November 2025

Hello, friends! I’m so glad you’re here today. I have some exciting updates to share with you!

After nine long months, my house in the Reno/Sparks area is finally in escrow — closing on November 10th! The housing market in northern Nevada has shifted dramatically this year, with an overwhelming number of new and resale homes. Like many, I had to adjust my price significantly to sell. I’m grateful and prayerful that the final days of escrow will go smoothly.

With escrow nearly complete, I’m beginning my move back to California — to the beautiful western Sierra Nevadas. I’ve found a cozy rental where I can settle in quietly and reflect as I decide where to plant more permanent roots. This move feels like a homecoming — a step toward peace, healing, and renewal.

Our community continues to grow, and I’m overjoyed to share that we’ve now reached 6,000+ followers! 🎉 Your support means everything. My creative page @7_pedals is also nearing 2,000 followers in just seven months — thank you for embracing this journey of faith and creativity.

Season 2: Redeeming Hope is now live on YouTube — I hope you’ll watch, subscribe, and share your thoughts. And, earlier this week, I had the honor of being a guest on the Good Shepherd’s Clothes Closet Podcast, recorded live on October 27th. It was my first truly spontaneous interview — both humbling and healing — as I shared my story and found new confidence in my voice.

The new year will bring something truly special — I’ll begin sharing details in December. Keep an eye on your inbox and follow me on social media for sneak peeks and updates.

Thank you for being here — for your presence, your kindness, and your faith in me. You are helping me grow, heal, and speak up. My hope is that together we continue breaking the cycles that have silenced so many, finding our voices, and walking the healing journey toward wholeness.

Through my @7_pedals platform, I have enjoyed reading about the many strategies and professionals who utilize the arts for healing. This touches me. Long ago, I thought about becoming a music therapist. Getting to read posts and engage with these professionals brings a sense of joy to an interest of my past. This month, I want to share what I have learned from Susan Day, founder of Mindful Arts Therapy in Australia. 

Seven Notes, Seven Strokes: The Healing Power of Art and Music

In a quiet room, a child hums softly while gluing torn paper into a collage. Across town, a woman dips her brush into watercolors, letting the rhythm of a song guide her strokes. These moments—simple, sensory, sacred—are more than creative play. They are acts of healing. As a trauma-informed art therapist, I’ve witnessed how creativity can gently restore what trauma, grief, and overwhelm often silence. At Mindful Arts Therapy, I create emotionally safe spaces where art and music become lifelines—especially for women, foster children, neurodivergent communities, and those navigating complex emotional landscapes.

Art and music bypass the analytical mind and speak directly to the body and soul. Neuroscience shows that rhythm can regulate the nervous system, while visual art supports sensory integration and emotional processing. But beyond science, there’s something deeply human about creating—something that says, “I exist. I feel. I matter.” Trauma-informed art therapy isn’t about making “good” art. It’s about making space. Space to choose your materials. Space to explore without judgment. Space to express what words cannot. In one session, a foster teen might create a mask to explore identity. In another, a woman grieving a loss might trace gentle spirals to soothe her breath. These practices centre agency, emotional safety, and sensory comfort—especially for those who’ve felt unheard or unseen.

Music holds memory. It evokes emotion. It connects us to others and to ourselves. Pieces like Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” Handel’s “Harp Concerto in B-flat,” or the gentle improvisations of contemporary harpists like Lavinia Meijer can act as a balm for the nervous system. These compositions invite breath to slow, hands to soften, and feelings to surface. Whether you’re painting, journaling, or simply resting, let the music guide your rhythm. Let it hold what words cannot. Combining art and music deepens the healing process. Try painting to a song’s rhythm, journaling to lyrics, or creating a visual playlist of your emotional landscape. These practices are accessible to all ages and abilities—and they don’t require fancy tools. Just curiosity, compassion, and a little time.

If you’d like to begin, here’s a gentle prompt I often use in sessions: Choose a song that resonates with your mood. As it plays, let your hand move freely—drawing, painting, or scribbling. Notice what emerges. You’re welcome to explore more activities and resources through Mindful Arts Therapy, and discover more about the power of art therapy with my free book, Rekindling Your Soulful Spark.

Art and music remind us that healing isn’t linear—it’s layered, textured, and deeply personal. With every note and every stroke, we reclaim our voice. We rewrite our story. We begin again ~ Susan

Contact Info: Susan Day

Email | Website | Instagram

I came across “8 qualities of a truly decent woman, according to psychology,” in one of my newsfeeds. I am so glad I did. It led me to several other resources. The author, Tina Fey, highlights that what society often applauds as “decency” in women—politeness, agreeableness, ease—is too shallow. According to the piece, the women who command respect and trust do more than perform niceness: they maintain emotional presence, moral clarity, and compassionate strength. They set boundaries without guilt, own their mistakes, and treat others with dignity even when upset. 

The article cautions against confusing “likability” with “decency.” When women feel pressured to always say yes, to smooth over discomfort, or shrink themselves for others’ comfort, they internalize weariness and invisibility. Decency, in this deeper sense, invites presence, purpose and the courage to take up space.

Complementing this, another resource—“8 rare qualities of a genuinely decent woman, according to psychology”—this article expands the list to include attributes like listening to understand (not reply), giving without keeping score, and consistency of character. These ideas reinforce the psychological view that traits like integrity, empathy, authenticity and resilience are less flashy, but far more foundational than surface politeness.

Research in personality psychology shows gendered differences in traits like agreeableness and impulsivity, though, of course, individual variation is large. The broader implication: the “decent woman” described here isn’t a stereotype of softness, but a person who integrates strength and care, clarity and compassion, in her actions and relationships.

In short: being “decent” is not about being the most liked—it’s about being the most steadily true to yourself and others, especially when it is hard. And that, the psychology suggests, is a form of greatness in its own right.

As I continue my journey to discover who I am, who I want to be, it is always comforting when I come across publications that seem to affirm, validate who I am becoming. It is not that I have to have that affirmation or validation, but when you are discovering yourself for the first time, it is nice to know that you are not walking into uncharted territory.

References:

Tina Fey. “8 qualities of a truly decent woman, according to psychology.” DMNews. May 24 2025. https://dmnews.com/gen-8-qualities-of-a-truly-decent-woman-according-to-psychology/ DMNews

“8 rare qualities of a genuinely decent woman, according to psychology.” Expert Editor. Aug 12 2025. https://experteditor.com.au/blog/z-8-rare-qualities-of-a-genuinely-decent-woman-according-to-psychology/ The Expert Editor

Weisberg YJ, DeYoung CG, Hirsh JB. “Gender Differences in Personality across the Ten Aspects of the Big Five.” PMC. 2011. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3149680/ pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Below you will find my Redeem Thyself Blogs. My blogs are typically posted each Sunday on the Redeem Thyself webpage. I do hope you find encouragement, strength, and resilience in reading the blogs. We can learn from one another and know that it is possible to heal, recover, and move forward in a more healthy way of simply doing life day to day.

Website: j. m. lane

Instagram: @redeem_thyself

Instagram: @7_pedals

Facebook: Redeem Thyself

Email: info@juliemlane.com

775.560.5151

Note: JM Lane is NOT a mental health professional, nor does she carry a license to practice medicine. Posts, blogs, and content are based on JM Lane’s personal experiences, perceptions, and reflections. By no means does any material convey what others should or should not do.

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