Leaving Your Own Legacy - theHumm February 2017

If you have ever been drawn to journaling but had trouble getting started, or were daunted by the commitment required to put your thoughts into writing on a regular basis, one of Heather Tucker’s Legacy Journal Workshops might just be the enticement you have been waiting for. As you can see from the images on this page, her take on journaling involves so much more than writing — it incorporates the author’s own words as well as favourite quotes and sayings, but also includes art, whimsy and good old-fashioned play.

Heather describes the Legacy Journal Workshop as “a hands-on, playful experience where participants discover how to capture their unique essence and lifetime of wisdom for generations to come.” She adds that “the only skill required is the ability to pick up a pen and the willingness to have some fun. Using colour and collage, wisdom and whimsy, collected quotes and simple strokes anyone can create a legacy journal. Resources, prompts and imaginative ideas will start participants on this meaningful journey.”

As part of the Canada 150 celebrations, Heather will be offering workshops in both Carleton Place and Almonte, and they are free of charge! The first one will take place from 2–4pm on Wednesday, February 22 at the Almonte Library (please RSVP to them at 256–1037 if you would like to attend), and the second will be from 6–8pm on Wednesday, March 1 at the Carleton Place Library (RSVP at 257–2702).

“The Fire of Letting Go”

It was actually her own experience with more traditional journal writing that led Heather to develop this new take on the activity. She explains: “For years, journaling was my Prozac. Scratching a pen across the blank page helped me navigate some very dark roads. I had boxes of spiral-bound notebooks squirreled away with post-it notes atop: If I’m dead and you are cleaning out my office, please don’t read these, burn them. My husband remarked, ‘Well, there’s an invitation for people to brew a pot of coffee, clean their eyeglasses and find a comfy chair.’

“Lucky, lucky day when my ‘note to self’ became: You are alive. You are ready to let go of the whining and despair. Now, what story do you want to tell about your life?

“The day I set a match to my old journals was liberating, life defining… After savouring the fire of letting go, I purchased an empty book, plotted out the year ahead, got out my crayons, scissors and glue and began filling pages with inspiration, hope, gratitude, joy, play…”

Heather now believes that creating a legacy journal is “an activity that benefits mind, body and soul. Journaling helps us process feelings and make sense of our lives. Play reduces stress, makes us smarter and slows dementia. And recording for posterity our thoughts, joys, accomplishments, challenges, gratitudes… fosters purpose and our sense of self-worth.” Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to find out more about it!

The Clay Girl

In addition to journaling, Heather has also been drawn to writing after retiring from her first career in the health sciences. She has won many prose and short story writing competitions, and her stories have appeared in anthologies and literary journals. Her first novel, The Clay Girl, is a beautiful tour de force about a child sculpted by kindness, cruelty, and the extraordinary power of imagination, and her families — the one she’s born in to and the one she creates. It has received rave reviews so far — The Toronto Star enthuses that it will take your breath away — and is available at independent bookstores and from ecwpress.com . At 7pm on Wednesday, February 22, Heather will attend a discussion of her book at the Almonte Library — Mill Street Books invites anyone who has read her book to join in. Please RSVP to the bookstore at 256–9090 if you would like to attend. For more information about Heather, her workshops and her writing, visit heathertucker.ca .

Paddye Mann —Speaking theLanguage of Clothing - theHumm February 2017

By — Bruce Anderson (submitted Jeff Mills)

Hummble Thought

Leaving Your Own Legacy - theHumm February 2017