Gratitude

November is the month everyone in the US talks about being grateful.

I’m guilty of this. I make my November monthly theme some variation of gratitude every year. I think it’s important for us to be grateful, but do we need to constantly post about how grateful we are all November? This year it really feels like we all need to be grateful for what we have.

But should we push it out to social media?

Many people have lost loved ones this year. Many of us cannot see our friends and family for the upcoming holidays. Should we take a break from all the gratitude posts for those that may struggle right now? For myself, I’m going to step back from the gratitude posts. I know it’s my monthly theme, but I’m sure there’s a creative way to show gratitude without being up in everyone’s business.

What does this have to do with art, creativity, or inspiration?

On the surface, not much. But I think we can combine our practices of both gratitude and art. We can show how we feel through our writing, photography, or whichever way we want to immerse and express ourselves.

I plan to focus this month on journaling. I’ve tried in the past to get a journaling/gratitude habit started, but always forget to do it. So this month, I’m marking my calendar with an appointment to journal. Each day I’ll focus on one thing and write for a few minutes.

I will also use this time to think about my business and my photography. How can I improve my skills, my vision, and my voice? I think writing a little each night will help me dig deeper in those areas.

Other than this post, I will keep my journal and what I’m thankful for to myself. I completely understand why some people may have difficulty feeling 100% grateful 100% of the time this year. Or any other year. This year has been especially tough for many reasons. I don’t want to inadvertently make someone feel bad with trying to show how exceptional I am because I voice how grateful I am to the world. I mean, are we really that grateful if we boast about it all over social media?

We don’t have to share everything on social media.

And maybe it’s time we share less. Maybe we spend less time online and more time with those we love (safely). What if for the rest of the year when we mindlessly scroll, we log out and journal instead? Or whatever thing you wish you had more time for. Let’s make time for it.

Will you join me in making more of an effort to do the things we love instead of mindlessly scrolling online?