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HE(ART)WORK: Intentional Journal Designing + Yoga Blog Post

To start the year of 2026 on a high note, I created and hosted an event entitled HE(ART)WORK: Intentional Journal Designing + Yoga.


I was intentional about having the event on 1/11/2026. This date is considered to be a “portal day”; a day of amplified energy & manifestation. For those that are into numerology and angel numbers [1/11/2026(2+2+6=10=1)], this day (and this year) represents a day of intention setting, wish-making, and new beginnings.


For the event, which was hosted at Kennedy’s Circle of Wellness (a black-woman owned mental health center that you can learn more about here www.KennedysWellness.com) I provided high-quality journals, plenty of unique art materials, & snacks. I served as a guide, not an authority, for group discussion. For the yoga portion, mats & props were provided. Soft lighting was set. Calming music was played. Space was made for breakthrough, release, & rest.


I shared a few thoughts at the start of the event. After sharing, someone in attendance asked if what I shared would be available to read anywhere. This prompted me to commit to making this blog post, which is something I have been wanting to do more going forward in efforts to properly document my journey & the work/magic/sacred moments I experience in doing this work. (Thank you Tina)


Here is some of what I shared at the start of the event + reflections/thoughts inspired by the conversations that took place during our gathering.



The Name


  • Art in the title HE(ART)WORK is emphasized because we are using the healing and creative arts as a tool for reflection, transformation, and restoration.



  • The things we are carrying in our hearts have the power to either block or elevate/expand our dreams, desires, and goals. Connecting with our heart space and emotions is so important! We have been told so many mistruths about emotions. That they make us weak, that crying is a sign of weakness, that they are in opposition to logic… all of those, again, are mistruths. Emotion is energy in motion… Emotion is information. Processing our emotions, sitting with them, & releasing them a s needed allows for clarity, insight, & growth to emerge.


Hard work vs HeARTwork


People often misinterpret what manifestation is.

We see quotes like “you can’t just manifest it, you have to put in the work.”


Manifestation IS the work.


It’s intentional action toward the actualization of something.


The work is not always physically and mentally laborious work. Because of capitalism, which was birthed on plantations, we tend to associate work with the exhausting of our minds and bodies. However, sometimes the work is quiet.


Sometimes it’s writing things down - an act of bringing thought into the material word.


Sometimes it’s using our voice to amplify our desire. This can be done through prayer, affirmation, mantra, song.


Sometimes it’s movement - intentional movement. Dancing, exercising, engaging in a task/practice… science proves what our ancestors always knew about movement and the arts; which is that both are therapeutic. On mental, physical, emotional, cellular, ancestral, and inter generational levels. Both aid us in the release of trauma and stagnant energy that can affect our motivation, drive, mood and willpower; all things required to reach our goals.


Sometimes the work is REST.


Yes, the WORK is REST.


Rest is productive.

Rest is when mental and bodily repair initiates.

Rest is when we receive downloads from the spirit realm, from God, from our ancestors. WORK gets done when we REST.


“Be still and know” psalms 46:10… Manifesting calls us to slow down, pay attention to the signs and to alignment (people, places, animals, words, numbers, etc.). There are times when we pray about things and think we haven’t gotten an answer. Whole time the answers are showing up around us; Are we paying attention? Are we present & aware enough to see the answers being revealed? God speaks in many ways. We must remember that listening in many ways, not just with our ears… beyond only what is spoken… is important.


During our gathering I shared a personal example, one of many, of our ability to manifest miracles; even, maybe especially, when we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. I don’t have the energy to write in detail about this specific example just yet, however I will share that after choosing to leave an unhealthy relationship, I found myself 7 months pregnant with a 3 year old and scrambling to find housing. I knew when I left that the path I was choosing would not be an easy one, but that it was the best decision for the wellbeing of myself and my children. I allowed that knowing to be my strength.


I used my tools: praying, journaling (in detail when it came to the living space I wanted), opening up my mouth & asking for help. Still choosing to embrace moments of joy… peace… ease… & fun when/where I found them. Feeling all my feels. Putting in the work… in all ways. I felt in my heart and soul that a safe and stable living space would be provided for my babies & I, and I stood on it.


After several places falling through, I signed the lease for my place 2 days before going into labor & giving birth to my daughter. I was also able to juggle my coursework in the midst of everything & completed 3 courses toward my degree (Art Therapy, LPC).


This is just one example of so many that emphasize the power of using all of your tools to manifest what you need & want. I believe in these things not because I read about them in a book, but because of my lived experiences.



Here are some of my takeaways from the intimate, reflective, and vulnerable group conversation we had during HeARTwork:


  • Ask for exactly what you want. Write it down. Speak it out loud. Be specific!!! Be “unrealistic”. Name exactly what you need and what you want. Make sure your heart is in the right place. Know that you deserve it & that it’s already yours. Your ancestors will assist. The most high will deliver. (Thank you Diana).


  • Grief… we talked a lot about grief. It looks different for everyone. One thing we agreed on was that the phrase “time heals all wounds” is untrue. It takes care & intentional healing work for those wounds to properly heal. & when it comes to grief, it never truly “goes away”. Learning how to “swim through” the grief vs. drowning in it is a helpful metaphor for me. Also, we don’t only experience grief when a loved one passes on. Grief can arise from losing a job you loved, transitioning into a new lifestyle, or losing a friendship/relationship that meant a lot to you. Space should be held for that kind of grief, too. (Thank you Andrea)


  • We can honor our loved ones in many ways; doing the things they loved, doing the things that we love (because they want to see us happy), resting, crying, remembering them & talking about them… all of it keeps their spirit alive and present. (Thank you Dolores).


  • Crying… it’s ok. It’s more than ok. It’s healthy. Let it out. It doesn’t make you weak, it makes you human. 


  • There are so many different ways to journal. Gratitude journaling. Joy journaling. Write and burns. (Thank you Heidi & Heather). Journaling doesn’t have to look like paragraphs, structured sentences or even words. It could be a mix of words and images. It could be poetry. It could be creating a cookbook to pass down to your children (Thank you Whitney). Don’t box yourself in; just pick up that pen!


  • “Do it by yourself. Do it for yourself.” (Thank you Lena). Don’t be afraid to do that thing you’ve been wanting to do, by yourself if you have to. You are being called to do that thing for a reason! You will thank yourself for it later.


  • Stand on conviction. Conviction being what God/your intuition told YOU. This is hard to do when what you were told WILL happen is hard for those around you to believe or see. You have to guard that conviction and stand on that thang and refuse to be moved. Move like you know it’s going to happen. Your belief + action toward it bring it closer and closer into your reality.


  • Expressions of joy, gratitude, and love - even in the midst of the hard times - are so powerful. So is expressing the anger, hurt, and sadness. Giving those heavy feelings somewhere else to live, instead of suppressing them in our minds/bodies, is a healthy and helpful practice. This is why journaling, artwork, etc is such a therapeutic tool. Feel all of what you need to feel, but don’t drown in those sad feelings. Swim through them. Make space for all the happy feelings, too. Know that you deserve and are allowed to feel it all.


  • REST. (Thank you Kadijia).



Thank you to everyone who showed up, engaged, & shared. Your support & presence was/is so appreciated.


Thank you to my mama Tifene for driving an hour and a half to surprise me & support me! Thank you to my big sis Kalandria for watching my babies for me at the last minute. Y’all stay having my back & I’m so grateful for yall!











 
 
 

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