KAREN WALROND :: CHOOKOOLOONKS
Welcome about coach speaker author fees events blog ecourses ebooks podcast photographer free resources search
Welcomeaboutcoachspeakerauthorfeeseventsblogecoursesebookspodcastphotographerfree resourcessearch
KAREN WALROND :: CHOOKOOLOONKS
leadership consultant • speaker • author • quiet activism champion

 c h o o k o o l o o n k s

a journal about making light by karen walrond

orchids.jpg
make light, season 3, episode 11: make light by journaling
make light, season 3, episode 11: make light by journaling

How to get started journaling today.

Read More
the make light showKaren WalrondAugust 14, 2018Comment
the death of creativity, inspiration of friends, and the return to roots
the death of creativity, inspiration of friends, and the return to roots

It might be time to pick up my camera again.

Read More
random thoughtsKaren WalrondAugust 13, 2018 Comments
this was a good week
this was a good week

Featuring ethical fashion, out-of-focus paintings, and Bobby McFerrin’s kid.

Read More
this was a good weekKaren WalrondAugust 10, 2018Comment
make light, season 3, episode 10: fighting negative self-talk
make light, season 3, episode 10: fighting negative self-talk

Sick of that inner critic? Here’s how to shut her up.

Read More
the make light showKaren WalrondAugust 7, 2018Comment
camp counselor got jokes
camp counselor got jokes

No one likes a camp counsellor with a sense of humour, man.

Read More
scenes from the weekendKaren WalrondAugust 6, 2018 Comments
this was a good week
this was a good week

Featuring centenarian runners, child ukulele-players and the genius of love.

Read More
this was a good weekKaren WalrondAugust 3, 2018Comment
make light, season 3, episode 9: making light with self-care
make light, season 3, episode 9: making light with self-care

Self-care and self-compassion aren’t just for feeling good. They’re for fighting.

Read More
the make light showKaren WalrondJuly 31, 2018Comment
4 ways to beat the doldrums
4 ways to beat the doldrums

On how to light a fire under yourself, when all you want to do is stare into space.

Read More
random thoughtsKaren WalrondJuly 30, 2018Comment
this was a good week
this was a good week

Featuring felted art, ballpoint pen art and badass elephant-defenders.

Read More
this was a good weekKaren WalrondJuly 27, 2018Comment
make light, season 3, episode 8: make light when you hate your job
make light, season 3, episode 8: make light when you hate your job

Hating your job is the worst. Here’s how to make light, anyway.

Read More
the make light showKaren WalrondJuly 24, 2018Comment
grand cayman 2018
grand cayman 2018

We’re back from our quick holiday south. Here’s what it looked like.

Read More
travelKaren WalrondJuly 23, 2018 Comments
make light, season 3, episode 7: make light in friendship
make light, season 3, episode 7: make light in friendship

Friendships can be … complicated. Here’s how to uncomplicate them.

Read More
the make light showKaren WalrondJuly 17, 2018Comment
this was a good week
this was a good week

Featuring dogpiles, protest walks and summertime sounds.

Read More
this was a good weekKaren WalrondJuly 13, 2018 Comments
make light, season 3, episode 6: making light while vacationing
make light, season 3, episode 6: making light while vacationing

Vacations can be surprisingly stressful! Here’s how to make sure they’re not … with ways to add meaning to them, too.

Read More
the make light showKaren WalrondJuly 10, 2018Comment
on rising up
on rising up

They say the only way out is through. I think another way out is up.

Read More
random thoughts, make lightKaren WalrondJuly 9, 2018 Comments
this was a good week
this was a good week

Featuring talking trees, hyprrealism, and Chaka Khan.

Read More
this was a good weekKaren WalrondJuly 6, 2018Comment
Older
karen walrond,
. . . . . . .
words :: images
Hours

daily light

When Hurricane Harvey happened, and our city was devastated by the flooding, a common refrain about the recovery that lay ahead was “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” And intellectually, I knew this to be true, and smugly thought to myself: “I got this.” And I DID have this: I only cried once, about 3 weeks after the storm, but other than that, I steeled my spine, put my head down, and we got to it. I found an apartment for us to stay. We found a builder. We established routines quickly, so Alex could find her footing in her last year of middle school, and soar. And for the most part, it has all worked out great. But - and here’s the truthbomb - I’ve noticed lately that in all this movement forward, 2 weeks shy of one year later, I’m still dealing with the trauma of everything that happened. I look at photos of myself, and just by looking at my face without any other context, I can tell which images of me were captured before Harvey, and which were captured after. I’ve become sick and resentful of this apartment - intellectually, I understand that we’re lucky to have this space, but it has never felt anything but temporary for us, and as we’ve slowly collected furniture and other items for our new home, it has begun to feel like we’re living in a storage closet. The constant “are you back in your house yets” followed immediately by the “well just be patients” are starting to wear thin. So. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve tried to focus really hard on self-care — moving more, taking care of my skin, drinking tons of water, that sort of thing — and to some extent, it’s been helping. But Marcus, Alex and I are really just ready for this adventure to be over. Hopefully only a few more months to go.
A view of the Caribbean Sea - goodness, I miss it! Unrelated: any questions you’d like me to tackle on the #makelightshow? Leave them in the comments, or email me at karen@chookooloonks.com - I’d love to hear what’s on your mind!
Kraken rose?
A week ago, Marcus and I picked an arbitrary date to begin counting down when our home would be finished: October 31st. It’s a bit aggressive (our project manager promises we’ll be in by Thanksgiving, so it’s 3 weeks earlier than promised), and it’s completely possible we’ll miss the date, but we’re going with it anyway. Today is 91 days until October 31st. Also, on June 15th I cut all my hair off. There were several reasons I did this, but two big ones: first, I felt like I was starting to be known for my hair and not for me; but the bigger reason was that I felt like my hair had Hurricane Harvey juju in it, and I was tired of carrying that weight around. I may grow it back again - you never know - but for now, I’m relieved that I won’t be moving into our new home with any of Harvey’s remnants on me (that language sounds awkward to type, but it accurately represents how I feel). Finally, two weeks ago in Cayman, I celebrated my 51st birthday. So. Lots of changes now and ahead. But nowhere but up, baby. ✨ #makelight
InstagramFacebookPinterestTwitterLinkedIn

ALL CONTENT © 2008-2018 CHOOKOOLOONKS MEDIA LLC. UNLESS OTHERWISE DESIGNATED.
"WILDLY CONVINCED YOU'RE UNCOMMONLY BEAUTIFUL"  "LOOK FOR THE LIGHT" "make light" AND "CHOOKOOLOONKS" ARE ALL TRADEMARKS OF CHOOKOOLOONKS MEDIA LLC.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

 TERMS OF SERVICE, PRIVACY POLICY, FTC DISCLOSURE

join the make light community and receive a free ebook on finding your life's light!
join the make light community - opt-in to our email list, below!
Name *
Name
Enter the email where you'd like me to contact you. For the record, I'll only send you lovely things, only about once a month or so, and I'll never share your email with anyone. Also, you'll receive a download of my ebook, Field Notes: A Concise Guide for Finding your Life's Light. Bonus!

Thanks for being a part of the community!  As a token of appreciation, click here to download Field Notes:  A Concise Guide to Finding Your Life's Light.  This little ebook contains little tips and tricks that I use to curating a joy-full life.

May it bring light to your life, too.