Category: Reflection

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Reflection, Self-Care, Self-Talk

Exploring Creativity: How do you use creativity to support your health?

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

How do you use creativity to support your health needs?

Hi friends! ⭐

Let’s continue this reflection series by exploring how creativity shows up in our lives.

Growing up, I loved to write, but it was mostly something I did for school rather than as a hobby. Reading and writing were always my favorite subjects. Even though I was often criticized for not knowing “proper” grammar, I still found joy in expressing myself through words. I also majored in vocal performance in middle and high school and joined a choir in college. Creativity was always orbiting me in some shape or form.

It wasn’t until college and beyond that I began actively using art, writing, personal storytelling, and public speaking as grounding tools—to improve my mood, reflect on my symptoms, and build community.

What are some ways you use creativity in your health journey? How does creativity support you or your symptoms? What creative practices help you cope or care for yourself?

You can also find this post in The Pencil Case on The Mighty here.

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Reflection, Self-Care, The Pencil Case on The Mighty

Exploring Creativity: What does creativity mean to you?

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

What does creativity mean to you?

It’s a new year, and one of the words I want to guide me this year is creativity—because of how important it is to me. I want to talk more about it, explore it together, and learn how others experience creativity in their own lives.

For me, creativity is who I am. It’s how I get to know myself—my consciousness, my imagination, the way I connect to my intuition, and how I understand and navigate the world in my body. I see creativity everywhere.

What are your thoughts? What does creativity mean to you?

You can also find this post in The Pencil Case on The Mighty here.

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Reflection, Self-Care

Moving On: 2025 Closing Thoughts

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

What’s something you’re moving on from?

Reaching December always stirs up a lot of thoughts for me. As I write this, I’m imagining myself sitting under the moonlight with the year’s lessons rolling past me like movie credits. One thing that keeps coming up is what I want to move on from.

I want to move on from the version of me that holds too tightly to experiences that hurt. I’m ready to let them go now. I want to learn what I need to learn — and then let go just as gracefully.

What’s something you want to move on from or let go of?

You can also find this post on The Mighty here.

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Reflection, Self-Care, The Mighty

A Poem About a Core Memory: The Tears That Shaped Me

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Write a free verse reflection poem about a core memory.

A “core memory” (a phrase popularized in part by the 2015 movie Inside Out) is a significant moment or experience that stays with you and shapes you in some way. Core memories often connect to strong emotions — joy, fear, love, embarrassment, pride, belonging — and become experiences you can recall clearly even years later. They might be impactful conversations, milestones, turning points, once-in-a-lifetime adventures, difficult truths, important relationships, “firsts,” flashes of clarity, or life lessons.

Here is my poem:

The Tears that Shaped Me

The hallway glowed a bright yellow.
It was dark outside,
and I carried a faint excitement
that maybe it would be a good night for me.

My long dress — my favorite color — that exact shade of sky blue you see at noon on a cloudless June day with a soft, warm breeze.

Only then did I realize
I had no idea how to move in this space, how to belong here.

I walked into the lunchroom,
strange and unfamiliar in its new arrangement.
I missed my mom the moment she slipped away, leaving as quickly as she arrived.

Two hours, then three.
I watched, a puzzle piece that didn’t fit, a quiet spectator taking notes, seeing everything through a microscope.

I wasn’t “picked” that night.
Invisible.

A dance — a tiny stamp of approval — was nowhere for me.
This chapter of my life ended right then, ushering in a transition I didn’t ask for.

Was I even there?
Did it even happen?

Tears soaked the dress
until it became its own rainy day.
My chest tightened.
Regret and sadness painted my heart in black, burgundy, and navy blue. The sunny June afternoon turned into a December midnight storm —
cold and unwelcoming.

The unchosen.
A title I still carry,
a backpack glued to my shoulders.

Share your poem below. 📜

You can also find this post in the Mighty Poets group on The Mighty here.

Posted in Creative Writing, Mental Health, Reflection, Self-Care

Just a Poem I Wrote…

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

The Weight I Carry

For a long time,
I wondered why I compared myself to others so often—
both consciously and unconsciously—
questioning whether I was falling behind, and if I would ever catch up.

I would look around
and find myself alone—
the only one,
a spectator
watching as I could no longer see the silhouette
of those who seemed
so far ahead of me. I’m at the bottom of the hill.

I now realize and acknowledge:
this is what grief feels like for me. Something I’ve been carrying for a long, long time—
a weighted blanket
that’s become part of my body.
No one sees it,
but I feel it.

Today, I allow myself to feel sad.
It’s OK to feel sad today.
I give myself grace.
I don’t push my feelings aside,
or try to force positivity.
I feel my emotions—
and let them pass through.
They deserve space, too.

Posted in Confessions, Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Love, Reflection, Self-Talk, The Mighty

A Message to My Inner Teen

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Write a message to your teenage self about a lesson or truth you’ve learned that you didn’t know back then.

Something I find helpful for understanding the shame and grief I carry is writing messages, notes, and letters to my younger self — whether that’s my inner child or my inner teen. These are parts of me that endured so much and didn’t know how to cope with those intense experiences at the time.

Lately, I’ve been connecting with my inner teenager and allowing her to finally feel everything she wasn’t allowed to back then. I’ve noticed how angry, crushed, and betrayed she still feels from all the things she wished she could experience but couldn’t, and how much she wasn’t able to process or release because she didn’t understand what was happening.

Here is my message to her today:

Dear teen Nina,

It’s OK to feel every emotion coming up right now — anger, resentment, shame, frustration, betrayal. I know those feelings are scary for you. You don’t have to perform anymore or try to be perfect for everyone around you. It’s OK to make mistakes; that doesn’t make you a bad person. You deserve to be loved and accepted every day without having to do anything to earn it. You can move slowly and take your time — no one is pressuring you anymore. You are free to be your wonderful and beautiful self.

Oh, and one more thing: other people’s suffering or struggles are not your fault. You are not responsible for their emotions or reactions.

I love you, and I’m here whenever you need me.

— Adult Nina (sparklywartanks)

Also find this prompt in the No Shame group on The Mighty here.

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Other Accomplishments, Reflection, Self-Care

2 Wins!

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks


1. I wouldn’t call these “business” cards since I don’t see what I do as a business. Instead, I’ve designed and ordered my new connection-to-community cards! Yay SparklyWarTanks! 🥰


2. I finally sat down to write in my journal. I didn’t expect to write so much, but I’m glad I could let go of everything I’d been holding in. I feel so much lighter now! 🌻

I did that! 😌

Posted in Love, Mental Health, Potential and Worth, Reflection, Self-Care

My Words of 2025: Love and Freedom

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

It’s taken me some time to gather these thoughts, mostly because energy and motivation have been hard to come by these days. Sometimes, I wish there were an easier way to collect all the ingredients needed to create my best work. That, plus the procrastination and perfectionist blocks that make me feel like I have to know exactly what I’m going to write before I even start. And yet, here I am, still not 100% sure what I want to say.

2025 has already been overwhelming. The world is in pain, and there’s so much fear in our collective energy. As for me, I haven’t been feeling well. The problem solver in me wants to make everything better—for both myself and others—but I’ve been feeling lost and out of control.

A few weekends ago, I facilitated my first expressive arts workshop of 2025. One of the activities involved writing a series of personal notes reflecting on our values, what’s important to us, the habits that benefit us, and what we will let go of this year. In my notes, I wrote down my words and phrase for the year: my words being love and freedom, and my phrase being “I’m not doing that.”

This year, I want to take back my energy from the spirals of negativity I often find myself in and explore what it feels like to let go of the expectation of failure and missing out. I want to let love in—and even though I’m scared—be willing to work through the discomfort of change because I deserve to experience something different from what I’m used to. I want to feel free enough that making mistakes or feeling embarrassed doesn’t make me a bad person. I want to be able to make choices that are right for me and not feel guilty when I say no or set boundaries that keep me safe.

These are my intentions for the year. As I begin to feel better and safer expressing and receiving love while navigating freedom, I hope to find others who are doing the same for themselves.

Well that’s what I have for now. Thank you for reading. 💌

Posted in Keep Moving: Motivation and Inspiration, Mental Health, Reflection, Self-Care, The Mighty, The Pencil Case on The Mighty

Pencil Case Prompts: Moments of Relief

Posted on by SparklyWarTanks

Share a moment where you experienced relief.

I’ll be honest 😔, I haven’t been feeling the greatest. Navigating life has been weighing on me and I would really like to catch a break. I haven’t written anything in a long time, so I’d like to reflect with my sparkly fam today 🩷.

For our reflection, let’s explore the moments where we’ve experienced relief (even if only temporarily). What does relief feel like to you? What makes those moments important?

For me, I’ve experienced relief when I don’t have as many responsibilities and I can sit in my room and relax. Knowing I can prioritize my self-care helps me to feel more free in myself.

Share your moments below 💌!

You can also find this prompt in The Pencil Case on The Mighty here.