Starting with Love

So, I’m trying to write this blog post and my head hurts!

It’s been SO long and my brain (hello, left brain!!) is like…

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? “

“We don’t write blog posts anymore…like, please, stop right now!!!”

“This hurts trying to put words together here….STOP!!”

“GO DO SOMETHING ELSE THAT HAS YOU TAKING CARE OF OTHERS AND NOT CREATING!!!”

And this my friends is WHY I need to CREATE!!!

And WHY I can’t let creating (or, shall I say, my right brain!) get buried in the dust anymore.

Because when I do, it feels impossible to get started and I feel so stuck and then right after I feel that way, I start telling myself all the reasons why I suck and that I should just quit and go back to what I’ve been doing all these years…NOT CREATING!!

But, I know, I have to CREATE!!

I know I want to CREATE!

CREATING heals me!

CREATING calms me!

CREATING connects me to my joy!

CREATING is my #1 way to think better thoughts about myself and that makes me feel good and energized (or, what I like to say, INNER-gized!!).

So every day, while I’m drowning in all the adult to-do’s that are never ending each and every day, I tell myself to CREATE!!

And when it’s been too long, and my brain is SO stuck and can’t figure what to do, I always start with creating LOVE!!

Every day it’s a struggle to find time to create because my kids need me SO much right now in their lives. There’s a lot to think about with taking care of them and taking care of myself.

These past few years, it was just easier for me to just hop on my treadmill before the house wakes up and slip into bed real quick for a mediation before they come home from school.

And yes, those two things are SO awesome in helping me feel better and uplifted, but I’m still struggling.

I’m still struggling because I’m NOT creating!

I’m not letting my right brain come out and play…my left-brain is still in control, even when I’m walking on the treadmill and meditating (there’s always to-do list thoughts circulating…even on the treadmill and even during mediation! ALWAYS!! )

Well, I’m tired of not letting my right brain come out to play…even when life is spinning out of control around me.

So, today, I’m ready!!

I’m ready to get back to making MY CREATIVITY a priority, just I do my kids, my husband, our house, our food and all the ways I exercise and calm my body.

It’s time to give my mind that calming, joyous love it SO deserves through mindless-creativity!

And since it’s been SO long since I’ve created consistently, I wanted to share what I do to EASILY jump back in.

Because, I’m sure you know, when you’ve been away from something for SO long (years!!) and can be really hard to motivate yourself to START and then when you finally do sit down to START your brain probably hurts because it has NO IDEA what to even CREATE or do!

At least for me it is, anyway. :)

That’s because CREATIVITY comes from the right brain…the left brain keeps our to-list running a mile a minute in our heads, so it’s used to being in control. It does not want to give up that control…and it knows, as soon as CREATIVITY starts to come out and play more, that means the right brain will be in control for a little bit, which means, the left brain takes a much needed seat in the BACK!!!!! And, boy did I need this reminder just now! Ha!

Left brain life is SO needed, but so is right brain life!

It’s the only way to stay balanced and sane!

And I AM SO OFF BALANCE right now!!

Yesterday, I had to take Luca to the doctor for his follow-up doctors appointment from having Covid, that his sister brought home to me and then he got from me.

It’s been a wild ride these past three weeks.

But as I was sitting there in the waiting room, I could tell my mind was just all over the place. There’s SO much to think about, especially when the kids are home in quarantine for days or weeks and all the work they have to make-up and do while away from the classroom.

And then a possible move coming up this summer (yes, we are moving, just don’t know where yet) and everything else that comes with adult life…I could feel my stress rising and the overwhelm taking over…I know my mind is MAXED OUT right now, even though I exercise and eat wholesome foods.

So as I sat there yesterday, I said it’s time!!

It’s time to start mindlessly-CREATING and I’m starting with my go-to, which is LOVE!!!

When my mind is extremely MAXED OUT like this, I need to CREATE a word that I know doesn’t have me thinking much so I can EASILY feel more calm.

Because, yeah, I’m already thinking enough!!

And LOVE!!

LOVE is the easiest and it’s SO calming for me to do!

When I trace the word LOVE over and over again with my super black sharpie, I immediately feel calmer and calmer with each trace.

Then, when I’m finished with the sharpie, I absolutely LOVE painting it with some watercolor and then editing it in photoshop.

I love bringing my hand lettering to life in this way.

It ignites my JOY so much!

And then, in the end, my mind feels SO much better!

I feel UPlifted and happy!

I do this with my cursive words, too… a lot!

I just LOVE slowly writing the word LOVE over and over!

Especially when I’m short on time.

And, honestly, it’s not about what I’m creating…it’s WHY!!

Because I know, once I place my sharpie to paper, I immediately start calming all the stressful thoughts that LOVE to be on repeat, 24/7, in my head.

And if I have to do the word LOVE 50 million times in a row, so be it!

Because all that matters is that I’m FEELING CALM!!!!

And joyful and present and happy and UPlifted and not so stressed out!!

Because I know, starting with LOVE, in this way, is my ultimate mind calmer!

And the more I connect with LOVE, the more CREATIVE I will be!

And the easier it’ll be to write my blog posts, too! Ha!

So if you’re like me, and you want to mindlessly-create, but you don’t know how to even start, because your left brain is telling you to STOP!!! and go do something more productive!!, start with the word LOVE!

Write it in cursive (cursive writing slows the mind down!!) or try some hand lettering, trace it over and over (which slows the mind down even more!), add doodles to it or even paint it (which ignites JOY!!!).

I bet you’ll FEEL so much better!!

I know I do!

Every single time!

So when my mind is stuck and has NO idea what to even create, I always, ALWAYS, start with LOVE!!!

I mean, you can’t go wrong with LOVE, right!?

Thank you, creativity! I AM SOUL GRATEFUL for YOU!!

Until next time…

Why do I hand letter uplifting words? Because it easily calms the negative and stressed-out thoughts my mind, ignites my inner kid joy and slows me down so I can BE a more calm, happy + present mom (something that's hard to do when my mind is running 100 miles ahead or behind the present moment...especially during a global pandemic!) and truly focus on what matters most in my life (my kids and my husband!) and all the GOOD that fills it!