5 top book recommendations for art journal newbies

An all-round selection of books that are guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing. Perfect for more seasoned art journalers too!

5 best books to help you start an art journal.

On this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing 5 of my top book recommendations for art journaling. These books are perfect for you if you’re new to art journaling. If you’ve been keeping an art journal for some time, you may still find something that interests you on this list! These books offer a variety of different approaches and techniques, and can help you avoid the pitfall of buying too many books that feel very similar in terms of content and scope.

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May 2021: Tarot spread for the new moon in Taurus

Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast, exploration of the the Sabian symbol, and additional resources for the Taurus new moon.

Tarot spread for the May 2021 new moon in Taurus

The May 2021 new moon falls in the sign of Taurus. The Taurus archetype is grounded and steadfast, calm and composed, firm and also somewhat stubborn. This is a sign that is practical and earthy, and is associated with material pleasures, desires, luxuriousness, and abundance.

Spiritually, the Taurus archetype teaches the principle of belonging through presence…our presence as sacred human beings…honouring the body temple…honouring the flow of life. This can be difficult given the society we live in, which praises the hustle over reverence and treats time as money rather than a finite resource that should be used wisely in the pursuit of the things that give us meaning.

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Feeling overwhelmed? Try this expressive arts exercise

On this episode of the Art with Soul podcast, which was recorded soon after a deadly second wave of the pandemic hit India, I share a simple yet effective creative art practice. Drawing from art therapy and somatic healing techniques, this practice will help you to move any charged emotions out through your body.

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April 2021: Tarot spread for the full moon in Scorpio

Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast, exploration of the the Sabian symbol, and additional resources for the Libra full moon.

Tarot spread for the April 2021 full moon in Scorpio

The April 2021 full moon falls in the sign of Scorpio. The Scorpio archetype is known for its intense power and its ability to transform, much like the butterfly emerging from its cocoon, ready to fly. The Scorpio archetype isn’t afraid of the birth-death-rebirth cycle, for it is only when parts of us die and are reborn that we can fully transform.

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On the importance of rest for artists

Spoiler alert: the hustle is over-rated!

On this episode of the Art with Soul podcast, I offer you a short – and inspiring – creative pep talk for the days when you’re feeling overwhelmed. This your reminder – and your permission slip – to rest. You’ll find the transcript {lightly edited for readability} below.

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April 2021: Tarot spread for the new moon in Aries

Plus some journaling questions, an astro-tarot forecast, exploration of the the Sabian symbol, and additional resources for this new moon.

Tarot spread for the April 2021 new moon in Aries

The April 2021 new moon falls in the sign of Aries. The Aries archetype is known for its bold – often rash – action, for going where angels fear to tread. As the first sign of the zodiac, it represents the active core of our spiritual journey on earth, and teaches us to act in accordance with our ideals. The Aries archetype teaches us to be unafraid to march to our own drumbeat, to assert our willpower towards the attainment of our desires, and to embrace beginner’s mind and the innate trust and explosive power {conviction + action} that is needed to start something new.

Spiritually, the Aries archetype teaches us about action. And as most of us know, it’s easier to talk about the things we want to do than to put in the work and actually do the thing! Aries teaches us that courage is the key to unlocking the full potential of this spiritual principle. And that comes from connecting your head to your heart, focusing your will, and taking consistent action towards your dreams.

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Instructions for life

On being a rebel, a stream of consciousness prose poem + a painting from my studio

“I will participate, but not as asked.”
― Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy

When I was in my fiery teens, my father declared me a rebel without a cause. I’ve always been contrary. If you tell me to go up, I will go down. If you tell me not to do something, you can be sure that I will go right ahead and do it. And then proudly tell you that I did it too. That fiery rebellion of my teenage years has mellowed over the years, though – I guess that’s what they call aging.

I may not be a fiery rebel, but I am still contrary. I question most things. I tend to think deeply. Sometimes, it is annoying. It would be so much easier to just go along with what everyone else is saying. With the things the world seems to value. With what everyone else is chasing. It is so much more difficult to try and swim against the tide.

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The magic of intuitive painting

On connecting to your intuitive voice, finding your intuitive flow, and creating paintings with depth

On this episode of The Art With Soul podcast, I talk about intuition and grace; the intuitive painting process and maintaining the flow between painting intuitively and painting more deliberately; and how these ideas and themes feed into art and life.

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5 ways to deal with anxiety

Science-based tips + resources from my own struggles with anxiety

Let’s talk about anxiety for a minute. The debilitating fear. The constant worry. The thoughts that circle around in your head at a hundred miles a minute. The heart palpitations. The shortness of breath. The certainty that everything is going to come crashing down around you.

We’ve all suffered from anxiety at some point in our lives, but did you know that 1 in 7 Indians – or 197.3 million people – were impacted by mental disorders of varying severity in 2017, of which 44.9 million Indians suffer from anxiety disorders. And this is 2017 data, so this number is sure to have skyrocketed.

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Book review: The Passenger by Daniel Hurst

She takes the same train every day. But this is a journey she’ll never forget.

Amanda’s done it! She’s finally managed to save up enough money to hand in her resignation so she can follow her dream of becoming a writer. She just has a few more days left to serve out her notice and then she can put that daily commute from Brighton to London behind her forever.

But then, on her commute home from London to Brighton, she meets a charming stranger – who seems to know everything about her. He delivers an ultimatum. She needs to give him the code for the safe where she keeps her savings before the train reaches Brighton – or she’ll never see [her daughter] Louise again. Convinced that the threat is real, Amanda is stunned, horrified. She knows she should give him the code, but she can’t. Because she also knows there is a terrible secret in that safe which will destroy her life and Louise’s too…

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