Don’t Forget to Play

When I was a kid, I love dressing up my barbies and playing with my barbie house. And I especially loved it when I mama played with me. It brought me so much joy. Today I got to play on the floor with my little one. We played with playdough and had a blast. We had so much fun, she vacuumed and then she didn’t even fight me to take a bath. Since I’ve started working again, I forgot how important it is to play with my girls. Since we both had so much fun, I hope it will be a reminder to me in the future to be more intentional about about play.

Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.

Fred Rogers

Doodles

Doodle on a whiteboard and see what you come up with. Is it a flower? Is it a word? The letter E? I love whiteboards because you can erase it all and start over. I use a white board to doodle my monthly goals but I’ve been slacking because the list has grown so large! I’ll have to break out my markers again and get to it.

A little off topic but I want to share. I remember back when I was in 6th grade, how excited I was when we finally got a whiteboard in our classroom. I have always had sensory issues with chalk boards.

Goals: Write Them

There’s something in your brain that connects better when you write things down. According to Inc.com, “You are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down.” I don’t know about you but I could use that extra 42% when it comes to reaching my goals. There’s a lot going on in the world. I get pull in many different directions on a regular basis. (Like most working parents.) So if writing out my goals will give me more support and focus, I’m going to do it.

Release the Pressure

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.

Maya Angelou

It took me a lot of intentional work to like myself in a deep way. I was shy and insecure for a long time. Over time, I began to step away from all the people and places that made me feel bad about my authentic self. What I learned from stepping away was that there will never be a place or space that will understand me from the inside out, that was my job. So I got to work learning myself and after some time the pressure was released. It was no longer the job of those around to me to make sure I like what I do and, even more so, it’s not their job to like how I do it.

I’ll say this till they put me in the grave, know yourself. Once you develop and maintain that relationship with yourself, you’ll be deeply rooted with the ability to flow like water. Yes, both rooted and flowing because no human is all one thing.

What kind of things do you do to get to know yourself? If you haven’t done things yet, what kinda things do you think you might enjoy?

I journal and take artist dates to get to know myself.

Solitude Sunday

Did you take time for yourself at all this week? Some people set aside time daily. The time I set aside daily goes into my writing but it’s not the same of Solitude Sunday. Solitude Sunday is more like an artist date. My daily writing habits happen in the house and those don’t require me to be alone. I will start my writing wherever there’s space for me to spread out. It’s hard for me to respond when I’m deep in though so my family doesn’t really interrupt me while I write. I know some writers had entirely separate rooms and maybe I will someday but for now I’m happy to write in my home. So back to Solitude Sunday, these days to myself really bring me life. They help me start off the week with a clear mind and a joyful heart. Einstein said it best,

“I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.”

What ave you been up to?

Keep Creating

This is your weekly reminder to keep creating. If you create tonight you’ve got one more day in the bag. This act of creation is about showing up for yourself. It’s your selfcare. It’s your heart and soul. It gives you more than the world could ever give to you. Allow yourself to enjoy the creative process. The beginning middle and end. I’m not gunna lie, blogging isn’t my favorite part so this is a reminder for you and I that it all matters. It all adds value and discipline to our lives.

My favorite reminder is that most artists become great when they have thousands of works in their archive. And my other favorite reminder is that you’re doing better than you think.

Chin up, let’s get one more day in the bag and do it all over again tomorrow.

Keep going, the best is yet to come

I Could Easily…

Friday always feels like the day before a free weekend but I feel like I have more to do on the weekends than during the week. Do you find your weekends are as busy as your weekdays? I try my best to plan very little on my weekends so I can clean and write and nap. zzzzzz but I also want to hang out with my close friends and family.

I could easily escape to a hotel for a weekend and do absolutely nothing.

Ancient Mother

I don’t like to see the people I love injured. It conjures the ancient mother that lives deep inside me. It makes the nurturing part of me come alive. It’s such a strong feeling. It’s even stronger when it’s one of those people who are never injured. I’m already a mamabear. It’s like 20x more intense when someone I love shows me they are not at their 100%. What is this called?

I Love You Simply

“I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close.” —

Pablo Neruda

Aww the romance in this quote is sweet. It’s got the feel of a deep connection only lived out in fantasies. Some fantasies give us a healthy hope for the future. They’re great as long as we don’t let expectation kill our reality. Some might question whether fantasy is our true reality. I mean it’s a thoughtful question. Where do we go when we sleep? Another good one. Anyways point being, deep connection and intimacy are both really nice things.

I Want to be Alive

It brings me joy to bring me joy. I don’t wanna have to hate my life. I want to add to my life in ways that make me want to be alive. I want to love my self and my life entirely. Like any relationship, it takes work. What I had to learn though, was that the little things that make me happy, don’t have to be things that bring other people joy. I want everyone to like dancing but not everyone likes dancing. So the trick is to find to people who love dancing. Now that I’ve learned that, it becomes my own little place of happiness that’s for me. Like a bubble of joy.

Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.

Golda Meir