[updated September 2024]
★ I don’t even know what to ask … I have no idea where to begin [with right brain planning].
★ What do the moon’s phases have to do with right brain planning?
★ Why are you posting less to Instagram?
★ Why would you recommend right brain planning?
I don’t even know what to ask … I have no idea where to begin [with right brain planning].
Braveheart, this is the most common question I receive. ♥
There is not a step-by-step process — but I can recommend you begin by joining me in community via my Ko-fi account. Because as a monthly supporter, you will receive downloads with content + art, and templates to use during each lunar cycle.
- These resources may be used together — or one at a time.
- The resources I offer are simply starting points:
- Use the monthly download prompts and art to create a weekly page, or cut and paste the elements you prefer to incorporate into your journal-planner, or create your own deck of oracle cards and/or lunar prompts (for pondering, journaling, sky meditations, etc.)
- The lunar cycle download (shared on or around the new moon phase) will help you track the lunar phases + you can experiment with various right brain planning basics using the dated calendar and templates included in these downloads.
What do the moon’s phases have to do with right brain planning?
There is both a short and long answer to this question:
- Basically, it is tracking your living according to lunar cycles instead of being limited to calendar weeks and months.
The moon’s phases offer cyclical and natural guidance away from hyper-focusing on any one “phase” of our living — and a reminder that everything cycles from what is unseen (unknown) to what is seen (known).
- For example, the new moon phase is my “beginning” [a Day One] as I cycle + set aside time for reflection and meditation within the lunar cycle for each subsequent phase (waxing crescent, first quarter phase and full moon; third quarter phase and waning crescent phase).
For over three decades, the moon’s phases have served as my calendar. This evolved into the creation of a mixed media, visual art journal-planner (Right Brain Planner®) which features the moon’s cycle as a rhythmic way to mark time during the calendar year.
This has empowered me to practice giving myself permission to honor my own phases within the details of my work, study and discovery.
- My practice defies a routine — while also being a routine that includes specific elements; reflective of doing whatever works for me (even as that varies wildly at times):
- Allowing lunar phases and seasonal changes to serve as reminders of my own natural rhythms.
- Incorporating a creative sequence to chronicle my story + identify and prioritize what matters most to me.
Why are you posting less to Instagram?
After realizing how much time, energy and attention I was giving to Instagram, I have made continuous adaptations that greatly enhanced my experience (and attention span).
NOTE: Although I continue to post to my main Instagram account — I mainly post to the private communities I host on Instagram (and Ko-fi).
- I host two private Instagram accounts exclusively for the members of the support communities I host. This is where I share and discuss my right brain planning practice (according to the cyclical themes for the different communities).
- Having a limited number of people I follow ensures meaningful interactions and private conversations. (And, I actually see everyone’s posts!) ☺️
- This also fosters connection as I am able to see what community members are sharing, and share themed posts — without the need to overcome the barriers of algorithms.
- I spend time on Instagram to connect with friends and see what they are sharing — and to learn about new ideas and techniques from a wide variety of artists and writers I admire and enjoy. 💖
There is a tremendous time and energy commitment required to compose posts and answer questions — along with the time and energy required to ensure posts are actually viewed amidst millions of other accounts. 🙃
- Being seen requires being active (posting and commenting) on Instagram every single day — if you want to keep up with the algorithms and ensure your posts are actually seen by your followers.
- Instagram has a distraction-driven work model that takes away time, energy and focus from purposeful work (and play) — and it is not conducive to Deep Work.
- Cal Newport describes Deep Work as: “Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.”
Then there is the slippery slope of comparison 🙃 and the reality that even when we attempt to be mindful of our time and attention regarding to social media — these platforms are literally designed to be addictive (and distracting).
- Within parameters (the correct settings, and using a timer, as needed) Instagram is one of my go-to spaces for inspiration and connection.
UPSIDE of Instagram:
- Social media is a unique way to foster social change and meet like-minded creatives.
- It is a marvelous space to learn about new ideas and creative practices, offer support and exchange ideas with friends (and friends-to-be).
DOWNSIDE of Instagram:
- Inspiration can quickly lead to overwhelm.
- Sparks of ideas can dilute and influence/thwart the unique ideas that are just beginning to develop in my imagination.
- I can become distracted — and then “forget” what I was working on when I opened Instagram and got flooded with visual impressions. 🙁
Why would you recommend right brain planning?
Braveheart, life can feel impossible at times. And our dreams need a lot of time and energy.
Without some type of chronicling + processing, we default into living the same life over and over (which feels a lot like sleep walking …).
For me personally, I found solace within my right brain planning practice amidst some 💔 intense life challenges. Those years proved to be the trial-and-error foundation of my right brain planning practice. 📈
- My right brain planning practice continues to provide a means of holding space with whatever I am feeling and processing (emotionally, physically and mentally).
- My journal-planners help me to determine what matters most — and how to adjust my time and energies regarding my Life Quad (wellness, relationships, being/doing and home as sanctuary).
Right brain planning is a way to hold space [pause, acknowledge, untangle] with our questions and frustrations, dreams and desires, wishes and want-to’s.
- But this is not a step-by-step process. That is why I recommend you begin by joining me in the Ko-fi community I host.
- As a monthly supporter, you will receive downloads with content + art, and templates that will assist you with your version of right brain planning.
I don’t consider myself a planner — so I resist “planning” or using a “planner” … do you think this would be different?
I think so, Braveheart. Right brain planning is about allowing your journal to be your “planner” — a place set aside for expression and experiments and creativity (not deadlines and shoulding yourself).
- Planning (and its assorted standard formats and formulas) was something I never felt able to decipher.
- At times, I even felt a degree of shame because of my inability to use such products.
My right brain planning practice started with altering a dated planner with Post-it® Notes and stickers, and tipped-in pages with the lunar phases (for reference, instead of the dated calendars — which I tore out or covered with collage).
- I adapted and/or collaged over pages that felt “confusing” or included tasks or language that didn’t resonate.
- I also altered books — incorporating pages from planners to accommodate a record of dated and timed appointments.
Eventually I created my own templates to merge journaling (expression) with planning (dated, charted information).
Braveheart, my intention for Right Brain Planner® is to offer ideas, resources and practical ways to foster your own unique creative practice (experiments; trying over and over, and in baby steps).
- Whatever ways that manifests for you — whatever ways feel doable for you — is 100% unique to you and will be what will serve you best in a journal-planning practice.
- Right brain planning is a practice of creatively noting what you want to include + continue to allow in your wild and precious life.
- Your practice will develop over time as you discover what is most appealing and useful for you. — and it might take some time. (Slow is fast enough.)
To arrange your life so it can support your remarkable potential, you need to do some more learning about who you are.
Barbara Sher
Braveheart, right brain planning is a creative practice of attention and expression, intention and compassion, as a means of guiding your mental and emotional focus and energies for well-being.
Dates and calendar years are not as relevant or memorable as personal anniversaries, seasons and celestial cycles — particularly with regard to perspective and discovery, expression and growth.
These personal points of progress and development occur subtly within the hours of our days — then into weeks and months — without notice if we do not employ some type of chronicling: A practice of pause-notice-noting of how we feel and the details of what we are living.
Thank you kindly for your presence here, Braveheart.
I appreciate your interest and support.
~love & good wishes~
