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I have been spending A LOT of time at the local library while I wait to see where this life takes me next. There’s something about being in a quiet space, completely surrounded by books that sits well with my soul. It has also been a fabulous space to research different topics I plan on incorporating into the blog as well as gathering content photos and clips to post on Instagram.

More than anything… I love the variety of people that visit the library! I see so many people from different walks of life settled into a single space together. There are not many places in this world where such variance can co-exist peacefully (maybe that’s why I like it here so much…) for such long periods of time. It makes me think of when I took a class in Greek mythology; briefly we talked about the sacred meaning of libraries to the ancient Greeks. They believed that libraries were a space where the soul could heal. Turns out this type of healing is referred to as bibliotherapy.

Amanda, what the fuck is bibliotherapy? I am SO glad you asked! Bibliotherapy is the therapeutic use of books or other written materials to help people address mental health ailments. It is guided by specific readings that help the individual confront their ailments and can be used alongside other therapies to enhance the mind as well as heal the soul.

There are four stages to bibliotherapy- identification (connection to a character), catharsis (the reader’s connection to their feelings via their connection to the characters- relieves tension within), insight (the reader’s understanding of how to navigate their own life circumstances), and universalisation (acceptance with a wider understanding that can be implemented in the reader’s life).

For the sake of absolute transparency- I had no idea this was a therapy method until I started researching if libraries had their own type of frequencies. When the word and concept first popped up on my screen my flabbers were gasted because (1) not once during the time that I pursued a psychology major did we talk about bibliotherapy (outside of my Ancient Greece mythology class… which was an elective) and (2) being poor as fuck growing up actually paid off due to the only entertainment I really had were books. I devoured them because I could always find a piece of myself in the story and as it turns out little Amanda was following those four stages without even realizing it. I would hold up in the corner of the Cahokia library or my room to engulf myself in the stories stacked next to me, it was absolute serenity.

At 35 I feel the same way. I am currently settled into my favorite corner of the local library as my curiosities fuel my desire to learn and create. I feel able to free flow, especially with my airpods in, which in turn helps me hone in on my visualization paired with habits that align with my vision. It also feeds the main character state of mind I strive to keep my frequency at- the more I can I embed myself into this state of mind the easier it is to bring in all those marvelous manifestations I have planted seeds for in my life. That might sound silly to you, I don’t care… I promise. I am at peace and feeling more like myself than I ever have in my life.

All I ever wanted was space to read, write, and dream.

You would have thought by how simple that wish sounds that it would have been easy to obtain- it wasn’t. For a long time I didn’t have the energy to read or write, I was also uninspired and creatively tapped because every job I held required more of my energy than I should have ever allowed them to capitalize off of. Nowadays, that energy drain is a thing of the past; spending most of my days at the library has been rejuvenating as fuck. I always thought I was someone who naturally thrived in chaos; maybe to some degree that is true, divine pressure and whatnot, but now that I have started shifting through the uncomfortable part of resting I find my creativity flows in effortlessly in solitude and quiet moments. Particularly in a library.

Ever since I up and quit my job I have found myself reading uncontrollably. Each page I turn offers new inspiration, excitement, and curiosity- all of which make me feel at home (a feeling I haven’t fully felt since 2011). I keep finding pieces of myself I thought were long gone, not realizing that this was the healing I needed. Lately I have been spending about 3 to 4 hours at the library right after I drop little bits off at school, then move it over to my favorite park to lay in the grass and read. Reconnecting with myself through reading has been the best part of this latest leap of faith. My only annoyance is that I didn’t realize bibliotherapy was an actual form of therapy until recently- maybe I would’ve put more effort into reading to keep myself sane had I known, but life has a funny way of making shit happen and making it all make sense at the perfect time.