PERMISSION TO CHANGE OUR MINDS...

I've been reading Christine Kane's eZine, Uplevelyou, and really enjoying the way she delivers such powerful, immediately usable information (wisdom) each and every time. This woman is not only stunningly beautiful, she is smart and funny. If you haven't heard of her, definitely check her out.

So, last week her feature article was about magic words that will change your business/life. The words: "This is what I do". Simple, but profound. So of course, I started thinking about how they might apply to my life and I have to say I found quite a few examples of "This is what I don't do" (exercise, trust, smile alot). But I also had some breakthrough thoughts on the subject.

This is what I realized about myself... I am a naturally curious person, a creative, an artist. I like to try new things. It is part of my creative process. I have drawers and boxes and well, a few closets full of things that I have tried and decided that they weren't for me. More often than not, I find other uses for the things I invest in but sometimes I just pass them on to another person who will use them. Nothing goes to waste and I have fun exploring new idea and learning new skills. If I hadn't "tried" painting 8 years ago I wouldn't be a painter today.

I also like to try new things that involve my brain and blogging is one of those things. I don't really consider myself a good writer. I struggle with every sentence and words to express my exact thoughts come at a price but I also feel compelled to write. One of my secret (well not anymore) dreams for years has been to submit an article for publication to Sun magazine. We all have these sorts of dreams and this is one of mine.

So where am I going with this? As I internalized Christine's five magic words, I though about what was making this blogging thing "not fun". What I came up with was the rules I was imposing on myself. I wanted to write twice a week and now I find myself putting it off and feeling the energetic drain of procrastination. I said I would do one thing and now I want to do something else. And, this may not be the last time I change my mind before I find my groove. In the end, I decided to give myself permission to change my mind as many times as I wanted to about this blog. I may have said that it would be about preparing for an art show but now, I don't want to write about that. I want to have fun. I want to spend my time writing about what is in my heart. I want to be the creative that I am and trust that the right people will find me and the rest will move on.

My deal with myself... From now on, I am going to write when I feel like it and I am going to write about whatever I feel like writing about. I am going to have fun with it and you are welcome to join me. Hopefully, you will find value, but if nothing else, maybe you will find a way to give yourself permission to play at something you have been working too hard at. It is all good!

As far as art goes, I think this sort of deep inquiry into the why of our actions is essential. It is what keeps the heart and the mind engaged in the process and it is what keeps us reaching out from ourselves. Lately, I have been painting bald women. I don't know if there is a market for them. I don't care. I am doing it because it calls to me and I have chosen to answer the call and travel a ways down the path with them. I guess the same could be said of this blog and you who chose to join me.

Namaste,
Yarrow

To see my paintings, prints, cards, and now an original painting, please visit my Etsy shop.