Today, I am celebrating!  I began an art series titled, “Sketch of the Day” a little over a month ago, and have stayed with this daily practice successfully.  In fact, it now feels awkward to go through a full day without drawing.  Most of the sketches so far have been pen and ink studies, though for a few of them I wrote inspirational quotes or played a musical sketch on piano.  The motivation behind starting “Sketch of the Day” was to build my consistency--to be engaged in creating something new, source daily inspiration, and develop my ability as an artist. 

For me, the connection between books and travel is inseparable. It is through books that I became emboldened to dream and imagine myself into other experiences. Places far beyond anything I had ever known. Seeing the artwork, reading the stories of others and their adventures abroad--these were the seeds that planted the beginning of my own journey as a traveler. I like to think of books as navigation tools, in opening doors within us and beyond us. They help us chart the course of our own journeys, and inspire us to take the next step.

What is a journal? To me, it’s a tool for expression that breaks through resistance. The kind of resistance we experience when launching into a big dream or idea. Through journaling, we can be vulnerable, bold, imaginative, and boundless. Honesty and clarity emerge with the practice of writing our stories. Through this act of reflection, a kind of revelation unfolds and we learn more about ourselves, on a deeper level. We become more familiar with what we truly want, and free to openly exercise our voice.