Collaborative Guided Journaling Kick Off
Join me in this experiment with connecting through journaling
What a time to be alive. Yes, there is an abundance of love and light in the world. But there is so much that is dark, painful, and distressing, too. As a sensitive person, I find it overstimulating at times to be tuned into both extremes of humanity.
If you, too, know that feeling of overwhelm, I hope you will join me for what I hope is a rich opportunity to go inward and settle into yourself.
As I mentioned last time, I want to try something new, where you get the chance to journal and share your responses with me. In return, I’ll send you a personalized journal prompt to continue your reflections. We’ll get to connect in a safe way and you can have your experience witnessed. It’s not therapy, not coaching, not a class. It’s something brand new that I’m calling collaborative guided journaling.
If this process doesn’t appeal to you, may not fit your schedule, or may feel too risky, it’s fine to pass on this offering. Trust your intuition about what is right for you and feel free to use the prompts on your own.
Regardless of whether you intend to share with me, allow yourself to respond to the prompts in whatever way is comfortable for you. Write by hand, type, make art, take photos, compose music, or do whatever is aligned with your soul’s way of expressing itself. Try not to censor yourself or get hung up on perfection. There are no grades, and you have nothing to prove with your “finished” product.
If you wish to participate in the collaborative guided journaling process, please:
1. Choose only one response to share with me. Paste your typed text in the body of an email or attach a photo of an art/media responses. Email your response to me: journaling[at]singularlysensitive[dot]com (lori@singularlysensitive.com).
2. Please send your response no later than 11 PM Eastern on Thursday, January 23rd.
3. I will email you my response within 24 hours.
4. Along with my response, I’ll include a link to a survey. I’d be most grateful if you would submit it by 11 PM Eastern on Sunday, January 26th. Please be completely honest about what this experience was like for you. I’ll use your feedback to help me decide whether to offer collaborative guided journaling again and what changes to make to improve the process.
Here are the prompts:
1. In what ways do you consider yourself a sensitive person? How does your sensitivity bring you gifts and cause challenges for you? How has your relationship to your sensitivity changed over the course of your life?
2. What is your relationship with the natural world? What helps you to strengthen that relationship? What obstacles/barriers are there to having your desired/ideal relationship with the natural world?
3. Do you consider yourself to be idealistic? What does it mean to have idealism as part of your self-concept? How do you sustain your idealism in the face of the woes of the world?
4. What are some ways that you have experienced awe and wonder in your life? How do you feel about or see yourself when you have experienced a moment of awe or wonder? How might you make these experiences more accessible to you in your daily life?
5. What does it mean for you to speak up for the things you believe in? Do you consider yourself an activist? How do you align your choices and behaviors with your values in the face of pressure to conform to social norms?
I hope you’ll find at least one of these prompts inspiring! It will be an honor to experience a slice of your world through your response. I suspect I’m going to have a lot of material to reflect on in my own journaling as I go through this process with you.
I’m deeply grateful to have you here as Singularly Sensitive grows. It’s a true joy for me to connect with so many of you.
To help ensure this publication keeps growing in a sustainable and lively way, I’m making some updates starting January 27, 2025:
1. I’ll be publishing each week on Tuesdays instead of Fridays. I’ve been struggling to juggle Substack and busy family schedules on the weekends. Publishing earlier in the week make it easier to be present for both in ways that are important for me.
2. Singularly Sensitive is getting a visual refresh! You’ll find new graphics in my emails and on my page, courtesy of Kristi Keller from Unstack Substack. Kristi has a gift for taking vague ideas from graphically challenged writers (like yours truly) and transforming them into gorgeous designs. I’m excited to bring the visuals and the spirit of this publication into better alignment.
3. After much internal debate, I’ve decided to launch paid subscription options to help underwrite this publication. I’m committed to ensuring that my content is accessible to everyone, so all of my articles will continue to be available for free subscribers.
However, I want to express my gratitude to the people who are able to support my work. Monthly and annual subscribers will receive a Singularly Sensitive bonus each month, such as a guided imagery recording, a set of seasonal journal prompts, a personal growth tool, or an online community meeting on a popular topic. Founding members will receive all those benefits plus a personalized set of 10 journal prompts or a guided imagery recording on a topic of their choice.
There will never be pressure to upgrade to paid; you are welcome to be part of this community in whatever way suits your budget, needs, and preferences.
4. And finally, our Soundings Circles have found a home on the first Wednesday of each month from 7-8 PM Eastern on Zoom. If you’ve yet to join us, please consider signing up for our next complimentary gathering on February 5th. Our topic will be “Loving Our Imperfect Selves.” Soundings Circles are a place to go deep in self-reflection while connecting with kindred spirits.
We write in response to several prompts, share with each other, and then close with a guided imagery. The vibe is friendly, respectful, and kind. Most of our gatherings have been small (under a dozen people), which lends an intimacy to the gathering. And while you’re welcome to keep your camera off, I love seeing your faces as we join in community (it’s definitely a “come as you are” affair, so no worries about your hair or how cluttered your room looks). Register for free HERE. I hope to see you there soon!
My deepest gratitude to each of you for what you’ve brought to Singularly Sensitive and the ways that you make this community the rich, fertile soil from which beauty and change can grow!