handwritten notes

the creative notebook: someone else’s words

There's an old tradition of stealing a single line of another author's words to start your own writing practice-and today we borrow from Nikita Gill and…

Feb 14 • holly Len Downing

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the creative notebook: yelling and love letters

I keep returning to a journaling practice from Amie McNee I learned at the Barcelona Journaling Festival in the fall. The two-part, two voices practice…

Feb 6 • holly Len Downing

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January 2026

the creative notebook: 2026 visions

on vision boards, starter pages, and starting over. without all the pesky resolutions and rush.

Jan 9 • holly Len Downing

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November 2025

the creative notebook: be a beginner

You know that wild idea you have that doesn't make any sense because you don't know how to do it? What if you allowed yourself to be a beginner?

Nov 7, 2025 • holly Len Downing

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October 2025

honing our observation skills: above and below

a simple little practice to help us turn down the noise, disconnect from the onslaught of input, if only for 10 minutes.

Oct 17, 2025 • holly Len Downing

the creative notebook: honing our observation skills

The political is always personal, and upheaval is always threatening to overwhelm us. It's important to get really good at naming what is in front of us…

Oct 12, 2025 • holly Len Downing

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September 2025

the creative notebook: eyes with new wonder

Showing someone else your everyday places is always a gift: it reminds you to slow down, to notice, and to enjoy the little details that captivated you…

Sep 26, 2025 • holly Len Downing

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the creative notebook: school supplies, fall nostalgia, and a list of experiences

I admit it: I miss the small town school supply shopping experience of my youth. And I'll also admit: it's not fall yet, friends. We have until…

Sep 19, 2025 • holly Len Downing

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the creative notebook: full days and full pages

after a slow summer (the Spanish sun will do that to you), I'm ready to fill my days - and I'm starting by filling up my pages.

Sep 12, 2025 • holly Len Downing

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the creative notebook: venturing outside

it's time to take our journals out and about with us.

Sep 5, 2025 • holly Len Downing

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August 2025

field of dreams

surviving challenges, staying connected to beauty, finding safety

Aug 16, 2025 • holly Len Downing

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But still, so much joy

Spilling out the ugly and reconnecting to the beauty. I need that these days. Don't you?

Aug 8, 2025 • holly Len Downing

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