The Journal

Breaking Free from the Invisible Tether
I thought taking a week off social media would be difficult. Instead, after just one day, I discovered something I hadn't realized I'd been missing. This isn't an article about quitting technology—it's about reclaiming attention, rediscovering simplicity, and remembering what life felt like before every spare moment belonged to a screen. Whether you join the experiment or not, you may start looking at your phone a little differently. Read more...
The (unexpected) Gift of a Wasted Day
Imagine waking up early to drive to a place over an hour away. Once there, you're greeted with stark walls, grey furniture, and the smell of exhaust. You're told it will be at least four more hours before you can leave. You grab a seat on a hard plastic stool—the only one near an outlet. You'll need it to charge your phone and plug in your computer. It's the perfect opportunity to binge-watch that series of videos you've been meaning to catch up on. The problem is the Wi-Fi cuts... Read more...
Permission to Play - Julie Jeanne Art
Permission to Play
Some of my earliest memories were dancing in the driveway with my neighbour-bestie. We would play Michael Jackson's Thriller album over and over while carefully choreographing dance moves for a... Read more...
Table for one - Julie Jeanne Art
Table for one
In Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way, she discusses the importance of going on an Artist's Date once a week. It could be a country drive, a visit to a park,... Read more...
Reality vs Expectations - Julie Jeanne Art
Reality vs Expectations
We've all heard the story about the man, or woman, who goes out on a first date with someone they met online. The person doesn't look anything like their photos.... Read more...
Reflecting - What does "wealthy" mean to you?
It fascinates me how people automatically measure the word "wealth" in monetary terms. Having had careers that paid a respectable income many could say that I was "wealthy." But was I? My sleep and eating schedules were all over the place. Time spent with my son and friends was sporatic at best. I worked more holidays than I care to count. Sure, I had regular income and a relatively stable job but was I wealthy? I would argue that I wasn't - not at all. Wealth to me is about... Read more...
Yay for today!
Like with everything in life we have good and bad. Like you, there have been days where I feel less than motivated for whatever reason. It's the spring and I asked myself "self, why do we only spring clean our homes, why not our minds and our bodies." So I sought out to eat healthier, meditate and move more. A week ago, I made the decision that I was going to challenge myself; no processed or fried foods, no refined carbs, very little dairy (if any), no refined/processed sugars, no... Read more...
Outthinking the Ordinary - Julie Jeanne Art
Outthinking the Ordinary
186 days of running at least 35 minutes. A year of no alcohol. Two months (or more) of no caffeine. Daily cold plunges in a freezing lake or shower for... Read more...
Dreams for hire?
Something I've noticed since this healthy eating no-sugar diet is how incredibly vivid and memorable my dreams have been. The only other time I had such vivid dreams was when I was pregnant. Not only are they wildly colourful, they are incredibly thought-provoking. Whether they have actual meaning is to be determined. Recently, I've been having some of the most wildest dreams. Occasionally, they're about companies wanting to recruit me for work. Anything from consultant work, to finance, to my previous job in customer relationship management. "It's an offer you... Read more...
AI = Aggravating Irritation
Many years ago I had a small home based business selling handmade jewellery. I worked it alongside my corporate gig. It was a passion project because I love to create. I ran a Shopify store and sold affortable and unique pieces throughout the United States and Canada primarily. It was fun. I set up the website myself using Shopify and it was very straight forward. I got better at taking photos, writing descriptions and overall making the customer experience a pleasing, effortless joy. I wanted to make it easy for... Read more...
Blue Donkeys and Dancing Skunks
Have I told you how awesome being a professional artist is? In a world full of fear, scarcity and uncertainty one thing is certain - I can create anything, anytime I want. That, in and of itself is so liberating. Like a child, my imagination can take me to magical places of awe and wonder, where the clouds move in rainbow patterns and the animals wear sunglasses just to be cool. I love that I can share this world with my community. Occasionally, when I paint, I think of the... Read more...
Bubbles, wonder and why I refuse to grow up - Julie Jeanne Art
Bubbles, wonder and why I refuse to grow up
One thing I like about myself (yes, it's okay to say that and start with a positive!) is that I've managed to keep a bit of my childlike wonder into... Read more...