About Journal Circle.

  • Journal Circle brings together journaling, creativity, connection and personal development. By pausing, expressing and exploring, you create room to better understand yourself and experience a deeper connection: with yourself and with others. From this connection you can shape a life that feels like your own: a life where you can be yourself, feel good, and make space for your talents to grow.

  • Within Journal Circle, writing and journaling form the common thread, complemented by other creative approaches: expressive exercises can help you give shape to what is going on inside you, creative exercises invite you to explore and discover new perspectives, reflective exercises create space to pause and gain insight, and integrative exercises will help you bring these insights into your everyday life.

    In a workshop (circle), we usually move through four steps: connecting with the theme, connecting with yourself, connecting with others, and connecting with everyday life. We explore a theme, make space for what’s present within you, share and listen to one another, and take time to consider how you can carry these insights with you beyond the session.

    In 1-on-1 sessions, the exercises and approach are tailored more specifically to your goals and needs.

  • Journal Circle is for people who want to pause and reflect on something, understand something more deeply, or bring something into movement. Maybe you’re curious about a theme in your life, want to get to know yourself better, or live more consciously from what matters to you.

    Journal Circle is also a space for people with a dream, creative idea, or plan they want to explore further. I’d love to think along with you about how to bring it to life.

    And if you don’t necessarily have a specific goal, but are simply curious about what a workshop, for example, could mean for you: feel free to join!

About Mara.

Hey, happy you’re here! I’m Mara, 25 years old and I’m from Groningen, the Netherlands.

During my teenage years and early twenties, writing became a valuable outlet for my thoughts and feelings. I discovered how meaningful and healing it can be to create space for your inner world through creativity. It has helped me, among other things, to get less caught up in overthinking and insecurity, feel more grounded in who I am, express what I think, feel and want more clearly, and make choices from a place of trust. I also saw around me; in writing groups, at art school and with friends, how other art forms such as collages, painting, film and music can support self-exploration, processing and personal growth.

Over the past two years, I’ve become increasingly interested in how writing and art can be used for personal development. I took a course in therapeutic writing and work at ‘Sparklab’, where creativity and philosophy are used to encourage children to think about themselves, the world and their surroundings in a playful way.

These experiences led to creating Journal Circle. I believe in the power of a listening ear, meaningful questions, creative exercises, and connection with others, because sharing can create recognition, inspiration and encouragement. Above all, I hope to offer a space that helps you to come more into bloom; whatever that may mean for you!