I bet your plate is full right now (don’t worry I’ll make this quick!). The fall semester is coming to a close; the holidays are around the corner; company is coming to town; there are deadlines and presents to buy and food to cook; and of course you’re probably dealing with a weighty head cold about now. It can all be so overwhelming!

In fast paced times like these it’s easy to take the good stuff in our lives for granted and focus instead on what’s going wrong or how much there is left on our to-do list. But I assure you, there is always time to cultivate a spirit of gratitude.

If you’ve been reading the blog lately you may have noticed a motif of gratitude sewn into the lining of several of my posts. It is because I am a firm believer in the practice of gratitude, not just during November or when things are looking up, but all year-round. I can't tell you what a wonderful impact documenting my gratitude has had on my life. 

Don’t just take my word for it (or the multiple studies that show practicing gratitude can have a positive impact on your physical, psychological, and social well-being), try it out for yourself. Just a few minutes a day dedicated to giving thanks can mean big changes for you.

There are many different ways to fit a gratitude practice into your life, but the best way is the one that works for you. For me, that usually involves a simple notebook and pen that I keep by my bedside. Today, however, I was inspired by Tangie’s latest batch of amazing collage sheets and decided to document some highlights of my November gratitude list.

The collage sheets did most of the work for me; I just added a little sparkle, a pinch of love, and some journaling and: BAM. Gratitude documented. The process made me so happy that I’m considering making it a recurring theme in my art journal.

What’s your plan for documenting the amazing things in your life this November? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Supplies: Tangie Baxter's Sweet Harmony & November’s Collage Workshop currently part of The Art Journal Emporium, available at TB&CO in December.

 [posted by Karli-Marie]