Creativity grimoire tour...
Hey peach,
What’s new with you? Got any goss to share? In the spirit of sharing, I’m giving you a peep into my commonplace/junk journal this month. Don’t be fooled by words like ‘common’ and ‘junk’ — this thing is a veritable magpie’s nest of dreamy, bizarre, lovely stuff (but then again, I would say that).
Let me hand over to TikTok Emma for the tour, and we’ll meet up afterwards to discuss. See you on the other side* 👋🏻
*If you have trouble using TikTok or just hate it with a passion, I’ve linked the full YouTube tour below.
Tour my creative grimoire…
Why start a creative grimoire?
For the purpose of this newsletter, I’ve restyled my commonplace book as a ‘creative grimoire’. Fancy name or no, a book like this could be just what you need to keep creativity at an all-time high. Here’s why…
It’s like copyworking. By taking the time to write out the passage or excerpt that inspired you (maybe even taking the time to write it out repeatedly!), the techniques are more likely to sink in.
It acts as a physical swipe file and a central location for all the bits and bobs you’ve seen and loved. Rather than having annotated books, Kindle highlights, Audible clippings, a folder of physical samples, and photos of things you’ve seen, you can cut/paste/copy everything into one place.
Commonplacing keeps you in the practice of looking for writing that inspires you. And the more you read/look, the more creative you become!
Adding a creative element, like junk journaling or scrapbooking, to your creativity grimoire gives you a new activity to try whenever a creative block strikes. It’ll engage a different part of your creative brain, which could help get the wheels turning.
You get to buy a new notebook. And who doesn’t love a new notebook?! On the other hand, it gives you a reason to crack open that beautiful notebook you’ve been saving for a special occasion.
What do you think? Do you already do commonplacing or junk journaling? Do you already have a creativity grimoire of sorts? Hit reply and let me know.
🌝 Wind Moon – 13th April
Transformation · Gardening · Element of air
🔮 Freelance focus: intuition with the Moon
I feel I should tell you upfront — I have a strange relationship with this card. As someone who loathes uncertainty, The Moon often pops up to remind me that there’s so much we don’t know about the future (and sometimes, the present!).
The Moon is a card of intuition. When all else feels uncertain or shrouded in darkness, your gut is the best guide. For us writerly folk, this card reminds us that not everything is as it appears on the surface — if something doesn’t feel right, perhaps it isn’t.
It could also be a reminder that you can’t control everything. You can’t see the path under your feet, so you’ll have to trust yourself and your ability to handle what pops up. Keep those eyes open, and be wary of anyone trying to lead you astray.
Other shit you might enjoy…
✨ The Witching Hour: 1-hour consultation – peep
📝 Bada$$ Pitch: write winning journalism pitches – peep
📝 Access:Given: one-day digital accessibility course – peep
📱 Emma! Where the hell you been, loca? – read
📱 Why everyone needs an edgy goth in their network – read
📺 Commonplace book tour – watch
💌 Ashes to ashes: RIP women's reproductive rights – read