Music is integral for dancers and choreographers as well as artists in other media. We are bombarded with new works, need find ways to listen to and record our impressions of musical works, to sift through these influences and access what moves and inspires us.
I don’t need all-new supplies each season, but do find Autumn to be an excellent time to look around my life, do an audit, repair, maintain, and re-supply as needed. For me, this is mostly writing, arts & crafts supplies, and dance gear, but also vehicles and other key support structures that keep my life running in the very full days of the harvest season through Winter into a New Year.
This is a peek way behind-the-scenes of my daily rituals, tried-and-true personal care and cosmetic favorites which I’ve chosen to be basic, minimal, and sustainable in my current lifestyle and in relation to environmental impact.
This record provides an amusing reference for my future self and perhaps of interest to other nosy/curious creatives who like to move through the world relatively lightly and well-equipped.
Reflective writing has become an integral part of my personal creative practice and I encourage students and clients to create their own simple process of capturing ideas, insights, and information so they can live extraordinary lives.
There’s no right way to archive your creative process, just what works for you. If you’re just getting started, keep it simple and try establishing the habit of capturing your intentions and thoughts in short bursts at the start and end of class, sessions, or days.
Consider using my prompts as impulses or others that resonate with you.
This is a flip-through of my Annual Collections Book for 2026 so far, including my Twenty 26s in 2026 projects, creative challenges planned, notes and memories along the way.
Loosely 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. I focus on actions I can take, then see what results occur. Then I reflect, recommit or change direction, and carry on creating!
The trending term the kids use online is a “Journal Ecosystem” this cute name 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.
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 all current projects find a home in my system.
Often espousing the benefits of handwritten note-taking, in this article and video 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.
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?.
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, I’m back for more 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. I focus on actions I can take, then see what results occur. Then I reflect, recommit or change direction, and carry on creating!
This is for my true Pen Friends, people who are nerdy about their writing tools and creative gear, and for my future self as I reflect on my journey, from the grand themes to the minute moments of beauty like those when pen meets paper.
