Nourishing Intentions and Inner Child with Gentle, Artful Practiceby Angie PetrieAs the new year quietly tiptoes into our lives, it’s tempting to rush forward with bold, sweeping resolutions. Yet, the tenderest beginnings often bloom from the smallest seeds, sown with patience and care. In my work as a creative arts counsellor, I invite you to imagine January not as a race, but as the soft, fertile ground of a winter garden, waiting for your gentle touch. Creative exploration, maybe even speaking forgiveness over yourself out loud, not for others to hear, just for you to declare. This can be especially powerful when it’s guided by inner child wisdom, checking in with the youngest part of yourself and offering nurturing compassion. This choice to action forgiveness to self can help support new roots to take hold and flourish, one declaration at a time. If you feel better writing something down, then journaling may be your thing. There are apps you can write your entries into, like Rosebud. 

Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Gentle Beginnings

 Think of your mind and heart as a winter garden, peaceful yet brimming with potential. Instead of pushing yourself into rigid goals, allow yourself to notice the tiny stirrings of hope and curiosity within you. Creative journaling provides a gentle, forgiving space where these seeds can be sown without judgement. This is not about perfection; it’s about presence. Each word, doodle, or brush of colour is a way of tending to your inner landscape, preparing it for slow, sustainable growth. 

Visualising Your Seed: An Invitation to Imagination

 To begin, close your eyes and imagine that you hold a seed in your palm. This seed is not yet a resolution or a finished plan; it is simply an idea, a wish, or a feeling that wants to be explored. What does it look like? Is it round and smooth, or wild and spiky? Is it a soft hue of green, a burst of gold, or perhaps an unexpected shade altogether? Let your inner child lead the way; children know best how to see magic in the smallest things. Now, open your journal, gather your pens, pencils, or watercolours, and draw this seed. Don’t worry about technique or outcome; focus instead on curiosity and play. Label your seed if you wish: “Curiosity,” “Rest,” “Joy,” “Courage,” or any word that speaks to what you hope to nurture in yourself this year. Surround your drawing with gentle affirmations, as if whispering encouragement to your seedling: “You are welcome here.” “It’s safe to grow slowly.” “Even small things matter.” 

Nourishing Your Seed: Journaling Prompts and Playful Exercises

• Seed Storytelling: Write a short story or poem from the perspective of your seed. Where did it come from? What does it dream of becoming? What warmth, rain, or support does it need to sprout?
• Inner Child Letter: Invite your younger self to meet this seed. Ask your inner child what they would do to help it grow; perhaps they’d sing to it, paint it a rainbow, or tuck it gently under soft earth. Write or draw this interaction in your journal.
• Garden Collage: Cut out images, colours, or words from magazines that represent the environment you wish to create for your seed. Paste these around your seed drawing, making a visual “garden” of support and inspiration.
• Growth Timeline: On a fresh page, sketch a timeline with stops for “watering” (self-care), “sunshine” (joyful moments), and “weeding” (letting go of what no longer serves). Mark small milestones to celebrate, no matter how tiny.
• Weekly Check-ins: Schedule regular moments to revisit your seed, drawing how it might have changed. Has a sprout appeared? Do roots reach deeper? Invite your inner child to doodle new developments alongside your reflections.

The Healing Power of Play: Inner Child Guidance

 One of the most healing gifts of creative journaling is the opportunity to reconnect with your inner child, the playful, curious, and gentle part of you that delights in discovery. When you approach journal pages with the spirit of adventure rather than expectation, you allow yourself to play, experiment, and forgive mistakes. Try drawing with your non-dominant hand, scribbling wildly, or even adding stickers and glitter if it brings you joy. That’s the important bit, IF it brings you joy, the difficulty is allowing yourself the freedom to let your inner child play and enjoy the process rather than the result. The goal is not to create a masterpiece, but to create a sense of wonder and safety in exploring what might grow. 

From Seed to Bloom: Trusting the Process

 Just as seeds need darkness and rest before they break through the soil, your intentions may require time, gentle attention, and patience. Trust that what you nurture will find its own way to flourish, in its own season. Celebrate the invisible work of roots growing deep, of resilience quietly strengthening beneath the surface. Remind yourself, and your inner child, that slow growth is still growth. 

Welcoming the Year with Compassionate Creativity

This January, resist the urge for dramatic transformation. Instead, gather your journal and your inner child, and plant the first seeds of intention with creativity and kindness. Honour small beginnings, playful exploration, and the quiet magic of possibility. As the months unfold, return often to your winter garden, tending gently to whatever wishes to grow. In this way, you may find that the year ahead blossoms not from pressure, but from a foundation of self-compassion, creativity, and the enduring wisdom of your own heart.