and activities that bring you joy and strength?

What if we embark on this journey of rediscovery and renewal together?

I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below. Your words inspire me and open gateways for us to create better in the world, together.

Namaste

The Journey Home: From Self-Awareness to Self-Reconciliation

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Centuries ago, Aristotle wrote, “The most important relationship we can all have is the one you have with yourself. The most important journey you can take is one of self-discovery. To know yourself, you must spend time with yourself, you must not be afraid to be alone. Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

I’d add, “Yet, without seeking to empower self-awareness through self-reconciliation, self-awareness hangs, like an unripened pear, in fruitless possibility.”

Recently, while on my solo trip to Ireland, someone mentioned that they hate travelling alone. “I think it’s because I don’t really like my own company,”

Their comment surprised and intrigued me. I wrote the question in my journal, “Do I like my own company?”

Yes, was my immediate response.

What is it about your own company you enjoy? was my next question.

That one didn’t evoke an immediate response. I decided to make a list of all the things I liked about being with me.

  • I enjoy sitting watching people,.
  • Being alone gives me space to savour silence
  • I like how I’m comfortable just ‘being’ without having to be doing.
  • I enjoy making up stories about other people’s lives, and when I’m alone, I have all the time I need to do that.
  • I meet strangers where they’re at when I’m travelling on my own and get to hear their stories
  • I don’t feel like I have to be ‘on’ when I’m travelling alone. I can choose to talk to someone or not, choose to go out, or not, choose what pleases me at any given time.

After reflecting on my own appreciation for solitude, I began to realize that this contentment I find in my own company is intimately tied to a deeper journey—one that involves self-knowledge and the transformative power of self-reconciliation.

Having spent much of my adult life peeling back the layers of my psyche, the insights I’ve acquired into my inner workings, have helped me gain a profound understanding of who I am, beauty and the beast, yin and yang, dark and light, good, bad and indifferent.

However, on its own, self-knowledge doesn’t guarantee personal transformation. It’s just the beginning of a more profound journey. Imagine it as the map that shows you where you are, but it doesn’t tell you how to navigate the challenging terrain ahead.

Without seeking to empower self-awareness through self-reconciliation, it’s as if we stand at the edge of a vast challenging terrain, separated from where we are by a vast field of possibility. We want to know those possibilities but, fear of the unknown holds us back from taking the first step into the uncharter territory laid out before us. In many ways, this uncharted wilderness represents the aspects of ourselves that we’ve shied away from, the emotions we’ve suppressed, and the contradictions we’ve ignored. It’s a territory filled with uncertainty, and the journey within can seem daunting.

To bridge the gap between where we stand and the heart of our internal divide, we must cultivate courage and self-compassion. Courage to face our inner demons, and self-compassion to understand that it’s okay to have flaws, imperfections, and contradictions. Much like a seasoned explorer who equips themselves with the right tools and knowledge, we too can prepare for this journey.

First, we must arm ourselves with self-awareness, which acts as our compass. It helps us navigate the intricate pathways of our psyche. Self-awareness allows us to identify the areas where we feel divided within ourselves, pinpointing the sources of inner conflict.

Next, we need the flashlight of mindfulness. Mindfulness enables us to shine a light on the dark corners of our thoughts and emotions. It helps us observe our inner landscape without judgment, fostering a sense of curiosity and acceptance.

But perhaps the most crucial tool in our kit is self-compassion. It’s the warm embrace we offer ourselves when we encounter the challenges of self-reconciliation. Self-compassion reminds us that we are human, and like all humans, we are a complex tapestry of experiences, desires, and contradictions.

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The ReWrite Journey

As I develope the courseware for The ReWrite Joureny which I’ll be launching in January, I’l be exploring specific strategies and practices that will guide us deeper into the internal divide. We’ll learn how to reconcile the conflicting parts of our identity, heal past wounds, and emerge from this wilderness as more integrated, authentic, and self-aware individuals empowered to write a life-story that gives us the courage to shine bright, no matter how dark the times..

So, fasten your metaphorical hiking boots, gather your tools, and get set to embark on the journey of your lifetime as we tread, light of foot and heart, into the heart of the internal divide, where true self-reconciliation awaits.