Beginning the Year by Listening

The Journaling Muse – Issue #48 Beginning the Year by Listening

A soft space to reflect, reconnect, and create with feeling.
My intention is to help you slow down and soothe your nervous system — through colour, texture, and expressive journaling that speaks gently to your inner world.

Dear Reader,

I don’t begin a new year with big declarations.
I return to a few simple rituals I’ve followed for years, because they work.

I take time to think the past year through.
I write down the thirty best things that happened.
I look through my photos, my Instagram, and quietly honour what actually lived.

I write a New Year’s intention.
I create a Dream Board, sometimes physical, sometimes digital in Canva.
And during the year, I return to it now and then, not to force anything, but to notice when I’ve drifted away from what mattered.

This is how I listen to my life.

When I recently looked back at my 2025 Dream Board, I noticed something important:
life didn’t follow it exactly, but it answered it in its own way.
Some things arrived differently. Some arrived quietly. Some made space for what came next.

That feels like a good way to begin a year.

A Gentle Invitation: The Art Is Magic Tea House

This is the spirit of the Art Is Magic Tea House, a quiet space for listening, reflecting, and creating without pressure.

Inside the Tea House you’ll find:

gentle creative prompts
simple reflection rituals
space to journal or share your pages
monthly sessions to paint or vision together
(including a Dream Board session later this month)
and a calm, soulful corner away from the noise

I’ll ask inside the Tea House about timing before choosing a date for the Dream Board session, so it can fit real lives, not just calendars.

If you’d like to begin the year with more presence and clarity, you’re warmly welcome to join us here:

Enter the Art is Magic Tea House

A Small Prompt for the Week

You might like to explore one question gently on paper or just in your thoughts:

What helped me stay true to myself last year, even in small ways?

No need to solve anything.
Just notice.

May this year begin softly for you, with space to listen and breathe.

Cheering on You,
Beáta

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No matter what you choose, I’m thankful our paths have touched. 🌿