my creative journey

Writing, journaling, crafting, and the exploration of creativity as a tool for mental health and well-being have been longtime passions of mine and Blooming Light Designs is a lovingly nurtured seed that sprouted as a result of my engagement in these passions.

Blooming Light Designs was originally established in 2007 as a jewelry design business born out of a need for a creative outlet while I was in the throes of raising two young children and a desire to make a positive difference in the world.  After five successful years of designing jewelry that was “fun, sophisticated, and inspired” and supporting numerous charities through the sales of those creations, I closed shop shortly after I was called in a different direction and spent the next several years serving in various positions on staff at my children’s school.  During this time frame I had the chance to dive deeper into my long-time favorite practice of journaling.

Journaling, both in written and artistic form, has been an invaluable tool for me throughout my adult life.  It has allowed me to document and reflect upon life’s many blessings such as my family, my faith, my friends, my travel experiences, as well as capture in words and images the joyful day-to-day moments in life.  Journaling has also served as a lifeline through many of life’s challenges including the day-to-day struggles and dark seasons, a battle with cancer, the Covid pandemic, my empty nest transition, and my search for meaning and purpose on this journey we call life.

In 2021 I had the opportunity to participate in a community outreach project through my church and made an interesting discovery.  While conducting interviews to identify our community’s top needs, expecting the answers to be physical in nature (e.g. food, clothing, financial assistance), I was surprised to learn the number one identified community need was mental health resources.  Further research indicated this need not only predated the pandemic, it increased as a result of the pandemic.  And the need for mental health resources remains strong today.  Armed with this information, I was led to pursue ways in which to help meet these needs and help others find joy in life’s journey.  

Equipped with my professional background in adult education/instructional design, training in therapeutic journaling, my love of paper crafting, and my desire to use my God-given gifts to make a positive difference in the lives of others, I began to re-imagine  Blooming Light Designs as not only an Etsy Shop offering products to inspire creativity, but as a resource to help others find joy in the journey through creativity.