Our theme for January is JOURNEY. It was chosen by our Muscat chapter in Oman and illustrated by Salim Al Salami.

Let’s go. Let’s get out there and see what the world has waiting for us.

By putting ourselves in a new environment or experience, we gain a different perspective. That sense of discovery sparks fresh inspiration. If your brain feels stuck, try moving your feet.

So, let’s travel somewhere we’ve never been. Either down the street or across a far-off border, there’s so many places to explore. Or we can take a metaphorical journey like unlocking personal growth in therapy, advancing on our career paths, or undergoing a spiritual awakening. Or we can enjoy a journey into imagination through a book, film, or other work of art.

As we travel through life, everyone you meet is at a different point in their own unique journey. Some of us know where we’re going. While other paths are full of twists, turns, and obstacles thrown in our way. The trick is to embrace the detours and delays. Because there are no shortcuts on a journey of self-discovery or creative expression.

Just please remember: you are not traveling alone.

INSPIRATION FROM OUR COMMUNITY:

Each month, we ask the readers of our Weekly Highlights newsletter to submit creative work inspired by our global theme.

Here are the featured submissions for January:

Hot Day on the Trail by Polly Thurston in Austin, Texas.

This is a painting done with oil bars, also known as oil sticks. It is of a beautiful mesa at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, and was inspired by a photo I took on a hike on a particularly hot day. The hike was a short journey that stuck with me and became this piece of art.

You can see more work on Polly’s instagram.

River of Recall by Herman Lau in Edmonton, Canada.

Winter here’s cold, and journeys become more difficult. This is a fantasy illustration depicting the resolve to still make our crossings and meetings.

Journeys Aren’t Straight Lines by Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill in New Haven, Connecticut.

You can see more work on Sheri ‘s site.

Navigating through the pandemic forced me to start thinking about my own path—as a designer, artist, business owner, and human. 2022, the year I made this quilt, was a year of personal and professional exploration. I designed this quilt, Journeys Aren’t Straight Lines, at the beginning of the year and spent most of the year hand piecing (English Paper Piecing) the blocks. While stitching this project at home and while traveling to various places, I meditated and thought about what directions might be in store for me next. While the quilt might be complete, the journey isn’t over.

Beijing Bound: A Foreigner Discovers China by Glen Loveland in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Beijing Bound, my memoir, is an exploration of the journey—not only the outward voyage to a new place, but the inner unfolding that arises through such a transition. This journey invites us to be present with the process, to observe the waves of emotional and personal growth that ripple through change. Through this movement, we discover not just a new location, but new dimensions of being.

You can find the book on the publisher’s site.

The Journey of Becoming Art of Freestyle Dance by Rohan Bhardwaj in Mumbai, India.

This article shows my dance journey from newbie to becoming art of freestyle dance.

You can read it and watch the videos on Rohan’s blog.

Emerging by Sarah Sherman Picking in Virginia Beach, Virgina.

This simple sketch expresses how I understand myself growing in relationship to those around me, and my changing self.

Back to heaven by Alena Aichlmanova in Prague, Czech Republic.

A drawing inspired by travelling to space as a way to get another look on our lives and this world. An inspiring journey.

Journey by Melissa Malm in Wilson, Wyoming.

Mixed media collage capturing the migration of birds, their annual journey marking our seasons with a fierce urgency to survive and procreate.

The Heroine’s Journey by Chrissy Charlton in Denver, Colorado.

This photo from the performance 'The Heroine’s Journey’, titled ‘Abandonment’, captures a pivotal moment of packing away a child’s art supplies—a symbol of stepping away from creativity and intuition. It marks the first phase of a larger journey, one that eventually leads to reclaiming and reintegrating these gifts as part of a fuller, more authentic self. Photo by Emil Alex.

Mumbai Local by Damini Rathore in Jaipur, India.

You can see more work on Damini’s site/instagram.

A fleeting moment of reverie. Journey as a daily routine for a person commuting through the Mumbai local. 
Photograph clicked in Mumbai, India / January 2020.

Want to see your creative work featured on our blog? Subscribe to our Weekly Highlight newsletter to find out when submissions for next month’s theme are open.