“Motherhood is the ultimate confrontation with yourself. Whatever is there to discover at the bottom of your soul, whether dross or treasure, motherhood will help you find it.”
Lisa Marchiano in Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself.
muse- mothers uniting in stories and emotions
Matrescence is a major life transition and a dramatic rite of passage that “affects the brain, the endocrine system, cognition, immunity, the psyche, the microbiome, the sense of self” (Lucy Jones in Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood). Complex changes occur in every sphere of a mother’s life, without giving a proper voice to the aches, pains and also the beauty of this transformation within our society.
Led by an educational psychologist, muse - Journaling through Motherhood is an online community that has been created with the hope of providing a safe space to hold these aches and pains, but also to celebrate and cherish the joy and beauty of motherhood.
Joining is simple - get in touch with us on our Instagram or Facebook profiles linked below, with the simple word “Muse” and we will invite you to our private facebook group. We will be starting you off with some resources aimed at helping you understand the benefits of Journaling, as well as some tasks to get inspiration flowing.
Journaling
“I should advise you to put it all down as beautifully as you can - in some beautifully bound book…Then when these things are in some precious book you can go to the book and turn over the pages and for you it will be your church - your cathedral - the silent places of your spirit where you will find renewal.” (Analysis Notebooks, C.G. Jung, quoted in The Red Book, Liber Novus)
journaling will be used as a tool to reflect, look within and make sense of the new identity of becoming a mother. Journaling involves an expressive and creative process which puts thoughts, feelings and experiences into concrete words, drawings or scribbles. We hope to give participating mothers the safe space and opportunity to see their various experiences of motherhood and be seen by other comrade mothers.
Literature as a Muse
We will introduce passages from books related to motherhood as a muse to writing, reflecting and journaling, alongside visualisations, meditation and discussions. Reading and writing help to ground our experiences within contexts that are relevant to all.
Sharing and Community
Motherhood can be an isolating time. The village we sometimes hear about is not always at our disposal. We hope to create a community of mothers who see each other through listening and sharing stories and emotions. Uniting together to embrace the diversity and unique experiences of motherhood.
Guided Writing
How often have we set down, willing the words on paper? We feel so much, and yet, it is not always easy to express ourselves in tangible terms despite the eagerness. At muse, we aim to provide guidance and tips to help the words flow easier, so you make the most of your journaling sessions with us, and beyond.
Subscribe to the muse newsletter and get your first freebie!
You must receive many requests for subscriptions - so we want to make this worth your while. We know how hard it is for children to come to terms with big changes in their lives. Created by educational psychologist Sarah, we’ve put together a story telling template to prepare your child to say goodbye to nursery and to say hello to a new school. Using Daniel Tiger characters, children are gently introduced to the concept of having a new teacher, as they leave the familar environment and people at nursery.
The template can be modified to suit your needs. You will receive more instructions and information in the email you’ll receive after subscribing.
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who we are: muse - mothers uniting in stories and emotions
We are a team of two mothers, a psychologist and a writer, with two tiny shadows each! We came together through our love for journaling, self-reflection and motherhood.
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Psychologist & FounderI am a warranted educational psychologist with a passion for intervention and therapy with young children, teenagers and families. I am also specialising in Jungian sand-play therapy, as I believe in the healing powers of sand and creative expression. Throughout my career, I have contributed to the wellness of children, teens, parents and their educators, through conducting individual and group therapeutic sessions. Journaling is one of the tools many families have left with as a way to cope and take care of themselves and each other. Becoming a mother has shifted my focus towards mothers’ lived experiences after going through my own baptism of fire. With these workshops I hope to contribute to mothers’ wellbeing within our local context that isolates rather than celebrates the day-to-day triumph that it is to be a mother.
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Writer & SEOWhen Sarah approached approached me with the idea for a journaling workshop for mothers, I was immediately sold. Not only does it combine my two biggest passions - writing & motherhood - but I could also see the link with Songs of Motherhood, an anthology we publish every year and which celebrates mothers through their own writing, illustrations and creative work. The community aspect that muse creates is the safe space I believe every mother needs. Whether new, or mothering granchildren of her own, mothers thrive in an environment that listes, understands and lifts them up. This is what muse means to me.