Galia-Notes

Welcome to my website: https://meredithhutton79.com

I've been slowly creating my new website, going over my written content until I get it just right, and finding eye-catching graphics that compliment my writing. Today I finally put the finishing touches on my write up announcing a new brand of products, Galia-Notes, while offering the same, solid fine art and cards I am known for. Here it is:

The Spark of Inspiration

Last summer, in June of 2023, I went to our local bookstore, unsure of what I was looking for, but hoping to find something interactive for me and my teenage daughter to do together. We were both struggling and I thought it would be something nice for us to do together. I'm a notebook and journal fanatic, and while browsing the selection, a mother-daughter guided journal caught my eye. The idea of creating a treasured keepsake together while strengthening our bond appealed to me, especially since we were both struggling at the time. I love doing projects with my kids and building positive memories. Eagerly, that afternoon, I began filling out the first page, unaware of the profound impact this journal would have on my life. It ignited a passion for journaling within me that I never knew existed.

Discovering the Power of Journaling

As I began, answering the prompts and questions, I discovered a love for the structure of this new to me journaling process. I began keeping a simple, daily journal in 2019 when I turned 40, but it was very basic. All it was was me writing down in point form what I did each day and with who. Just little tidbits of my day. I kept track of the art and cards I was working on, chores and what we had for dinner. Things like that. It lacked structure, and didn't prompt deep reflection, it was simply me itemizing what I did each day. This new journaling method I was beginning was different. It was different. I was answering questions and prompts that were about topics I’d either thought about lots, or not thought about at all, and I felt my distress begin to decrease when I was writing. I found the process calming and soothing. Writing down my thoughts added another element to my mindfulness routine and I wanted more of it.

The Journey to Daily Journaling

Fueled by my newfound passion, I went online to search for other guided journals. Turns out this is a popular self-care activity, and I had lots to choose from. I discovered two journals that interested me, and added many more to my wishlist. These first journals I ordered were: “Soul Therapy, A 365 day journal for self exploration, healing and reflection”, by Jacqueline Kademian, and “Burn After Writing” by Sharon Jones. I was stoked and pumped and could hardly wait for them to arrive.

With my new journals in hand, I quickly established a journaling routine where I set aside some time each day to ensure consistent daily writing. I found the process reassuring and calming, and the structured questions clicked with my brain’s need for order and routine. At the time I didn’t know that it would become so important and meaningful to me, and a crucial part of my recovery, emotional health, and wellbeing. I think it was a big part of what saw me through my mental breakdown last year.

Overcoming Adversity

Honestly, it couldn’t have come at a better time. Starting around New Year’s 2023, my struggles intensified to a point where I couldn’t cope. Two accidents, less than a year apart in 2008 and 2009, had left me with enduring physical pain and accumulating trauma. Year after year, trauma piled on trauma, and my pain was relentless. By 2023, the pain was unbearable, and despite my efforts to manage it, I eventually reached a breaking point. The pent-up emotional energy exploded into a severe mental breakdown. It was a long, traumatic ordeal, and I felt lost, overwhelmed, and unable to cope. What had worked for me in the past was no longer effective. My brain felt different, altered, from the years of trauma, and I existed day by day, adrift and distressed.

Around Christmas and New Year's, a shift occurred within me. The focus of 2024 became my journey to recovery, rebuilding my mental health, and building new personal and professional foundations. I felt the need to reinvent myself both personally and creatively, rebranding myself as meredithhutton79, an artist, creative person and writer.

The Healing Power of Journaling

In the midst of my breakdown, I became increasingly grateful for having started a formal journaling practice. Honestly, I believe the breakdown might have been even more severe without journaling as a structured outlet. Writing in guided journals provided a sense of calm amidst my fragile mental state, allowing me to begin processing the deeply rooted medical and physical trauma that had impacted my mental health.

I had endured multiple struggles. I had lived with chronic pain-related medical and physical trauma due to my chronic pain. I had undergone countless, excruciating and torturous medical procedures and treatments that left me sobbing and begging them to stop over and over. The thin walls meant my cries of anguish could be heard throughout the waiting room. I still tear up when I experience these intrusive thoughts and flashbacks about some of the most excruciating procedures I went through. Nerve blocks, nerve testing with electricity, dry needling my neck and back, dragging sharp objects down my legs, and scans where I reacted poorly to the dye used were just some of the traumatic procedures and treatments I had. The most harrowing experience was when a pain specialist subjected me to a nerve conduction test, by transmitting electrical currents through various points on my legs using a device resembling a miniature cattle prod. The ordeal was excruciating. I have never felt such intense pain, with the burning jolts and explosions of my nerves firing with each electrical zap, and they continued despite my pleas, ugly crying and begging them to stop.

In addition, I live with daily physical trauma as a consequence of my chronic pain. The reality is that every time I take a step or move my legs, searing, excruciating electrical jolts and sharp, stabbing pains shoot up my legs, and continue to shoot up my legs, in waves, radiating from my ankles up into my thighs. These constant fluctuations of excruciating pain are traumatizing, occurring all day, every day, and this leaves me exhausted. I was at my breaking point, both physically and mentally. I tend to internalize my pain, and don't often complain about it. However, I believe I did myself no favors suppressing my pain and not processing it effectively. Living with daily physical trauma for the past 15 years was a significant factor contributing to my breakdown. I believe writing in my journals saved me by helping me process the trauma and distress that had been building like a slow burn since my first accident in 2008. Falling into this hobby, almost accidently, was perfectly timed. I needed a healthy way to cope with the overabundance of traumas and this was one of the ways I thought would do that.

Rediscovering Creativity

As I recovered, I developed a deep passion for journaling, integrating it into my daily life. The practice helped me focus on the bigger picture of healing, and writing became therapeutic. To prioritize my mental health, I took a break from my art and card business and turned to coloring as a creative outlet. It required minimal decision-making, especially when using color-by-number books. Similar to journaling, coloring offered a meditative focus, allowing me to escape overwhelming pain. I enjoyed both activities for different reasons. Listening to meditations on my Apple Fitness+ or Balance apps while coloring or drawing became a favorite pastime. My brain craved calm, and responded well to the structure of guided thoughts, and the thought of running my business again felt overwhelming. My brain wasn't ready for anything beyond self-care and recovery.

As my recovery progressed, I felt renewed energy for my art and creativity. It was exciting to see my creative spark reignited. With improvements in my overall well-being, I felt ready to embark on a fresh start, redefining my artistic identity and product offerings. My passion for journaling and its benefits inspired me to create new products by upcycling my hand drawn cards into journals that reflected my current interests. I hoped to share the positive impact of journaling with others, especially those experiencing chronic pain.

The Birth of Galia-Notes

This brings me to my latest line of products, under the brand "Galia-Notes," born from a spontaneous afternoon project. I printed themed journaling pages and stationery from a British digital collage club I belong to, and stapled them together to create a small journal. As a self-proclaimed journal and notebook enthusiast, I'm always seeking creative writing vessels. This experience sparked an idea: producing handmade journals for local and online sales. The concept excited me, and reigniting my creativity, which I worried I’d lost. In my previous business, I created all-occasion art cards, fine art, and some crafts. Brainstorming led to the idea of using these cards and my artwork as journal covers, of which I will be printing and manufacturing myself, with my binding machine.

I also began coloring my "Galiano Island" coloring pages, created in 2022, for potential use on products like t-shirts, tote bags, cosmetic bags, stickers, pillow covers, home decor, prints, cards, and journal covers..etc. I’m known for not doing the same thing twice, and as such, most of my work, whether it be fine art or cards, ornaments or other crafts, are all one of a kind and one offs. With these created for the sole purpose of making prints, or putting them on other products, it left me with lots of options. With twelve images, they were perfect for my first "Galia-Notes" project: an undated wall calendar featuring the colored pages and a custom calendar grid I designed. I planned to purchase the equipment and supplies to print and bind these calendars myself to reduce costs. I also started printing the images on vinyl sticker printer paper. I have a professional grade printer, and I printed the images on both vinyl and holographic printer paper and then cut out by hand. "Galia-Notes" is a labor of love born from a challenging period in my life. I look forward to continuing my healing journey by creating handmade calendars, journals, notebooks, and planners featuring my artwork and cards. Embracing journaling naturally transformed my life, and I'm eager to share this passion with the world.

A Vision for the Future

What began as a simple search for a bonding activity with my daughter blossomed into a lifeline and helped me through a very rough period in my life. It had such a positive impact, that I was inspired to create a new business with new products and an online presence about the realities of living with chronic pain. This new business blends both my personal and creative passions and identities and is a labor of love. As I continue to heal and grow, both personally and creatively, I am filled with gratitude for the transformative power of journaling. It has been an unexpected source of solace, strength, and inspiration during some of the most challenging times in my life. Through Galia-Notes, I hope to share this transformative power with others, offering products that inspire self-expression, reflection, and well-being. I am excited to embark on this new chapter, fuelled by my passion for journaling, creativity and a renewed sense of purpose.