Phew! I know, I'm getting later and later with my posts each day. It's been one of those couple of days. :) But hey, it's Thursday, which means it's almost Friday, which means it's almost the weekend!Today's art journal topic is SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT THANKFUL FOR. Oh yeah! I went there!
A while back, I did this art journal gratitude challenge I saw online, and the whole premise was to journal gratitude about a topic a day (kind of like what we're doing here) and it made me mad. Mostly because so many times, I'd look at the item on the list and think, "but I'm NOT grateful for that. Other people might have that in their lives and be grateful, but I don't. And being reminded that I don't have it just makes me mad." I know, sounds kind of like a tantrum right? But something really cool happened in my tantrum. By laying it out in my art journal and pouring out my heart, praying, and really wrestling with God over it, something changed in my heart. I look at some of the spiritual and emotional growth I experienced in my life, and I believe that it's due to me sitting down and wrestling with areas where I was not grateful.
So here we are. A gratitude challenge. An art journal. And I'm facing this question head on. It's the holiday season, and we're SUPPOSED to be grateful. But let's be honest with ourselves. Let's get those feelings out there. What aren't you thankful for?
Honesty is a great first step in the healing process.
To be able to say, "I don't want to deck the halls," when everyone else is making merry in your face. To say, "I hate the holidays because a loved one died during the holidays years ago." Or to admit that while your friends are posting Pinterest perfect photos of their holly jolly Christmas, yours is kind of a mess. Your art journal is a safe place to let it out.
I encourage you to go there. In my case, I found ways to turn it positive. But if you can't, that's okay. And if we hit another topic where you felt the way I did during another gratitude challenge, and think, "I can't be thankful for this," I'm all for saying that.
Here's my art journal for today:
"I am not thankful for winter. I really really really hate the cold. But in my making myself be thankful for winter, I am reminded that winter reminds me of how grateful I am for warm weather and without winter, there would be no changing seasons. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
What aren't you thankful for? Can you find a way to be thankful for it?
I'd love for you to share your art journal masterpieces. You can either post them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag #DecemberThanksgiving, or feel free to email me if you want to keep it private.
And, if you'd like to receive a PDF with all the challenges for this month, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter!
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