Images are powerful. They conjure up feelings, memories, and ideas. They tell stories. They stand for something.
A brandmark or logo conveys the identity of a business that is easily recognized without the need for words. Businesses spend a ton of money developing their brand identity, but we don’t need the business world’s affirmation of the power of images. We already know it. We know it in our soul.
We use not just our brains, but our souls, to make connections with the world around us. The image I’ve used to represent SoulFully You—a SoulCollage card—tells a story. I didn’t start out making a personal brandmark (actually, I was designing a new laptop skin and started playing around with some of my favorite images). Still, it ultimately came together to form a visual representation of my spiritual journey.
In 2002, I listened to the small voice inside that told me I needed quiet, spacious time, and I went for a long, silent weekend retreat. The central image on my card is the retreat center in Schuyler, Nebraska, which provided me with an oasis of peace amidst a busy life. One of my favorite places in the world, St. Benedict Center, has played an essential role in healing old wounds and in my spiritual (trans)formation.
Butterflies, according to many cultural myths, symbolize transformation, rebirth, growth, joy, and the realm of the soul. For me, this means becoming more of who I was created to be, living an authentic life, and sharing my passion for creativity and spirituality. When our light is ignited, represented by the candle, it cannot NOT be shared.
One of the finishing touches I placed on the card is the illuminated labyrinth. I love labyrinths…such a powerful metaphor for our inner journey. When walking in a labyrinth, one often feels lost, as if progress is not being made toward the center, but inevitably, one ultimately arrives.
Pleased with my new laptop skin/SoulCollage® card, I posted it on my Facebook page. A German friend recognized the labyrinth from Münsterschwarzach Abbey in Germany, the motherhouse of Christ the King monastery and St. Benedict Center. The serendipitous selection of this specific labyrinth, which I had unknowingly placed, was a grace-filled moment for me.
Since making this card, I have had the privilege of visiting the Abbey in Germany on pilgrimage twice. Walking the labyrinth was a bookend experience for my SoulCollage® card titled “SoulFully You.”
Being Benedictine 
Leave a comment