How do you make your reading experiences your own?
This is the question Stephanie Affinito and I set out to answer at the outset of our new journal page collaboration. To our surprise, we ended up breaking a few rules along the way!
Stephanie is a literacy educator, author, podcaster, reader, journaler, and notebook keeper. She believes in the power of books and reading to transform lives and she brings the promise of discovery and growth through reading to her podcast, teaching, writing, and community building.
We began our first collaboration conversation with some of the questions we've encountered — and asked of ourselves — around personalizing a practice like reading or journaling: What if I don't do it right? What if I make mistakes? What if I end up doing it differently from everyone else?
We wondered, who makes the rules we read by?
Together, we created two colourful pages dedicated to exploring the rules that encourage us toward the best possible experience and the ones that are standing in the way of rewarding reading. Then, last week, Stephanie invited me to return to her podcast to discuss the final result.
Sharing our rules — like reading one book at a time or reading from beginning to end without skipping ahead — and asking about each other's hows and whys led me to discoveries I'm not sure I would have encountered on my own. It also made me feel so supported in the process of re-thinking long-held ideas and beliefs. I want to have more conversations like this!
If you'd like to explore your reading rules – the ones you make and the ones you might consider breaking, you'll find our new pages right here.* This is a perfect set for sharing. Why not start your own conversation about rules with someone you know and trust!
To learn more about Stephanie and all the ways she can help you grow and enrich your reading life, and your life beyond reading, visit her podcast, website, and Patreon community.
As always, I'd love to hear from you! What's one rule that enriches your reading life? What's one rule that needs some tweaking? You can leave a comment below or reach me through my contact page anytime. Can't wait to chat!
*In order to fit a variety of binders and journals, these pages are offered in four different page sizes: letter, half letter, A4 and A5.