Blog

Essays, poetry, and writing prompts for those craving depth, healing, and reflection.

Unmade
original poem

Unmade

Twila Smith –

A poem about the quiet power of being unmade.

Letting Go
personal reflection writing prompt

Letting Go

Twila Smith –

A quiet reflection on the beauty, resilience, and memory held in the bodies that carry us.

We Are Enough
personal reflection writing prompt

We Are Enough

Twila Smith –

A quiet reflection on the beauty, resilience, and memory held in the bodies that carry us.

Healing is a Change Maker
personal reflection writing prompt

Healing is a Change Maker

Twila Smith –

Healing dismantles the life you knew—and invites you to rebuild something truer, piece by piece.

Trusting Yourself
personal reflection writing prompt

Trusting Yourself

Twila Smith –

A reflection on how trauma blurs our instincts, and how healing begins with trusting ourselves again.

Each Other's Hope
personal reflection writing prompt

Each Other's Hope

Twila Smith –

On learning to protect each other by healing ourselves first.

Taking Emotions Slowly
personal reflection writing prompt

Taking Emotions Slowly

Twila Smith –

A meditation on the beauty and chaos of emotions, and the importance of honoring them without giving them control.

Untruths
personal reflection writing prompt

Untruths

Twila Smith –

An honest look at the lies we believe and the strength it takes to unlearn them.

Breathtaker
personal reflection writing prompt

Breathtaker

Twila Smith –

Music has a way of touching our pain and transforming it into beauty.

Navigating with Heart
personal reflection writing prompt

Navigating with Heart

Twila Smith –

Letting your heart lead can feel uncertain, but it brings you home to yourself.

Wilderness of Belonging
personal reflection writing prompt

Wilderness of Belonging

Twila Smith –

The deepest belonging begins with ourselves.

Give Without Extinguishing
original poem writing prompt

Give Without Extinguishing

Twila Smith –

A meditation on the art of giving without vanishing and how we need self-love to love others.

Pace Yourself
personal reflection writing prompt

Pace Yourself

Twila Smith –

Gentle reminder that it's okay to take a break from healing and rest your soul.

Setting Yourself On Fire
personal reflection writing prompt

Setting Yourself On Fire

Twila Smith –

A quiet reckoning with the cost of self-abandonment—and a tender invitation to come home to yourself.

These Are Your People
personal reflection writing prompt

These Are Your People

Twila Smith –

The right people will recognize your truth, and telling your story is how you find them.

No Small Thing
personal reflection writing prompt

No Small Thing

Twila Smith –

Small things can hold the power to transform us completely.

Healing Rage
personal reflection writing prompt

Healing Rage

Twila Smith –

An unflinching look at how trauma resurfaces and how to meet it with compassion.

Fireflies At Night
personal reflection

Fireflies At Night

Twila Smith –

Healing doesn’t mean forgetting. It means choosing what to carry, and what to finally set down.

The Veil Is Thin
personal reflection writing prompt

The Veil Is Thin

Twila Smith –

Some days, the world feels too careless for the sacredness it holds.

Hiding Your Power
personal reflection writing prompt

Hiding Your Power

Twila Smith –

This reflection is a reminder that your light was never meant to be hidden.

Connection Between Hearts
personal reflection writing prompt

Connection Between Hearts

Twila Smith –

This is about the quiet power of putting words into the world so no one feels alone.

I Saw Sparks
personal reflection writing prompt

I Saw Sparks

Twila Smith –

Sometimes we don’t realize our light has dimmed until someone shows up with a spark.

This Time I Promise
personal reflection writing prompt

This Time I Promise

Twila Smith –

This is a homecoming for the wild, joyful self you tucked away.

Break Your Heart Open
personal reflection writing prompt

Break Your Heart Open

Twila Smith –

Some beauty wrecks you in the best way, breaking your heart just enough to keep it open.

I'm Awake Now
personal reflection writing prompt

I'm Awake Now

Twila Smith –

This is a love note to the part of you that still dares to hope for something unexpectedly beautiful to unfold.

Some Room In Your Heart
personal reflection writing prompt

Some Room In Your Heart

Twila Smith –

Leave space for wonder, for magic, and for something beautiful you never saw coming.

Vulnerability Hangover
personal reflection writing prompt

Vulnerability Hangover

Twila Smith –

A quiet reminder of why we keep showing up, even when it hurts.

Hey, Wait A Minute
personal reflection writing prompt

Hey, Wait A Minute

Twila Smith –

You can’t go back to who you were once you wake up and long for more.

Setting Down The Pain
personal reflection writing prompt

Setting Down The Pain

Twila Smith –

For anyone grieving lost time and learning to choose themselves with love.

You Are Not Too Much
personal reflection writing prompt

You Are Not Too Much

Twila Smith –

You were never too much. This post is for anyone learning to love themselves and to take up space.

Burning It All Down
personal reflection writing prompt

Burning It All Down

Twila Smith –

Sometimes the urge to burn it all down is our wild hearts begging to be heard.

I Believe in Joy
personal reflection

I Believe in Joy

Twila Smith –

Even after heartbreak, life still offers wonder if we’re willing to let it in.

Happiness On The Inside
personal reflection writing prompt

Happiness On The Inside

Twila Smith –

True joy isn’t something we chase because happiness begins from within.

Hearts Are Complicated
personal reflection writing prompt

Hearts Are Complicated

Twila Smith –

Even beautiful days can leave us aching. Messy feelings still deserve space and love.

I Want Secret Things
personal reflection writing prompt

I Want Secret Things

Twila Smith –

Not all hunger is physical. The soul longs for depth, presence, and real conversation.

Stored In The Body
personal reflection writing prompt

Stored In The Body

Twila Smith –

Unprocessed emotions live in the body. True healing begins with safety, not time.

Learning to Soften
personal reflection writing prompt

Learning to Soften

Twila Smith –

Letting go of emotional armor isn’t weakness. It’s the quiet work of becoming whole again.

How The Light Gets In
personal reflection writing prompt

How The Light Gets In

Twila Smith –

A tender reflection on pain and slowly learning to see them as sources of light.

Trust Yourself to Bloom
personal reflection writing prompt

Trust Yourself to Bloom

Twila Smith –

There is a quiet pull between safety and growth, and the process of blooming.

The Way Will Find You
original poem

The Way Will Find You

Twila Smith –

For the moments when you feel lost or overwhelmed. Stop striving, be still, and trust.

The Doorway
original poem

The Doorway

Twila Smith –

Rest doesn’t mean checking out, but checking in. Stillness leads us back to ourselves.

Why Salt and Pen
original poem

Why Salt and Pen

Twila Smith –

This is the poem that begins it all — the origin of the name I write under, Salt & Pen.