On the painty table: Tiny handmade book

A container for softness and some gentle encouragement

Over the past few days, I’ve been happily playing with paints, stencils, and a bit of collage, creating master sheets that I’ve cut down into the beginnings of a tiny handmade journal. {You can see a few of the pages in the short video below.}

My plan is simple: I’m going to fill this little book with notes of kindness and encouragement. Gathering them in a small, tactile handmade journal feels far more meaningful than having them scattered on pieces of paper or buried in my Notes app, never to be found!

I can hold a book in my hands, flip through its pages whenever I need gentleness or comfort, or on days when I simply need a reminder of softness.

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I imagine this little journal becoming a beacon of comfort, not just for me, but perhaps for others, too. I can see myself sharing it with friends, passing it from hand to hand, watching as they pause on a page that holds the exact message they need in that particular moment.

I can picture creating a flip-through video to share online, too, so others can come to its pages when they need a little boost.

I imagine this book as a thread of kindness, woven first for myself, then passed along, touching whoever might need it, whenever they need it.

Of course, when putting anything online, algorithms come into play, determining who sees what and when. But I choose to trust that those who are meant to find this small little book of kindnesses will stumble upon it somehow.

What I know for certain is this: finding a note of kindness…of gentleness…of softness…can feel like a healing balm. And that is something I want not just for myself, but for all those I hold dear…including you, my dear reader.

This is a slow, long-term project. With about 80-odd pages to fill, each note will need to be drafted, stamped or handwritten, cut out, and glued onto the pages. It will take as long as it takes to complete this book. And when it’s ready, it will spread its gentleness into the world…in its own time…in its own way.

Before you go…would you share a note of encouragement or kindness in the comments? Let’s share some gentleness with each other. <3

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