I thought my life was over...

I thought my life was over.

In 2011, I suffered a traumatic brain injury as the result of a bad fall. I had to relearn how to read, how to write, I struggled with finding words and understanding them. I could no longer do the tasks associated with my job as a web developer. I could no longer do the hobbies I had before – I couldn't even drive. In the blink of an eye, my entire life changed and what I had left was several years of appointments with every type of therapist you could imagine and a whole lot of struggle and grief.

One day, many months into occupational therapy, where they help you learn or refine your hand-eye coordination and motor skills, my therapist suggested that between our visits I spend some time at home every day working with scissors. “Get a complex coloring book and cut out the shapes.” she suggested.

I did work with my scissors. Diligently. Before long, I had “graduated” from occupational therapy, but the scissors and the things I could create with them just kept pulling me back in.

I realized that it was in these moments, when it was just me and my scissors and a world of possibility, I had finally found happiness again. I started by coloring shapes and cutting them out to decorate my daily (and extremely detailed) to-do lists. Both creating it and seeing the decoration all day made those dark days brighter.

Eventually, I found scrapbook paper, and the doors of possibility really started to open. I dabbled in card making. I learned how to bind my own journal books. I decorated pages, scrapbooked, laminated and collaged...

While I enjoy all those things, there is one of my crafting habits that has seen me through it all – decorating the pages of my planner.

Even though this year is the 10th anniversary of my brain injury, I still need the extra help remembering things I have to do, so I basically run my entire life out of my planners. It's not just about appointments for me, it's putting my brain on paper. I often say 'If I don't write it down, it won't get done', and I refer to my planner countless times every day to make sure I'm staying on track. Since I spend so much time in my planner – I love making it as beautiful, inspiring and uplifting as I can.

I have started picking back up on my old technology skills and have returned to doing some graphic design. It's no surprise that a lot of my graphic skills are going toward making images, boxes and art to cut out for my planner pages. I love combining scrapbook paper with elements I made digitally to create the perfect planner spread.

Earlier this year, I joined the Instagram and YouTube planner communities, and the friends, connections and support I have found from around the world are just incredible. I used to feel like I was creating over here alone, but in this world of social media, it feels like we are creating, decorating and planning together, cheering each other on and sending virtual hugs when things are hard. There isn't a day that goes by that I am not completely overcome with gratitude for all of these beautiful humans who have entered my life and made it so much more colorful.

My scissors and I have been through a lot together. We've come a long way from those days when I thought the best of my life was behind me. They helped me unlock the doors and create a new life I'm excited to wake up in. Over the years, I've even added a few more shapes and sizes of scissors to the family. But inevitably, I find my way back to my old friends, like that perfectly worn in pair of jeans, they fit my hands just so, and together we create magic.

I used to think that happiness was a lot of things, nice cars, homes, a rewarding and challenging career. And maybe it is to some people, but it turns out, happiness for me looks like the hoards of tiny little scraps of paper all over my floor; some of which I can't get out of the carpet no matter how hard I try. It's just there. A fact of my life. And it makes me smile as I approach my craft table, pick up my scissors and ask myself the now well worn-in question 'What are we creating today?'