Quiet Alchemy Space
What no one tells you is that adults go through stages, too.
Have you ever thought...I don't want to be me anymore?
Even in the middle of everything, you feel something is missing or a quiet need to come alive again. Maybe your children are getting older and you finally have a moment to pause. Maybe you don’t have that yet. Either way, something in you recognizes the need for change.
The question is what to do with that recognition? Most of us reach for what we know.
You have journaled before, but only to vent. Traditional journaling does provide a release, but we need more than relief, we need somewhere to go with what we find. Photo journaling goes deeper without adding complexity.
We all tell ourselves stories in our head. Photo journaling allows you to visually represent the story at the forefront of your mind and flesh out the details in writing. The analysis step unveils the deeper meaning that traditional journaling misses. The gold gets left on the page and we often don’t go back for it.
You won’t be told what matters. Instead, you will find faith and trust in yourself and your ability to know what is right for you.
Feeling curious, inspired, or ready to try this process?
Download my free ‘Who Am I Now?’ guide. It provides six photo journaling prompts to begin your self-discovery.
The FACTOR framework is the anchor for the photo journaling practice. It grew out of my doctoral research with midlife women who were burned out, depleted, and wondering the same thing you might be wondering right now.
I didn’t build FACTOR from research alone. I lived what I was learning about and discovered patterns of thinking and behavior. Every framework out there seemed to be incomplete. Most acknowledged emotions. All included actionable steps. My framework begins with emotions because most of us have lost touch with them and are missing the information they provide. I included steps to encourage flexibility and revision because challenges always come up and in order to maintain momentum, we have to plan for set backs and be willing to adapt before we even begin.
FACTOR provides a structure to the photo journaling process to help you tune into yourself, understand what is needed and what is in your control, and feel confident in the next steps to move forward.
The framework begins with feeling because over time you may have stopped tuning into your emotions, seeing them as a nuisance, a distraction, or a lack of maturity. In doing so, you lost the insights and information they brought with them. Emotions are data points worth noting and exploring.
The feelings you’ve been pushing aside are the very ones worth naming and exploring.
At first, I thought something was wrong with me. I was wrong.
I left my role as a school administrator, burned out and feeling something was wrong with me. I felt so unhinged on the inside and so emotionally triggered. In the pursuit of chasing my dream of university teaching, I learned more about midlife and saw myself not as flawed, but in transition. Through quiet observation and honest reflection, I started to heal. I started to see the next phase of life as promising and within my control.
I didn’t come through this and arrive somewhere. I’m still doing the work, but enjoying the process.
I built Quiet Alchemy Space to help women like me better understand themselves and see this change and transition period as a gift; a true opportunity to create the life they want and deserve.
From the Blog
What Solo Travel in Spain Taught Me About Myself
What Solo Travel at Midlife Taught Me About Trusting Myself Again
