Let yourself Bloom
Bloom is an anonymous journalling space where you uncover a new artwork every day. Your words are private and never stored, saved, or seen by anyone but you. Click the Bloom button to get started.
🌿 Bloom is completely free, anonymous and private🌿 Your words vanish at the end of every session - no one but you will ever see them🌿 Choose the duration of your journalling session. The timer starts when you start writing🌿 As you write, a beautiful vintage botanical image is revealed. There's a new image every day, and a new garden every month🌿 When your journalling session is over, click burn this journal and your words are gone for good. Nothing is saved or stored, ever (and it never will be)🌿 All the artworks in Bloom are in the public domain, so you're free to right-click and save the ones you love🌿 Bloom works fine on mobile, but it's best experienced on desktop or laptop🌿 For more about why I made Bloom, go here🌿 For a list of journaling prompts, go here🌿 To go straight to the app, click the Bloom button below
Coming next: BloomUp
I hope there'll be lots of interest in Bloom because I'm already planning to upgrade! The next iteration will include:🌿 Your choice of image gardens, including Woodland, Tropical, Hedge Maze, Flower Fairies, Mystical, Pre-Raphaelite, Tarot Art, and many more🌿 Collaborations with contemporary artists🌿 Optional download button to save your daily image instantly🌿 Optional personal art chart to track your daily practice🌿 Bloom for Kids to support emotional expression and joy in art
Drop your email below, and I'll update you when BloomUp is ready. I'll keep all communication minimal and respectful, and you can leave the waitlist at any time.
I'd love your feedback
Found a bug or a butterfly? Want to suggest a theme or artist for an image garden? Are you an artist who'd like to collaborate on a Bloom garden? Or maybe you just want to say hello :) I would love to hear from you!
Bloomers say...
🌿 Bloom is an OUT OF THE WOODS art project, created by Georgina Bruce. Join the community. If you'd like to support this art project, Buy Me a Coffee. Thank you! 🌿
The art & science of Bloom
“When people put their emotional upheavals into words, their physical and mental health often improve.”
— James W. Pennebaker, PhD“Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist.”
— René Magritte
The art of Bloom
I made Bloom to give you a creative, art-filled space to write out your raw and honest thoughts and feelings — safe in the knowledge that only you will ever see them.We all have thoughts and feelings that strike us as ugly, raw, or simply too painful to hold. Denying those feelings doesn't make them disappear. They resurface in unexpected ways: a headache, a doomscroll, a flash of irrational irritation.One powerful way to let go of difficult thoughts and feelings is to give them a voice. You may find that simply expressing them is enough to release their hold over you.Bloom means you don't have to rip up pieces of paper or worry about deleting files from the cloud. It's simple to let go of whatever's troubling you and then 'burn' your words so they're gone forever. All that remains is a natural, beautiful artwork to sit with, save, or simply admire before you move on with your day.I designed Bloom to be a space where you can be completely honest with yourself. Where you can empty your heart onto the page, and restore it with beautiful art. I hope Bloom brings calm, peace, and joy into your world. Do let me know if it works for you.
The science of Bloom
Research shows that expressive journalling can:🌿 reduce stress and anxiety
🌿 improve sleep
🌿 help process trauma
🌿 improve health and immune function
🌿 increase self-awareness and emotional regulationMeanwhile, looking at art, especially images of nature, has been shown to:🌿 reduce stress hormones
🌿 slow the heart rate
🌿 increase feelings of calm
🌿 inspire gratitude for our beautiful worldBloom is designed to bring nature art into your journalling practice. You'll uncover new wonderful artworks every single day.
A daily practice of art & writing
James Pennebaker, PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, says that 15–20 minutes of expressive writing every day reduces stress and improves immune function.
Nicole Sachs LCSW teaches the 'JournalSpeak' method, where you "rage on the page" and then let it go. Her books and podcasts are filled with stories of people who have used her journalling technique to help with chronic pain and illness.
Anna Runkle, aka The Crappy Childhood Fairy, teaches a daily practice that involves ten minutes of dump the junk journalling to regulate emotions, followed by meditation. Bloom enables a digital version of that same principle: write, release, reset.
Try it for yourself
Bloom is free, safe, and simple to use. Get your thoughts out of your head and onto the page, enjoy the beautiful artwork that's revealed, and then get on with your day.
Reading & resources
If you want to know more about the science and practice of expressive writing and art for wellbeing, here are a few links to start you off:🌿 Opening Up by Writing It Down — James W. Pennebaker & Joshua M. Smyth🌿 Mind Your Body - Nicole Sachs LCSW🌿 Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us — Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross🌿 The Crappy Childhood Fairy — Anna Runkle
But what should I write about?
The beauty of Bloom is that you can write anything you like. No one but you will ever see your words.Here are some journaling prompts to get you started:🌿 Why do I feel [sad/angry/guilty/insert adjective] today?
🌿 Why am I so tired?
🌿 What is annoying me at the moment?
🌿 What's one thing from my childhood that I still feel hurt about?
🌿 The thing that's keeping me awake lately is...
🌿 One thing about my partner that drives me mad is...
🌿 My biggest fear is...
🌿 My greatest regret is...
🌿 Something that worries me about society is...
🌿 What is a loss that I am still grieving?
🌿 What's something I can't stand about myself?
🌿 What one limit or restriction do I wish I could overcome?
🌿 How do I feel about my work at the moment?
🌿 Something that makes me feel lonely is...
🌿 What's something from my childhood that I thought was normal at the time?
🌿 A memory that haunts me is...
🌿 What's something I should have worked out sooner?
🌿 A betrayal I experienced...
🌿 Who or what is letting me down right now?
🌿 If I could change one thing in my life, what would it be?
🌿 A thing I struggle to forgive myself for is...
🌿 My worst and best traits
🌿 A time when I made a terrible mistake
🌿 A crime I committed and how I feel about it now
🌿 Do i feel worthy of love?Use your journal to be truly honest and open with yourself. Write about what you actually feel, not what you think is the right thing to feel. Remember, no one will see this but you!Take care of yourself when journaling. You might be feeling emotions you've locked up for years, and that's tough. If you have a lot of pain or trauma that you're dealing with, you might want to think about working with a therapist or a friend who can support you. Journaling is a great way to release your feelings, but that doesn't mean it's always easy. Take good care of yourself.
