Welcome back to The Way I See It, where we focus on Awareness, Attitude and Intuition, and how these Keys to Aligned Living help us make more confident decisions that lead to a calmer, centered and connected life.

I wanted to address something that has come to my attention both recently as well as over time. I have had many people tell me that they admire and are impressed with the way I am consistent with my practices and that I take time every day to engage my creativity in one form or another.

Yes, it’s true that I have an extensive, comprehensive creative, spiritual practice that is layered with many ways of expression and the desire to connect deeply with Spirit. But it has taken many years of time and exposure to varying types of creativity.

I have always been an artist, from a young age, but the media used has changed over time. I didn’t discover watercolor painting until much later in life, back in 2011, which was the same time I discovered the art form of art journaling, sending me down an engaging rabbit hole of visual and hands-on delights.

I’ve always had an interest in music, from playing the recorder as an adolescent, to playing guitar (very briefly) with Dad teaching me, to writing songs and singing solos and duets in church, to later in life, writing songs, playing tambourine and now piano.

Of course, journaling became a practice in my 20s and now that I’m in my 50s (yes I just aged myself), I’m still going strong, including adding daily illustrated cartoon doodles into the mix, which is super fun.

With all that being said, I wanted to express and clarify the WHY behind all these practices that really are not necessarily separate from each other, but work entirely in tandem. Such as Prayer/Meditation and spiritual study leading to song writing, leading to piano playing. Which leads to Inspiring art journal spreads and drawings in my journal. In other words, one thing leads to another. They are special to me.

But none of these practices to me are just some “nice” thing to do. No. They go much deeper than that.

THEY ARE A LIFELINE. Yes, you read that right. A Lifeline.
The definition of a lifeline: something one depends on which provides a means of escape from a difficult situation; or a rope or line used for life-saving, typically one thrown to rescue someone in difficulties in water or one used by sailors to secure themselves to a boat.

You see, life is a daily challenge. With many responsibilities. Without my Lifelines, I would not be in a centered, aligned place, with my faith intact and my heart full. NO.
That’s what they are there for. To give me strength, to teach me things, to give me clarity, to bring my subconscious to the fore, to Give Me A Voice to creatively express myself.

In other words, they are a necessity, not a nice-i-ty.

I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy the process of creatively expressing myself, because I certainly do, deeply and with great satisfaction. But they are a gift, a present to help me stay more Present.
The More Present I Stay, the Calmer I will be. I do not want to be overtly cranky (which I get to be when I don’t take enough time!), I want to be patient, kind, understanding, wise, gentle and the like. Unless I dip into those energies of creativity that connects me to Spirit, my vibrational frequency suffers. I feel more fatigued and want space to be alone.

I much prefer to be on top of my creative and spiritual “game” so to speak. I’d rather be prepared, inspired, open, aware, tapped into my intuition, and ready to take on what comes my way.
Not saying I don’t have bad days; doesn’t anyone, right?

But I just wanted to clarify; I do appreciate folks sharing their Point of View concerning what I do. I always want to know The Way You See It, always!
But I also wanted you to understand where the rubber meets the road for me; the Why behind my consistency. The Why behind the reason doing so many creative things daily is not an option, but a requirement—for my spirit and soul.

We all have necessities. Things we must have to stay sane. What are yours? What can’t you do without? What lifts you up and gets you in a the best place you can be?

Here’s a journaling prompt for you: Write a list of all the ways you enjoy creatively expressing yourself. Put a star next to the ones that you can do daily without too much ado, ones that don’t take long periods of time to engage in. Now, put at least one of those things into your routine so you can do it and feel great afterwards. Don’t see your creative expression as something to do once in a while that doesn’t really matter. Because it does. It matters because you matter.

We all need a lifeline, something that helps us keep our head above water, with so much chaos and negative energy in our world. We need to create positive energy for ourselves every day; and then it makes a difference in the way we feel, which ripples out to those around us. Ultimately, engaging in our creative practice, whatever it may be, makes the world a better place. And we thank you for it.

​Copyright 2022 Dawn Herring

Welcome back to The Way I See It where we focus on Awareness, Attitude and Intuition, and how those three keys can lead to more aligned living.
For this post, I am sharing the transcript to Ep 2 of The Way I See It Podcast. Our topic is Sensory Power and how we can use our awareness of our senses to awaken us to a more lucid experience in the day, tapping into divine wisdom.

Here is the transcript:

Hello and welcome to Ep 2 of The Way I See It. Today I want to share my experience with Sensory Power. In Ep 1 We discussed the three keys to aligned living, the first one being Awareness. So today I would like to unpack what that can look like when we focus on our senses and how that can lead to a heightening of our intuition and to more confident decision making.

I began tapping into what I refer to as Sensory Power as I delved into the topic of Consciousness and that spaciousness behind all the noise. Getting quiet and still enough to Pay Attention to what our senses pick up in our surroundings can train us to became more aware of that Divine Presence in all of us.

I want to share with you my most practiced ways of tapping into Sensory Power that work for me, ones that have stayed with me, bringing me into a more aligned, aware state that calms. We sure could use more Calm, now, can’t we?

One of my favorite ways is through my sense of hearing; I find I do this most often at night when my goal is to relax toward sleep. And this is the time when our thoughts can take center stage, most often in a way that can keep us up, wired and stressed from the day’s happenings. Instead, I choose to Listen Very Carefully to the sounds I can hear, like the distance swish of traffic going by, or the hum of a fan blowing. Of course, this is different from hearing a noise that irritates, such as loud music or conversation right outside your bedroom window! But, alas, there are many sounds we can tap into that bring us to a place of Presence, which naturally calms when done for periods of time.

Of course, the challenge of Staying Present is always there, pulling us away from listening, and drawing us back into stressful thinking. But if I just keep bringing my mind back to the sounds each time I get distracted, I can capture more of that calm for myself.

Another way I tap into my senses is though my piano playing. I play by ear as I compose spiritual songs I’ve written on the piano. Yes, it takes energy and focus to determine what sounds align with the melody I’ve created, but it brings me into intense focus and awareness when I do. Between listening to the sounds I make and my sense of touch on the keys, it is truly an immersive experience; whether I’m composing a new song or practicing one already in my piano book, it enables me to tap into that Sensory Power that brings deep awareness to my soul.

Another sensory delight for me is working with my hands in my art journal. I use many mediums to create 2 page spreads in my spiral visual journal. From scraping primer at the start, to using tools to create texture and fun mark making, it’s all very hands on. I love using fabrics, buttons, scraps of paper, cardboard pieces for mark making, and tools like a paintbrush or pastel crayon to apply color, whether wet or dry. The textures I create help me tap into that Sensory power of Awareness and seeing the whole process from start to finish is a true sensory delight as I make marks, cut bits and adhere them in pleasing places, and listen to that intuitive voice that teaches me what I can learn from the whole process.

Is there something in your day that brings you delight with your senses? Perhaps birdsong, or walking in the woods or playing a fun game with your kids or grandkids. Maybe it’s petting your cat’s fur or looking deep into your dog’s eyes. Or dancing to your favorite song or seeing your favorite color in a fun design.

Once you recognize how your senses come alive, make it a point to delight in those places of Sensory Power as often as possible. This can awaken your Awareness, giving you opportunity to practice Presence, bringing you into a place of Peace and Calm naturally. Next time you enjoy a sensory delight, linger a little longer. Make time stand still for just a moment. Or two, or three.

Enjoy the delight of a good belly laugh. Listen more distinctly to the notes from your favorite song. Slow down enough to hear that favorite birdsong. Stop and listen, feel, see, smell, taste. And Know.

A Journaling prompt for you: Jot down a list of your favorite sensory delights. Put a star next the ones you can create yourself so you can include them in your daily experience. Describe one of those most recent experiences in detail and how it makes you feel. Revel in the memory and in your current experience and feel the Power of the Present Moment.