A guided journal for walkers who want to expand their physical and creative worlds through acts of mindfulness.

 Afoot and Lighthearted will teach readers how to harness the power of walking to cultivate and nourish attention, inspiration, and determination, as well as to combat distraction, anxiety, and the dreaded creative block. 

Organized around thematic prompts designed to help makers take a break from digital life and tap into the transformational magic of creative journaling, Afoot and Lighthearted introduces us to innovative walkers throughout literature, art, philosophy, and history, and it offers encouragement in the form of inspirational quotes. Supported by light illustrations and evidence from recent research on the compelling connection between walking and well-being, Afoot and Lighthearted offers a fresh perspective every step of the way, much like a walk itself.

Hardcover 224 pages 2019

BONNIE SMITH WHITEHOUSE, Ph.D., is a professor of English at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, who has been teaching an innovative interdisciplinary course on walking, writing, and well-being for over six years. She specializes in the field of writing studies and is dedicated to producing written work that brings academic findings to a curious general readership. She has previously published for academic audiences on how readers "change their lives" through reading novels. Whitehouse seeks to help others cultivate creativity, well-being, and peace by prompting them to engage thoughtfully and contemplatively with the natural world.