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Notebook & Supply Lineup – Analog Journaling System for Reflection, Memory, Planning & Creativity

The currently trending lingo the kids are using on YouTube and elsewhere online is a “Journal Ecosystem” and while that’s a cute name, it personally peeves me just a bit since every system is does not work together symbiotically as a true ecosystem does.

Still, the concept of relying on analog tools, paper first, for planning, writing, organizing thoughts and projects is absolutely down my alley.

For years creators have used the term “Techo Kaigi” or planner meeting in Japanese, to describe this reflection on current notebooks in use, as well as the journals and creative supplies that go along with them to form a cohesive method.

Though my main squeeze is dance, if you’ve been around you know that writing, poetry, collage, photography, music and other creative media are very much at play and in recent years I’ve caught the fountain pen & inks bug, too.

Whatever term you use, if you want to be more creative, organized, and effective, then developing such a system for yourself could help unlock the next level of your practice.

My ManufacTica journal cover is a trusted companion, protecting notebooks since 2022

Learning & Teaching

I’ve been writing (daily-ish) Morning Pages for a few years since going through _The Artist’s Way_ by Julia Cameron, I use a version of _The BuJo Method_ by Ryder Carroll, and have applied concepts from James Clear’s _Atomic Habits_ to help those practices stick, and these continue to form a foundation for my current journaling practice.

Being inherently flexible, my system continually evolves to suit my needs well as other tools I learn along the way, such as Tiago Forte’s _Building a Second Brain_. I’m not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned, they are just what I happen to enjoy and currently be using.

Creative Notebook System

In the videos, articles, and playlist below can be seen the real-time evolution of my journaling and notebook system. Depending on my posts, projects, inspirations, it is an ongoing process of adaptation, growth, experimentation and play!

Creative Materials Playlist

Creative Materials – A Blythe Coach’s Favorite Supplies Playlist on YouTube

Teaching Artist Notebooks & Journals

The core books of my note-keeping, journaling and planning are:

  • Daily Field Notes/Pocket Rapid Logging BuJo: small pocket notebook (Moleskine Cahier or similar) with leather cover from Liebhardt (gift from my gf coming up on 7 years ago!), this is what I actually have with me almost all the time to capture inspirations, nuggets of ideas and poetry, memories, gratitude, tasks, etc.
  • Annual & Seasonal Books BuJo A5 dot grid notebooks (previously Moleskine Cahiers, now Rhodia Rhodiarama softcover notebooks due to their fountain pen & ink-friendliness), inside ManufacTica saddle leather traveler’s notebook-style cover handmade in Germany, contain everything to do with my current classes, workshops, projects
  • Morning Pages: college block, composition book, looseleaf, or scrap paper
  • Current Tools Binder: teaching tools, illustrations, visualization, daily attendance and course lists
  • Signature Program Binder: coaching tools, resources, inspiration, client notes, etc.
  • Honorable mentions: Dry Erase Board for capturing big ideas, mind-maps, and lists, Evernote for habit reminders, digital project management and archiving and digital, Google Docs for word processing

This has emerged as a pillar of my content, so I created a YouTube playlist to provide a home base where updates and archives of my journaling, notebooks, pens, inks, and creative process can gather. Here is where you may find past, current, and future sharing around the materials I use the most:

2025 Books & 2026 Plan

I recently filmed a video with all of the books I was working in last year and proposed lineup for the next year:

Creative Notebook System 2025 into 2026 – Techo Kaigi – Journals video on YouTube

Reviews & Reflections Playlist

For further behind-the-scenes insights into how I use my books and my reflective process, I have been recording monthly, quarterly, and annual reviews which involve a flip-through of the period in my books, favored materials, glows and grows. These regular reflections too have their own playlist, which will continue to be updated:

Regular Reviews & Reflections – Monthly, Quarterly, Annual playlist on YouTube

Resources for Further Exploration

Questions for Reflection

  • What notebooks (or idea-capture devices) do you have in current use? For what purposes do you use each?
  • Which refinements in your system or supplies are you applying for this season?
  • What are your plans for the coming year? 5? 10?
  • How do you stay present to and keep track of your values, priorities, and quests?

Glad you joined me for this nerdy voyage through my current and historical notetaking, journaling, and productivity system.  

Now is a great time to align our resources and systems that we need around us, to dream and plan, reflect on our processes and results from the year so far, goals for the year ahead, and what we want to take up going forward.

Thanks for reading and making together in spirit or in fact, take good care of yourself.

I’ll soon be sharing more about my personal curriculum, creative living, mindful movement (dance, yoga) and coaching, see you again next time!

Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through difficulty
and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life

A November to Remember – 2025 Month 11 Reflection

The month of November in my life was about gratitude, harvest, and bittersweet endings, dancing & prolific creativity!

Last of the colorful leaves falling from the trees, the Beaver Moon, Transgender Day of Remembrance, American Thanksgiving.

In this article I wrap up the month of November of 2025 in my projects, life and events.

November Flip & Faves – Review, Reflect, Refresh – Creative BuJo video on YouTube

What do you do to reflect, review, and refresh?

Remember November

…for the highlights it brought to my life, including:

  • Served as a Teaching Artist in 4 locations and age groups from Pre-Ballet to Preprofessional adult training and coaching well-being in between)
  • Fall baking continued and I made many muffins
  • Got out my flannel sheets and pajamas, wool sweaters, thermal everything
  • Autumn leaves dazzled and started to disappear, got interested in the kinds of trees in my neighborhood and throughout the city and discovered a website to help get to know nearly all the trees of Cologne! So far have identified Sycamore, Oaks, Maples, and Sweet Locust…
  • First (brief in Cologne) SNOW of the season!
  • Physical Therapy for my hip issue was reduced pain and increase range of motion so I can keep dancing and teaching
  • Scooter commuting on The Black Pearl was fast, convenient, noticeably improved my strength & balance, and great fun!
Sweet Locust tree on Neusser Strasse in Cologne, Germany, the last there to turn

Creative Challenges

My creative process ranged from work as a Teaching Artist, Choreographer, Movement Educator & Coach, priority projects, many of which are part of my Twenty 25s, actions/habit/leading metric statistics of steps within my control.

Bullet Journaling & Planning

I shared my initial monthly setup in my Seasonal Book on Instagram here with autumn leaves and colors, squirrels, hedgehogs and beavers as a decorative theme. The flip-through video above shows what happened with my goals, glows, media favorites, and events “after the pen.”

Updated my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Logs, Annual Collections, and set up my December spreads over the course of the month, continued to savor writing my Morning Pages and notes with colorful inks in my fountain pens and cherished the shades of the changing season in nature and culture.

Teaching & Coaching

Regular Mindful Movement classes in Balletlicious Ballet Barre+ and Yummy Gentle Yoga, studio classes in Ballet and “Feel Good” well-being elective courses and daily Ballet Technique for the Advanced Dance Program continued. Stunning, challenging, and inspiring lineup of locations and passionate participants!

Quarter 4 so far
Quarter 4 so far in Blythe’s seasonal Bullet Journal

Writing & Publishing

Articles

In November I published 2 articles to the blog here at ablythecoach.com, bringing my annual total to 34. This is a great place to find out what I am up as well as other experts and creators who I recommend in long and short-form writing.

November’s new articles:

Poems

Kept up my practice of capturing poem “acorns,” lines and snippets, also finished a first draft of a new piece, “Sweet Locust:”

New “Sweet Locust” poem which I also shared on Instagram

Filming & Sharing Videos

In November I began a new video series, Tasty Technique Tips, which find their home in their own YouTube Playlist for easy reference. I published 6 videos to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel on the topics of dance, creativity, and creative living:

Autumn Migration – Notebook Switch & Mood Music, Change in Seasons video on YouTube
  • Autumn Migration – Notebook Switch & Mood Music for the Change in Seasons video: my October and Quarter 4 plan-with-me continued! Having set-up the rough outline of spreads for the month & quarter in my new seasonal BuJo in my previous video, now I’m sharing further decoration and how I migrate information from one book to the next and flesh out my plans. This is just my process at this point in time and not necessarily a recommendation to others.  No items have been sponsored or gifted by brands, but a few things were given to me as presents from loved ones.
Fall 2025 Currently Inked Fountain Pens, Notebooks & Paper video on YouTube
  • Fall 2025 Currently Inked Fountain Pens, Notebooks & Paper for Journaling, Planning & Creating, a very chatty and writing-utensil nerdy three-quarters of an hour of writing with and talking about my much-loved and heavily-used lineup of stationery for Fall 2025. How did I come to have 16 fountain pens inked up and a couple waiting in the wings? What is this pen and ink hobby I’ve become obsessed with? I’ll answer these questions and more, and revel in the loveliness of these tools in this video, which would provide a fitting accompaniment to your own ink and stationery play, writing, crafting, or chores.
How to find a “Neutral” Pelvis? Dance Pelvic Alignment Primer video on YouTube
  • How to find a “Neutral” Pelvis? Exploring Anatomy for Dance Pelvic Alignment Primer – ASIS, PSIS video: In ballet and dance technique alignment, we refer to major landmarks in the body, such as organizing the parts around our center of gravity, lengthening the spine, distributing the weight in the feet, and leveling the pelvis to stack it, the ribcage, the head vertically over our base of support. This helps provide stability and mobility for great control and freedom of movement. But what does a level or “neutral’ pelvis look like, how does it work, how can we check our own dynamic alignment to help us balance and create healthy, sustainable movement? Here I share some anatomy basics for movers, landmarks to look for such as the palpable ASIS (Anterior Superior Iliac Spine) and PSIS (Posterior Superior Iliac Spine), and visuals to support proper pelvic placement. See the difference it makes for your technique and artistry!
October BuJo Flip & Reflection – Creative Journal video on YouTube
  • October BuJo Flip & Reflection – Creative Journal of a Bliss Catalyst Dancer Coach video: October was action-packed and suspenseful, spooky and cozy and autumnal and full of dancing and prolific creativity! This is a flip-through of the month in my Seasonal Bullet Journal Book, media I published & personally consumed, high & lowlights and special events, favorites, creative and personal care empties (a la Project Pan, Underconsumption Core/Intentional Consumption, Minimalism & Mindfulness).
10 Years of Dance Notebooks – Flip Through Journals of Choreography video on YouTube
  • Over 10 Years of Dance Notebooks – Flip Through Teaching Artist’s Journals of Choreography & Records video: This is a quick, mostly-chronological flip-through of more than a decade in my dance-related notebooks, comprised of over 8 volumes of words, diagrams, things I wished to remember and refer to in my moving life. My enthusiasm for analog notetaking and record-keeping is evident, and the curious might wonder what it actually looks like to manage a busy dancing life in this way. Beautiful, messy, barely-organized chaos! These books span from about 2010/11 to 2023/4 so cover well over a decade of my handwritten record-keeping of dance study, teaching, choreography, goals and projects, tracking, brainstorming and creativity. In them, I dance and teach in Portland, Oregon, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Poitiers and Paris, France, and Cologne, Germany.
Egg Beaters Turn Out – Hip Rotation – Tasty Dance Technique Tips video on YouTube
  • Egg Beaters Turn Out – Hip Rotation Visualization – Balletlicious Tasty Dance Technique Tips video: Most folks starting a class know that the basic Classical Ballet Positions of the Feet (1st-5th) are performed turned-out such that the toes face to the sides rather than forwards in a parallel forward-facing orientation. But how do we produce and hold such positions and what is it good for? In this video I use the analogy and visualization of the Egg Beaters to demonstrate equal and opposite rotation of the legs at the hip joint and spiraling down through the legs from the deep muscles of the core and hip as well as all the supporting structures. This can help foster efficient activation and alignment for greater stability and range of motion for ballet and other dance and movement forms.
Autumn Cafe scene, leaves outside, waffel, cappuccino, notebook and pens inside

Connecting: Email & Social Media

The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as work from others that I believe to be of value for fellow creatives is to subscribe to my email newsletter. It lights me up to see new subscribers there as well as responses to me missives.

I sent one Email Newsletter in November, taking a temporary pause from weekly letters during this busy season with the blessing of my readers:

In addition, I posted 15 times to Instagram over the course of the month.

Started Tasty Technique Tips video series on YouTube, screenshot from Neutral Pelvis

Media Musings

My November in reading, listening, and viewing pleasures:

Reading

Books
  • Finished 365 Poems for Life: An Uplifting Collection for Every Day of the Year compiled by Allie Esiri which I began last Fall, has been an inspiring daily companion for the duration!
  • Started Everyday Shakespeare: Lines for Life compiled by Ben Crystal and David Crystal as my new daily poetry reading
  • The Guncle by Steven Rowley I will unfortunately have to complete another time, as I had almost finished the ebook before the library due date, but not quite! Have placed a hold and will eventually get to read the end…
  • Odd Spirits book by S.T. Gibson, a prequel to Evocation which I rad earlier in the year, enjoy the characters if the writing style is not my favorite

Listening Highlights

Favorite things heard over the course of the month go here, such as concerts, songs, pieces of music, playlists, podcasts and more.

Playlists, Songs & Music
Fall Mushroom in the neighborhood in Cologne, Germany

Monthly Viewing Highlights

Saw a wide variety of media in October, including different genres, styles, and appropriate ages:

Live

I was fortunate to enjoy two live performances in November:

  • “Fantissima,” Germany’s most successful dinner variety show at Phantasialand, truly well-orchestrated performances, song and dance, circus acts…was impressive, delicious, and enjoyable
  • “St. Pauli – Leichen von der Stange“ on the Moby Dick Krimidinner murder mystery variety show on a riverboat was also a delight, with comedy, dance and song, drama, and even singing along
Film
  • Saw “Honey Don’t!” in the theater with a friend, found it to have great dialogue, a “2025 neo-noir dark comedy film directed by Ethan Coen, who co-wrote the screenplay with his wife Tricia Cooke.”
  • “Lisa Frankenstein” Film was strange, campy, fit the post-Halloween mood
Series

Standout series in a few different genres:

  • “Shrinking” series with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford is a Comedy-Drama with relatable and vulnerable characters I came to love
  • “WondLa“ animated fantasy/sci-fi series with Ela and then my middle schoolers, it brought family friendly action adventure and a strong female lead character
  • “Boots” Comedy-Drama Series about a young gay man’s experience of boot camp for the US Marine Corps
Dance notebooks are always on my creative menu

Questions for Reflection

  • On what will you feast in November/last month?
  • Which books are on your TBR?
  • When I say Mood Music, which tracks come to mind?
  • What are you creating, planning, practicing, enjoying?
  • Which challenges you’re currently facing could use some help?

Resources for Further Exploration

Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact!

Take care of yourself and keep moving mindfully, let me know how if I can be of service, would love to see you in my email newsletter or on social media as well.

Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach
helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties,
taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education

Over a Decade of Dance Notebooks – A Teaching Artist’s Journals of Class, Rehearsal, Performance

A question I frequently hear is how have I managed to teach and dance all over the place?

One important tool is my analog notebooks, accessible regardless of electrical power or internet connection, collecting what I wish to remember reliably.

Often espousing the benefits of handwritten note-taking, in the video below I flip through over ten years of my own such Dance Notebooks for the curious to peek inside and for me to glean themes, learning, and growth through reflection over time.

October cover page in Blythe's Bullet Journal
October cover page in Blythe’s current seasonal Bullet Journal

Teaching Artist Notes

These books span from about 2010/11 to 2023/4 so cover well over a decade of my handwritten record-keeping of dance study, teaching, choreography, goals and projects, tracking, brainstorming and creativity. In them, I dance and teach in Portland, Oregon, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Poitiers and Paris, France, and Cologne, Germany:

10 Years of Dance Notebooks – Flip Through Teaching Artist Journals video on YouTube

In the video above, I flip through my own notes and scribbles.

Dance Topics Tracked

What did I capture?

Everything I want to remember and reference, words, sketches and diagrams, my own ideas and creations and those of others:

  • Teaching logs of hours for invoicing, credentialing, and memory,
  • Syllabi and Lesson Plans for Ballet, Modern Dance, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap…tracking the “what” of concepts, steps and combinations covered as well as the “how” it went, our results and what’s next
  • Work in Studios, Schools, as an Adjunct Professor, guest teaching, directing shows
  • Notes on various books, essays, texts and live study of dance techniques (Ballet Schools, Okinawan Dance, Hula, Taiko Drumming…), master classes, workshops,
  • My MFA and secondary Teaching Credential in Dance
  • Choreography notes on my creations and learning others’ works, collaborations,
  • Music listening, songs & compositions, playlists,
  • Creative and educational themes, dance ideas, fairytales and stories,
  • Feedback, praise, reflections
  • Brainstorming, goal-setting, visioning
  • Learning to teach online, YouTube, Zoom, blogging, podcasting, social media…
  • and more!
Blythe’s leather cover from Manifactika houses their current Bullet Journal system

Threading Tactic

Although all are connected through the theme of dance creation and education, you can see that there are too many disciplines, locations, and ideas to break them out into separate books.

Thus Ryder Carroll’s The Bullet Journal Method, especially the concept of “threading” where various subtopics and contexts can interweave, has been of value in my practice. Each spread contains one subject, tabbing and color coding helps keep them distinct and easily-accessible on a daily and weekly basis, and then when I run out of space on one page, the thread gets picked up later in the book. Indexing and then digital backup of especially valuable references further aid future retrieval of information.

Resources for Further Exploration

Questions for Reflection

  • What kinds of notes do you take?
  • What do want to remember and refer back to?
  • How does writing contribute to your artistic process?
  • What are you creating?

Let me know what works for your own dance, creative, and educational process! Thanks for reading and practicing together in spirit or in fact!

Take care of yourself and keep moving mindfully, let me know how if I can be of service, would love to see you in my email newsletter or on social media as well.

Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through difficulty
and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life

October Oohs & Aahs – 2025 Month 10 Reflection

The month of October was action-packed & suspenseful, spooky & cozy, autumnal & full of dancing & prolific creativity!

October is LGBTQ+ History Month and many creatives I know celebrate “Art-tober” or Inktober or such challenges to spark their art, along with seeing the Hunter Moon, World Mental Health Day, National Coming Out Day, Pronouns Day, and Halloween.

In this article I wrap up the month of October of 2025 in my projects, life and events.

October BuJo Flip & Reflection – Creative Journal video on YouTube

What do you do to reflect, review, and refresh?

Ooh October

… brought highlights to my life, including:

  • Served as a Teaching Artist in 4 locations and age groups from Pre-Ballet to Preprofessional adult training and coaching well-being in between)
  • Got out my Halloween candle and witch hat, music playlists, “Cinderella” story, and fall leaf props for dancing inspirations
  • Nordrhein-Westfalen had Herbstferien / Fall Break, during which I continued to teach some classes but had a pause from others and Germany also had our Time Change “falling back” from Central European Summer Time to CET
  • Getaway to Liege, Belgium by train with city tour, Waffel, meatballs, beer tasting & laughs with friends and stayed in a cute Airbnb
  • Another friend’s art gallery opening inspired
  • Physical Therapy for my hip issue was starting to help reduce pain and increase range of motion
  • Scooter commuting on The Black Pearl was fast, convenient, noticeably improved my strength & balance, and great fun!
  • Fall baking: Apple Cinnamon Muffins, Chocolate Chip Cookies; eating other seasonal specialties such as Petra’s homemade Sauerkraut Soup
Blythe and Ela at golden hour on the Meuse river in Liege, Belgium

Creative Challenges

My creative process supports me through it all, not just financially since that is my profession, but as a Teaching Artist, Choreographer, Movement Educator & Coach, I get to explore my soul’s expression, my Being.

Many of these priority projects are part of my Twenty 25s, which I reflect on below, these being actions/habit/leading metric statistics of actions within my control.

Bullet Journaling & Planning

I shared my initial monthly setup in my Seasonal Book on Instagram here with Cat-Tober decorative theme and lots of Halloweeny pumpkin and bat accents, then the flip-through video above shows what happened with my goals, glows, media favorites, and events “after the pen.”

Updated my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Logs, Annual Collections, and set up my November spreads over the course of the month, continued to savor writing my Morning Pages and notes with colorful inks in my fountain pens and cherished the shades of the changing season in nature and culture.

Teaching & Coaching

Regular Mindful Movement classes in Balletlicious Ballet Barre+ and Yummy Gentle Yoga, studio classes in Ballet and “Feel Good” well-being elective courses continued and I also began giving daily Ballet Technique for the Advanced Dance Program. So far it is the absolute treat that I imagined the opportunity would be, and it’s stunning to see how much the dancers are growing as artists!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins kicked off my Autumn baking season

Writing & Publishing Articles

In October I published 4 articles to the blog here at ablythecoach.com, bringing my annual total to 32. This is a great place to find out what I am up as well as other experts and creators who I recommend in long and short-form writing.

October’s new articles:

  • How to Find & Foster Safe(r) Spaces in a Diverse Dancing Life As a dance educator and teaching artist, creating a safe space for learning has long been a topic of interest and top priority in coaching and classes. Being familiar with the concept of Safer Space codes of conduct in the context of queer nightlife, parties, dances, and demonstrations, the same tenets are applicable in a variety of social and educational contexts.
  • Looking Forward to Learning, Teaching & Creating – Autumn 2025 Personal Curriculum Let’s romanticize, gamify, and bring the fun to our learning and creating goals this season with a “Personal Curriculum!” It is a trending topic that I can really jump on board with.
  • SeptEMBER was Fire – 2025 Month 9 & Quarter 3 Reflection September brought the last gasp of Summer in Cologne and I basked in the warmth, as well as events such as the Harvest Moon, Autumn Equinox, back-to-school, Oktoberfest, and more! In this article I wrapped up the month of September and Quarter 3 of 2025 in my projects & life.
  • Mood Music that Moves Me- Playlists of Songs & Pieces to Inspire the Spirit Nothing sets the mood like the right music! Tastes vary, but the exploration of music that moves us is full of delightful discoveries that become lifelong memories. As a choreographer, teaching artist and coach, music, songs, and playlists are a huge part of my life,  as I disc jockey sessions in real time and build up my library of music with which I resonate.

Filming & Sharing Videos

I published 5 videos to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel on the topics of dance, creativity, and purposeful living in October:

October Plan With Me – Fall Seasonal Bullet Journal Setup video on YouTube
  • October Plan With Me – Fall Seasonal Bullet Journal Setup: Here is my process of setting up for a new week, month, and quarter in a new seasonal BuJo, which made of a cozy Sunday afternoon and a well-organized and whimsical entry into the new period. Due to an increasingly packed Fall teaching, coaching, and dancing schedule, it behooves me to incorporate the contents of my existing creativity and productivity practices into my channel sharing, and I find October particularly delightful to set up for.
Finding & fostering Safer Spaces in a diverse dancing life video on YouTube
  • Finding & fostering Safer Spaces in a diverse dancing life – Research Bullet Journal Spread: As a dance educator and teaching artist, creating a safe space for learning has long been a topic of interest and top priority in coaching and classes in studios, colleges, universities, and schools. Having previously become familiar with the concept of Safer Space codes of conduct in the context of LGBTQ+ nightlife, parties, dances, and demonstrations, the same tenets are true for a variety of social and educational contexts. Here I’m sharing a quick review of my research in progress in the form of notes in my seasonal Bullet Journal.
Autumn Personal Curriculum 2025 – Looking forward to Learning video on YouTube
  • Autumn Personal Curriculum 2025 – Looking forward to Learning & Teaching this Season: Let’s romanticize, gamify, bring the fun to our learning and creating goals this season with a “Personal Curriculum!” It is a trending topic that I can really jump on board with. This nerd is ahead of the times, as I lifelong student constantly pursuing curiosity. Here’s what I’m planning on researching, teaching, reading, writing, creating, listening to, and viewing in cozy season 2025.
September , Summer & Q3 Flip & Reflection – Creative Journal video on YouTube
  • September , Summer & Q3 Flip & Reflection – Creative Journal of a Bliss Catalyst Dancer Coach: September was on fire with back-to-school action, wild times around the world, and conclusion of summer and 3rd quarter! This is a flip-through of the month in my Seasonal Bullet Journal Book, media I published & personally consumed, high & lowlights and special events.
Plummy Plumb Lines – Finding Center of Gravity – Dance Alignment video on YouTube
  • Plummy Plumb Lines – Finding Your Center of Gravity – Ballet & Dance Alignment Tool Visualization: Perhaps you are familiar with the concept of vertical alignment, the dimensions of space, planes of the body, and center of gravity in support of balance and dance technique. If so, what tools and visualizations do you utilize to develop spatial awareness? If not, here’s a valuable visual to apply to your dancing and/or teaching. Add further visualizations, like Betsy Fisher’s effervescent bubbles rising, to enhance dynamic balance!
Curtius Brewery & Restaurant in Liege, Belgium with it’s fall finery

Connecting: Email & Social Media

The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as work from others that I believe to be of value for fellow creatives is to subscribe to my email newsletter. It lights me up to see new subscribers there as well as responses to me missives.

I sent one Email Newsletter in October, taking a temporary pause from weekly letters during this busy season with the blessing of my readers:

In addition, I posted 16 times to Instagram.

Twenty 25s in 2025

My “Twenty 25s” are a playful way to track various leading metrics, projects and activities I wish to keep an eye on this year.

In Quarter 3 I completed another three “25s” for at total of 14/20, getting closer! Particularly taking action toward the remaining categories in Q4, so working on Pieces of Choreography, Music practices, and Letter-writing.

Went to the flea market on a sunny day and got fresh Reibekuchen with applesauce

Media Musings

My October in reading, listening, and viewing pleasures:

Reading

Books
  • Someday is Today​​ by Matthew Dicks, one of my nonfiction picks of 2025, finally complete and a good motivating read. I don’t agree with all of his time-saving tactics, but it’s worth a look if you’ve got work you want to produce and can’t seem to find the time, lots of valuable takeaways that I will apply nonetheless.
  • ​The Happy Ever After Playlist​ by Abby Jimenez was another sweet romantic dramedy from this author who has a knack for writing characters I feel like I’ve met

Still reading along on some of my nonfiction picks (also scripture, personal growth):

Listening Highlights

Favorite things heard over the course of the month go here, such as concerts, songs, pieces of music, playlists, podcasts and more.

New in October, my Mood Music that Moves Me- Playlists of Songs & Pieces to Inspire the Spirit article links to all of my current playlists-in-use, with seasonal and other themed collections.

Playlists, Songs & Music
Commuting through the peak fall colors was absolutely stunning

Monthly Viewing Highlights

Saw a wide variety of media in October, including different genres, styles, and appropriate ages:

Live

Attending the “Beethoven 7“ dance concert by Sasha Waltz & Guests electrified me in week 41, and our friend Arthur’s latest art opening inspired as well.

Film
  • “Fly Me to the Moon” film with Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum was a cute historical romance
  • “28 Years Later” zombie movie for Halloween was the right mood for a mellow evening of pizza with friends
Series

Standout series in a few different genres:

  • “Chief of War“ series with Jason Momoa in Olelo Hawai’i (and English), is a stunningly beautiful (and also violent, as the name would suggest) historical depiction of just before King Kamehameha I, “the Great,” united the islands as one monarchy
  • “Shrinking” series with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford is a Comedy-Drama with relatable and vulnerable characters I came to love
  • Started the “WondLa” animated fantasy/sci-fi series with my middle schoolers and it is bringing family friendly action adventure and a strong female lead character
The Koelner Dom / Cologne Cathedral from Deutz streetcar station, sunset city beauty

Questions for Reflection

  • What October/last month memories are you saving?
  • What are you creating, planning, practicing, enjoying?
  • How will you make the most of this season?
  • With which challenges you’re currently facing might I help?

Resources for Further Exploration

Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact!

Take care of yourself and keep moving mindfully, let me know how if I can be of service, would love to see you in my email newsletter or on social media as well.

Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach
helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties,
taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education

Mood Music that Moves Me- Playlists of Songs & Pieces to Inspire the Spirit

Nothing sets the mood like the right music!

Tastes vary, but the exploration of music that moves us is full of delightful discoveries that become lifelong memories.

As a choreographer, teaching artist and coach, music, songs, and playlists are a huge part of my life, my data streaming, and WiFi usage as I disc jockey sessions in real time and build up my library of music with which I resonate.

Autumn Migration – Notebook Switch & Mood Music video on YouTube (playlists 05:50)

With constantly changing technologies, this sort of data management is not necessarily easy, so I’ve found it helpful to keep logs of songs, pieces of music, and playlists that I want to refer to, many which I return to again and again. This collection of playlists are on two different streaming services, Spotify (to which I used to be a subscriber) and YouTube (where I currently subscribe), but can be used as a reference to find and listen to pieces of music elsewhere such as on iTunes, CD or other disc, even borrow from the library.

Some of these collections are analog, like lists I keep in my dance notebooks and journals such as the one in the photo above that features a recent sampling and which I will link below.

Mood Music spread in Blythe’s Bullet Journal, collecting playlists by theme

Musical Moods

Themes, impulses, settings & contexts for my collections include:

Dance & Mindful Movement

Classes, improvisation, choreography, play and concentration.

Elements

Earth, Water, Fire, and Air are the major “proto” elements whose qualities can provide rich impulses for emotional and movement quality exploration:

Earth

Water

Fire

Air

Seasons & Holidays

Changes of weather and lifestyle as the wheel of the year turns can be a wonderful point of connection:

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Times & Places

Story Telling

Classic fairytales, ballet stories, musicals & theatre.

Cinderella

Hansel & Gretel

Sleeping Beauty

Little Red Riding Hood

The Nutcracker

A few favorite collections of poetry

Movements of Ballet & Dance

Sink/Bend – Plier

Rise – Relever

Stretch – Étendre

Glide – Glisser

Jump – Sauter

Dart – Élancer

Turn – Tourner

Emotions

Questions for Reflection

  • What pieces of music move you?
  • What are you moved to write or create?
  • How may I support your creativity?

Resources for Further Exploration

  • Spring Flings & Bright Things: a Bucket List of Fresh, Joyful Seasonal Experiences Being a (late) spring baby myself, I’ve always been especially drawn to the season, the themes of new life, rebirth, emergence, vitality, fertility, the increasing warmth and light, and joy! From the first early blossoms and rays of Sun leading up to the Spring Equinox, to the long, bright days of the Summer Solstice, I do my best to make the most of this richly potent season of growth and development.
  • Summer Fun in or out of the Sun: a Bucket List of Hot-Weather Hits Warmer weather lends itself to many activities I enjoy, such as time outdoors, bicycling, picnicking, and eating fresh produce. I try to seize the sunny fleeting days wherever I can and not miss out on my favorite bits before they’re gone again. Less decoration and dressing up, more dressing down, decluttering, deep-cleaning, taking in the natural beauty. Here is a collection of resources and activities that might provide a jumping-off point for your own longer-day adventures.
  • Autumn Equinox Magic – Rituals to Romance the Transition from Summer to Fall Seasonal rituals help me celebrate each transition, acknowledge how I’ve learned and grown and what it’s time to let go. Today is the day before the autumn equinox if you’re here in real time, a great time to start your ritual, or you can take inspiration anytime. September in Cologne sees the earliest leaves changing from green to yellow, the dry crunch underfoot, nuts and berries aplenty even in the heart of the city. Outside my door hazelnuts are falling onto the cobblestones, cars rolling over pop them open and the pigeons gorge themselves.
  • Building Momentum by Seizing the Back-to-School Mood: Ambiance, Supplies & Action Living based in a temperate climate like I do in Cologne, Germany, as soon as I feel the first chill in the air and sight a colored leaf or Back-to-School sale, I feel a surge of energy, motivation, and curiosity. Whether we currently find ourselves in an academic environment or not, this time of year is an opportunity we all can seize if it suits us, to invigorate our inspiration to create and grow.
  • Winter Wonders & Warmers: a Bucket List for Dark but Festive Times / Solstice – Return of the Light The stark, bleak, dreary days are here in Cologne and strings of lights, candles, treats, and traditions help to warm the cold of winter. It can be a difficult time for many reasons, so be gentle with yourself and make exquisite self-care and kindness for self and others a priority. As the longest night passes and the days begin to grow longer, so can our hope, clarity, and vision.
  • Be Buoyant like a Butterfly – Flights of Fancy – Airy Inspiration Roundup Light as a feather, fluttering in springtime and summer, having had encounters with butterflies in just about every place I have been, I always feel blessed by their gentle presence. Butterfly, Schmetterling, Farfalle, Papillon…I love their many names, their movements, the science and the mystery behind their lifecycles. Beloveds come to mind as a butterfly flits by, and art, literature, poetry, music, and movement all help me embody the qualities of the butterflies I marvel at, in this article I share these as well as many more flights of fancy and airy inspirations to delight.
  • Seaside, Oceanic & Watery Inspirations – Dance, Yoga, Music, Poetry & Creativity Though watery ocean, lake, river, and rain concepts can ignite the imagination yearlong, I find them particularly fun in the warmer months, for children’s and all-ages dance, yoga, meditation and visualization, poetic and artistic inspiration. This is a (growing, dynamic, never comprehensive) collection of resources I personally treasure and love to share as a teaching artist but may also be useful to families with children, other creatives, or to delight your own inner artist child.
  • Jolly Roger July & a Piratical Summer – being freedom, treasure & adventure in treacherous times I may not want a life on the open sea myself, but I was raised on sailing and pirate stories and appreciate the ethos of freedom, treasure, and adventure. What better time to embark on a fantastical journey of imagination than summer?
  • Creative Ballet Port de Bras – Arm Artistry Exploring Nature has many mindful movement explorations

The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as my favorite work from other creators is to subscribe to my email newsletter. Would love to be connected to you there, on social media, online or in-person.

Thanks for reading and moving together in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself, pay attention, and hope to see you again.

Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach
helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties,
taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education

SeptEMBER was Fire – 2025 Month 9 & Quarter 3 Reflection

Autumn is upon us in Cologne and the swirling leaves are like sands through the hour glass of this year. In this article I wrap up the month of September and Quarter 3 of 2025 in my projects, life and events.

Many of these priority projects are part of my Twenty 25s, which I reflect on below, these being actions/habit/leading metric statistics of actions within my control. I take a peek at results and following metrics as relevant as well, such as students, clients, subscribers, followers, engagement, income, profit, and so forth. Then there are the special events, connections, and moments that make up the memories of a season.

Reflecting in this way provides inspiration and accountability.

September & Q3 Flip & Reflection – Creative Journal Video on YouTube

What do you do to reflect, review, and refresh quarterly or seasonally?

Smokin’ September

SeptEMBER brought the last gasp of Summer in Cologne and I basked in the warmth, as well as events such as:

  • Harvest Moon, Autumnal Equinox
  • Apples, Apple Cinnamon Muffins
  • Wear Flannel, Denim Jacket
  • Romantic Anniversary with Ela (and then her Dad’s 80th birthday celebration)
  • Oktoberfest at friends’
  • Orthopedist & MRI Appointments to solve the mystery of my hip pain, prescribed more Physical Therapy…
Blythe in a new unitard and ballet slippers for back-to-school

Back-to-School Spirit

Shared some of my favorite perennial resources in September:

Took a moment on the Autumn Equinox to wish all a happy seasonal transition

Creative Challenges

My creative process supports me through it all, not just financially since that is my profession, but as a Teaching Artist, Choreographer, Movement Educator & Coach, I get to explore my soul’s expression, my Being.

Primarily through dance & movement, yes, but also through words of prose and poetry, on video, in collage, crafting, journaling, stamping, color, sketching in various media. Through creations and interactions in courses, discussions, workshops, coaching sessions, and community events.

Bullet Journaling & Planning

I shared my initial monthly setup in my Seasonal Book on Instagram here with school/office supplies, scholastic themes, squirrels & apples, then the flip-through video above shows what happened with my goals, glows, media favorites, and events “after the pen.”

Updated my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Logs, Annual Collections, and set up my October spreads over the course of the month, continued to savor writing my Morning Pages and notes with colorful inks in my fountain pens and cherished the shades of the changing season in nature and culture.

Teaching & Coaching

Regular Mindful Movement classes in Balletlicious Ballet Barre+ and Yummy Gentle Yoga, studio classes in Ballet continued and my “Feel Good” well-being elective courses began again, plus I was in planning to start teaching for the Advanced Dance Program in October!

My new ride, The Black Pearl, a Kick 2 kickboard scooter in front of a mural

Writing & Publishing Articles

In September I published 3 articles to the blog here at ablythecoach.com, bringing my Quarter 3 total to 11 and Annual total to 28. This is a great place to find out what I am up as well as other experts and creators who I recommend in long and short-form writing.

September’s new articles:

  • Summer Verses to Swoon For article: feel the warmth of those long lazy days anytime with verses suitable to summer.
  • Artful August – 2025 Month 8 Reflection article: that month I continued my “Swashbuckling Summer” and “Splits this Season” series and kicked off a “Flights of Fancy” series and enjoyed late-summer harvest. For me, it turned to be a pretty whirlwind season. Although we didn’t take any longer trips out-of-town, there were good warm times outdoors and outside the city as well as productive work on creative projects and a decent amount of teaching smaller summer holidays classes.
  • You Need a Smile File, Creative! – Remembering Acknowledgement & Praise to Stay Inspired & Motivated Article: One of a slew of tools to refresh, inspire, and motivate when we feel down or burnt out. Take a peek into my own collected notes of thanks and gather your own evidence of acknowledgement and love to stay inspired and motivated.

Filming & Sharing Videos

I published 4 videos to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel on the topics of dance, creativity, and purposeful living in September:

Swoon-Worthy Summer Verses – Poetic Inspiration for Movement video on YouTube 
August Flip & Reflection – Creative Journal BuJo Plan & Memories video on YouTube
You Need a Smile File, Creative video on YouTube 
  • You Need a Smile File, Creative video: How do you counteract the natural survival reflex of negativity bias and inevitable criticism that meets a life of creativity? Enter the “Smile File” of praise, thanks, and acknowledgment from others. One of a slew of tools to refresh, inspire, and motivate when we feel down or burnt out.
Notebook Ecosystem Fall 2025 – Techo Kaigi – Current Journals video on YouTube

These videos brought my Quarter 3 total to 14, and annual total so far to 39, right around where I want to be.

Sunny Sundays we sometimes walk the kitty, involving a lot of lounging and sniffing

Connecting: Email & Social Media

The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as work from others that I believe to be of value for fellow creatives is to subscribe to my email newsletter. It lights me up to see new subscribers there as well as responses to me missives.

I sent 2 Email Newsletters in September, bringing my Q3 total to 11, and annual to 35 so far:

In addition, I posted 8 times to Instagram, bringing my Quarter 3 post count to 24 and Annual total so far to 68.

Twenty 25s in 2025

My “Twenty 25s” are a playful way to track various leading metrics, projects and activities I wish to keep an eye on this year.

In Quarter 3 I completed another three “25s” for at total of 14/20 so far, getting closer! Particularly taking action toward the remaining categories in Quarter 4, for example on track for Books Read, working on Pieces of Choreography, Music practices, and Letter-writing.

It was absolutely time for new ballet slippers, though I often dance in socks

Media Musings

My September in reading, listening, and viewing pleasures:

Reading

Books
  • One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune was just the last summer reading fling I needed
  • Evocation: Book I in The Summoner’s Circle by S.T. Gibson, personally liked the characters and interesting modern relationship dynamics go, magic is fitting for my fall reading flavor, but the writing style with lots of description of the characters’ internal emotional states wasn’t my favorite

Still reading along on some of my nonfiction picks (also scripture, personal growth):

Listening Highlights

Favorite things heard over the course of the month go here, such as concerts, songs, pieces of music, playlists, podcasts and more.

Playlists, Songs & Music

So delighted to enjoy and update my Savoring September playlist on YouTube with early autumnal tunes to move to, including:

Oktoberfest eats, Bretzel and Knoedel
Oktoberfest eats, Bretzel and Knoedel at our friends’ celebration

Monthly Viewing Highlights

Mostly faves from September with a few quarterly standouts, I plan to select my top influences annually.

Series

Out and about this month, didn’t catch any new films, but had a couple standout series.

  • “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” was our latest science fiction and I got quite attached to this cast of characters!
  • “Wednesday” Season 2 was a good way to get into the idea of Spooky Season approaching
  • We binged “The Four Seasons” Comedy-drama series with Tina Fey and a bunch of other favorite actors, laughed, cried, were sad there are only 8 episodes

Questions for Reflection

  • What September & Q3 memories are you saving?
  • Which events in Q4 are you most excited for?
  • What are you creating, planning, practicing, enjoying?
  • How will you make the most of this season?
Had fun with “school” supplies in September: notebooks, pens, inks…

Resources for Further Exploration

Further monthly reflections for 2025, special workshops and collaborations in dance, coaching, creative living and more coming soon.

Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact!

Take care of yourself and keep moving mindfully, let me know how if I can be of service, would love to see you in my email newsletter or on social media as well.

Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach
helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties,
taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education

Looking Forward to Learning, Teaching & Creating – Autumn 2025 Personal Curriculum

Let’s romanticize, gamify, and bring the fun to our learning and creating goals this season with a “Personal Curriculum!” It is a trending topic that I can really jump on board with.

This nerd is ahead of the times, as I lifelong student constantly pursuing curiosity. You can also check out my 2022 Fall Curriculum article for more about what was on the “syllabus” then.

Here’s what I’m planning on researching, teaching, reading, writing, creating & listening to in cozy season 2025. Would love to know what’s on your learning agenda as well!

Get in the Mood to Grow

Autumn Personal Curriculum 2025 – Looking forward to Learning, Teaching & Creating this Season video on YouTube

Current topics encompass ballet, dance and mindful movement, well being and Safer Spaces, creativity, languages, travel and adventure. Following my curiosity is a blast, but not necessarily easy, so here are a couple points to keep in mind.

Making (Scary) Learning Fun

Pursuing curiosity and a variety of interests can be fun adventurous, but also intensely confronting, as growth is uncomfortable, challenging, even a struggle, confusing, dis-illusioning. Language and communication are complex, expanding our horizons strange.

All the more reason to romance our studies as much as we can. Myself, I enjoy treating my inner Artist Child (from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way) with books and creative supplies. Indeed, I was fortunate to grow up with parents and close family who indulged my educational and artistic passions so I was also able to find teachers who made learning fun and opened doors for my lifelong love of knowledge.

Slow Growth

You know what is humbling about this declaration and reflection process?

Discovering that many goals I announced in the past have only recently come to pass. Books I have yet to read to completion, topics I still know little about, dance forms in which I am still very much a beginner (ahem, Tango).

Reading my 2022 Fall Curriculum and 2024 Quarter 4 “To Enjoy” List articles, I identified several intentions which were finally in 2025 fulfilled: exploring the Deutsches Tanzarchiv/German Dance Archive and reaching over 1,000 YouTube subscribers for a couple examples, and others where I’m still solidly a beginner.

Of course it makes sense that many topics are threads that continue to weave through my life over the long term, and without firm deadlines extenuating circumstances do tend to happen, extending the time needed to make measurable gains. Fatigue and adult responsibilities do creep in.

But the idea of creating a fresh “Curriculum” or “Syllabus” is to keep going, celebrate progress, evaluate actions and priorities, recommit to learning, growth and creativity.

Twenty 25s in 2025

Having enjoyed the benefits of tracking “Twenty-three 23’s in 2023” and “Twenty-four 24’s in 2024” actions in my Bullet Journal collections (idea from Jess or JashiiCorrin on YouTube), I came back for more of this structure, with “Twenty 25s in 2025!”

Arranged according to my 8 major focus areas; Read, Write, Create, Practice, Serve, Connect, Sustain, and Adventure; in this way I get a somewhat holistic picture of my intentions and goals for the year. Therefore an assessment of my progress on my “25s” was a fitting piece of my “Curriculum” planning.

You may also wish to consider your topics of study or pillars of practice as you design your own curriculum.

Twenty 25s in 2025 Journal Spread
Twenty 25s in 2025 BuJo Spread prior to updates – now just 4 left!

My Fall Subjects

Major topics at a glance are Reading & Research, Writing, Creating Dance, Ballet, Art & Music Ballet, Mindful Movement Practices such as Yoga & Meditation, Cooking & Food.

Learning Activities

My action steps this season include:

Read & Research

Research Topics (reading, viewing, practicing):

  • Safer Spaces
  • Gender Expansiveness in Ballet & Dance
  • Dance History: Massine, Nijinska, Offenbach…
  • Ballet Choreography, Performance, Technique & Pedagogy:
    • “The Nutcracker” Ballet (performance preparation)
    • “Swan Lake” Ballet (general research)
    • Royal Academy of Dancing syllabus, Grades 2 & 4
    • Ballet for pre-professional dancers in other styles
Blythe's Autumn Curriculum 2025 Bullet Journal Spread
Blythe’s Autumn 2025 Personal Curriculum plan in their Bullet Journal

Write

Much of my creativity and productivity involves writing, including personal processing, organizational planning, video planning, articles, challenges, and letters:

  • Daily Logs
  • Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Annual Reflections in Bullet Journal & shared here
  • Articles, for example:
    • “Swan Lake” Ballet (part of my Flights of Fancy series)
    • Creativity
    • Relatedness & Connection
  • Poems
  • Letters
  • Books…

Create

Videos, Choreography, Coaching Tools, Bullet Journal Spreads, Sketching, playing Music & creating Playlists, Baking & making delicious food…

Videos

Video series: Update, Edit, Refresh the Balletlicious Syllabus. Create & share weekly YouTube videos such as:

  • Plumb Line
  • Adage
  • Petit Allegro
  • Ballet Bun
  • Dance Floors & more…
Choreos

Movement research solo and in collaboration, improvisation, choreography for class and stage. Considering doing a “Dance Daily December” again, would you join in?

Music

Creating and sharing playlists, listening to music new and old, finding pieces for dance choreography, and this season I hope to pick up practicing the Harmonica again as well.

  • Listen to specific pieces of music & playlists (a few below)
  • Practice tunes on Harmonica
Playlists
Cooking, Food, Eating

‘Tis the season for baking and cozy comfort foods! In Fall and Winter I especially go for quick breads/muffins, simple cookies to share with students and friends (or not), warm soups and some meal prepping ahead for very busy days and weeks.

  • Bake
    • Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Sugar Cookies to decorate
    • Ginger Snaps
    • Apple Cinnamon Muffins
    • Pumpkin Muffins
  • Cook/Prep
    • Ricecooker Oats
    • Overnight Oats
    • Carrot Sticks for dipping
    • Jar Salads
    • Soups
Chocolate Chip Cookies
American-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies are a hit with my students!

Practice

Languages, Adulting & Living Abroad, yoga, pranayama, meditation and mindfulness, physical therapy, dance techniques, improvisation, composition and criticism…there is a lot I am practicing to improve!

Ballet & Dance

Ballet: RAD Exam Syllabi (especially Grades 2 & 4), “The Nutcracker” & “Swan Lake” classical ballets, Seasonal Music, Choreography for Classes, Video, Stage 

Dance: Nikolais-Louis Modern Dance Technique, Bartenieff Fundamentals, Laban Movement Analysis, Improvisation, Choreography, Criticism

Yoga & Mindful Movement
  • Daily Yoga, Somatics study, weekly Physical Therapy practices (resistance band, foam roller, ball, stretch, pull-up bar…)
  • Meditation & Pranayama: repeat Schuyler Grant’s “The Chill Pill” Course on Commune, daily meditation sessions
  • Gratitude & Abundance daily
Coaching
  • Coaching, Learning & Change – translating coaching tools into German and for the demographics I’m currently working with most intensively, youth and young adults
Languages, German, Life Abroad

Language Learning:

  • Deutsch – Duolingo Daily for vocabulary & grammar practice
  • Hawaiian, French, Turkish…

German Residency: Prepare for work Visa Renewal in 2026, eventual Driver’s License…

Adventure & Celebration

Travel & explore, together & alone, regional & international, always seek to enjoy life! This “semester” we have a getaway with friends to Belgium planned, I want to get tickets for my next visit home, family & friends will visit from abroad, and Ela will celebrate her birthday (and many other birthday fests in November!).

Fall colors in Cologne: a red vine climbs a building next to a yellow-leafed tree

Related Resources

Podcast Episode 094: Fall 2022 “Curriculum”

Questions for Reflection

  • What are you looking forward to learning this season?
  • Which books are on your TBR?
  • Will you be baking certain treats or preparing special meals?
  • Which pieces of music or playlists will accompany your study?
  • How will you romanticize and enjoy the work to be done?
  • What are you creating?
  • What makes you curious?
  • What creations will you make and share?

The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as my favorite work from other creators is to subscribe to my email newsletter. Would love to hear about what you’re currently learning, teaching, and creating there, on social media, online or in-person.

Thanks for reading and moving together in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself, pay attention, and hope to see you again.

Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach
taking leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life

How to Find & Foster Safe(r) Spaces in a Diverse Dancing Life

As a dance educator and teaching artist, creating a safe space for learning has long been a topic of interest and top priority in coaching and classes in studios, colleges, universities, and schools.

Recently my interest has been reignited by working in a context similar to where I myself have experienced feeling unsafe, bullied, at risk: middle school.

I’ve been giving elective classes in dance, yoga, and well-being (the opportunity due to the coordinator being an adult ballet student of mine), and along with those electives assist with the Chill Room / Safe Space room during the lunch break. This is a different country and context from that where I grew up in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i, but many of the issues are the same: racism, discrimination, ignorance, bullying.

Having previously become familiar with the concept of Safer Space codes of conduct in the context of LGBTQIA2S+ queer nightlife, parties, dances, and demonstrations, the same tenets are true for a variety of social and educational contexts.

Unfortunately its all too easy to see the parallels between middle school meanness and wannabe tyrannical rulers and thugs playing on the international stage. With intersectional diverse individuals feeling increasingly unsafe in current society and human rights under threat, Mental Health Day and Coming Out Day being celebrated in October, it is timely to consider how we can work together to generate loving, supportive spaces for all.

Safer Spaces Research

Here I’m sharing research in progress which I will be bringing to my professional practice, in the form of notes in my seasonal Bullet Journal:

Finding & fostering Safer Spaces in a diverse dancing life video on YouTube

Safe(r) Spaces Defined

Wikipedia defines the term Safe Space in this way:

“The term safe space refers to places “intended to be free of bias, conflict, criticism, or potentially threatening actions, ideas, or conversations”, according to Merriam-Webster.[2] 

It is a place where marginalized groups can discuss issues pertinent to them without having to address questions or remarks that might be directed at them from majority groups in society who are not familiar with certain issues. The term originated in LGBTQ culture,[3] but has since expanded to include any place where a marginalized minority (e.g., gender, racial, religious, ethnic) can come together to communicate regarding their shared experiences.

Safe spaces are most commonly located on university campuses in the western world,[4] but also are at workplaces, as in the case of Nokia.[5]

The terms safe space (or safe-space), safer space, and positive space may also indicate that a teacher, educational institution or student body does not tolerate violence, harassment, or hate speech, thereby creating a safe place for marginalized people.[6]“

Blythe’s Safer Spaces Bullet Journal spread of tools & resources from their research

Safe Space Sources

In my notebook I’ve listed a few of the resources I’ve found helpful so far, and I know this is only the tip of the iceberg of knowledge:

Codes of Conduct

Safethedance.de presents three key elements that such spaces share:

  • Consent (only “yes” means yes)
  • Power of Definition (respecting others’ identities and boundaries)
  • Solidarity (take care of each other)

These are well-aligned with my basic rules of any (usually dance) class to be safe/careful, be respectful (of self, others, space), and have fun. Without safety and respect, there is little enjoyment or learning!

I can see how empowering it can be for a community to develop their own individual code of conduct together, to further flesh out how we can be excellent to one another.

Safer Space Next Steps

My next steps are to continue to define my own boundaries, develop codes of conduct along with the communities of which I am a part, and respect others’ diverse identities, perspectives and identities.

The learning continues and I hope you’ll share your knowledge of Safer Spaces at work in community groups, schools, dance and performing arts, higher education, professional life and beyond.

Questions for Reflection

  • In which spaces, settings, and contexts do you feel safe? Where not?
  • Where and with whom have you felt loved, accepted, encouraged, empowered?
  • Which spaces, settings, and contexts feel safe to you? Which not?
  • How can we create safer spaces for learning, growth, and creativity?
  • In what ways can bystanders and community members help folks in danger?
  • What are you learning?

Resources for Further Exploration

The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as my favorite work from other creators is to subscribe to my email newsletter. Would love to be connected to you there, on social media, online or in-person.

Thanks for reading and moving together in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself, pay attention, and hope to see you again.

Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach
helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties,
taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education

You Need a Smile File, Creative! – Remembering Acknowledgement & Praise to Stay Inspired & Motivated

How do you counteract the natural survival reflex of negativity bias and inevitable criticism that meets a life of creativity?

Enter the “Smile File” of praise, thanks, and acknowledgment from others. One of a slew of tools to refresh, inspire, and motivate when we feel down or burnt out.

You Need a Smile File

Take a peek into my own collected notes of thanks and gather your own evidence of acknowledgement and love in the video below:

You Need a Smile File, Creative video on YouTube 

Be Present to Praise

Many cherished texts on creativity address dealing with negative feedback, failure, and discouragement. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield come immediately to mind though there are many others. Every artist and person trying to accomplish something exp;eriences this.

I was experiencing a recent bout of difficulty and resistance and was feeling frustrated so was glad to be reminded of this resource I’m glad to have in my toolkit.

This year I have been reading Matthew Dicks’ book, Someday is Today​ and to this point, he stresses that, “Our work will be scrutinized, criticized, and utterly dismissed.” (Ebook Location: 3,884) Maybe you are currently experiencing such a period of discouragement or negative messages.

According to Dicks and backed by research, “Sadly, human beings are wired to remember and retain the negative over the positive. (…) Studies have shown that a person needs to hear at least 5.6 positive statements in order to counteract a single negative one.” (Someday is Today​ 3,920; 3,914)

Looking at all the thoughtful notes and kind words lifted my spirits, reminded me of the value of my work, and helped me carry on with enthusiasm. As Dicks intones, “In these times of need, this collection of compliments might just save you.” (Someday is Today​ 3,929)

"Crazy Times" reads this street art mural on a container at the Henry Ford Realschule in Cologne, Germany
“Crazy Times” reads this street art mural, Henry Ford Realschule in Cologne, Germany

“The world is too full of kindness for us to not allow the kindnesses we’re offered to echo in our minds again and again.”

– Matthew Dicks, Someday is Today​ 3,960

What to Put in Your File of Smiles

These ideas are just a jumping-off point for your brainstorm of good feedback and reflections of your greatness:

  • Thank you notes
  • Pen Pal letters
  • Professional evaluations
  • Performance reviews
  • Love letters
  • Random compliments received from strangers
  • Certificates or Awards
  • Ephemera that remind you of feeling seen, accomplished, having a positive impact
  • What else will you include?

Questions for Reflection

  • What nice things have folks said or written to you in the past?
  • How do you keep words of praise and encouragement?
  • How do you hope to be spoken of in the future?
  • What challenges are you currently struggling to overcome?
  • What are you creating?

Resources for Further Exploration

The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as my favorite work from other creators is to subscribe to my email newsletter. Would love to be connected to you there, on social media, online or in-person.

Thanks for reading and moving together in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself, pay attention, and hope to see you again.

Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach
helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties,
taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education

Artful August – 2025 Month 8 Reflection

In August I continued my “Swashbuckling Summer” and “Splits this Season” series and kicked off a “Flights of Fancy” series and enjoyed late-summer harvest.

For me, it turned to be a pretty whirlwind season. Although we didn’t take any longer trips out-of-town, there were good warm times outdoors and outside the city as well as productive work on creative projects and a decent amount of teaching smaller summer holidays classes.

In this article I recap my month of August in projects, life and events.

Blythe’s piratical effects / adventure carry bag

August Action

The last month of summer was mostly fittingly warm, full of delicious fresh harvest and the first of the colorful falling leaves and nuts. Many folks leave Cologne in August, but my girlfriend and I stayed in town, so to speak, getting outside when we could and with a couple little weekend excursions:

  • Radical PRIDE / Cologne Kalk was a refreshingly noncommercialized queer fest that happened to fall on a lovely sturgeon full moon night with lovely friends who I expected to be there and surprise acquaintances,
  • Submitted descriptions of my upcoming elective courses for School Year 2025-6 and eagerly planned themes, syllabi and lessons
  • Got my German Tax Return information all ready to file
  • Cleaned, decluttered and organized our dusty bedroom bookshelves before the dark season returns
  • Re-supplied for Back-to-School with paper, pens, inks, ballet slippers and unitard
  • Grooves & Grapes Weinfest: Wine Fest among the grape fields with my favorite Rose, Ela’s mom, friends, music, food and all the good things
  • Apple, Fig, nectarine & grape season – fresh fruit as snacks, in oatmeal, cakes…

Bullet Journaling & Planning

Because of its role in my creative process behind-the-scenes, journaling has become a part what I share on my YouTube channel along with dance, yoga, and joyful living. Here’s my monthly review of what I got up to in my notebooks and life in August 2025:

August Flip & Reflection video on YouTube

I shared my initial monthly setup in my Seasonal Book on Instagram here with shades of blue and butterflies then the flip-through video above shows what happened with my goals, glows, media favorites, and events “after the pen.”

Updated my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Logs, Annual Collections, and set up my August spreads over the course of the month, continued to savor writing my Morning Pages and notes with colorful inks in my fountain pens.

Teaching & Coaching

Regular Mindful Movement classes in Balletlicious Ballet Barre+ and Yummy Gentle Yoga, studio classes in Ballet continued, while my elective courses took a break for the summer vacation in Nordrhein-Westfalen.

There are currently no coaching slots free in my weekly schedule, but I will keep you up to date here about any available coaching sample sessions and spots (message to schedule), workshops, and guest teaching to come.

Blythe getting low in part 3, the exciting conclusion of Splits this Season

Writing & Publishing Articles

In August I published 5 articles to the blog here at ablythecoach.com (3 in July, that’s just how the weeks fell). This is a great place to find out what I am up as well as other experts and creators who I recommend.

August’s new articles:

  • Jaunty June – 2025 Month 6, Q2 & Midyear Reflection about how a sweet spring in Cologne and in the US came to a close, June brought a heat wave, hay fever, successful medical procedures in the family, end-of-schoolyear, start of the summer, and birthday fests. In this article I wrapped up the month of June, Quarter 2, and the first 6 months of 2025 as a whole in my own projects, life and events.
  • Emancipatory Dance – Dancing Intersectional Feminism: This article was originally part of my Theory and Criticism work for my MFA in Dance in 2014, and critical pedagogy and artistic practice continues to be relevant to my teaching, coaching, and creative practice over a decade later.
  • Be Buoyant like a Butterfly – Flights of Fancy – Airy Inspiration Roundup Having had encounters with Butterflies in the Amazon basin jungle, on the Appalachian Trail, migrating Monarchs in California, at home on the Big Island (black sand beach, at home…), rescue on the bus in Cologne… in every place I have felt blessed by their gentle presence and his article celebrates the miracle that is this insect.
  • July was Sigh Worthy – 2025 Month 7 Reflection: July is about high summer, brought a heat wave and then cool rain to Cologne, and kicked off my “Swashbuckling Summer” and “Splits this Season” series with glowing energy and creativity.
  • Philosophy for Children in a Dance Context – p4c teaching applications to performing arts education: What role can “gently Socratic” philosophical inquiry play in the context of performing arts education?I consider myself fortunate to have had the honor of participating in Dr. Thomas Jackson’s PHIL 492: Philosophy with Children (p4c) course in the Spring of 2015, one of the last courses in my work towards my MFA in Dance. The concepts and techniques have continued to prove valuable over time, so I wanted to share as a resource for fellow educators, performing artists, and dancers.

Filming & Sharing Videos

I published 6+ videos (additional bonuses exclusively for my online students to review between classes) to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel on the topics of dance, creativity, and purposeful living in August:

Splits this Season Part 1b – Standing Side / Middle Split Stretch Video on YouTube
Splits this Season – Part 2 Upside Down/Inverted Gravity Splits video on YouTube
Splits this Season Part 3 video on YouTube
  • Splits this Season Part 3 – Getting Lower to the Floor with Blocks & Props into Front & Side Splits video features supported lunges, “half” towards “full” splits on the floor (right, left, and center), with various props like yoga blocks or a foam roller, and you can use an assortment of pillows, bolsters, folded blankets or towels and the like to set up your ideal situation as you get ready to leap into lower splits (as appropriate). Remember to practice with good judgment, while warm, regularly, working up to holding 30 seconds/32 counts or more. All stretches, shapes, and steps should be taken gently, at your (and your doctor’s) discretion and with appropriate modifications, such as the variety of shapes in my Splits this Season playlist fun flexibility any time and in many positions!
June Stationery, Emphemera & Empties – Creative Supplies video on YouTube
  • June Stationery, Emphemera & Empties – Creative Supplies & Personal Care favorites video: June being itself a favorite for so many reasons, with PRIDE and the Summer Solstice, it also marks the midpoint of the year and therefore necessitates deeper reflection than a typical month in my life. My June BuJo Flip/Q2/Midyear Reflection was therefore lengthy enough before I included my ephemera, creative supply and personal care commentary, so I decided to include these separately in this video. Having already published a flip-through of the month in my Seasonal Bullet Journal Book, here is a peek at other stationery & notebooks used, completed/used-up “empties” of art supplies and personal care products.  Behind the scenes, I’m practicing mindful consumption and aware creation.
July Flip & Reflection video on YouTube
  • July Flip & Reflection – Creative Journaling of a Bliss Catalyst Dancer Coach – BuJo Plan & Memories video on YouTube July is about high summer, brought a heat wave and then cool rain to Cologne, and kicked off my “Swashbuckling Summer” and “Splits this Season” series with glowing energy and creativity. This is a flip-through of the month in my Seasonal Bullet Journal Book, media published & personally consumed, high & lowlights and special events.
Piratical Personal Effects Adventure Carry & TBR video on YouTube
  • Piratical Personal Effects Adventure Carry & TBR – Creative Supplies, Reading, Writing, Sketching video: Shiver me timbers, there’s still a little summer left in which to swashbuckle! Though I may not want a life on the open sea myself, I was raised on sailing and pirate stories and appreciate the ethos of freedom, treasure, and adventure. Set out on a Swashbuckling Summer, living it up outdoors, in nature with favored creative inspirations of the moment, channeling a wild and carefree inner pirate to help savor the season while it lasts. Here I unpack my Piratical Adventure Carry bag, loaded with reading picks, journals, writing & sketching supplies, tools with which to observe the world, gain insights, learn, make notes and art.

Connecting: Email & Social Media

The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well as work from others that I believe to be of value for fellow creatives is to subscribe to my email newsletter. It lights me up to see new subscribers there as well as responses to me missives.

I sent 5 Email Newsletters in August:

In addition, I posted 13 times to Instagram, my favorite being this one:

Plumb crumble cake sparks joy! What else? Dancing and moving in community (IG)

Creative Challenges

Teaching Artist, Choreographer, Movement Educator & Coach, I get to explore my soul’s expression through my work, and face new challenges each month. Some I design myself, and some I take on at the impulse of other creators.

For my summer celebration of (comparative) freedom and self-determination, I declared Jolly Roger July, as well as a flexibility goal for myself and students to soar into the Splits this Summer, and Flights of Fancy, starting with Be Buoyant like a Butterfly – Flights of Fancy – Airy Inspiration Roundup, and I’ve got birds, swans and others on my mind.

Twenty 25s in 2025

In August I published my 25th article of the year, reaching 13 out of 20 “Twenty 25s,” a playful way to track various leading metrics, projects and activities I wish to keep an eye on this year.

Media Musings

My August in reading, listening, and viewing pleasures:

Books & Reading

Books Read

Planning ahead, 8 cozy books for Fall from Morgan Long helped me populate my electronic library holds list for the season ahead. I completed reading 2 novels in August:

  • Fun for the Whole Family: A Novel by Jennifer E. Smith, a sad but sweet family story about a talented group of siblings and those who love them
  • Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez, a Rom-Com about family love, friendship as well as romance, commitment and the complexity of “happily ever after”

Still reading along on some of my nonfiction picks (also scripture, personal growth):

A few of my observation, creation, and discovery tools, including summer TBR

Listening Highlights

Favorite things heard over the course of the month go here, such as concerts, songs, pieces of music, playlists, podcasts and more.

Playlists & Albums
  • Summer’s End Sweet Sadness Dance playlist on YouTube was my latest addition, a celebration of the beautiful heartbreak of end-of-summer and start-of-autumn with danceable beats to feel many feels.
Songs & Pieces of Music
  • “Kitri Act III” and “Dance of the Matadors” from the classical ballet “Don Quixote” made for fun prop work (fans! capes!) and spicy dancing in late summer
  • “BOOMBAYAH” from BLACKPINK was featured in an episode of “Wednesday,” wow they must have some budget!
  • “Golden” and “Soda Pop” from the “KPop Demon Hunters” film, the whole sound track is full of catchy ear worms
  • “Bodies (Tycho Remix)” from The Knocks & MUNA moved me right through the end of the season
  • “Thunder Summer Storm” is my favorite from Melissa Czarnik, a conscious rap beat for stormy late summer
  • “Summer Breeze” by Seals and Crofts, for when the balmy breezes still blow
  • A working summer made me feel “I like tuh (make money, get turnt)” from Carnage, ILOVEMAKONNEN – not family friendly!
Rufio the cat assists with planning early-Autumn teaching and creations

Monthly Viewing Highlights

August sights included…

Live Performance

Drag of several flavors live at Radical Pride, DJs spinning sets at Grooves & Grapes!

Films
  • “KPop Demon Hunters” which was recommended by our neighbors and turned out to be a huge boon with my middle-schoolers, great animation and real Kpop bangers, lots of action with a good message
  • “Thursday Murder Club” was a humorously adventurous murder mystery
  • “Raising Arizona“ 1987 film with young Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter: I love the Cohen Brothers, acting, writing and cinematography are flawless, humor on point, so glad I got to share this with Ela
  • “Wings” animated short was adorable and suited to my annual theme
Series

Standout series seen:

  • “Wednesday” season 2 helped me adjust to the idea that fall is coming and also featured Blackpink’s “Boom Ba Ya” in one episode, a crossover with other media
  • Continued “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and have become so attached to this cast of characters that I will be sad when we conclude the series. Who knew I’d become a Trekkie in my 40s?
  • “Love Death + Robots” series is eclectic, maybe a bit morbid, though often humorous (and the episodes stand alone)
  • “I Kissed a Girl” is trashy reality TV from the UK, but made for a fun end-of-summer fling
  • “Southpark” selected new episodes for the stinging political and social commentary
  • I watched “Decorating Cents“ back then and have happy associations with Joan Steffends’ voice so found this video essay hilarious
Bedroom Bookshelf clean & declutter/organize “after:” not perfect, but accomplished

Questions for Reflection

  • What did you adore in August?
  • What are you harvesting now?
  • How will you get into the Fall feels or lean into the seasonal transition where you are?
  • How may I support your journey?

Resources for Further Exploration

Further monthly reflections for 2025, special workshops and collaborations in dance, coaching, creative living and more coming soon.

Thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact!

Take care of yourself and keep moving mindfully, let me know how if I can be of service, would love to see you in my email newsletter or on social media as well.

Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach
helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties,
taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education

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