Mid-summer I began dabbling in mixed media collage. It’s a whole new way for me to embrace pausing in yet a different way. Like writing, when I’m in the flow, nothing else can enter my brain. I’m finding when choosing different layers to collage (papers, paint, and images) I’m not really thinking of anything, but just being with what is.

Yesterday I finished this collage on canvas to support the fact I recently renamed my writing cottage to Joyful Pause Cottage. This 10 x 12 space — a ‘room of my own’ and separate from my house —sits off the southeast corner of our deck. It was built in 2009 as a labor of love by my hubby as a place I could come to as I began my journey of writing two children’s books, three memoirs, and I don’t know how many blog posts I’ve written to date. But let’s just say LOTS!

But it’s become so much more than where I write, that I had been feeling this inner nudge to change its name for quite some time. Joyful pause is also about the joyful paws that have been part of my tribe in helping me evolve over the years — especially three special needs dachshunds. And if you look at the bottom of the collage you’ll see a paw print image to represent each one of them — Frankie, Joie, and Gidget. All three of their sweet and loving spirits remain here in this space with me.

Joyful Pause is now the space in which I collage, write, provide oracle readings via Zoom with clients and for my Youtube channel, meditate, dream of possibilities, and take joyful pause moments to glance out my windows to be inspired by my gardens or connect with the birds, bunnies, turkey, deer, or squirrels that I’ve been blessed to see here in my yard often.

xo,

Barbara

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