The Journaling Muse – Issue #28 – The Stories in Our Hands
This is a space for softness, reflection, and gentle making.​ Each letter is an invitation to pause, breathe, and listen to what’s stirring inside—using art and journaling to meet yourself with kindness.
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Dear Reader},
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I usually write my Journaling Muse letters to a smaller circle of creative souls.
Today, I wanted to share this one with all of you — because it’s about something we all have: our hands.
What they hold. What they long to release. The quiet stories they carry.
I hope this reflection brings a moment of stillness, or even a bit of creative inspiration, into your day.
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Opening Reflection
I looked at my hands the other day while cleaning my brushes—stained with ultramarine and a soft sienna haze. These hands remember things my mind forgets.
The shape of my grandmother’s fingers, swollen with rheumatoid arthritis. The feel of the lake Balaton water on my skin as a child. The first time I dared to smudge charcoal onto canvas.
What stories do your hands hold?
Creative Invitation: Sketch Your Story
Draw or paint your hands—not perfectly, but just as they are now. Let your lines be loose, honest, alive. Or create a collage from old photos, textures, and symbols of what your hands have touched.
Alternative idea: Paint not your hand, but what your hand remembers—a gesture, a moment, a texture, a touch.
Journaling Prompts
What emotions arise when you focus on your hands?
Write a short “life story” through the hands: “These hands have…”
What do your hands still long to hold, create, or release?
How do your hands express love, labor, or resistance?
A Little Muse for You
What have your hands longed to touch, shape, or release?
If you're curious to explore this, you're warmly invited to my mini course, Paint Your Inner Garden. We begin exactly here—with hands, breath, and gentle curiosity.
Or take a moment to savor this painting: 🌊 Sailing — I loved smudging charcoal into the surface, painting over it, and returning again with more layers. There’s something so grounding about pushing soft pastels into wet paint—letting the materials guide the emotion.
What kind of creative play brings you joy?
Cheering you on always, ​Beáta
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PS: If this letter spoke to you, you’re warmly welcome to keep receiving The Journaling Muse. You can adjust your preferences anytime using the link at the bottom of this email.
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No matter what you choose, I’m thankful our paths have touched. 🌿
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