I had this hanging in my art studio for years. This quote is a very inspiring statement because it is very true. Every child has an artist living within and when we are younger, we have no trouble expressing that artist and we do so with such ease … and then life happens. We forget how to just be and how to just create for the act of creating. We become our own worst enemies and stop doing things for fear of being judged. We forget how we just loved to draw, paint, and color and just be in the moment. Look back to your childhood and remember what was your go-to for expressing yourself. Was it crayons, markers, and paint, or was it scissors, glue and paper? Did you like to play an instrument, play pretend, or just play in the dirt, or maybe sports and softball and hockey was your go to. We didn’t think about it, we just let ourselves be who we were. We knew how to find joy in life by living in the moment and feeling free to express ourselves. This week I want you to look back and remember what made you happy. What did you want to try but never did? Give yourself permission to try that now.
Once you begin this healing journey you may find yourself needing an outlet for all the feelings you have swirling around. This is where respecting your inner child comes into play. Our inner child is sometimes in the background waiting to be heard and needs you to remember what it was like to express yourself free from judgement. There can be a lot of healing attached to just sitting in silence with a pen and paper or with music in the background just doodling away your thoughts. Sometimes we just need our brain to refocus on something other than our worries. This week I would like you to try that for yourself. Grab a piece of paper and a crayon or marker and just see what comes up for you. Doodle shapes, circles, dots, anything you feel inclined to do. Art really isn’t your thing then try something else. Did you like playing in the dirt, then go outside and do some gardening. Was music your thing? Sing and dance like no one is watching. Grab an instrument and play even if you aren’t that good. Love sports then go out and shoot some hoops even if you don’t make one basket. You are not here to win a medal or run a marathon. This is all about the process not the finished product so there is no wrong way to do this. This is all about self-expression and this is all about you.
An easier way to do this is to keep a special journal just for expressing yourself. I always talk about keeping a journal for getting out the negative and another journal for practicing gratitude, but I also keep a journal that is strictly for doodling. I have one that is filled completely with doodling roses. I have been doing that since I was a little girl, so a few years back I started doing it again to honor my younger self. These drawings are for my eyes only and just a way to refocus. Sometimes I don’t feel like writing, so I keep crayons, markers and colored pencils with my notebook and try and make this an exercise free from censorship. It is a nice way to see what comes up. Sometimes these drawings will be nothing and sometimes they may bring out something buried way down in my subconscious. Art can be a very healing activity because it taps into a place where you can just get lost in what you are doing. That is why it is important to not put too much thought into this – keep your thoughts out of it and just be. Let your creative self-flow. Learn what it feels like to just be in the moment. Children don’t need permission to be creative and use their imagination, they just do it. Sometimes adults do need permission because they fear not being good enough or being compared to someone else. Remember this exercise is for you and no one will see the finished product but you.
I started and completed this blog this morning as I usually do on Wednesday mornings, and then I accidentally deleted the file. I had plans with my family today, so there was no way to rewrite it this morning before my usual 11:11am posting. I didn’t completely lose it and instead phoned a friend and decided that I would still post at 11:11 but it would have to be pm instead of am. Problem solved. I was very proud of myself since it was a reminder of how far I have come on this journey and shows I have learned to let go of my unhealthy, perfectionist ways and think before reacting with emotions. Even my sister said I should write about how I remained so calm. I am sure she was as surprised as I was that I didn’t lose it lol. I am learning to let go of what I can’t control and just focus and keep my eyes forward. I shook it off and went about my day and had a great day. Of course, I was a little annoyed that I would have to sit and rewrite what I already wrote, but I am pretty sure the message of what I was trying to say is coming through a little more clearly because I had to start over. The whole situation and rewriting this now reminded me to let you know that there are no mistakes in art – just happy accidents.
Allow yourself the freedom to find joy in the simplicity of life and allow yourself to be an artist now that you are all grown up.
In love and light,
Fran
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