Not long ago, I was recovering from COVID-19, and during that quiet, slowed-down time, I was reminded just how deeply comforting and grounding mindfulness and creativity can be, especially when life feels uncertain, heavy, or out of rhythm. In the stillness, I found myself turning inward, drawn to the simple acts of breathing deeply, holding a pen, and letting my inner landscape spill out onto the page or into gentle brushstrokes. I wasn’t creating anything for a purpose or to share, it was purely for the sake of connecting to myself in a tender, honest way.
This period of recovery became more than just physical healing; it became a window into the healing power of mindful creative practice. It reminded me that we don’t need perfect conditions, long stretches of time, or elaborate tools to reconnect with our inner calm and wisdom. Sometimes, just a few quiet minutes with a journal or a few mindful marks on a page can offer a sense of relief, presence, and renewal.
The experience also stirred deeper reflection on the relationship between art, healing, and inner purpose, how creativity can be both a mirror and a balm, helping us process what we’re feeling and remember who we are beyond the noise of daily life. That’s why I’m so grateful to share this with you now. Below, you’ll find 3 heartfelt journaling prompts that arose from that time, plus a gentle invitation to explore mindful creativity more deeply, in a way that feels supportive and nourishing, especially if life feels full, tender, or uncertain right now.
Discovering Purpose Through Mindfulness and Creative Practice
One experience that helped anchor me during a time of reflection was joining a book circle that explored how to find purpose through challenge. The group’s discussions reminded me of my time living and volunteering at Kripalu, a beloved yoga and mindfulness retreat center that truly shaped my journey.
It was there that I first began asking big questions about purpose,
about how we can show up with presence, curiosity, and compassion in a chaotic world. These same questions continue to guide my art and mindfulness practice today.
Journaling Prompts to Hear Your Inner Voice
When life feels unclear or you sense a change stirring inside, consider these prompts in your art journal:
What are you called to do in your little corner of the world?
In your art practice? In how you care for yourself or others?
How do you connect with the still, small voice within?
You don’t need to have all the answers. The act of asking can be powerful in itself.
Why Mindful Art Helps You Hear the Still, Small Voice Within
There’s a voice inside each of us, gentle, quiet, and wise. Yet in the noise of everyday life, it can be easy to miss. For me, it was through mindful art and intentional stillness that I truly learned how to hear it again.
My journey into this inner listening deepened during my year living at Kripalu, one of the most respected yoga retreat centers in the U.S. Surrounded by forest trails, yoga studios, and like-hearted souls, I immersed myself in daily practices of mindfulness, meditation, movement, art journaling, and time in nature. It was a year of slowing down, looking inward, and creating space for my inner voice to speak.
I trained in Restorative Yoga, Somatic Expressive Arts Therapy, and trauma-informed facilitation. I sat in women’s circles where we shared stories and silence. I taught mindful art classes that invited others to express what couldn’t yet be spoken. And in those sacred pauses, in between brush strokes and breaths, I began to reconnect with myself on a soul level.
That year wasn’t just a time of healing. It was a turning point. It became the foundation for the Mindful Art and Meditation Teacher Training, a program I later created to share the very practices that helped me remember who I was, and why I’m here.
The creative play, the grounding rituals, the gentle curiosity; these tools continue to remind me (and my students) that when we slow down and listen, we can hear the voice that’s always been there: the still, small voice within.
Why Listen to the Inner Voice?
We all carry a quiet inner wisdom. I call it the Inner Muse, a gentle voice that inspires, nudges, and guides. But life gets noisy. Our Inner Critic gets loud. We forget to listen.
Mindful art helps you return to that voice. Whether you're scribbling a doodle, layering watercolors, or simply journaling your thoughts, creative play becomes a portal to presence and clarity.
The name Mindful Creative Muse was born from this very practice of turning inward and honoring the creativity that arises when we pause and pay attention.
3 Ways to Connect with Your Inner Voice Through Mindful Art
Here are a few practices that have supported me, especially during times of transition:
Stillness + Space
Let yourself be unproductive. Early mornings, quiet evenings, or even 5 minutes of daydreaming can bring powerful insight.Nature + Noticing
Walk slowly. Notice the way the light moves, the way leaves flutter. Small moments often reveal big truths.Mindful Art Practices
Activities like BreathDoodles™, AquaDoodles™, Soul Collage, or Muse Journaling™ invite your intuition to speak. You don’t have to “make art”, just move color and breath together.
Are You Listening to your inner muse?
Over the years, I’ve learned that when I ignore my intuition, I feel off-center. But when I create space to listen and follow where it leads, even if it feels scary or unclear, I find peace and purpose. That’s why I believe in sharing these tools with others.
So if your heart has been nudging you to slow down, to get creative, or even to share mindful art with others, I hope you’ll take that next gentle step, whatever it may be.
Whether it’s watching a free workshop video, journaling your way through a season of change, or enrolling in deeper training, you are not alone. You’re part of a global circle of creatives choosing presence over perfection, and purpose over pressure.