If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that over the last six months or so I’ve been attempting to get back into a posting routine. And by “routine,” I mean two posts a week. On a good week. When the stars align.

Obviously not all in—this was more of a gentle toe-dip back into the waters. One thing I really wanted to keep from my earlier posting days was sharing inspirational quotes. I’ve always loved finding the right quote, pairing it with one of my photos, and letting the two do a little dance together.

In this latest iteration, when I have managed to show up, I’ve been focusing on quotes centered around self-care and self-love. And there’s a reason for that.

I’ve really needed those reminders myself.

The last five years—between personal stuff and, you know, gestures broadly at the world—have made self-care feel less like a luxury and more like a survival strategy. And while I genuinely enjoyed creating those posts, I eventually realized something uncomfortable: I was mostly just going through the motions.

Sure, I still loved the process—finding the quote, choosing the image, writing the caption—but I wasn’t really practicing what I was preaching.

And if I’m not following my own lead… how can I expect anyone else to?

Cue the dramatic music. It was time to put my money where my mouth is. But how?

That led to a little soul-searching. And, naturally, some scrolling for inspiration. As a lifelong stationery addict, my Instagram feed is basically a parade of gorgeous notebooks, dreamy journals, and pens I absolutely do not need but desperately want. And journaling. Lots and lots of journaling.

Hmm. That feels like a good place to start.

Now, here’s the catch: I know myself very well. Anything too complicated or time-consuming and I will abandon it faster than a New Year’s resolution on January 12. So my goal is a simple, low-pressure journaling practice. Light lift. No gold stars required.

I’m starting small—just a few minutes a day focused on being kinder to myself. Baby steps count.

Because a blank page can be downright intimidating, I’m leaning into easy prompts. And I’ll be sharing some of those along the way. (Just… maybe not on Mondays.) Don’t worry—I’m not abandoning quotes altogether. But this time around, I’m going to experiment with turning the ones I do share into journaling prompts instead.

Will this stick? Honestly, who knows. But if you want to follow along and see how it goes, you can find me at @AnneCorcoranPhotography on Instagram.

And if you’re already an established journaler, I’d love your wisdom. Any prompts you swear by? Journals or notebooks you love? Pens that make writing feel magical? Please, spill all the tea in the comments. ☕️