My name is Margaret Alvarez, I am an artist, art teacher and creativity coach. I am from Houston, Texas. That is where I still live with my husband and 8-year-old son. 

 I have been an artist ever since I could hold a pencil. I attended the High School for The Performing and Visual Arts in Houston and that is where I started using art journals. I Graduated with a Bachelors and a master's and I am currently teaching kindergarten-8th grade art in a private school. I have been teaching for 15 years. 

I am beyond passionate about art! It is who I am. I love being creative and sharing this with my students and my clients. During the pandemic, I started My Artsy Coach. Along with being a full-time art teacher, I am a creativity coach who teaches people to combine creativity and mindfulness. I bring my experience as an artist and teacher, but I am also very interested in practicing mindfulness. I especially love teaching the benefits of both creativity and mindfulness combined. It brings me so much joy!

I struggle with stress and anxiety. This started when I became an adult. I started to realize that “adulting” caused major anxiety. All the responsibilities and uncertainty was hard to cope with at times. When I was young, I used my art journal to cope.

As I got older, I started doing a bit of research on happiness. I got really into universal laws, spirituality, and self-help books. I would watch or read anything that I thought would help me. The one common denominator was “gratitude”. No matter what, gratitude was almost always mentioned. So about ten years ago, I started using my art journal as a gratitude art journal. 

I would set the intention on the first page of my art journal. A letter to myself to use my art journal specifically for my gratitude and art.  When I feel anxious, worried, or frustrated, that is when I would go for my journal. I would draw, paint, collage, or write. I started this ten years ago!

Anxiety happens often. I get lost in my thoughts and now that I have a family and even more responsibility using my gratitude art journal is what I do to cope. I work in my journal weekly, sometimes more if I have a lot going on. 

When I embraced gratitude, my whole life changed. Gratitude is the one thing that always brings me back to the present moment. It helps me worry less and feel less anxious. I didn’t know how significant my gratitude art journal was till years later. When the pandemic happened and my anxiety was high once again, I decided to share my ideas. This is when My Artsy Coach was born. I knew that everyone was on edge, and I wanted to help. It felt like divine timing! I wanted to share this practice and become a creativity coach.

I think that prioritizing my happiness as a young adult was a good starting point for me. I did the research and tried to discover what it was that would make me a happier person. I think in general; people forget about themselves a bit. I now make it my priority to teach people how to use gratitude, creativity, and mindfulness. This is just another tool to achieve peace and happiness and channel stress and anxiety into a creative flow. This is self-care.

 As the new week starts, its good to take time and pause. Think for a minute. Are you living consciuosly or just surviving, "going with the flow". There are times when "going with the flow" is necessary but living in that state most of the time can be detrimental. 

To help you stop and puase here is an article stractured as a journaling prompt to help you figure out two main things 1) What is really important and 2)how to get it done.

Lets get into it.

Step 1: Reflect on Your Priorities Take a moment to reflect on your long-term goals and values. What are the most important things in your life right now? Consider your personal, professional, and health-related priorities. Write down at least three priorities that you want to focus on this week.

Step 2: Set Clear Goals Now, let's break down your priorities into specific, achievable goals for the week. What steps can you take to make progress toward your priorities? Be specific and realistic in setting your goals.

Priority 1:

• Goal 1:
• Goal 2:
• Goal 3:

Priority 2:

• Goal 1:
• Goal 2:
• Goal 3:

Priority 3:

• Goal 1:
• Goal 2:
• Goal 3:

Step 3: Organize Your Time Create a weekly schedule by allocating time blocks to your goals and priorities. Consider how much time each goal requires and how you can fit these tasks into your daily routine. Be sure to include time for self-care and relaxation.

Monday:

• Morning:
• Afternoon:
• Evening:

Tuesday:

• Morning:
• Afternoon:
• Evening:

Wednesday:

• Morning:
• Afternoon:
• Evening:

Thursday:

• Morning:
• Afternoon:
• Evening:

Friday:

• Morning:
• Afternoon:
• Evening:

Saturday:

• Morning:
• Afternoon:
• Evening:

Sunday:

• Morning:
• Afternoon:
• Evening:

Step 4: Weekly Tasks and Errands List any weekly tasks, errands, or chores you need to complete. These can include grocery shopping, laundry, or checking in with a friend. Allocate time for these in your schedule.

Step 5: Self-Care and Well-being Don't forget to prioritize self-care and well-being. What activities make you feel rejuvenated and balanced? Schedule these into your week as well. This could include exercise, meditation, reading, or simply relaxing.

Step 6: Reflect on Potential Challenges Anticipate any challenges or obstacles that might arise during the week. How can you prepare for them or adjust your schedule if necessary?

Step 7: Gratitude and Affirmations End your journaling session on a positive note by expressing gratitude and setting affirmations for the week. Write down three things you're grateful for and three positive affirmations to boost your motivation and confidence.

Gratitude: 1.

Affirmations: 1.

Congratulations! You've successfully planned out your week, ensuring that your priorities, goals, and well-being are all taken care of. Remember that flexibility is key, and it's okay to adjust your schedule as needed. Regularly reviewing your plan and making adjustments will help you stay on track and achieve your desired outcomes. Embrace the week ahead with confidence and determination.

Happy journaling!

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