Artist Spotlight: Reflect With Raksha

We are so excited to introduce a new interview series, featuring creators and influencers in the journaling community. Get inspired by their stories and learn about their creative process. 

This week, we are featuring Raksha and her business, Reflect with Raksha. She has a beautiful, calming aesthetic and shares great ideas that fuse bullet journaling, productivity and self care. Check out her Etsy shop to see her awesome bujo rulers & stencils! 

The C.S. interview questions are bold & italic. Raksha's responses are in the plain text below. Read on to learn more…

Reflect With Raksha Artist Bio

Raksha is a freelance creator on a mission to share tools for creative journalling and mental wellness. When she’s not busy creating content and products, you can find her exploring the great outdoors, curled up with a good book or researching the next adventure.

INSTAGRAM ⇢ http://instagram.com/reflectwithraksha

YOUTUBE ⇢ http://youtube.com/reflectwithraksha 

NEWSLETTER ⇢ https://reflectwithraksha.com/subscribe

WEBSITE/BLOG ⇢ https://reflectwithraksha.com

ETSY ⇢ https://etsy.me/2T3pHBG

JOURNALING & CREATIVITY 

Describe your journaling history. How long have you been bullet journaling? 

I’ve been journalling from a very young age.  As a teenager I journalled as a way of processing what was happening in my world and to explore my emotions, along with personal dreams that I was afraid to say out loud.  It was usually a brain dump of meaningful thoughts and feelings, mixed in with a bit of rambling.  As an adult, there was less rambling, as I got better at identifying what I wanted to explore.  Then I found bullet journalling in 2018.  I quickly found my own bullet journal style, which gave me the perfect blend of mindfulness, creativity, mental wellness and productivity.

How does bullet journaling help you stay focused and productive? 

Bullet journalling helps me pause and reflect everyday.  The most important part for me is, taking the time to think about what I want and why.  I’m then able to be productive in a meaningful way, because I have clarity on what’s important to me and I can give myself the chance to fully focus on those things.  Exploring the “why’s” in my journal spreads, gives me direction. I can then plan out the “how’s” by breaking everything down into small steps.  Eventually I feel ready to tackle huge goals that would normally feel overwhelming, but suddenly feel achievable.  I also do mindful spreads, that make me feel positive and capable of tackling multiple tasks and challenging goals.  This really helps keep the confidence and motivation levels up.  All of this combined, has helped me tackle my huge goal of starting a business from scratch, over the last year.

What are your favorite stationery products to use when journaling? 

I love using a dot grid journal with 160gsm paper, because when I’m feeling creative, I can freely use any pens or paints I like without worrying about ghosting or bleeding.  

My most used items are a 05 Sakura Micron Fineliner and some of the tools from my Etsy shop:

1. My dot grid ruler I use for every spread. To divide the page up into halves, quarters and thirds without needing to count dots.
2. My simple things stencil I use every month to draw up 5 simple pleasures I want to enjoy that month. Usually related to the month or season.
3. My motivation wheel stencil for identifying my threats, drive and soothing activities every week.  This is based on an Emotion Regulation theory by the Psychologist Paul Gilbert, and it works wonders for balancing your motivation levels and emotions. 

What inspires your creativity? 

Everything!  Especially the simple things.  Silence and walks in nature give me creative energy.  I feel I can really disconnect from everything, and reconnect with myself. Changing my surroundings and routines can trigger creative thoughts too. Sometimes I make a coffee and walk to an outdoor nature reserve to drink it by a lovely lake, instead of in my studio. 

Playing with my kids and being truly present in the moment, also helps me reconnect with my inner child and my creativity.  

The best ideas come to me after I’ve done a relaxing activity like reading, journalling or yoga.  Distraction-free relaxation often seems to be the key to my creativity, coupled with self-discipline.

COMMUNITY & SELF CARE 

What is your favorite way to stay connected with the journaling community? 

My newsletter is one of my favourite ways to connect with the community.  Every week, I share my personal thoughts on some of life’s bigger questions and I love hearing back from people with their thoughts too.  It makes me feel a deeper sense of connection and community, exploring philosophical insights with kindred spirits.  I also enjoy connecting with others on Instagram about journalling and mental wellness,  and through my YouTube channel.

July is Social Wellness Month in the USA, reminding us that a healthy relationship with ourselves and others is vital. What does social wellness mean to you? 

Social wellness to me is joyful family gatherings, memorable moments with friends, contributing to a wider community or even just stopping to say hi to someone I see on my walks everyday.  It’s also spending time with myself (and I know, as an introvert, I need a lot of this).  Quiet time with myself or with my journal is when I really hear myself, get to know myself better and practice true self-compassion.  

I believe that social interactions and how you interact with yourself, are as important for your health, as a good diet and exercise.

Other than journaling, what are some of your favorite self care practices? 

Yoga in the early hours or before bed is one of my favourite self care practices.  Along with going for a hike, curling up with a good book and just taking time to enjoy the simple things in life. 

What is your favorite way to stay connected with friends? 

Seeing them face to face, is ultimately my favourite way to connect with friends.  I enjoy small and intimate get togethers, particularly when we can explore shared passions and interests.

REFLECT & LOOK AHEAD 

How has your creative process evolved over the past year? 

A year ago, I was starting my small business and my creative process was often driven by fear.  I would go through several iterations of my work, constantly in fear that it wasn’t good enough.  That no-one would like it.  Now, I’m driven more by curiosity.  I look for new things to try out, to find different ways of enjoying my creativity.  It’s not about views, subscribers or outcomes, it’s about enjoying the process without knowing what the outcome will be.  It’s freeing and much more fun. 

Looking ahead, where do you see yourself 1 year in the future? How will journaling help you achieve these goals? 

In one year, I hope to still have my small business - alive and thriving.  I’ve been thinking of ways to expand, which will be a huge project.  Mindful bullet journalling will help me achieve it, by helping me break down the bigger goals into smaller achievable tasks - the kaizen way.  Most importantly, it will help keep my emotions in check, so my fears and doubts don’t throw me off the path to achieving my dreams.