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May Replay – 2025 Month 5 Reflection

In May, we had one more week of work and play on the Big Island, several days of travel back to Cologne, then jumped jetlagged back into teaching, coaching, publishing and celebrating there!

Blythe, mom Candy, and Ela beaching at Kuki’o Bay in Kona: Sea Turtles & Monk Seal!

May Memories

Felt at home in both Hawai’i and Germany, both happy and homesick in each location.

Lunch was so ono with my Mom and Dad at Kona Grill: broke da mout’!

Personal Glows

The month of May was a wave of impressions and memories such as:

  • May Day/Lei Day/Beltane
  • Kailua-Kona Family time, feasting, Dad’s birthday, online teaching, touristing, beaching, Sea Turtles, Monk Seals, Dolphins, Waterfalls
  • Coaching Week: shared resources such as Fine Feedback follow-up from the workshop end of April, relevant articles from myself and other creators
  • Family medical stuff: Dad’s procedure finally planned, suspenseful waiting, so grateful for capable care teams
  • 2-day trip back to Cologne, Jetlag & Allergies
  • Boheme Sauvage Golden ’20s Party birthday celebration for a friend all decked out
  • Our little Nephew turned 2
  • Rose Garden Artist Date with my flower and bird friends, pens, and notebooks
  • Davide Art Gallery Opening
  • Q1 Wrap-Up, Reflections
  • Trans History Week
  • May 26: reached 1,000 Subscribers on YouTube!!!
Email received upon reaching #1KCreator for the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel

Bullet Journaling & Planning

Because of its role in my creative process, journaling has become a part of my YouTube channel content along with dance, yoga, and joyful living. Here’s what I was up to in my notebooks and life in May 2025:

May Flip & Reflection Creative Journal video on YouTube

The video above is a flip-through of the month in my Seasonal Book including goals, glows, media favorites, and events I recorded along the way.

I shared my initial monthly setup on Instagram here, inspired by plants and seas and sands plus my Art Deco origami papers. Updated my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Logs, Annual Collections, set up my June spreads once I got back to Germany.

Continued to savor writing my Morning Pages and notes with colorful inks in my fountain pens, including a couple new shades in cartridges I brought with me traveling.

Completed May Glows & Media Bullet Journal Spread

Teaching & Coaching

Continued with online Mindful Movement teaching while at home, returning to in-Studio & Elective Classes in Cologne including Ballet technique for all ages and levels, Yoga, Hip Hop, my “Feel Good” wellness course, and ongoing movement research, choreography, syllabus design and so forth.

Creative Challenges

On the heels of impactful challenges in April (MC for a WHDT ballet and hosting the “Fine Feedback” workshop on the Big Island), in May I shared resources for International Coaching Week here on the Blog, on Social Media, and a new Coaching Toolkit YouTube Playlist on YouTube.

On Instagram I posted about the prism of empowering feedback

and asking the question: What is the best/worst feedback you received? Also promoted other creators’ work, such as Dance feedback you need to hear and Things more dancers should say out loud from jessiecrouch.

Fine Feedback: How to give & receive constructive criticism workshop at WHDT

Writing & Publishing Articles

In May I published 3 articles to the blog here at ablythecoach.com. This is a great place to find out what I am up as well as other experts and creators who I recommend.

May’s new articles:

  • Fabulous to Fraught – Real Life Criticism From fabulous to fraught, giving & receiving input to empower, My recent “Fine Feedback: giving & receiving critique” workshop at West Hawai’i Dance Theatre was great fun and provided a range of powerful tools that the dancers, choreographers and artists who participated can use lifelong in their creative practice! I shared examples of input I’ve received or heard in the past about technique, performance, and choreography, even videos here on YouTube. Some is constructive and empowering, other bits less so.
  • March into Spring & Outstanding Quarter 1 Things – 2025 Month 3 & Q1 Reflection wrap up the month of March and Quarter 1 as a whole as related to my own projects, life and events, and favorites.
  • Traveling Dancer Yoga – Mindful Movement on the Go For frequent flyers and folks for whom it is important that we freely move, I’m offering yummy yoga poses, practices, and a playlist full of goodies for small spaces of time and elbowroom.
Screenshot from my Tropical Tree Pose video on the lanai

Filming & Sharing Videos

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

  • Chill Child’s Pose: I recorded this 9-minute gentle Child’s Pose Variations yoga stretch while overnighting at a hotel before a recent flight from Germany to the US. Carrying luggage, navigating various transit modalities, preparing for the unexpected–travel and daily life can be stressful for body and soul! Take a pause to decompress by compressing/folding in the major joints, rest your head and mind, find a version of the pose that works for you today, restore and rejuvenate.
Chill Child’s Pose video on YouTube
  • Fine Feedback Examples – Real Life Critique & Input – dance technique, performance, choreography: during my new “Fine Feedback: How to Give & Receive Constructive Criticism & Promote Dance in the Process” workshop, we practiced a host of powerful tools for distinguishing fact, interpretation, empowering & disempowering input about our creative work. I shared examples like the ones I read off index cards in this video, from fabulous to fraught, of words of feedback I’ve heard and received in the context of dance technique, performance, choreography, and even publishing here on YouTube!
Fine Feedback Examples – Real Life Critiques video on YouTube
  • Tropical Tree Pose – Gentle Adaptive Vrksasana Yoga for Grounding, Dynamic Balance & Visualization: This 10-minute gentle adaptive “Tropical” Tree Pose / Vrksasana yoga stretch was recorded on a lanai of my family home on the Big Island of Hawai’i, inspired by the abundant flora there.
Tropical Tree Pose – Gentle Adaptive Yoga Vrksasana video on YouTube
  • April Flip & Reflection: This is a particularly chatty flip-through of the month in my Seasonal Bullet Journal Book, stationery & ephemera, personal media published and consumed, highlights, new experiences, challenges, and events. April brought adventures on two continents and an island: Cologne & Frankfurt, Germany, Portland, Oregon and Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i. So fortunate to see some of my most beloved places and people in the world, savor flavors, moments, memories.
April Flip & Reflection – Monthly BuJo Review video on YouTube

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 weekly email newsletter. It lights me up to see new subscribers there as well as responses to me missives.

I sent 4 Email Newsletters in May, which you may still read in the links:

In addition, I posted 9 times to Instagram, averaging a couple times a week, which is aligned to my goals on that platform.

Ela & Blythe touristed the Hamakua Coast & Hilo, here Akaka Falls

Media Musings

My May in reading, listening, and viewing pleasures:

Books & Reading

Listening Highlights

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

Music: Songs, Playlists & Albums
  • Hawai’i loves their Bruno Mars, and in particular 2 songs rocked our radio waves: “APT.” a dancey ear worm with Rose, and
  • Heart-wrenching “Die with a Smile” with Lady Gaga
  • Janet Jackson’s “Escapade” also fit my jet-set vacation mood

For dance accompaniment, I continued playing, adding to and rearranging:

Sampled new coffee shops & boutiques in Kona, sipping a Puna Chocolate Co Mocha

Monthly Viewing Highlights

Top sights from May:

Series
  • “The Connors” Sitcom
  • “Ghosts” Comedy Series
Videos
Live Sports

While on the Big Island, we watched local sports on TV in sports bars, such as the newly-formed young women’s ​flag football ​league in Hawai’i, exciting stuff!

Questions for Reflection

  • What went on for you during May?
  • What holidays and accomplishments are you celebrating?
  • Where do you feel at home?
  • For what do you thirst this summer/season?
  • What adventures do you look forward to next?
Treasured time with my parents’ dog Frankie in the sunshine on the front porch

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!

View of the Kona-Kohala Coastline and Haleakala (Maui), Hawai’i Island, Hawai’i

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

How (and Why) to Take Dance Notes – Class, Rehearsal, Performance Writing to Grow & Create

How and why take notes on dance classes & rehearsals?

Research supports the efficacy of notetaking in supporting learning and creativity, now how do we put that into practice and actually make time and space to jot a few ideas down afterwards?

Blythe’s dance Notetaking situation at Tanzschule Tanzraum Nippes, Cologne, Germany

Artistic Notes as Power

This article and the video below are not meant to be comprehensive–I and many others have much more to say on the topic of note-taking for performing artists and creative people–but it should provide a good jumping-off point for beginners to introduce the practice in this context.

Keeping notes might support us in Creation, Reflection, Revision, Memory, Archiving, Research, Collaboration…

How to Take Dance Notes video on YouTube

In the video above, I offer some places to look for fruitful scribbles, and a few quick and simple ways to get the most of your notes.

Why?

Capture, remember, learn, refer to important information without becoming distracted, think, incubate and develop ideas.

Provide structures of support and accountability for your creative goals, track progress, coach yourself and help others coach you, make more and better work!

How?

Just as there are many different kinds of dancers and artists, there are endless possibilities to the application of note-taking in the creative process. Ultimately do what serves and pleases YOU!

Here are a few places to look to start your dance notetaking journey. Over time and exposure to diverse influences, I’ve developed my own notetaking prompts and strategies and I hope you will find your own through exploration, trial, and error.

Use whatever materials you have access to, as appealing as you can find to draw you in. Analog helps us think, but digital has it’s place as well, use what works for you and you will remember to do without distraction.

For classes and rehearsals, an Evaluative Log, like the one Alex Durrant and I used for dance classes at Windward Community College.

Quick notes in my notebook on How & Why to take Dance Notes

What?

For your Evaluative Log, jot down/sketch/record whatever you can, deciding in time what is most valuable to capture and how.

Describe as much as you can with words and images, drawings, sketches, diagrams and symbols, using technical jargon and specialized vocabulary where applicable as well as plain language, quotes, reference materials, whatever keeps the information fresh or lends fresh perspective to your work.

During my Coaches Training with Accomplishment Coaching, I learned a simple tool called What Happened, What’s Missing, What’s Next and posing those questions can provide a fairly complete picture of the situation.

In addition to those 3 basic questions, I provide some further prompts to reflect on and record. Ask yourself:

Happened…

What Happened?

Like an objective 3rd party observer or neutral expert, report the facts, with as much detail as time allows.

Consider:

  • What was the goal or focus of the session?
  • What did you hear or experience that was new or made an impression?
  • Which concepts were central?
  • What steps, techniques, or choreographies were taught/practiced/reviewed?
  • What do you need to remember about and follow-up on?

Is Missing…

What’s Missing?

  • What might be missing or incomplete?
  • What questions remain unanswered?
  • What different or further support or practice needed?
  • What resources of things, people, time do you need to support your growth or fill the gaps?

Is Next…

What’s Next?

  • What are your goals and targets?
  • What will you do or practice before the next session?
  • Who will you consult for further information?
  • What tools & resources will you access?
  • What will you create?
  • When will you do so?

Glows & Grows

There’s an even simpler evaluative process that I learned during my Secondary Teaching Credential (PBSCE) at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, from my advisor Cheryl Treber-Kawaoka, “Glows and Grows.”

Functions to capture key pieces of information to move forward with learning, creating, and teaching practices.

I particularly appreciate how it counters negativity bias and centers a growth mindset of continual learning, refinement, and improvement that is essential in the arts.

Glows

“Glows” can take so many forms! Here are some related questions:

  • What went well?
  • What progress did you see or make?
  • Where were you able to display your strengths?
  • Which qualities, strengths, and accomplishments did you exhibit?
  • How did your performance or behavior align with your personal values, mission, vision, and goals?
  • What did you enjoy?
  • What praise or positive feedback did you receive (and/or earn)?
  • What past challenges did you learn from?
  • What do you want to be acknowledged for?

Grows

“Grows” are places where further development or growth is possible. We can use note-taking to recall and apply impressions and feedback received during creative sessions. For example:

  • What was challenging, difficult, or frustrating?
  • Where did you encounter your weaknesses or breakdowns?
  • What thoughts, feelings, or body sensations do you need to experience and process?
  • What critical feedback did you receive and/or give?
  • Was the criticism constructive, specific, empowering?
  • What next steps do you wish to take with regard to lessons learned, insights gained, input received?
Blythe’s leather cover from Manifactika houses their Bullet Journal

Resources for Further Exploration

Questions for Reflection

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

Try out these note-taking approaches for yourself and let me know what works for you. Thanks for reading and practicing together in spirit or in fact!

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel, free weekly email newsletter, or find me on social media to stay tuned and see my face and work again soon.

Back regularly with more fun with ballet, mindful movement, & creativity. Take good care until then,

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

Good Day, Sunshine – Warm Greetings to Bask in Solar Energy at the Solstice & Through Mindful Movement & Meditation

Happy Summer Solstice, arriving in late June in the Northern Hemisphere, and a time of high summer, early harvests, fruits and berries, creative energy in the natural world and for us individually.

Tap into the radiant energy of long bright days, short nights (as well as tipping into times of shorter days), basking, glowing, radiance, enjoyment, savoring, bounty, nourishment, possibly also thriving, relaxation, rest, vacation, getting outside, energy and adventure.

A ripe time for dance and sport intensives, camps, writing and creativity, and rich possibility for growth and breakthroughs!

“Sunny Greetings” Poem in my Bullet Journal, Blythe Stephens, Cologne 2025

Yoga & Meditation

Warming from the inside out, thawing out in the warm rays, embracing the longest day of the year even as we tip towards longer nights, these are some of the impulses behind yoga and mindfulness practices at this time of year.

I have created a number of stand-alone practices that are appropriate for Summer, as well as a Yogalicious 5-Day ReTREAT series.

Sunny Greetings

Sunny Greetings Poem & Practice – Adaptive Yoga Sun Salutations video on YouTube

This Surya Namaskara / Sun Salutation yoga practice is guided by a “Sunny Greetings” Poem, my own adaptation and translation of a German yoga for kids Sonnengrüße/Sun Salutation from Seelenbaumler 3 minutes 50 seconds in.

Poetry can be helpful for children and for people of all ages to learn movement sequences such as yoga flows and dance choreographies, providing linguistic cues and imagery to fuel physical and artistic practice.

I demonstrate just a couple versions of many possible Sun Salutation variations, you may choose your own adaptation or approach to fit.

The first 2 repetitions I do a Surya Namaskara A along with the text of the poem, starting with the one side, then repeating on the other, the third round I demonstrate an upper-body, “no hands,” (no downward dog), potentially-seated option.

Develop focus, strength, mobility, and balance, a powerful presence and connection to the world around you!

Rufio the cat helping with Sun Salutation study

Radiant Reflection

Summer & Solstice Radiant Reflection –  Vibrant Visualization video on YouTube

Basking like a lizard on a hot rock, a bather at the sea, savoring the fruits of the season, literal and figurative. We imagine glowing warmth and abundance in this meditation for Summer and Solstice celebration:

00:00 Introduction and Intention-Setting

01:00 Summer Energy Visualization

03:00 Summer & Solstice Meditation

05:15 Radiant Reflection with music (or silence)

08:15 Returning to shine our light into the world

09:20 Powerful Questions to contemplate

10:25 Much more summer fun to be had!

Some More Solar Practices

Glow Like Fire Yoga

Glow Like Fire Yoga Practice video on YouTube

Includes a Seated Sun Salutation at 6 minutes 17 seconds and other yummies

Yoga Sun Salutations
Surya Namaskara – Yoga Sun Salutations A & B – 30 minute practice video on YouTube
Birds of Summer 30-Minute Yoga Practice
Birds of Summer Yoga Practice 30-minute movement session video on YouTube
Bumble Bee Breath
Humming Bee Breath video on YouTube
Beach Bonfire Guided Elements Visualization
A Blythe Coach Podcast 038: Beach Bonfire Guided Elements Visualization on Spotify

Summery Yoga Books

Rufio the cat basking in the sun, being a role model for Summer Solstice celebration

Ripe for Reflection

Summer Solstice and my birthday in June are a juicy opportunity to take a look back at the first 6 months of the year and ahead at the next 6. There is still time to do what we dreamed for this year, but it is critical to review, reflect, and take action.

In 2024, I shared a midyear reflection in the Juicy June & Quarter Two Flew – 2024 Month 6 Review, Q2 & First-Half Wrap-Up article, which was one of the monthly reflections that Judith Peters inspired me to share during her Jahresrueckblick / Annual Review Blog challenge, and 2025’s update is soon due…

Consider recording your thoughts on the first half of the year and refreshing for the second.

Creativity

Maybe our reflections a the Summer Solstice move us with new momentum forward.

Energy tends to be high in summer with the long days, so it may be a great time to create something (although R&R is also totally legit!), and in this case you’ll also want to check out my Charming Chosen Challenges – creative ways to try out or jumpstart a habit collection and the Summer Fun In & Out of the Sun article or go directly to one of the following challenges:

Summer Fun Bucket List Brainstorm in my Bullet Journal

Questions for Reflection

  • What will you harvest and savor this summer?
  • Which items are on your summer bucket list/seasonal conditions of satisfaction?
  • What is meaningful to you about the summertime or this current transition?
  • In what direction is your creative energy flowing?
  • Which holidays do you celebrate in the summer?
  • How do you cultivate a sense of warmth and bounty at any time of year?

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 weekly email newsletter. Would love to be connected to you there, on social media, online or in-person.

Thanks for reading and for practicing together in spirit or in fact! Take good care until next time.

Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
she/her or they/them
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

April Adventures on 2 Continents & an Island – 2025 Month 4 Reflection

April revelry took place on two continents and an island, was 50 percent “regular” teaching, creating, and normal publishing schedule and travel prep, 50 percent adventures in several places I feel at home: Portland, Oregon with dear friends like family and Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i with actual family and mentors.

Honored to host and participate in special events along the way, such as World Tai Chi & Qigong Day on the Big Island, a live performance of “The Wizard of Oz Ballet” and a recorded one of the Hawai’i Island Choreographers Concert.

In a nutshell, my personal themes for the month were Easter & Spring, Love & Friendship, and HOME.

Ela & Blythe on a waterfall tour of the Columbia River Gorge, OR with friends

April Revelry

Cherry blossoms rained down in Cologne and Portland, Jacarandas on the Big Island.

PDX

How I love Portland and the weather and reception of beloved people couldn’t be beat. Waterfalls and secondhand stores, great food and spectacular views that were familiar to me and it was splendid to finally be able to show my partner Ela this pivotal and dear place in my life.

KOA

Kailua-Kona is where I grew up and it is important to visit and help out my parents there when I can. We had a bunch of celebratory meals, Christmas and birthdays (my Dad’s falling during our visit, out with his Tai Chi group), feasting at home on my Tutu’s bone china that I was able to locate in storage this visit.

Also

Personal Glows

The month of April was a shower of flower petals, as well as events such as:

  • Poetry Month: my personal celebration was to keep reading and writing verse, daily selections coming from 365 Poems for Life: An Uplifting Collection for Every Day of the Year collected by Allie Esiri
  • Sarra Cannon’s Rough Draft Challenge in April, for which you can set your own writing goal along with the Heart Breathings community (formerly did NaNoWriMo in 2029, Camp NaNoWriMo Memoir in 2023 & 2024)
  • Bayram / Zuckerfest, end of Ramadan fasting which many of my students and community members in Cologne celebrate
  • Easter, end of Lent
  • Earth Day
  • April 15th World Art Day which we enjoyed in the Portland airport
  • We helped set up for and participated in World Tai Chi and Qigong Day in Kailua-Kona and also got to practice with Sifu Chee on a couple of other occasions during our visit (last Sat in April)
  • West Hawai’i Dance Theatre’s production of “The Wizard of Oz Ballet” at the Kahilu Theatre on April 26th
  • Fine Feedback Workshop at WHDT April 30th
  • Digital Detox/Minimalism preparing to travel and for Q2: YouTube Watch Later list, Computer Documents, Phone Apps
  • Preparing for Coaching Week in May…
World Tai Chi Day made for a reunion with Kealakehe Intermediate School teachers!

Bullet Journaling & Planning

Because of its role in my creative process, journaling has become a part of my YouTube channel content along with dance, yoga, and joyful living. Here’s an update on what I’ve been up to in my notebooks and life in April 2025:

April Flip & Reflection – Monthly Review video on YouTube

The video above is a flip-through of the month in my Seasonal Book including goals, glows, media favorites, and events I recorded along the way.

I shared my initial monthly setup on Instagram here, inspired by birds and dragonflies and flying things and flowers. Updated my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Logs, Annual Collections, and had already set up my May spreads as well to prepare for travel into that month.

Continued to savor writing my Morning Pages and notes with colorful inks in my fountain pens and savored the fresh shades of the changing season in nature and culture.

Completed April BuJo Spread with fountain pens and other stationery supplies

Teaching & Coaching

, studio classes in Ballet, and my “Feel Good” wellness course and Hip Hop elective continued, and

  • 2 full weeks of teaching in studios & schools in Cologne before our trip to Oregon & Hawai’i
  • Regular online Mindful Movement classes in Balletlicious Ballet Barre+ and Yummy Gentle Yoga continued during travel except for one week gallivanting in Portland
  • Created a NEW Workshop and hosted it for the first time at West Hawai’i Dance Theatre & Academy
Fine Feedback: How to give & receive constructive criticism workshop at WHDT

Creative Challenges

In April a couple of my more anticipated projects were serving again as MC for a WHDT ballet and hosting a new workshop, “Fine Feedback” on the Big Island, which I shared about here on the blog, on Instagram, and in my email newsletter.

In my Lei, after MC-ing “The Wizard of Oz Ballet” at Kahilu Theatre

Writing & Publishing Articles

In April I published 2 articles to the blog here at ablythecoach.com. This is a great place to find out what I am up as well as other experts and creators who I recommend.

April’s new articles:

Slow Foot O’s is a good warm-up and training for before or between dance sessions

Filming & Sharing Videos

I (still) didn’t quite reach 1,000 subscribers to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel in April, but did continue to grow my audience and hoped to attain this milestone soon (spoiler alert: we’ve since done it!).

I published 3 videos to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel on the topics of dance, creativity, and purposeful living in April:

Slow Foot O’s – Mindful Ankle Circles Dance video on YouTube
March 2025 Flip & Reflection – Monthly Review Bullet Journal video on YouTube
Twenty 25s in 2025 & Annual BuJo Collections Update video on YouTube

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 weekly email newsletter. It lights me up to see new subscribers there as well as responses to me missives.

I sent 3 Email Newsletters in April:

In addition, I posted 9 times to Instagram, averaging a couple times a week, which is aligned to my goals on that platform.

View of Mt. Hood through the trees at Mt. Tabor park, Portland, OR

Media Musings

My month in reading, listening, and viewing pleasures:

Books & Reading

Listening Highlights

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

Music: Songs, Playlists & Albums

I heard a couple of oldies while shopping the funky stores of Portland that resonated:

For dance accompaniment, I was way into:

Blythe jaunting through Jacaranda blossoms at Parker Ranch Center, Kamuela, Hawai’i

Monthly Viewing Highlights

Top sights from April:

Live & Recorded Performances
  • “The Wizard of Oz Ballet“ live at Kahilu Theatre, guest MC
  • Hawai’i Island Choreographers Concert 2025 on video, with cutting-edge works by student, emerging, and professional choreographers. Since the dancers and choreographers in my Fine Feedback workshop also participated in the production, it was helpful to be able to use the works as examples.
  • The annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival on television and live streaming from Hilo, Hawai’i
Other Media
  • USGS Volcano Update Website kept us abreast of Kilaue’a’s movements while we were on-island, which unfortunately didn’t sync up with our other plans as far as seeing them from nearby, but were fascinating to follow
  • Being back by the sea had me thinking about Tides
  • Enjoyed Humming birds in Portland/continental US and the plants that attract them

Questions for Reflection

  • What went on for you during April and how did your second quarter begin?
  • What holidays and accomplishments are you celebrating?
  • What is bursting into bloom in your life??
  • What adventures do you look forward to next?
I love how in April everywhere we were was blossoming profusely

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

Traveling Dancer Yoga – Mindful Movement on the Go

Spring into summer can be a time of travel, getting from place to place to see sights and people familiar and new, whether it be in planes, cars, trains, boats or all of the above.

My season has included time in North America, Hawai’i, and Europe, many long flights and adventures in fitting rest and stretching into a variety of settings and time zones. I love traveling, but it can be painful! Glad to be equipped with a menu of exercises, stretches, and poses to balance all that sitting in cramped spaces, walking with a heavily-laden pack (even carryon-only can get hefty!), and new experiences.

For my future reference and frequent flyers and folks for whom it is important that we freely move, I’m offering yummy yoga poses, practices, and a playlist full of goodies for small spaces of time and elbowroom. As always, asana, shapes and flows are adaptive to varying energy levels and needs, physical capacity and limits from within or without, which you may practice anytime from anywhere you have an internet connection.

Blythe sits on a bench in the dance studio to do Slow Foot O’s

Move Freely

In hectic travel times, we need to learn to decompress, get our circulation going, stretch and restore in many settings. Take a few moments here and there to decompress, relax, focus, and engage and enjoy the difference.

Travel Videos, Playlists, & Articles

Choose one pose, a short practice, or an article to inspire your movement, whatever country or situation you find yourself in.

Mindful Movement Videos On-the-Go

A few recent short videos with maximum impact for the traveling dancer:

Chill Child’s Pose – Balasana Variations Video

I recorded this 9-minute gentle Child’s Pose Variations yoga stretch while overnighting at the b’mine hotel at the Frankfurt Airport before a recent flight from Germany to the US. Carrying luggage, navigating various transit modalities, preparing for the unexpected–travel and daily life can be stressful for body and soul!

Child’s Pose or Balasana is one of my favorite ways to pause and decompress by compressing/folding in the major joints, finding the best variation to adapt to today, resting the head and mind, restoring and rejuvenating.

Chill Child’s Pose – Balasana Yoga Variations video on YouTube
Slow Foot O’s Mindful Ankle Circles Video

This 5-minute mindful lower-leg exercise is a good warm-up and training for before or between dance sessions. Breathe, activate the small stabilizing muscles of the feet and lower legs, become aware of your body at the present moment. Slow O’s can be practiced in a reclining position, seated on the floor or a chair, or standing on one leg, with or without support.

Slow Foot O’s 5-minute Mindful Ankle Circles Video on YouTube
Tropical Tree Pose – Gentle Adaptive Vrksasana Yoga Video

This 10-minute gentle adaptive “Tropical” Tree Pose / Vrksasana yoga stretch was recorded on a lanai of my family home on the Big Island of Hawai’i, inspired by the abundant flora there. I provide Tree variations from reclining (on a bed, couch, or floor), to seated, to standing on one foot or two to explore concepts of rooting, rising, growth, sustainment, dynamic strength, focus, and presence.

Tropical Tree Pose – Gentle Adaptive Vrksasana Yoga video on YouTube

Playlists to Inspire the Traveling Dancer

A digest of movement playlists for any place and state, dynamic with regular updates and new additions:

Snoozing in the Sensory Room at PDX Airport, grateful for quiet places to rest

Travel-Friendly Yoga Articles

You can find a whole library of my writings on mindful movement, dance, creativity and purposeful living here! Among those relevant to traveling dancers as well as dancers and travelers at heart:

One shape from the Tropical Tree Pose Yoga video on my Hawaiian lanai

Questions for Reflection

  • Which are your preferred yoga asana or movements for travel?
  • What movement challenges do you face when on the go?
  • What strategies help you adapt in new places and time zones?
  • How do you rest, recover, and generate energy?
  • Where will your next adventure take you?
  • What are your favorite places?

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

Take care of yourself, keep moving mindfully, and let me know how I can be of service!

Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
A Blythe Coach: ablythecoach.com @ablythecoach
helping multi-passionate creatives dance through difficulty 

DISCLAIMER: A Blythe Coach recommends that you consult your physician regarding the applicability of any recommendations and follow all safety instructions before beginning any exercise program. When participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself.

March into Spring & Outstanding Quarter 1 Things – 2025 Month 3 & Q1 Reflection

March brought me blossoming flowers, longer days, and more energy. The end of the month brought the opportunity to look back at the first quarter of 2025, a productive and celebratory time.

In this article I’ll wrap up the month of March and Quarter 1 as a whole as related to my own projects, life and events. What went on for you during this period and what’s planned?

Silhouette dancers in late afternoon Sun at Tanzschule Tanzraum, Cologne, Germany

March Memories

March had a gorgeous sense of early Spring in Cologne and I thrilled to that, as well as events such as:

  • Women’s History Month
  • International Women’s Day March 8th, for which I was a collaborator and engaged online to create visibility for the #accelerateaction theme
  • Lots of teaching, dancing in 4 locations, new grades in RAD Curriculum, new Elective Classes, special events, collaborations, and workshops in planning
  • Ramadan & Lent are important spiritual celebrations observed in Cologne and it can be a time of reflection and personal growth
  • Vernal Equinox: SPRING is my favorite time of year so this is one of my favorite annual milestones!
  • “Spring forward” to Central European Summer Time in Germany (“Fall back” October-March)
  • Doctor’s appointments: used my health insurance for needed care such as PT/sports massage, skin cancer screening, and a visit to the eye doctor (with cleaning and exam with a new dentist scheduled for April)

Because of its role in my creative process, journaling has become a part of my YouTube channel content along with dance, yoga, and joyful living. Here’s an update on what I’ve been up to in my notebooks and life in March 2025:

March 2025 BuJo Flip & Reflection video on YouTube

Bullet Journaling & Planning

The video above is a flip-through of the month in my Seasonal Book including goals, glows, media favorites, and events I recorded along the way.

I shared my initial monthly setup on Instagram here, inspired by Jashii Corrin’s March Under the Stars theme and my own celestial ephemera. Updated my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Logs, Annual Collections, and set up my April & May spreads over the course of the month to prepare for travel and adventure planned in those months (eee so exciting!).

Continued to savor writing my Morning Pages and notes with colorful inks in my fountain pens and savored the fresh 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 my “Feel Good” wellness course and Hip Hop elective continued, and

There is currently one coaching slot available in my weekly schedule, and in February I started planning upcoming offerings such as coaching sample sessions (message to schedule), workshops, and guest teaching in Portland, Oregon, Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i, and Cologne, Germany this Spring!

Striking a pose for the International Women’s Day 2025 #accelerateaction campaign

Writing & Publishing Articles

In March I published 4 articles to the blog here at ablythecoach.com, bringing my Quarter 1 total to 10. This is a great place to find out what I am up as well as other experts and creators who I recommend.

March’s new articles:

Dance-along Barre fun without instruction for students familiar with the movements

Filming & Sharing Videos

I (still) didn’t quite reach 1,000 subscribers to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel in March, but did continue to grow my audience and hope to attain this milestone this year.

Although I posted publicly to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel on Dec. 2, 2019, a Teaching Trailer video that a colleague in Cologne filmed and edited for me, I began publishing my self-created videos regularly with Mar. 10. 2020’s Ankle ABCs dance training tutorial. That means this March marked 5 years of videos, holy smokes! Still learning the art and craft of teaching and sharing movement through this medium, but I’ve improved, developed my voice and message, grown from creating and engaging with people in this way.

I published 4 videos to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel in March, bringing my Quarter 1 total to 13, on the topics of dance, creativity, and purposeful living:

Ballet Barre Mini 15 minute no-instruction dance=along video on YouTube
January 2025 Flip & Reflection – Creative Bullet Journal video on YouTube
Spring & Equinox Reflection video on YouTube
February 2025 Flip & Reflection – Monthly Creative Bullet Journal Review video on YouTube

My most popular video of Quarter 1 was How to Tie Your Ballet Slipper & Pointe Shoe Ribbons, look forward to more basic how-to as well as more advanced explorations coming up…

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 weekly email newsletter. It lights me up to see new subscribers there as well as responses to me missives.

I sent 4 Email Newsletters in March:

In addition, I posted 9 times to Instagram, bringing my Quarter 1 post count to 16.

Creative Challenges

In March one of my major projects was being a collaborator on International Women’s Day, which I shared about here on the blog, on Instagram, in my email newsletter and in live classes and sessions. Accelerate Action – Celebrate International Women’s Day with A Blythe Coach is the article I shared this year along with other visibility efforts.

Proud to have been an Eating Disorders Awareness week collaborator again this year

Quarter 1 Highlights

Quarter one saw post-election response to a new regime in the US, protest and an election in Germany, and much news from around the world. For me personally, I was fortunate to be able to be living out my Purpose and Mission here in Cologne and internationally.

Late winter into early spring was spent in the studio and working from my bed, scheming about artistic work here and further afield as the growth and harvest season comes.

Working, partying, adulting, dancing…Quarter 1 of 2025 was productive and action-packed:

  • Teaching, learning new grades of RAD syllabus, subbing. Though many students suffered from Spring colds (me too!), I started to feel the energy of warmer weather return. By popular demand, returned to teaching a beginner Hip Hop elective course, listened to new music and created choreography together with participants
  • Publishing articles, creating syllabi and workshops, improvisations and choreography, video filming and editing, sharing all over
  • 2024 Reflection & Completion process, planning 2025 especially Quarter 1
  • Eating Disorders Awareness Week collaborator for the 3rd year in a row
  • International Women’s Day collaborator
  • Koeln Karneval
  • Dates, Double Dates, Friends, Family, playing with our nephew
  • Political Protests – Vote Love!
  • Medical Check-Ups, Gyno, Physical, Eye Doctor, Physical Therapy, prevention
  • Returned to beginner Tango with Ela
  • First illness of the year in March, Hip issue but getting physical therapy to help
  • Fountain Pens & Inks sustained my writing practice for pleasure and profit
  • Enjoying all the early Spring Things, as my favorite time of year has begun
Twenty 25s in 2025 & Annual Book BuJo Collections Q1 Update video on YouTube

Twenty 25s in 2025

Having found such a structure useful in 2023 and 2024, for 2025 I reduced the number of categories counted to 20, and raised the actions by one for a catchy “Twenty 25s in 2025.”

This creative challenge is a playful way to track various leading metrics, projects and activities I wish to keep an eye on, and since some of the actions are daily, I reached 25 actions in the month of January (BuJo Spreads, Classes Taught, Daily Logs, Deutsch, Gratitude & Abundance, Yoga Practice Sessions, Meditation, Morning Pages), bringing my Quarter 1 total to 8/20 “25s.” Many weekly practices are also on-track for completion in Quarter 2, when I will be back with a progress report.

“Alaaf!” from Koeln Karneval, a premier high-kicking & flying Tanzcorps take stage

Media Musings

My March in reading, listening, and viewing pleasures:

Books & Reading

Books Read

Still reading along on my nonfiction picks (poetry, scripture, personal growth), and I completed four novels in March:

  • The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley fiction mystery series with an 11 year old protagonist
  • Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez is a modern fairytale, which like one of the characters says of their friends, didn’t quite please me “at first blush,” but grew to become my favorite read of the year so far, a spicy romantic delight
  • Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney curious about the 2022 TV series based on it
  • A Red Herring without Mustard by Alan Bradley started in March an American Library Association winner, about which they said: “Flavia de Luce, a terrifyingly proficient 11-year-old amateur chemist and sleuth, investigates the beating of a gypsy and the death of a villager in this third outing. Entwistle’s spot-on narration reveals the irrepressible, intrepid heroine’s prowess and captures a delicious range of secondary characters in these whimsical mysteries set in 1950s rural England.”
Articles Read

In Quarter 1 I encountered a couple of particularly insightful articles:

Listening Highlights

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

Music: Songs, Playlists & Albums
March Glows & Media spread in my Seasonal Bullet Journal

Monthly Viewing Highlights

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

Film

Favorite Movies watched in March:

  • “Wicked” Film: I saw the touring Broadway musical back in Honolulu, enjoyed the showstopping songs “Popular” and “Defying Gravity” and Arianna Grande’s dancing and portrayal of Glinda
  • “Babylon” Film: sexy un-family-friendly “Singing in the Rain” about the transition from silent films to talkies, a bit too long and expansive I found, but some great scenes
Series

Series streamed in March:

Questions for Reflection

  • What went on for you during March and Quarter 1 and and what’s planned for Quarter 2 and beyond?
  • What holidays and accomplishments are you celebrating?
  • What are you message is yours to give voice to?
  • What tender young plants are you nourishing which you hope will fruit in the coming months?
  • What are your favorite Spring treats?
February brought the first blooms of the year, above Crocuses in the sunshine

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

Real Criticism – Fraught to Fabulous, Fine to Fugly Feedback Examples

How to get and give the input you need to grow your dancing, choreography, and the art form? Coaching the mental game of art involves a critical look a the messages you take in, whether it be self-talk, teachers, mentors, audience members or critics and reviews.

Creative people of all stripes will encounter many pieces of input and feedback along the way, from helpful concepts, tips, and tricks, to detailed commentary on one’s creative product, to harsh and even mean criticism.

Fine Feedback Workshop

Recently I shared a new workshop called “Fine Feedback: How to Give & Receive Constructive Criticism & Promote Dance in the Process” with a group of talented dancers & choreographers at West Hawai’i Dance Theatre. Content included practicing a host of powerful tools for distinguishing fact, interpretation, empowering & disempowering input about our creative work.

During the workshop, I shared examples like the ones I read off index cards in this video, from fabulous to fraught, words of feedback I’ve heard and received in the context of dance technique, performance, choreography, and even publishing on YouTube:

Fine Feedback Examples – Real Life Critique & Input video on YouTube

Artists shared their own bits of criticism and came away with skills that will serve the rest of their creative lives. Excited to continue to offer these transformative distinctions and continue to improve through the participants’ input as well.

Real Feedback Examples

Some of the cards with feedback I have heard & received: which are empowering?

Real-Life Critique

Before the workshop, I also posted a Reel posting the question on Instagram: What’s the most and least empowering feedback YOU have received?

Sometimes that feedback is one and the same, as in the case of a friend who responded:

“I think it was both. Someone didn’t like the lyrics to a song I wrote, and was pretty adamant about what a terrible job I did, which left me feeling powerless, but then, I remembered I’m here to do my thing and other people’s opinions on that is none of my business, and therefore, I shouldn’t really care, and that made me feel empowered.”

Yes, an important key is to evaluate the source of the input and whether you wish to listen to their advice or judgement at all! We can develop skill at transmuting disempowering inputs into inspiration through practice.

Another key is to be goal-oriented and clear about your purpose, both in creating what you make and in providing feedback that helps others to do their thing.

Live Workshop flyer for WHDT & online April 30th

Advocating Growth

This workshop and the tools I continue to share in classes and sessions, equips dancers and choreographers with tools to distinguish constructive, empowering criticism, helping them dodge hate and instead appreciate and advocate for performing arts.

We practice describing and evaluating dance and artistic works in a way that supports creative growth, develops artistic voice, and draws audiences.

Rich words reflecting back our experiences of dance can help artists create their vision more effectively. We can also provide reviews which promote the art of dance and grow audiences.

Work with Coach Blythe

Collaborating with students and clients in-studio and online, I would love to connect on social media @ablythecoach also offer valuable free resources on the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel and weekly email newsletter.

For more information on my Dilemma to Delight signature coaching program and ongoing personal coaching offerings, visit Life Coaching at ablythecoach.com Please message directly about my dance, choreography, coaching, and creative living workshops.

Coach Blythe about to go into WHDT to host the Fine Feedback workshop, with Sunset

Questions for Reflection

  • How do you distinguish fact from interpretation and empowering from disempowering critique?
  • What is the most impactful feedback you have received?
  • How to evaluate input to determine whether and how to apply it to your dancing or creative work?
  • What is your commitment when it comes to creating and sharing work?
  • How might we offer criticism in a way that promotes the development of artists and the arts?
  • How can I help empower you to take your creative leap?

Resources for Exploration

Stay tuned for opportunities to participate in the Fine Feedback workshop at other locations, as well as further workshops and special events.

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

Love,

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

Fine Feedback Workshop – How to Give & Receive Constructive Criticism & Promote Dance in the Process

How to get and give the input you need to grow your dancing, choreography, and the art form?

I am pleased to announce a special dance criticism workshop taking place at:

West Hawai’i Dance Theatre in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i

& online on Zoom

Wednesday, April 30th

6:4–7:40pm

Register at whdt.org

Live Workshop April 30th at 6:40 HST at WHDT and online on Zoom, register whdt.org

Classy Critique

This workshop will equip dancers and choreographers with tools to distinguish constructive, empowering criticism, helping them dodge hate and instead appreciate and advocate for performing arts.

Practice describing and evaluating dance works in a way that supports creative growth, develops artistic voice, and draws audiences.

Dodging Hate

We need feedback from others to learn and improve as dancers and choreographers, but often we are told to have a “thick skin” and expect harsh judgement of our dances and dancing. Some of this input may be helpful, some destructive. Especially online, we may encounter trolls who do not have our best interests in mind.

The skills of seeking and providing input about dancers and dancing that builds skill and artistry rather than tearing them down are learnable!

Apply specific and productive comments, let disempowering words roll off like water from a duck’s back.

Advocating Dance

Our aim is to offer and get criticism that accurately and evocatively describes the performance and it’s impact on the audience. Frameworks such as The Field’s Fieldwork structure, Liz Lehrmann’s Critical Response Process, Coaching Tools, and the Feldman Model of Criticism can support our dancing and dancemaking.

Rich words reflecting back our experiences of dance can help artists create their vision more effectively. We can also provide reviews of dance works which promote the art of dance and grow audiences.

Reach the pinnacle of criticism (photo of Mount Hood from Portland, OR)

Workshop Structure

In this workshop, dancers will learn tools to solicit, evaluate, and provide high-quality critique, practice distinctions, and come away with supportive structures that can be applied to future dancemaking.

Fine Feedback Workshop with A Blythe Coach at WHDT April 30th 6:40pm

Workshop Host

The Fine Feedback workshop will be hosted by Blythe C. Stephens, MFA in Dance, Certified Coaching Graduate, YTT200, Bliss Catalyst & Creator of A Blythe Coach.

Hawai’i-raised and Cologne, Germany-based, Blythe collaborates with students and clients in-studio and online and would love to connect on social media @ablythecoach They also offer valuable free resources on the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel and weekly email newsletter.

Questions for Reflection

  • What is the most impactful feedback you have received?
  • How to evaluate input to determine whether and how to apply it to your dancing and/or choreography?
  • How might we offer criticism in a way that promotes the development of artists and the performing arts?

For those of you outside Hawai’i or unable to tune in online, stay tuned for opportunities to participate in other locations, as well as further workshops and special events.

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

Love,

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

Spring into Stories – Rough Draft Creative Writing Challenge 2025

Spring is here in this “real time” and place of Cologne, Germany in April, 2025 and it’s time for me to take on another creative writing challenge!

Also want to accomplish something artistic this month? There are a lot of ways to make the process fun with support and accountability from others, and here I’m sharing how I’ll be doing so this season (and how I keep my writing practices going on all year).

Writing Challenge Journey

Here’s the current state of my collected stories: I know I have a lot of hand-written tales (mostly true, some fictional) in my archived notebooks, and when I return to Cologne in May, I would like to do more “research” into my own notes and journals.

In the meantime I am so lucky as to have the opportunity to be traveling to the places of my birth (Portland, Oregon, where I also spent some years as an adult) and growing up (Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i) and will have the chance to reflect and talk story with family and dear friends and come up with new ideas for stories and rough drafts.

In recent years I’ve been working on my creative writing for personal and professional purposes, and the more I am able to practice, the better and more complete, more articulate it will become.

Pre-2019

Journaling, essay-writing, poems, the fanciful stories of childhood, the drama of my adolescence and early adulthood, academia, artistic creations were captured, more-or-less consistently in notebooks. My archives will serve to provide source material and inspiration along with dreams, philosophy and studies, and new inputs.

2019

In 2019 I wrote poetry and fiction, participating in my first and only National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo in November. I went on to write about that experience on the blog in 2023, when introducing that year’s challenge.

2020

In August of 2020 I sent my first weekly Email Newsletter and September I started posting articles (14 in the first year) to the blog here at ablythecoach.com. Those creations, as well as podcasting and sharing videos on YouTube became my focus that year.

2021

In 2021 I embarked on a daily haiku-writing challenge and focused for the year on poetry along with the projects I started the previous year (45 blog articles) and dancing, of course!

2022

This year included a lot of Bullet Journaling, consistent Email Newsletters, and publishing 28 articles to the blog.

2023

In July of 2023, I participated in Camp NaNoWriMo, which the objective of working on true, Memoir-type stories that illuminate my lessons and teaching, the beauty of the human experience.

For this, I wrote 5 short stories (2,602 words), came up with 38 ideas of stories I’d like to work on from life, and published 2 of that year’s 14 articles, “Let’s Write! Camp NaNoWriMo & Creative Structure” and “Writing True Stories to Reflect & Connect.” Journaling and Email Newsletters were also going strong.

2023 Camp NaNo Bullet Journal spread: goals, tracking, motivation and celebration
2024

In 2024 I participated in Camp NaNo again in July, writing 1 story (1,188 words) and that year I also published 30 articles and regular weekly emails.

Camp NaNo 2024 Goals: Acorns, Drafts, Collecting Stories, Ideas, Tools

2025 Goals

This month’s writing challenge is connected to my larger artistic goals for the year as well, which I wrote about in the Twenty 25s in 2025 article.

In fact, targets #2-7 are all writing-related: Blog Articles about dance, mindful movement, creativity, lifelong learning, coaching, and joyful living, Email Newsletters sharing my latest creations and offerings and valuable resources from other creators, Poems, Letters, Daily Logs, and Morning Pages being key to all of my creative and connective processes.

April 2025 Writing Targets

Unfortunately, this year I hesitate to participate officially in National Novel Writing Month, Camp NaNoWriMo in April, July, or otherwise, due to grave issues that nonprofit organization has had. YouTube is full of videos from authors about why they are no longer affiliated or participating in NaNo, such as Jenna the Soul Writer who posted this video recently, “Yet Writers Keep on Writing Onward (No Mo NaNoWriMo),” citing Sarra Cannon among others.

It is unfortunate that NaNoWriMo no longer seems to be a good option, since so many writers have gotten their start with such programs and types of support. But thankfully, there are still such structures and communities available, a couple of which share below under Writing Tools.

As with previous writing challenges, I intend to use the month of inspiration and accountability as an opportunity to both study and practice storytelling technique.

Here are my goals for April, developing habits that will continue to enrich my creative practice and life:

  • Daily Story Ideas or “Acorns” (30), collect them in the spreadsheet I created last year
  • Weekly Short Story Rough Drafts (4), amounting to over 2,025 Words
  • Share about it on the Blog & Social Media @ablythecoach

Writing Tools

While brainstorming and writing my own creative true stories last July, I recorded this video about storytelling tools & resources that might support you in writing your own stories:

Writing, Memoir & Storytelling Tools video on YouTube

Books

Go old school and get inspiration from one or more of the many books on writing, such as:

  • No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty
  • Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
  • Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks
  • Writing the Life Poetic by Sage Cohen
April buds on the trees with a dramatic sky in Cologne, popping like story ideas

Community Writing Challenges

Being in community with other writers, whether sharing drafts, participating in writing sprints or concentrated challenges and other collaboration can be what makes the difference between aspiring and doing the thing!

I’ve personally found signing up for free challenges that take place over a week or a month’s time and build a creative network to be incredibly valuable, so I’ll keep joining in when I can, this month and possibly again this year and in the future.

Heart Breathings Rough Draft Challenge

Sarra Cannon’s Heart Breathings Rough Draft Challenge in April, for which you can set your own writing goal along with the Heart Breathings community is one alternative to NaNoWriMo or Camp NaNo/Memoir, with a simple tracking website which participants may use to record goals and share progress on projects.

there are various tiers based on desired word count, and I’m opting in for “Diamond” or choose-your-own challenge (can be words, hours, minutes, etc.).

Rough Draft Month

While looking into the Rough Draft Challenge above, I also stumbled into Rough Draft Month, who seem to have a very nice website, and state: “Rough Draft is a 30-Day Creative Challenge That Fits Your Unique Project. Join Us for the Next #RDMO in June, 2025.” Perhaps I will, though typically July works a bit better due to Summer holidays…

Magnolia petals falling in a garden in Cologne, blooming like ideas this season

Questions for Reflection

  • How do you collect your stories, personal or fictional?
  • Which of your stories will you tell first?
  • In what format and to what audience (if any) do you wish to share your creation?
  • Will you join me in writing a story, poem, or other draft this month?
  • What resources of support do you have access to?
  • How can I help you take this creative leap?

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

February was for Demonstrating & Dancing, Love, Karneval & Eating Disorders Awareness – 2025 Month 2 Reflection

February was for protest & partying, demonstrating & dancing, love, Eating Disorders Awareness Week & Koeln Karneval!

The first blossoms emerged from the earth, filling me with excitement to flower forth with you this season.

“Alaaf!” from Koeln Karneval, a premier high-kicking & flying Tanzcorps take stage

Festive February

Winter has been turning into Spring here in Germany, we celebrated several friend and family birthdays last month as well as, Karneval and Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

Because of its role in my creative process, journaling has become a part of my YouTube channel content along with dance, yoga, and joyful living. Here’s an update on what I’ve been up to in my notebooks and life in February 2025:

February 2025 Flip & Reflection video on YouTube

Bullet Journaling & Planning

The video above is a flip-through of the month in my Seasonal Book including goals, glows, media favorites, and events I recorded along the way.

I shared my initial February setup on Instagram here, updated my Monthly, Weekly, and Daily Logs, Annual Collections, and set up my March spreads (will share my Celestial March spread inspired by @jashiicorrin soon) over the course of the month.

Wrote my Morning Pages and notes with new inks in my fountain pens and savored the fresh colors of the changing season in nature and culture.

Made exciting plans for future events such as International Women’s Day March 8th, travels and special workshops for Spring in April and beyond.

Teaching & Coaching

Regular Mindful Movement classes in Balletlicious Ballet Barre+ and Yummy Gentle Yoga, studio classes in Ballet, and my “Feel Good” wellness elective continued, and though many students suffered from Spring colds (me too!), I started to feel the energy of warmer weather return. By popular demand, am returning to teaching a beginner Hip Hop elective course as well, which is a different sort of challenge but fun to hear new music and create choreography together.

There is currently one coaching slot available in my weekly schedule, and in February I started planning upcoming offerings such as coaching sample sessions (message to schedule), workshops, and guest teaching in Portland, Oregon, Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i, and Cologne, Germany this Spring!

Writing & Publishing Articles

In February I published 4 articles to the blog here at ablythecoach.com, and it is a great place to find out what I am up as well as other experts and creators who I recommend.

February’s new articles:

Bullet Journal, Ditty Bag Fountain Pen Case, Pen Case, Elster the LAMY AL Star

Filming & Sharing Videos

I didn’t quite reach 1,000 subscribers to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel in February, but got a bit nearer and hope to attain this milestone early in 2025.

The practice of sharing my work, my favorite things, and refining my voice through sharing videos is personally valuable to me, as well as an opportunity to engage with likeminded community online and in-person.

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

FLOAT! 2025 Word of the Year video
Peek in my Pen Case Ditty Bag video
Writing Memoir & Storytelling Tools video
International Women’s Day 2025 Statement video, in preparation for 8th of March

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 weekly email newsletter. It lights me up to see new subscribers there as well as responses to me missives.

I sent 4 Email Newsletters in February:

In addition, I posted 4 times to Instagram, may have still been a little burnt out on that after sharing every single day for #dancedailydecember and wary about too much time on social media with the political drama unfolding. However, it is always my honor to be connected to you there, here, online and in-person!

Creative Challenges

In February I completed several projects, including my 2024 Reflection & Completion process, planning 2025 especially Quarter 1, and serving as an Eating Disorders Awareness Week collaborator for the 3rd year in a row.

This in addition to writing in my journals, playing with my fountain pens & inks, publishing articles, creating syllabi, improvisations and choreography, video filming and editing.

Proud to have been an Eating Disorders Awareness week collaborator again this year

Valentine’s Love

Happy Valentine’s Day to those who celebrate! I do enjoy romantic love and have a marvelous partner myself, regardless of dating or relationship status, sexual desire or orientation, encourage a Self-Love month: I am the only one I know will be with me my whole life long and I like time with myself!  💝

Though we don’t exchange presents on Valentine’s Day, Ela and I do give each other gifts at other times, such as the Pen Case/Ditty Bag Ela she made to hold my growing fountain pen collection. It is beautifully designed and crafted (bespoke!) and also upcycled from a Levi’s shirt arm and leather scraps, so I feel good about protecting the environment in a small way while protecting my pens.

Eating Disorders Awareness Week Collaborator

Speaking of self-love, our relationships with body, food, and eating are an important part of this acceptance and care. Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW), an annual campaign to educate the public about the realities of eating disorders and to provide hope and visibility to individuals and loved ones impacted.

In February I shared about Eating Disorders Awareness Week in my classes and on social media, and I published a new article with resources I’ve found helpful on the topic: Building a Healthy Relationship with Body & Food – Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2025.

Eating disorders continue to be the most fatal of mental health conditions, especially for young people, so it is important to keep providing education and treatment.

Twenty 25s in 2025

Having found such a structure useful in 2023 and 2024, for 2025 I reduced the number of categories counted to 20, and raised the actions by one for a catchy “Twenty 25s in 2025.”

In February, I took actions and tracked them, and posted about my Twenty 25s to the blog.

This creative challenge is a playful way to track various leading metrics, projects and activities I wish to keep an eye on, and since some of the actions are daily, I reached 25 actions in the month of January (Daily Logs, Yoga Practice Sessions, Meditation, Deutsch, Gratitude & Abundance) and I will provide another update in my March & Quarter 1 Reflection.

We took random dates, not just Valentine’s day, such as to 5 Guys & the bookstore

Media Musings

My February in reading, listening, and viewing pleasures:

Art & Culture

February’s Cultural highlights included much Koeln Karneval celebration: Karneval Tanzcorps / Dance Corps in action at closed shows and coming up soon in the parades all around town are always a treat! An amazingly acrobatic mix of gymnastic lifts, can can kicks, and precisely synchronized movement with a tongue-in-cheek Cologne flavor.

We also got out for Weiberfastnacht, the Thursday traditionally reserved for the ladies in the community to get out and party, an alternative masked ball, and viewed the big Rosenmontag Parade on television (satire, political commentary, music, and just plain fun and it was miraculously sunny this year!). When the time came for our neighborhood’s parade, I had unfortunately fallen sick, but luckily I could send Ela and friends to represent and collect a candy stash.

Books & Reading

Books Read

Still reading along on my nonfiction picks (poetry, scripture, personal growth), and I completed one novel in February:

  • Finished ​The Wishing Game​ by Meg Schaffer, liked the story and characters, but did not enjoy the writing style personally
Articles Read
  • “Do Not Obey In Advance: A Moral Crisis in Arts Funding” by grant-writer, Whitman College classmate and friend Claire Willett relays horrifying news, but also contains informative links and actionable steps to take, especially relevant to the arts and nonprofit funding
  • “What do we do now?” article on Substack by Katy Pyle, Ballez creator, choreographer & dancer

Listening Highlights

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

Music: Songs, Playlists & Albums
  • My updated Balletlicious Barre+ Dance Playlist on YouTube continued to inspire movement classes
  • “Romeo & Juliet” Ballet “Dance of the Knights” music made for expressive and powerful movement accompaniment
  • I want to create an updated playlist of favorite Koeln Karneval Songs on YouTube and it will be based on this one I made on Spotify previously. Lines such as “Die Liebe und das Leben und die Freiheit und der Dom…” (“Love and life and freedom and the cathedral”), “alles nicht so schlimm, wenn wir zusammen sind” (“everything is not so bad when we are together”), “Solange wir noch am Leben sind…tanzen wir” (“as long as we are still alive…we dance”) speak to my heart
Podcasts

“10 Steps to Unshakeable Confidence” from the Good Life Project podcast is full of goodness and I’ll likely cite it in a future blog…

Glows & Media spread in my February Bullet Journal

Viewing Highlights

Film

Favorite Movies watched in February:

  • “American Fiction” Film was thought-provoking, in which “A novelist who’s fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.”
Series

Series streamed in February:

  • “Hacks” Comedy-Drama series “Explores a dark mentorship that forms between Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comedian, and an entitled, outcast 25-year-old” and I found it funny, fresh, and incisive
  • “Ghosts” new comedy series was the good laugh we needed to get us through, I especially delighted in the banter between time periods
  • “Clean Slate” directed by and starring Laverne Cox is styled like a cute classic sitcom, but handles themes relevant today
  • “American Murderer: Gabby Petito” series is a chilling true crime, sad and recent with so much footage from the victim herself, poor Gabby only ever got to post one video on her YouTube channel
YouTube Videos

Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Half-Time Show was a rocking good time and a powerful political statement about “the wrong guy.”

Questions for Reflection

  • What February/last month’s memories do you want to hold on to?
  • What are you celebrating?
  • What are you protesting?
  • What seeds are you planting which you hope will bloom in the coming months?
  • What are your favorite Spring treats?
February brought the first blooms of the year, above Crocuses in the sunshine

Resources for Further Exploration

My other 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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