Like many people around me, I also experienced traumatic events in my childhood and adolescence.

It took me years to realize that I’m not different or special; we all experience traumatic moments in our childhood, some more than others. but still, we all have our share of sad and difficult events that are part of us.

When I was 40 after I lost my pregnancy in week 17, I sank into 18 months of depression, and I started to feel obsessed with discovering how can I heal my inner wounds.

I understood that my depression was connected to these past traumatic experiences.

 I knew that I had to befriend all my inner “Demons”

I learned that the trauma is what happened to me and what brought me so far, and the fact that I overcame it shows the resilience and abilities that I possess.

I began my healing when I started to create mindful art pieces, small spreads in my visual journal that captured something of my childhood.

I decided to let the trauma that I experienced be the background of my paintings and writing.

For months I would write on the page and then cover it with my favorite colors and beautiful images.

In that way, I didn’t hide or ignore the trauma, I accepted it as an important part of my growth as a person.

Allowing myself these mindful art moments helped me connect with the healthy parts of my soul, these lighter, happy, joyous, strong, and resilient parts.

I can’t change the past, but I believe that each of us can extract the “gold” out of his/hers childhood experiences and pass it on to others.

This is why I decided to create the SoulCircle community- so we can all learn from each other and we could acknowledge each other’s wounds, not from a pitiful point of you, but instead from an admiring, respectful gaze that says- you are so brave!! 

When I started visual journaling, I didn’t know what I was doing, I simply enjoyed discovering mixed media techniques on youtube!

I loved the vibrancy, energy, and freedom of these techniques.

I called my first journal- mixed media art journal.

I felt that I wanted to explore materials and techniques without getting into healing and all the deep ideas I incorporated later in my method.

I started with gelly prints, it blew my mind to create all these beautiful patterned paper so easily.

The beauty of the combination of color and pattern was addictive, and I would just sit and practice with the gelly plate for hours.

Then I discovered linoleum prints and produced many patterns of lino cut..

After every sleepless night, I would take what I created and use it in my mixed media art journal. I would cut parts of my lino prints plus a piece of gelly plate print, add an image, use different kinds of colors, and whoops…. something new was created!!

This was when I realized there are different layers to creating meaningful visual journaling.

 I noticed the freedom and happiness I felt when I could use endless possibilities.

I felt like a child in an enormous candy store!

And of course, I bought so many materials! I had to try them all!

Mixed media means you can combine lots of materials and techniques in one piece of art in a meaningful way.

The outcome is not as important as the process you felt when you created it.

In time, I felt more and more the need to use special mixed media materials and techniques to allow for inner growth, and this was the beginning of my path to creating the SoulPages method.

Since I was thirteen, I have written a diary almost daily.

Writing to myself helped me upload some of the difficult feelings I felt, It helped me feel less lonely when my parents divorced.

 It also helped me realize how important self-exploration is.

I continued to write in notebooks and later on my computer, but I stopped around my late thirties.

I lost the magic of writing to myself, the words were not enough to express what I felt.

And then, at the age of 45, I discovered the visual journal, and I felt that my life changed in ways I couldn’t even begin to realize.

I met with one of my friends, and she showed me a notebook that looked like a diary.

This is a visual art diary, she said.

I was hooked!

Inside her visual art diary I saw amazing doodling, images, words,

I felt she could take all the content of her subconscious and just poor it into this amazing notbook.

This was the day that changed my life- I went home and made my first visual journal; this was the name that I decided to give this amazing practice.

I never stopped creating since and I wish I never will!

SoulPages is a Visual journaling method developed by Rakefet Hadar in 2015.

SoulPages is a powerful tool that allows you to connect to a place of transformation and healing, using various mixed media techniques within a personal journal.

Working within the visual journal under the gentle guidance of a facilitator enables processes of growth, healing, and ignition of the joy and passion of life.

SoulPages values

•         Playfulness. Playfulness improves relationships and our connection to others. It relieves stress and leads to creative thinking and smarter decisions. Through the relaxation and pleasure of playfulness, we have the unique opportunity to exercise both the analytical and creative aspects of our minds.
•         Imagination. Imagination influences everything we do, think about and create. By loosening the grip of perceived obstacles, imagination allows us to open to what may be possible through innovation and a shift in perspective.
•         Creativity. Creativity has an amazing power to provide renewed enthusiasm and energy, even in difficult circumstances.  Creativity helps us to discover new experiences, gain insight, and build resilience in all areas of life. When creativity is encouraged in group settings, we enjoy a deeper connection with each other.
•         Connection. Connection to ourselves allows us to understand better who we really are, what we are feeling, and what we need. This place of awareness then allows us to build friendships and healthy social connections essential for wellbeing, empathy, and personal health.
•         Friendship. Friendship is based on mutual respect, honoring our differences, and opening to the value inherent in each other. Through friendship, we come alongside each other to support one another in our journey toward belonging, purpose, happiness, and sense of self-worth.
•         Joy. Joy arises when we are being our very best selves and have a sense of safety, community, and purpose. Joy helps us to look to the future with hope, clarity, and confidence.

An easy art practice that can change your life

“I’m not good enough”

“I could never do it, it’s too hard for me”

“I’m just not creative enough!”

These are sentences that we all say to ourselves on a daily basis.

But guess what…these sentences are not real! these are just rooted thoughts that your inner critic sends you as a regular routine.

We all heard that in order to change our life,we need to get rid of destructive beliefs that we have about ourselves.

we have to go through a painful process of dealing with our inner critic and letting go of these negative feelings.

But what if I told you there is a sweeter, joyful way to feel better, to be more secure, productive, and happier in our daily life?

I went through years of therapy, soul searching, and blaming my parents until I realized that I could activate positive inner parts that I never knew existed within me.

Jung talked about the archetypes as existing in the collective subconscious. Jung also said that each of us has the potential to know all the archetypes that exist in this realm.

When I developed the SoulPages method, I discovered a very important archetype inside me that was dormant – The dreaming child.

I learned how to activate it and it started to thrive and changed my life.