Karen Devenport | Digital creator

Karen Devenport

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25.01.2022 I sat down last night and made headers for the next three monthly layouts in my bullet journal, even though I’m running out of pages and will need to start a new notebook in January I find it really relaxing to experiment with lettering and designs, even though I’m really a newbie at this kind of art. It’s a form of meditation to me, which is why I include it in my bullet journal, even though it’s absolutely not necessary for a bullet journal! I see so much comparison in the bullet journal community which is why I try to share my less-than-perfect pages. Find what works for you and do that! Don’t let comparisonitis stop you from experimenting!

18.01.2022 JUST FINISHED 'The Crossroads of Should and Must' by Elle Luna I've had this as an ebook for about 4 years but kept putting it to the side and reading other things. Recently I saw the hard copy at the library and borrowed it (I prefer to read hard copy books in most cases). After reading 'Finding Your Element' I was suddenly drawn to read this one.... I found similar themes to 'Finding Your Element', mainly this idea that you are not fully living unless you are doing things that use your gifts (and this doesn't necessarily involve earning an income from them). It's a stunning book, incorporating beautiful quotes, aesthetically pleasing use of colour, and the author's own art. This book feels like a great follow up to 'Finding Your Element', and one that can help you overcome any lingering doubts or fears about using your individual gifts once you've identified what they are. See more

17.01.2022 MENTAL WELLNESS It’s a Tuesday. I work from home, and reconcile credit card receipts from a colleague’s trip interstate. It’s bizarre. It’s from another time. A time where people could freely travel. Where they could eat out in restaurants and cafes, and wander through galleries. It seems surreal. It seems so long ago, but it was only three weeks ago. It was right on the end of the unrestricted life....Continue reading

15.01.2022 I’ve been journalling every day since 1st September, 2020 and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. I’ve been a journal writer or ‘diary writer’ for most of my life. I was pretty consistent with it up until my dad passed away when I was 20 years old. I just couldn’t bring myself to write about what was happeningit made it feel more real. Eventually I started up again but stopped when other things were difficult in my life, for that same reason of not wanting... to make things concrete by writing about them. These days, writing is how I process the difficult things. And the good things. I decided to commit to journalling every day when I realised I’d developed a habit of scrolling social media in the morning over a cup of warm lemon water. I didn’t want to start my day full of everyone else’s thoughts, so I went inward to focus on my own. Then in December, I signed up for Amie McNee’s (@inspiredtowrite on Instagram) journalling course, which comes with some guiding videos and a compendium full of prompts to help you find your way. I am slowly working my way through these amazing prompts, as some days I just feel the need to free write whatever is on my mind and in my heart. I can’t recommend Amie’s course and compendium highly enough. They are great for both beginners and seasoned journal-writers. Do you have any questions about journalling that I might be able to answer? Chuck them in the comments Image: A time lapse video of Karen writing in a notebook.

09.01.2022 JUST FINISHED 'Finding Your Element' by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica This book is one that I'd thought about reading a few times, and suddenly the time felt right. In short, the book is designed to help you find what you are both talented at and passionate about, through a series of exercises along with stories, the personal experiences and research of the author, and wisdom from psychological greats.... I absolutely loved it. I did all the exercises and took time to think about myself and delve deep, writing and drawing in my journal throughout. I had several epiphanies and have clarified a lot of questions I had rolling around in my brain for some time. When I was about halfway through reading the book, the news came through that the author had passed away. I was really saddened by this, especially given that I was reading the book at the time. It made it feel all the more important that I continue to read and do the exercises and get clarity about my Element. I'd urge you to read this book if you are feeling a bit lost, stuck, or as though you're not quite doing what you were put here to do. Swipe to see how many sticky flags I needed for this one, as well as one of my favourite quotes from the book. See more

06.01.2022 QUOTE It's not that everything happens for a reason. It's that we have to give everything the shitty things purpose.

05.01.2022 T O U G H T I M E S I’ve really struggled over the past week. The passing of Kobe Bryant, along with bushfires, Brexit, and bastards in the world has hit me hard. And with the perpetrator of the crime against me being sentenced on Friday, I think this week will be tough too. I’ve written this quote in my journal and will definitely be hanging on to this concept throughout the week.... ‘Tough times don’t come out of nowhere. They come precisely when you’re ready to grow and be more of who you really are. You’re stronger and more capable than you know.’ Marie Forleo See more

05.01.2022 JUST FINISHED 'A Game of Thrones' by George R.R. Martin Yep, I know I'm a bit behind. But I didn't start watching 'Game of Thrones' until after season six had aired (I binged the first six seasons before season seven aired), so it kind of makes sense that I'm only starting the books now. ... In case you don't know, this is the first book of the series 'A Song of Ice and Fire' that the TV show 'Game of Thrones' is based on. There's not a lot I can say about this book, because I feel that you've either read it, want to read it already, or you're not interested at all. But if you enjoyed the TV series, I'd recommend reading the books as well. As is often the case with screen adaptations, you get so much more detail in the book. I loved reading this, and while I'm not ready to jump straight into the next one, I'll be onto it before long. I've missed these characters (even the horrible ones) and it's great to be back in this world again. Image: A hand holding the book 'A Game of Thrones' by George R.R. Martin, which has an image of a dragon on the cover. See more

03.01.2022 BOOKS I READ IN 2020 Here are (almost) all the books I read in 2020! I had a lot of fun taking this photo and seeing the books all stacked up. I didn't realise how many I'd read until I saw them piled up like this! I use Goodreads to keep track of what I'm reading, you can connect with me over there if you like! Books pictured (from bottom to top):... Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo The Bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carroll Deep Work by Cal Newport Confidence Feels Like Sh*t! by Erika Cramer Untamed by Glennon Doyle You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga Finding Your Element by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica Useful Belief by Chris Helder Beauty by Bri Lee Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden Existing Autistic by Megan Rhiannon Not pictured (library book/audiobook): Chillpreneur by Denise Duffield-Thomas The Crossroads of Should and Must by Elle Luna Let me know about your reading journey in the comments! Did you read as many books as you'd hoped in 2020? How many are you aiming for in 2021? image: A photo of the spines of the books listed above, stacked one on top of another, with greenery in the background. See more

02.01.2022 'Shouldn't you be better by now?' On World Mental Health Day I want to address the idea of 'overcoming' a mental health issue. Some may be aware that I've experienced depression, anxiety and stress in the past. Yep, all three. Sometimes one at a time, sometimes a combination of two at once. At times my levels have been rated as severe, but I've been fortunate to not have prolonged severe episodes requiring medication. I have, however, had what you might call relapses. Times w...Continue reading

02.01.2022 New Year, New Me? It's 11pm on New Year's Eve and I wanted to take a few minutes to write about the year that was 2020. It was a year full of challenges, but I don't hold any ill will towards it. I know how fortunate I am to have escaped the worst of those challenges and I'm grateful for that. Bushfires, Kobe Bryant's passing, Black Lives Matter, Trump, QAnon, COVID-19, COVID conspiracy theories... So much upset me in 2020, and at times left me feeling as though this is a dar...k world in which we live. But there has also been light. The way most people banded together to do the right thing, whether that was donating to bushfire victims, wearing a mask, non-violently protesting, or voting for the future direction they want for their country. I've been brought to tears of happiness many times as I've watched news stories of perseverance, courage, and resilience. And I found some of my own, too. I welcomed two beautiful rescue kittens into my home and heart. I made commitments to myself: first it was to walk every day, then to journal every day, and then to work on my book every day. I kept these small commitments and showed myself that I'm as worth as anyone else in my life of keeping promises to. I also finally got my sleep pattern under control! I went for months where I only saw a handful of peoplemy partner, the lovely man at the post office, the checkout attendant at Woolies, and (eventually) my work colleagues. I got used to washing and sanitising my hands all the time, carrying sanitiser, then wearing a mask, and now using the QR code check-in system whenever I go anywhere. Social distancing is second nature. Shaking everyone's hand has gone out the window and I'm not sorry about that. I've used this year to get to know myself better, to work on parts of me that needed healing, and to address the behaviours I don't like in myself and introduce more of the ones I do. Even in the last two months, I've grown. I've read some things that really hit home, and while I will go gently, I'm done with my own crap. I'm done with allowing perfectionism to run my life. Done with my own excuses. Yep, the last few years have been challenging. Yep, I was a legitimate victim of crime and I'm not downplaying that, but I don't have to continue being a victim. I choose not to be. I choose to live a rich life, as the perpetrator of that crime sits in prison. That is the best way I can ever take back the power from him. I welcome 2021 with open arms, but I'm still thankful to 2020 for the good I was able to extract from it. I now look forward to a year where I care less about hiding my vulnerability. Where expressing myself openly matters more than doing it in the 'right' words, the 'right' way. Where I don't allow the fear of making a mistake stop me from trying anything at all. Where I just do stuff, instead of thinking about it over and over. I can't bloody wait.

01.01.2022 HSP It’s a Sunday night. It’s late. I can’t sleep. I’m physically tired from a pretty busy day, but my brain is wired. I lie in bed watching repeats of Buffy, and as the Mayor of Sunnydale ascends I struggle to keep my eyes open, but sleep still eludes me. At first I couldn’t work out why. But then I dutifully followed the advice of people who know about these things, and got out of bed rather than staying there, being frustrated from not being able to sleep. And then it...Continue reading