The birth of Mindful Moodling
The area of mental health and its complexities wasn’t as widely recognized as it is today, and having struggled from an early age with mental health issues, it only truly made sense when I was diagnosed later in life.
During this time, I developed my own coping strategies, but my main go-to method has always been creativity in all its forms.
Mood + Doodle = Moodling/Moodle
So, where did this idea come from?
Everyone doodles at some point—whether in class, at work, or on the phone—and what they doodle often reflects their mood and circumstances.
Armed with this knowledge, from 2019 onwards, every day at 12 pm during lockdown and subsequent restrictions, I hosted a free online 90-minute Facebook workshop. Together, we created amazing works of art using lessons from my background, techniques for drawing, pattern building, coloring, and painting. We built a creative community that attracted others seeking support and purpose during this surreal time.
These art pieces served another purpose: encouraging people to be creative, build confidence, and develop skills that could extend into other areas of life. It fostered a powerful sense of belonging, community, and support, reinforcing the idea that you are never alone.
Through the practice of Mindful Moodling, I have found joy in taking creative time out, relaxing, and fully immersing myself in artistic expression.
Mindful Moodling is about dedicating time to be calm, chill, and deeply engrossed in creativity. It involves creating patterns with stamps, stencils, and papers, then adding your own designs on top. You can join patterns together, add more, or simply leave them as they are.
I still create three or four pieces a week and continue with the support of my dedicated patrons.
I’m very open about my mental health, and because of this, and hope it gives you the power to be open too.
These are wonderful people that do Mindful Moodling THEY EXPLAIN IN THEIR WORDS what it means
https://highlightcrafts.com/brands/mindfulmoodling/
https://highlightcrafts.com/brands/mindfulmoodling/
on sale at Highlight Crafts,
Mindful Moodling - Highlight Crafts
To me, moodling means a little escape from the day-to-day stresses of life....
Making time for myself. .. It's amazing how a pencil and a piece of paper can clear my brain, before I know it, sometimes a couple of hours have gone by.... It definitely works for me
Try it, what have you got to lose... ❤️
Dawn Goodwin
I can highly recommend Lou's ranges. Not only are they well made but really to help with my mental health. Since lock down I have joined Lou on her Facebook page a number of times and have had a great time.
Lou has also brought out a range of stamps, dies and stencils and these are a game changer. They give you the starting point which can be the hardest part.
I know a lot of us wouldn't have got through lockdown without the help of Lou and her daily chats and moodlings. As someone who's a full-time carer for my mum I need something that helps with the daily stresses. I also suffer with chronic pain so I need something to help occupy my mind too.
Sharon Chambers
I suffer from anxiety, over thinking and Fibromyalgia. Not wanting to complain to anyone you kind of keep it to yourself. I saw Lou withers on T.V demonstrating and heard the name of her Junk Journals and Mindful Mix Media group and just joined to check it out. What a life saver to me this was, it was during the Covid epidemic and basically it helped me above and beyond! Lou introduced me to Mindful Moodling for the first time and it gave me challenges that helped alleviate my problems. So now when I am feeling anxious or ill I moodle and 5 books later I just do it to relax, it’s been my saviour.
Shirley Clarke
II came across moodling part way through the lockdown, it was a saviour. I tuned in to your lives to mentally switch off from the outside pandemonium. I could take an hour or two to chill, with pencil in hand and some guidance and inspiration to follow. I found myself getting paints and colouring pencils out, and enjoying the process. I had actually forgotten I used to enjoy art! You brought it all back and gave me the confidence to enjoy creating colourful art with no restrictions. I am truly grateful to you for sharing your moodling and know anytime I need to get my headspace back together I can just Moodle freely
Thank you sincerely
Julie Kemp
Moodling is so relaxing, it takes your mind away from all your problems and worries. 15mins turns into an hour in no time at all and if its with Lou theres laughs aswell.
Jacqui B
I felt it was important to me to understand myself what moodling was doing for me. In artistic activities there are often pressures both implicit an explicit to produce a great piece and in the past I have suffered the old white page syndrome and when I was a very poor student every single piece of resource had to be made to count.
Moodling helps me step outside of all of that and health issues and all the rest of life stuff
that has me making endless lists. All you really absolutely need is a pencil or pen and some surface to make marks on. I stop the whirring and just flow through my pen and the beauty of the the moodling path is that it can go anywhere!
Try it, you'll be amazed that by dropping down those gears for say half an hour you feel better able to get on with that list lol!
Angela Mitchell
What has Moodling done for me?
Well, when I started I had no idea what it was about, no confidence in my art work, very rarely did any sort of doodle/moodling except when in a boring phone call. Then I saw Lou on tv and she mentioned Junk Journals so I thought let’s have a go.
We started with fancy lettering then moved in to doodling which developed into moodling and how things have changed. I have complete confidence in myself, I often shut myself away with a few pens and some paper when stressed and have even been asked to create pieces for people. I find, with some music in the background, I cannot be thinking if the stresses and strains of life when moodling.
The sessions with Lou are inspirational and she has a wonderful way of giving you belief in yourself. No longer are there mistakes, only an opportunity to do something different. I can honestly say I have not thrown any pieces away at all.
I particularly like using a moodle to add words to express feelings and thoughts, another great release.
Thank you Lou, people now call me an artist
Linda Sims
You have opened up a magic world for me particularly as someone who was told at the age of 11 that I couldn’t draw so go and sit at the back!
I am also teaching my 6 year old grandson to moodle -he loves it snd asked for the Highlight fine point markers and more stencils for Christmas. We do it over FaceTime and before I fell ill in May we did it 3or 4 times a week . When chemo is over after Christmas we are desperate to get back to it . It is building a wonderful bond.
Gill Rose
Our lovely Lou makes the impossible, possible, the I can’t do this into, oh yes I can! Learnt so much and now enjoy my pens, pencils and paint not scared anymore thanks to her teaching and enthusiasm
I just love Louise Withers whatever she puts her hand too, she is my teacher I never had at school, she's the best, never change Lou
Lou , thank you so much, you are an inspiration to us all. My husband has got me the new collection for xmas. He said he now understands why I am trying to do your noodles and how they have and still helping me cope with my depression. Thank you from the depth of my heart and soul.