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

SILVER MEDAL WINNER OF THE NAUTILUS BOOK AWARD • “Beautifully designed . . . I’d like to give a copy of this smart, fetching book to everyone I know.”—Susannah Felts, BookPage

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.

“[A] lovely little handbook . . . Whitehouse reminds us that the act of walking is simple, but its effects can be profound—and likely more beneficial than we realize.”—Tina Chambers, for Chapter 16

Bonnie Smith Whitehouse, PhD,is a writer and professor who studies storytelling, creativity, contemplation, and wonder. She is the author of Nautilus Award winnerAfoot and Lighthearted: A Journal for Mindful WalkingandKickstart Creativity: 50 Prompted Cards to Spark Inspiration. A lifelong Episcopalian, she has spent the last twenty years as a lay leader of St. Augustine’s Episcopal Chapel at Vanderbilt University. Bonnie is professor of English and director of the honors program at Belmont University, and she lives in Nashville with her family.