Ah, the swirly, curly curlicue...my favorite!!

When I first started doodling, C was 1 years old. It had been YEARS since I picked up crayons, colored pencils or paints, for my benefit and doing, so I had NO idea that years later, I'd be doodling these simple, yet, oh-so-calming-to-me, doodles.

Colored pencils are my quick, go-to doodle of choice...

But, I also LOVE to paint them with acrylics, too!

But, like I said, I didn't start out doodling and painting these lovely, curlicues.

When I first started doodling, I actually started out like this...

Yes...that would be my gratitudes for the day. Can you see where I drew Me, C and Rusty walking....awwww...SO happy to see my buddy boy in this!!! :)

But, anyway, during this time, I was learning the benefits and the power behind creativity during my certification to be a Creatively Fit Coach. At this point, it didn't matter what types of creative activities I was doing, just taking the leap and STARTING was best of all. Because, when it's been YEARS since doing anything with crayons, colored pencils and paints, it's very easy to NOT start at all.

So, instead of writing my gratitudes out, I decided to doodle them instead, because, first it was FUN and two, I was having a deep, inner craving to color!

But then, as the weeks went on and the more I was learning and DOing more with my crayons, colored pencils, paints and paint brushes, my inner creative sparks began to take over and soon I connected with what shapes felt the most calming to me.

Enter...the curlicue!! (These were taken from my very first Art Journal that I started when C was one (she's now four)...C even added her own touch to the top, left one...can you see that red line? Yep...all C right there!!).

Because my mama-me-time is SO very limited right now...like...I'm talkin'...five to 10 minutes or maybe sometimes 20 to 30 minutes...I've realized that if I wanna do some calming, creative fun and reap the amazing benefits it provides me, my life and everyone who's around me...then I have to choose something that I know will easily calm me the most.

Again, enter...the curlicue!!

If I had an hour or two, instead of just 5 to 10 minutes, I'd STILL start out with the curlicue (and always do when I do get more time!!), because when my day has been filled with tons of mommy multi-tasking thoughts and I've just been trying to survive and make it through the day, it can be hard to sit down when the time permits and just quickly jump into my creative side.

So, again, enter...the curlicue!!

It slows me down, gets me outta my head, has me connecting back to ME and the present moment, and before I know it, my stress has melted and my inner creative sparks have opened up and are starting to shine themselves...brightly!! Creative thoughts and ideas come pouring out and, at the same time, I'm deeply focused on continuing to play and BE with whatever color feels good at the time.

And, trust me, every day, I wish I could sit down for hours and just play with my crayons, colored pencils, paints and paintbrushes. But, right now, I just can't.

But, just because I can't get my creative doodle on for an hour or more, doesn't mean I'm not reaping those awesome benefits.

Again, enter the curlicue!!!

When I sit down and doodle my #1 shape that makes me FEEL oh, so calm, in 5 minutes or less...I'm calmer, happier, more at ease and less stressed.

And, that my friends, is why I ALWAYS doodle swirly, curly curlicues. When you're a busy mama, you realize that you have to choose ONLY the activities that'll bring you the most calm in the littlest amount of time...because you never know just how long, or how little you'll get to yourself when you're needed by a 1-year-old and a 4-year-old all day and night!! :)

So, if you have a CRAVING to get your inner, creative calm self on...start doodling different shapes...circles, triangles, swirls, boxes, lines, zig-zags, stars....or, instead of focusing on shapes, get my FREE GIFT...where I show you, step-by-step, through pictures, one of my favorite doodles that I do to help me slow down and BE a more calm, happy and present mama in 10 minutes or less ...a sure way to get you're creative juices flowing again (and trust me, when you start this, things you doodled way back, like in high school history class, will pop back into mind) and having you feel more calm...the better!!

Here's more of how I started...

First...lots of zig-zags, lines, swirls, circles and curlicues.

Then I had a flashback to high school, when I remember how much I LOVED doodling hearts like this on everything!! And, then I tried triangles.

Then, I'm not sure how, but I started drawing something that looked like an "S"...lol.

My first mandala!! Woohoo!! Now that's a money maker!! LOL!! :)

And then I started finding my way toward swirly lines and circles.

Now, just remember, I didn't do all of these doodles in one day. They were done over a period of months. It takes time to connect to your inner creative, self again and to see what brings YOU the most calm and fun...it's different for everyone...but you'll never know, if you don't start!! :)

3 years ago, I would have NEVER showed anyone my gratitude drawings or the ones I did when I first started doing this. LOL!! Because I've gotten my creative, calm on...those, "OMG...I can't show ANYONE my work because it SUCKS!!!!" thoughts have quieted and now I'm proud to show off how I use creativity to slow down and savor the moment!! No rules...just calming, FUN!!!

If you try these out for yourself...please...PLEASE..share them with me. I'd love to see!! I'm not going to judge, grade you and critique your work to help you be on your way to professional artist land, but I will ask you if doing this creative activity helped you to slow down and had you FEELING more calm, happy and naturally energized so you could start to SAVOR more of everything you LOVE in your busy mama life.

Trust me, this creative "doodling like a child" stuff is very...VERY...powerful. :)

Until next time...

Life IS colorfully calm...SAVOR it up!