Visual Journaling Page Inspired by rupi kuar

I love the poet rupi kaur. Her short poems are full of depth and insights that often make me catch my breath.

This is one of those poems:

it was when i stopped searching for home within others

and lifted the foundations of home within myself

I found there were no roots more intimate

than those between a mind and body 

that have decided to be whole

-rupi kuar

Those first two lines really caught my attention and by the time I found my way to the final two lines, I sat with eyes and heart wide open. Have I decided to be whole?

I don’t have the answer right now but I love the inquiry and how poetry opens me up to new perspectives and deeper questions that allow me to see myself at arm’s length.

Using poetry as a prompt for a visual journaling page

We often think that poetry is inaccessible or challenging. Some of it is but poetry today is so often personal, simple and relevant. I love using poetry as a writing or art-making prompt.

In the video below, I share how I took rupi kuar’s poem and morphed it into words and art of my own. 

I love making art that has meaning, that teaches or shows me something about myself. It takes a lot of courage to do this deep personal inquiry and I don’t always want to see what is showing up but I always learn something on the journey.

Poems are often the starting point for me for a new visual journaling page, I love how they invite questions and offer up imagery that translates beautifully to a moment of healing through the creative process.

Video of a visual journaling process that is inspired by rupi kuar

Learn to create your own visual journaling pages

I will be teaching this style of visual journaling in response to a poem in my upcoming Courageous Creativity Challenge starting April 26, 2022. You can find the details here: https://minette.teachable.com/p/courageous-creativity

I have created a simple checklist that is part personal development, part art, and part spiritual practice as a way to connect with myself and to use art as a tool for healing and transformation. Join me on the journey! $10 for 10 hours of training including 3 hours of live Zoom connection time.

Come back here to the blog next week for another poetry inspired post and visual journaling page.

In the comments below, I'd love to hear your response to the poem above? Are you a rupi kuar fan too? A poetry fan? A visual journaling fan?