Light The Path Design Team Zakirah Zakaria | People, Places, and Things

Hi everyone!

Zakirah here and I can’t wait to share my first 2021 project for Light the Path workshop. After being away since January to make time for confinement, it feels so good to be back to scrapbooking in front of the laptop. My confinement period had been a struggle and I miss going through the workshop contents, reading the blog, and being inspired by the layouts posted. Now I finally have the energy and time (as the baby is sleeping in my arms) to spend on this healing journey.

Remember last year when the pandemic began and we all wish that soon, it will go away and we’ll be able to get back to our old life? Fast forward to now, the pandemic is still here and the new normal has been – for the lack of a better word – a ‘norm’ in our life. Personally, sometimes I find myself struggling emotionally and mentally, so when I saw the March kit designed by Meagan Johnson with its vibrant colours, I feel refreshed and more in tune with myself. Check out how this month’s prompt and kit have inspired the rest of the design team here – I’m sure you’ll feel inspired!

Our theme of focus this month is People, Places, and Things that spark joy in our hearts. In my healing journey, there are several external resources that I turn to whenever I need some uplifting – my family, a nearby mosque, and facial masks. Before documenting these resources, I created an ‘opening’ page to set the mood. Here I used Meagan’s gorgeous patterned card and quote card. I also used a journaling card to write down about where I am today. Finally, I finished off this page with the date and quote label.

The next page is where I documented my external resources that bring me joy. Theresa reminds us to pay close attention to the energy in our external surroundings. It is crucial to surround ourselves with the people, places, and things that help us to feel soothed and comforted, especially in this healing journey. I love how documenting my sources of comfort, support, and strength feels so validating. Sometimes trauma could divert our attention from seeing these positive things that we already have, and having them on paper could help remind us in the future. Here I used the yellow and mint cards from Meagan’s kit as the soft tones reflect the calmness and joy that these resources bring into my life.

The photography exercise this month is about having hope during challenging times. Being a new mother is challenging. Sometimes I find myself getting anxious and doubting every little thing. Is my baby sleeping well? Is she breathing? Is my milk enough for her? Is she gaining weight normally? Why is she crying? It’s easy to get carried away by these thoughts, but seeing her sleeping soundly made the burdens feel lighter. My baby is not going to be this little forever, so I want to be present and mindful of these precious moments. So on this page, I incorporated a wefie photo and a photo of her sleeping inside the baby cot. I love how the colour palette in Meagan’s kit match with my photos and the lovely floral patterns bring joy to my heart.

I love how this month’s prompt and exercises have helped create a space for me to document the external resources that spark joy in my life. Hopefully this sharing has been beneficial and inspiring to you. Thank you so much for dropping by. If you would like to see more of my work, do visit my blog here: This Beautiful Life.