Art Journaling as a Spiritual Creative Practice | Susan Hensley

FOR EPISODE LINKS & MORE INFO VISIT: https://samhorton.co/blog/ep53

In this episode of Soul Led Creative Women, I’m joined by the radiant Susan Hensley—transformational coach, speaker, and author—whose journey into art journaling became a profound pathway to healing, joy, and spiritual connection. What began as a casual creative experiment during a season of burnout became a life-altering practice that helped Susan reconnect with her soul, navigate transitions, and ultimately leave a high-pressure corporate career.

Together, we dive deep into how creativity—particularly playful, low-pressure art-making—can quiet the inner critic, reconnect us to childlike joy, and become a potent spiritual tool for self-expression, emotional regulation, and divine guidance.

Whether you’re brand new to art journaling or a seasoned creative looking to rediscover the magic, this conversation is a soul-nourishing invitation to play, feel, and heal.

Key Takeaways:

• Creativity as spiritual practice: How art journaling became a sacred tool for self-connection, insight, and healing.
• Quieting the inner critic: Why creative play helps us shift into the right brain and out of perfectionism.
• Connecting with your inner child: The power of revisiting childhood materials—crayons, glue sticks, and collaging—to unlock joy.
• Emotional regulation through art: How expressing feelings visually helps release, process, and gain perspective.
• From safe to brave: Why starting with low-risk creative practices builds trust and eventually expands our spiritual courage.
• The ripple effect: How embracing small creative moments can lead to life-changing shifts and deeper alignment with soul purpose.
• Simple ways to start: Susan’s go-to low-barrier exercise using just two crayons and a favorite song.
• Letting go of the end result: Reframing creativity as a vehicle for self-discovery, not outcome.
• Your practice, your way: Why personalization and play are essential in building a meaningful art journaling ritual.
• Creativity and divine connection: How play and color can open the door to spiritual messages, manifestation, and guidance.
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FOR EPISODE LINKS & MORE INFO VISIT: https://samhorton.co/blog/ep53

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Ep 53. Soul Led Creative Women - Susan Hensley

Sam Horton: [00:00:00] So today I have Susan Hensley with me. Susan is a transformational coach, speaker and author dedicated to helping people navigate life's transitions with joy, creativity, and resilience.

Through art journaling, she was able to reconnect with the joy and curiosity that often gets. Buried beneath Adulthoods complexities. Now Susan shares this transformative journey with others teaching how art journaling can silence the inner critic and tap into the right brain for problem solving, healing, and self-discovery.

So welcome, Susan. Oh, thank you. 

Susan Hensley: I'm really happy to be here. I appreciate you having me on. 

Sam Horton:
Excellent. So I might've already hinted at it, but today we're gonna be talking all about art journaling. I actually wanna talk about art journaling, as a creative spiritual practice. So first of all, let's just kick off with your journey.

Tell us about how you got started with art journaling and why this work is so important to you. [00:01:00]

Susan Hensley: Sure. So I stumbled into art journaling completely accidentally, probably eight years ago now. Uh, as way as background is, I've, I've had a pretty strong meditation. Practice for a number of years and, and a journaling practice.

So I've, I've tried to always connect to my, my inner wisdom and spirit, right? It's something I've, I've been aware of and yet, uh, I was working a really high pressure corporate job. I've been there, you know, 20 plus years. Really thought I would stay another, you know, five, six years for all the reasons we get targets in our mind, and.

I was just getting really burned out. I think I was, I joke that I'm a recovering perfectionist. it, it, I'll be honest, it's an ongoing battle and, uh, I went to a, a. Just an art workshop given by a friend, a [00:02:00] colleague on, on the weekend. Right. I, I think I was needing a different outlet and it was very casual.

It was like a rainy Saturday. There were just a few of us there, and while she was explaining the color wheel to some of the other people, I was sort of in the corner and there were some paints and I just started playing. I'm just making a mess. And it's like. No plan, no purpose, just color, and it, it sort of set that five-year-old artist free I filled instantly with, with joy.

I mean really even all these years later, I think about that experience and how like visceral it was. It's something I felt throughout my body and. In my coaching practice, I was doing a lot of coaching for career coaching and executive coaching. Always share to people when something lights you up, right, look, look for those glimmers, look for those sparks.

I mean, really pay attention. I, I believe those are [00:03:00] the signals we're getting from, from the universe, from our soul to not, what didn't signal to me was like, become an artist. It's, this is an outlet you need. And so I just began playing. With art, it was a mess. It's, I'll preface it by saying that nothing in my book, in my training, in my workshops is about creating a piece of art, right?

Something you hang in the wall. It's all about the act of creating, of play of expression in order to tap into, you know, your soul, your spirit, your authentic self. Mm-hmm. So that day in a, a flash. I was, was hooked on how good it felt and so I just kept playing with it at. At home, you know, and it ended up being a really nice release.

And over time, you know, the pandemic came and everything went crazier, and I really doubled down on the art [00:04:00] journaling and I started to see the messages that were emerging, right? It went from being a place of play and just pure stress release to really. Talking back to me, encouraging me to to take risks, helping me process really difficult emotions.

There was a period where journal entry, after journal entry, I'm drawing little screaming faces. I use a lot of crayons, right? It's all about the stuff you used as a kid. And really process what felt to me like layers and layers of, of anger and get at what was underneath that. And eventually the art journaling left me to leaving that job several years before I had thought I would sort of taking this leap.

Eventually, I wrote a book about it and it, it has been, like I said, is a lifelong seeker and practitioner and believer in signs. It has by far been the most. Whole body surprising, sort of joyful tool. I, I [00:05:00] guess that's the avenue and that's what compels me to, to talk about it. 'cause like any tool, it works better for some people than than others, but it's so low barrier, like any listener can do it today with what they have at home, quite honestly.

Sam Horton: Yeah. Yeah. So there's so much we can talk about here. But first of all, I wanna start with the concept that sort of underpinning, you know, your experiences with the art journaling and now, you know, your work, sharing that with others is really the concept that creativity is a powerful tool for self connection and healing.

So tell us a bit about that specifically, and your thoughts around why creativity is so powerful for self connection and healing. 

Susan Hensley: Until I experienced it, I would not have thought it. I, I, so I will share that it for me was something that I experienced and what I have found, and then what I've seen in others is when you are in that creative space, when, you know, as the brain research shows, you've moved into that [00:06:00] right brain, that holistic, connected, right?

Mm-hmm. It's really what connects to, uh, you know, your listeners hopefully appreciate like the, the universe and others. It, it so silences the inner critic. It kicks in a flow that I find. It opens up possibility that when I'm in that state, I am so much more open. Mm-hmm. I have found it's helped with my meditation practice, my mm-hmm.

Journaling practice is, it's really helped me in a very different way. Quiet in a very settled manner. Mm-hmm. The inner critic or that that judge, because as you are doing something creative, like I said, I use. Art and paint and, and collage and crayons. It, it, honestly, it could be playing with clay, it could be building something with sticks, singing, taking photos.

It's, it doesn't have to be, uh, with that. But when you are in that space, there's the [00:07:00] somatic components of it that I think are really important to your body. Is engaging in it, your, your eyes, your, your senses. That I think opens us up faster. Mm-hmm. I also think other bit of help is, is play. We can be mm-hmm.

Very, very serious in speaking, uh, looking for enlightenment. I lived, uh, in Hong Kong for. Several years and I would go to different meditation retreats and those can be serious, right? You're looking for like, and there's a lot of discipline and, and posture and it's great because I think some discipline's really important, but it all of a sudden becomes, for me, with a personality type like I have.

Another to do, there's a clenching, 

Sam Horton: like hard work, 

Susan Hensley: right? Yes. Mm-hmm. And I have found for people who are sort of wired in what I call the western worlds Drive and go mm-hmm. Play is very, very, mm-hmm. freeing. [00:08:00] Uh, I joke all the time and I, in any workshop I have people just start with crayons is as adults. I have yet to meet an adult who can take themselves seriously holding a crayon.

Right? Yeah. We just don't have an expectation of ourselves being masters when you're holding, you know, a pink crayon or a yellow crayon, and I've just found that lighter. Aspect to really, and so it's the lightness, the play, the creativity to open me up to signs from the universe and that connection in a very different way.

Mm-hmm. Than when I would be more trying to quiet my mind and connect. 

Sam Horton: Yeah. 

Susan Hensley: Sort of through stillness. 

Sam Horton: It takes some of the, the effort out of it because it's quite distracting for that busy part of your brain, right? When you are immersed in this playful, expressive, you know, just for the sake of it, activity.

Yeah, [00:09:00] then you know, you are, you are distracting that, that busy focused, hardworking part of your brain. So, yeah. And I would say, I hope you agree that it can become like a bit of a meditation in action, you know, the act of creating, you know? Would you agree with that? 

Susan Hensley: Oh, absolutely. Uh, it's interesting on, on mornings where I have the, the time, I'll sort of try and follow three steps.

I'm sort of journaled to get any dreams outta my head for a few minutes. Just try and push that meditate and then I will art journal and I find myself falling into a, a deeper state of flow art journaling than the other two. Now, rather it's a. Three step build on the ideal morning where I have it. Yeah.

Mm-hmm. Or, or I've also found it will help me reach a state of calm, it will help me emotionally regulate. 

Sam Horton: Yeah. 

Susan Hensley: Very, very quickly that being able to [00:10:00] scribble, to draw a little screaming face. Yeah. To draw lightning bolts in a high moment of emotion. It helps me to, to regulate and create the distance because all of a sudden the emotion's been captured safely on the page and allows you to be, move the into the observer role.

Yeah, and I really like, once again, the. The somatics of it. You've got your page, which is your safe container, and it's holding that emotion that you've just expressed and then you are able to take that step back. 

Sam Horton: Yeah. Yeah. So powerful. Love that. So why art journaling then, out of all the creative outlets that you could have come across, why do you think Art Journaling's been so powerful for you?

Susan Hensley: Once again, it was probably the, the timing. It's where I hit that, that spark of, of joy. I also, as I think back to what I call my inner child artist between the ages of five and eight, it's a lot of research shows that by about. Age eight or [00:11:00] nine. A lot of children are starting to get messages unless they're going down like a creative path that, hmm, you know, maybe you're not, there's a lot of that comparison kicks in.

What I have found with crayons, with watercolor, with glue sticks, and, and. Paste is, that's what I used a lot as a, as a kid. Mm-hmm. Although I had some Play-Doh and stretchy things and if, if you give me a CLA can of that, I'll still play with that all day and make little, little coil bowls. it's what I was most familiar with as a kid.

I think there's a real, Hook in there as I've worked with with clients and done workshops, different people loved different things as a kid. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And I think finding what your creative outlet was as a child. It's sort of the key for me, it, it happened to be in my sort of preschools and early years, we just had a lot of crayons and collaging stuff, so I'm very, it feels like a [00:12:00] comfortable place to, to play.

I've met people who had modeling clay, who were really into to models and they would not build the model. They would take other things, you know. So I think it depends. Other people spend a lot of time outside. They would do things with sticks or they would, you know. Glue sticks together, so mm-hmm. The advice I give to a, a listener is art journaling work for me.

It's easy to keep in a purse or a bag. Mm-hmm. It's a few pens. You can do it anywhere. And that's why I like it. It's low barrier, but if you have something else that's really resonating, you know, if you're listening to this, do that. I don't think there's specific magic in the, the art journal. I think that the magic is in.

Creating in play without expectation. It's all about the creation and the play and the release of the end product. That's where you get the, the flow, the meditative state where you get much more in touch with your authentic [00:13:00] self. 

Sam Horton: Hmm. Interesting. And how do you think, that risk plays into this? Because I've got this kind of, idea that there are different levels of risk taking when it comes to creativity.

So you've got high risk, creative, activities and low risk creative activities. Yeah. Can you talk a little bit about that? 

Susan Hensley: Yeah. So what I love about art journaling mm-hmm. It's completely low risk. It is like your personal journal. I have never, I've been a lifelong journaler. I, I can't even read my own right handwriting to be perfectly honest, but no one's ever looked at my journal.

I've never thought I'm publishing this, right. Mm-hmm. I view my art journal exactly the same. So what I love about it. Is it's low risk. It's within your comfort zone to build trust. The, the. Funniest thing I, I did, and it took me a little bit is when I decided to write a book because it was nowhere on the horizon.

I just started to talk about the power of [00:14:00] art journaling in my other transition coaching practice. Right. I certified in life transitions and there's all these aspects and it's like, gosh, art Journaling's so helpful. Mm-hmm. 

Sam Horton (3): So I'm 

Susan Hensley: talking about it, talking about it, and finally you realize I should write a book.

Well, in the book, I ended up publishing a number of my art journal entries, which is something I absolutely never thought I would do, only to show that it's not about making art. Yeah. How childish they are. That there's pages of hearts, there's literally a screaming face with the word shame and rage and you know, I.

I chose once I drew like a boogeyman another, like a screaming wild thing. I published them because anyone looking at them, I've gotten this feedback from readers. No one thinks about what I created. It's like, mm-hmm. Oh, this isn't a risky thing. Right. This is. Just expression. And the other thing I, I noticed, 'cause I kept thinking, oh, people are gonna wonder what [00:15:00] happened.

This, you tell yourself all these stories right before you publish a, a book, it, it kicks up that that perfectionist, it felt like a very risky thing at the time. I had some really good friends look at it and I said, you know, what did you think when you saw this post that was all about rage and shame? And, you know, and it was interesting.

I remember. Emotion. I felt the emotion. Someone else just looks at it 

Sam Horton (3): and yeah, 

Susan Hensley: it's so interesting that we think they're going to be there feeling it and judgment when instead it's just something on a page. So even for a person who published her own images is an illustration. 

Sam Horton (2): Mm-hmm. 

Susan Hensley: The safety in that it, like I said, I will say it felt scary and it's not designed for that.

Yeah. I still art journal all the time. Yeah. And no intention of publishing it, but it's so low risk that it really doesn't kick off anxiety. And I wrote a whole [00:16:00] chapter about it being a safe container. Sure. And it's very similar to when you, it's almost safer than a written diary. Mm-hmm. 'cause someone may be able to understand these are your symbols, these are your colors.

Mm-hmm. These are your images. Right. Which, sure. I found. Only you really know how you use. I would like to think people would understand a screaming face, what they mean, yeah. Yes, but why I was the screaming face, right? Mm-hmm. That ended up staying private. 

Sam Horton: Well, yeah, you get to create your own meaning anyway, right?

Yeah. So it's all exactly down to interpretation. 

Sam Horton (3): Yeah. 

Sam Horton: yeah, so I mean, on the risk thing, I, I, I guess, I feel like I've got this question later on for you, but I'm gonna ask it now because I find it really interesting. I think that the more you give yourself permission to be creative. And to access this creative energy that really, is kind of a life force and a spiritual connection.

as you mentioned before, I think that you want to take higher and higher risks as [00:17:00] you go along that path because basically I think what I believe is that, You know, the spiritual part of it becomes deeper and more meaningful and more connected the higher the risks that you take. So I appreciate that.

Starting with something like art journaling, which falls low risk is a great way to give yourself that permission, but I think then there's a natural desire to start taking higher risks. Would you agree with that? Have what? What's your own journey been like as you've kind of moved through this art journaling and creative journey?

Susan Hensley: So it's a fantastic question and I love the way you, you phrased it. Thank you. I, I had not thought of it like that, but mm-hmm. You're absolutely right. Right. So if you, if you think of sort of my journey, it starts off just something I'm doing and through what's happening in my art journal, I go and quit a, a huge.

Lucrative job that I had, had loved well before I thought I was gonna do with no plan. And I had all these images of jumping off cliffs and I had people asking, [00:18:00] you know, what are you gonna do? And so it got me to take a huge risk into creating a new life. Mm-hmm. Without a vision. So also when I did that, I never.

Thought I would write a book about art journaling. I had a first career as a journalist. I always joked I would never write a book period. Mm-hmm. And certainly couldn't ever envision writing a book that's both a, a personal journey, a how to and brain science. But it's the personal journey. And all of a sudden I realize, well, no, I'm compelled to, then I'm sharing the images, then I'm doing Yeah.

Podcasts. We, and at each stage, what I loved about the way you asked the question. You start where you're comfortable and you start to share in your, your risk tolerance. 

Sam Horton: Yeah. 

Susan Hensley: Just grows and grows. So I would say with each circle, each move out. Mm-hmm. It will feel at the beginning, sort of daunting, just like going to an art class and putting any [00:19:00] paper on the page that.

Felt like a little bit of a stretch for me, quite honestly. Yeah. It was like, oh, so you become more and more comfortable, and I find it grows, and this, I think was embedded in your question. The circles get bigger and bigger and bigger, faster. Right, because you realize I'll use this. I feel this phrase a lot.

I'm, I'm safe in the universe. And as you are starting to express yourself creatively, you understand deep within your, your soul that that is what you are to do. That we are, yeah. You know, creative beings who are being called to fully express ourselves. And it's not frightening. It sounds frightening, but as you move out each circle, and quite honestly, you know nothing bad happens, right?

Yeah. You get braver and braver and braver. 

Sam Horton: Yeah, because it's deepening that spiritual connection and it's, I believe it's about tapping into [00:20:00] your personal truth and connecting with that in really deeply profound ways, and then finding safe ways for you at this moment to express that in all areas of your life.

Right? Whether you know the, and the creative part of it, the art journaling in your case. It just teaches you how, you know the possibility of it. It doesn't, and then it ripples out into other areas where you are taking, you know, similar kind of, positions of expression, you know, using, you know, your authentic truth, kind of as the platform for that.

So, I mean, that's. How I, that's how I interpret it all anyway, so I feel like we're on the same page. 

Susan Hensley: Oh, abs, absolutely. Like I said, I really a appreciate the way you, you express that, but no, that, that's a, a beautiful way to share how that happens in, in the ripple 

Sam Horton: effect. So do you believe then that embracing creativity is the key to unlocking more of what we want in life?

You know, more [00:21:00] fulfillment, more connection, more joy, you know, what are your, what are your thoughts around that? Uh, 

Susan Hensley: a hundred percent, right? Mm-hmm. Until I really started to embrace creativity, I would take risks, but I was, I was very much following a certain success script, right? Mm-hmm. What I'd seen parents do, what you see people of your age and culture mm-hmm.

Sort of doing, you can get this to do and. External validation, I'm assuming as well. It's, oh yeah. I mean, it, it's a, it's a fundamental human drive and I had a, a lot of that and moving into the creative space because I get so much now intrinsic, I. Internal validation and the things that come back to me off the page, even if it's, and once again, it's, the symbols become deeply personal and you're not even consciously giving the meaning, but it's like the, the support.

It's really interesting if I have found the [00:22:00] art journal and how it speaks back to me, the support. It gives me the encouragement mm-hmm. That the way you see the resilience that comes back is deeper and more meaningful is all. Mm-hmm. Intrinsic goals and, and things are, than any external validation. And it really helps, In society and, and with what I've been working with in my own life, like I joke about being a recovering perfectionist. To challenge that, to, to shake it. It's like, why am I considering this or doing this? And it's like, well, because I've seen others do this, but is this true to me? No. And then it helps you make, and it, so the question becomes easier mm-hmm.

Than divining rod or whatever sort of metaphor becomes better tuned. You're, you're tapping into Yeah. Your. Knowing it, it becomes so much sharper and clearer when you're using creativity. 

Sam Horton: Yeah, I agree. Yeah. And, and it teaches [00:23:00] us that we already have everything we need within ourselves to thrive in life.

Right. Whereas, you know, the old version of me certainly was relying on this external validation and these milestones and these goals and successes that the, the world had taught me that I needed to, you know, be striving for. So, yeah. So what do you believe then, you know, is the thing that really stops people from going on this creative journey and embracing, you know, creativity, even though we know it's so magical?

What do you believe, you know, stops people from, from going there? 

Susan Hensley: What initially stops people? Is there, it's can be like a, a knee jerk reaction is. I'm not creative. I'm a terrible artist. They will repeat wherever they got that no matter how many times I have said before. Let's be clear. This is not about being an artist.

This is [00:24:00] not about creating an end product. It is all about inter, and it'll be really interesting. I will have said that repeatedly, and there's that moment of. A panic of what I call stutter. so I, I've designed, I'll, I'll share it with you and, and your listeners because mm-hmm. You know, on my website there's a free downloadable PDF on how to get started.

But I love this particular exercise because it gets people to give it a try because once again, it's a low risk, low barrier exercise. When I've done it with groups, I have people spread out. If you're. Alone. You do it at home, you find a song you love on your phone. Most songs are about three minutes. I'll tell you like don't choose some really long one.

Find one that's three, four minutes. Take a piece of paper, two colors. If all you have is pens at home, a blue and black one, or pencil, if you have any sort of ability to have colored pens or crayons, and the request is for three [00:25:00] minutes the length of the song. So you don't have to be real prescriptive, just fill the piece of paper.

I don't care how. This is in the workshop. I give everyone two crayons in the workshop and they get one three minute song. They're all spread out. I explain no one is gonna look at this. You can throw it away. There's a trash can. You can keep it, but you're not gonna show it to me. You're not gonna show it to anyone else.

No one's seen you. You have three minutes and all you need to do with these two crayons I've given you is fill this page. Don't care how don't. Put on song, usually at the, they do it. And I have 'em take a few deep breaths at the beginning. Mm-hmm. And then we debrief it. You know, I say to anyone, you, anyone who wants to get up, throw it away.

Feel free. No one throws it away. It's really interesting. Like, okay, admire it. Like, let's be our own proud parent. 'cause that's the other thing I really try and teach is self-compassion and self appreciation for the mm-hmm. Act of creation, right? Mm-hmm. 

I, 

uh, in the trainings and on my online. Of course it's really play [00:26:00] curiosity and then mm-hmm.

Being your own proud parent, that compassion and reinforcement for what you did really helps fuel it. But then when we do the debrief and the group's like, how'd you feel? Playful, silly, free. I love not having rules. I, I mean, people will say, I've never done anything as an adult, that I didn't have a rule.

I thought, well that's so interesting. 'cause I actually gave them a bunch of constraints. They only had two crayons. One size piece of paper is only a five by seven and only three minutes. So there were three constraints, which is where you get so much creativity, right? I mean, uh, that's one of the things when you study innovation or creativity is constraints really helped to spur us.

And it's so interesting because of the. Number of people I've done it with. I've only had one or two people say that, that they couldn't get rid of the inner critic. That they felt just silly and judged. Yeah. But most people though, feel very, very free. They get that [00:27:00] like dopamine hit that I clearly got where all of a sudden you're like, whoa.

It's like that inner 5-year-old artist just got set free. Mm-hmm. And it moves them back to, to that experience. So anyone listening, I, I share that pretty routinely. 'cause I do think that trying it helps you understand if it sparks joy, then if it does, what happens is just the taking the time and building a habit, right?

And that is, what we know can always be tricky. And that's where I put a lot of recommendations around, we have dead time. If you cook a lot and you wait for water to boil, keep up. Pad and notepad in the kitchen. Keep it if you wait a lot of time in lines in cars. Right. And pick, you know, who knows what.

We all have certain downtime during the day. 

Sam Horton (2): Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 

Susan Hensley: And instead of what most people do these days with the downtime is they grab their phone. Yeah. And scroll. Right. I, so I sort of try and get a replacement. [00:28:00] If you don't have the 10 minutes in the morning for like, replace one of those times that you might grab the phone and just.

Doodle right. For a few minutes and compare, start comparing how you feel. 

Sam Horton (3): Mm-hmm. Like 

Susan Hensley: how you feel after you've scrolled versus how you feel after you've scribbled. 

Sam Horton: Yeah. And you know, I think people learn to value and prioritize it more as they go along that journey. The more that you do those small things right, and the more that you give yourself permission to.

Get stuck into it, then the more you learn to value and prioritize it. Would you agree with that? 

Susan Hensley: Absolutely. Yeah. It's, it's self-fulfilling and it's also why I, I really encourage people to praise themself, right? Because, because we're tapping into play and what I call the, the inner child artist that reinforcing self.

And, and what you're reinforcing is that you took a few minutes to play, you're not mm-hmm. Once again reinforcing you [00:29:00] made a beautiful thing you can admire. It's like. Because it was fun. You've created it, and sometimes it's just fun to see what we create. But I, I try and really build that in because once again, that helps to reinforce the, the habit, right?

You're just trying to build a, a habit. If you know your listeners or people are finding, it speaks to them. 

Sam Horton: Yeah, I mean, one of my angles is really that when we understand, that the creative journey and that permission to be creative, and to, you know, value and prioritize our, our creative selves, when we understand that that kind of, Operates in duality with our spiritual, you know, selves as well, and that they, the two things actually mirror each other and feed each other. You know, when we understand that, it's much easier to lean into it and to say, right, well this is important for me because there's a bigger picture here. and there's kind of, you know, my.

My own personal growth and [00:30:00] my own spiritual expansion to feed and support as, as I enter that creative space. What are your thoughts around that concept? 

Susan Hensley: Uh, once again, I, I love the way you've expressed it and how you've expressed the, the duality there because. 

Sam Horton (2): Uh, 

Susan Hensley: different things drive people to, to repeat a, a habit.

And I do think for, for spiritual seekers, and it's what I found and how I've sort of built art journaling in general into my mm-hmm. My practice. It is that reinforcing concept that it is a spiritual connection and like I said, life force wanting to create and wanting to come through me and me to connect with it is what it feels like.

So it feels sacred. Yeah. It feels holy. and that's where I, I think as a tool, if you will, as a modality, it can meet people where they are. Right. It can, at its, [00:31:00] I don't, won't say lowest at its entry point. It's a great stress reducer. Mm-hmm. 

Sam Horton (3): Yeah. 

Susan Hensley: Right at, it's what I find most sacred point. You know, you're talking and co-creating with the divine, you know, you're, 

Sam Horton (2): yeah.

Susan Hensley: You're in touch and I feel like I'm getting 

Sam Horton (2): mm-hmm. 

Susan Hensley: Guidance. 

Sam Horton (2): Mm-hmm. 

Susan Hensley: And I'm manifesting. Right. It's, it's this interesting two-way street. Nothing specific. When I say I'm also. Manifest 'cause I'm feeling Yeah. Connection and I'm, I'm giving back. I've had a lot of people ask me, this is interesting aside, is it a vision board?

or is it a scrapbook? And the way I'm using it, it's neither. But what I, what I, it could be recognize is in terms of are there days that I'm creating, that I'm working through something or I'm. Inadvertently dreaming and I'll, I'll go back to, there was this period where I had all these people on [00:32:00] cliffs.

I was doing a lot of collaging, and who knew there were so many pictures of people standing on cliffs, but I found every single one of them, and it was, it wasn't me saying, I went to take a leap. I want to. Quit my job. I wanna feel like I'm jumping off into the unknown. There was not that conscious thought.

I was drawn to those pictures over and over again, and the words were coming. So it was a sub subconscious. It was a spiritual vision or manifestation coming to me more than me saying the other. Now is entirely possible. When I collage, I see a beautiful. Sunrise or a, a hill or I'm drawing a hill and I draw a person on top of it that I'm wanting to feel right.

So I, I think there's this. I use the phrase co-creation quite a bit, but it, it's not, when I look at the, the vision boarding exercises, it's sort of like once a year or once every six months, and it's very [00:33:00] much, this is what I want to achieve or bring to my life. Right. There's a component and you could u you could certainly use it like that.

You could use it to reflect, I sort of use it more in the, the real time. 

Sam Horton: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So then specifically, you know, in terms of using art journaling, you know, to unlock that spiritual side of our US and that spiritual practice, you know, how do we do that? 

Susan Hensley: So I think what, so I've found with so much spiritual practice, the intention setting is really helpful.

Yeah. And lots of times I will, and different things speak to different, but like. For highest good, for all available, what are the message? Right. So I will have, uh, and lots of times I've come out of meditation and, and an intention to be open. Mm-hmm. To be present, to see. Mm-hmm. But also the intention. [00:34:00] Uh, and lots of times I may have meditated on on peace.

I may have done sort of a, a meta loving compassion meditation. Those are where I like to spend time. So I will have many times an intention if that's how I'm coming to it, just to see what emerges. Sure.so I will set some attention and see what emerges. I've also found. So many times, and this is powerful, and it's the reverse when there's fear that keeps coming up versus pushing it down.

Sam Horton (2): Mm-hmm. 

Susan Hensley: How quickly, when we're working with fear, with colors and symbols, love comes underneath it. And it's like, uh, I view it as that spiritual reassurance of connection and, presence and it's very supportive process that working through something, there's, there's, like I said, many cases, a lot of fear [00:35:00] or anger.

There's a lot. And then under it, all of a sudden I'll start to choose. Colors. That to me are love universality connection. And it, it, it merges in that sense. And I honestly, I'm quite awestruck and I've been at this for years, that it never ceases to make me feel grateful. Mm-hmm. And like I'm in the.

Presence of, uh, you know, a miracle or something that's awe worthy and, uh, worthy of, of gratitude and connection. 

Sam Horton: Hmm. So do most of the people that you work with, do they, identify as creative or are they kind of No. Discovering, being creative. 

Susan Hensley: Yeah. I would say I've yet to, well, a couple people have identified as creative and that's got its, can have its own set of [00:36:00] barriers.

Yeah. The vast majority of people do not identify as creative in workshops. I've had a few people who've had, it's really interesting, they've had formal training in a creative endeavor and we actually have to talk a lot about what play looks like for them and what's tapping. They have a lot of rules. I mean, it's interesting when anything.

Anything's a little blanket statement, but for most of the, you know, air quote creatives who've had formal training, who've made a living, there's a lot of rules. There's a lot of baggage and armor that starts to build up. Oh yeah. And. I mean it, it's very real. And many times if it's a workshop, I'll work with them separately and I'll say, okay, if it's not this, what does X look like?

What, where is that place of play and freedom going to reside if you happen to have gone to Art Artist Institute? Right? Mm-hmm. Because it really won't be, or they will say, you know, it's in this medium, it's in picking up the [00:37:00] drums again. It's in. And so I have actually. Found like smaller subset that would, you would say are, are creatives, but uh, it really, in working with them one-on-one, we try, I try and find something that gets at the same connection.

Sam Horton (3): Yeah. 

Susan Hensley: And sense of play without all the expectations and learnings that has gone on in their professional pursuit of their talent. 

Sam Horton: Yeah. Interesting. I mean, for me personally, I feel like I'm actually shifting into working more with creative people, you know, and understanding that that's who I attract, not necessarily people that are.

Discovering creativity for the first time. Interesting. which is an interesting thing because I think, like you said, they do come with a different set of, you know, frustrations, blocks, barriers, you know? Yeah. What have you, problems. and part of that is, you know, the customization and the personalization around it, right?

[00:38:00] Because yeah, we're all on our own. We're all on our own journey with it. And a lot of the time I think that it's actually about, this connection to the spiritual side, and understanding the power of using your creative practice to tap into that, but also just generally in terms of finding, a new way of looking at your creative practice in terms of meaning and insight and, like the personal attachment to it, you know, rather than.

It just being for the sake of it. I think we move past that even though the main reason I I create myself today is because of the process like you've described. Yeah. Like it's not about the artwork necessarily. I mean, I do have attachment to the way things look, but at the same time it's, I mainly show up just for the process because it's so powerful as a connector to that spiritual side of ourselves.

So, I think that's really interesting, you know, in terms of where people start on that creative journey, then that really is really fascinating. [00:39:00] So, if people do wanna start an art journaling practice and they're, you know, they, they need to overcome a few things, I'm assuming in terms of, you know, not being good enough to start not being creative, you know, knowing where to start, how do they get started?

What's the simplest way to get started? 

Susan Hensley: The very simplest way and is what I described earlier. I, I would go out if you don't have it, and I'd buy a very small pack of crayons, inexpensive. Mm-hmm. And so there's a real key for people who are coming at this in the way I've described, where you're staying in, in process, not in, in output.

and I think there may be a point where people do move to output, but as, as, as we've talked about it today, it's all about discovery. So if you don't have any of that at home, you don't have. Kids get yourself, you know, I mean eight or 12 pack. I'm not talking about 64 crayons here. Small, I mean really small, small pack or whatever you loved as a kid.

If you love the pasty glue, do that and find a few, you know, junk mail catalogs or if [00:40:00] there's magazine laying around or old greeting cards. Something you can collage with. Just take a notebook or it can be a blank page of paper. I use a blank notebook, just like a written journal. You know my written journal is lines in it.

I use the same size five by seven. It's blank. I like the inexpensive watercolors 'cause they're messy, they dry differently. You're always sort of surprised how they dry, but find what you love. Do not spend any real money and just. Start with the, the plane. Like I said, give it three minutes in a song.

If you are, like I said, if you're stuck, there's a free PDF on the website. You can do, I also have a video with four exercises, but try the exercise I described. You just fill a sheet of paper, but then start to pay attention to how you feel. How do I feel before? How do I feel after? What does it feel like if I doodle what I love to draw as a kid?

It's interesting if you say to someone, what was your go-to drawing when you were a little kid? Almost everyone I've, once again, I haven't met someone that doesn't have something. Now, [00:41:00] some people it's shaped. Some people it's cars, trees, mountain suns, hearts, bunnies, cats. I mean it, it's really interesting when you ask people like.

Was there a shape or symbol you drew over and over again, like on books or binders and most people have one, you know? Yeah. And, you know, there's an exercise of draw that for four minutes. Mm-hmm. Once again, fill a page. So it's just getting them used to the feeling of creating, playing with color, and then seeing where it goes.

So I, I try and once again, make it as. Low barrier, low risk, all about fun and paying attention to how they felt during it and after. 

Sam Horton: Yeah. So important. That reflection piece is really powerful, isn't it? You know? Yeah. The, the, the reflection piece is key to getting head started. Yeah. And even just sort of staring at it, you know, getting a cup of your favorite drink and just sitting there and looking at [00:42:00] it, you know, because it will kind of give you over time, it gives you more and more, I think, you know, when you look at something that you've created.

Do you agree with that? 

Susan Hensley: Absolutely. 

Sam Horton: Yeah. 

Susan Hensley: It's. It's so interesting to flip back through that, the journal pages. And once again, that's where I find so much of the insights and wisdom about how resilient we are, how far we've come, how we are encouraging ourself, right? Mm-hmm. Uh, our spirit is encouraging us, and that's why it's nice to build a habit so that you do start to have pages where eventually those, you know, those ideas are flowing and you're really tapping into to that aspect of yourself.

Sam Horton: So tell us a bit about, your art journaling practice and how it's changed over time.

You know, what did it look like at the very beginning versus what it looks like now? Interesting. 

Susan Hensley: it. It resembles what I did at the beginning. Mm-hmm. But the big change, which is so interesting, is my faith in it. How [00:43:00] quickly I feel like I get messages, how quickly I see patterns, how I go to it with such.

Okay. Confidence. So I am, I'm what changed? Mm-hmm. Sometimes I'll change up mediums. I have very intentionally kept with very inexpensive materials. dear, dear friend of mine, gosh, this is probably four or five years ago, gave me some beautiful, she knew what I was doing. Bought me beautiful paints, but very pigmented and a gorgeous journal with a leather cover, blah, blah.

And it brought out that critic in me. Yeah. It made me feel wasteful. It made me, I immediate, like, I don't have the talent to do this. I was trying to draw a heart with this beautifully pigmented thing, and it's like, why? Why would I, so. I've made some decisions along the way. Okay. For me. 

Sam Horton: Yeah. 

Susan Hensley: And, and personal and I, I tell per people, you are going to be your own guide.

Right. I'm, I'm creating a structure for [00:44:00] you. I'm explaining sort of the why and, and how that, you know, if you wanna go to other materials Yeah. And 

Sam Horton (3): build 

Susan Hensley: skills. I have found. Uh, for me and my journey, I've stayed in the children's department, very, very inexpensive. Mm-hmm. Materials I'll go to, sometimes thicker paints.

Mm-hmm. Different kind of glues. Sometimes I'm more drawn to certain things, but the big change over the eight, nine years is really internal. It's, I go to it now with a, a sense of confidence with, communion. Almost, you know, we've, we've talked about the, the spirituality. I know this isn't something I'm doing to a page.

It's something that's coming and greeting. Yeah. Greeting me and embracing me. So there's a trust 

Sam Horton: there. I'm assuming. A trust. Yeah. You know, you know, no matter what happens, it's gonna be okay. Yeah. 

Susan Hensley: Yeah. So that's, that's how I've really come to it, [00:45:00] that, yeah, I am, uh, different. 

Sam Horton: Yeah. That's, that's so powerful.

So,for all the women out there then who are curious about starting an art journaling practice, you know, to support their spiritual journey, what powerful message would you like to leave them with today? Yeah. 

Susan Hensley: I truly believe play and color connects us to soul, period. I did not understand that. Being a lifelong seeker until I started using play in color and I found the connection to soul and to spirit.

Mm-hmm. Almost instantaneous. So yeah. That's why so powerful. Love that, 

Sam Horton: Susan. So good. So how can people get to know you better, Susan, and get a real feel for the work that you are doing? 

Susan Hensley: Uh, easiest way is really my website, like [00:46:00] it's just susan-hensley.com. and I said there's free PDF, there's online training, there's book, there's, you know, uh, just resources.

I answer any messages if you do contact me. So very open to discuss this. It feels like, Something that can really help people. And so I try and and share it with the same open spirit that I, I feel when I art journal. 

Sam Horton: Yeah. That's so beautiful. Thank you so much for coming and chatting with me today. I loved our conversation.

Thank you so much. Oh, 

Susan Hensley: me too. It was terrific. Thank you for having me.