I first learned about a bliss book from Sylvia van Bruggen during a workshop at the Muse Online Writers Conference.
What is bliss? Complete happiness, undisturbed by gain or loss.
What is a Bliss Book? In simplicity: a book that makes you happy.
Whenever I feel my writing sucks, or am generally depressed, I can open my bliss book and bring on a smile. I have words of encouragement about my writing, quotes, lists of favorite things, and I’m always on the lookout for pictures to clip from magazines.
The most important rule is no negativity allowed.
Creating Your Own Bliss Book
- Make or buy a pretty journal or notebook. I use a lovely illustrated fairy journal.
- Write up a purpose page. What do you want from this book? Here’s what I wrote in mine: Fears have no power here. My bliss book is my quiet place. A way to center myself and find my muse. Smile. Play Be Free. Free my muse; free my writing; free me from doubt and fear; free me from burdens that I may fly.
- Add something regularly. Anything that makes you happy. Ideas: lists, pictures, doodles, quotes, stickers, poems, mantras
- Open your book! When you’re in a slump, or forget your motivations for doing what you love (whether that be writing, or parenting, or running). Read it front to back, or open to a random page. Let it inspire you once more.
You can expand this idea of bliss into other forms. A bliss box, a bliss room. Anything or anywhere filled with things that inspire and lift you up.
In honor of the recently celebrated Thanksgiving here in the U.S.A., I’m starting a new page in my bliss book. A Gratitude Page. Anytime I lose sight of the good things in life, sucked down in negativity, I can search for something to add to this page. There is ALWAYS something to be grateful for, even in our darkest hours.
Next time on Mary’s Expression: The Poetry of Pink.
annewestlund
feywriter
lin52
Margaret Fieland
Margaret
Michele
Poetic Muselings 
Comments on: "Bliss and Gratitude" (4)
I want a Bliss Book! Maybe something to start when I can’t sleep…
I love your Bliss Book Idea, “Fear has no power here.” I so agree! Writing just comes easy for me but I know many do not have that.
[…] box, it freed me to use it as inspiration, a tool of my own expression. I have an entire page in my bliss book dedicated to pink. A reminder to own pink, what the color means to me, and some fun pink stickers […]
[…] from the book on their website. I devoured all seventeen sample pages, and filled up a page in my bliss book with quotes and inspirations from that alone. I was sold, and bought the book next chance I […]