Friends, Happy New Year!

It’s been few weeks since we have talked creative projects. The holidays gifted me with a few weeks of downtime as I was knocked out with a nasty virus and the bug was so grim even the Grinch would have had some heart. Now that 2019 is just getting started, I am back on my feet, feeling great, and ready to send you gobs of creative projects to make this a Bluefin Tuna year.

Yes, Bluefin Tuna.

As I was struggling to get better, I scrolled through news outlets and stumbled upon this article in the New York Times: “Japan’s ‘King of Tuna’ Pays Record $3 Million for Bluefin at New Tokyo Fish Market.” Yesterday, I had a conversation with a friend about making big life decisions in 2019. We were chatting about if micro goals are better than macro goals.

Me: “Do we want to be catfish?”

Friend: “Catfish?”

Me: “Or do we want to be Bluefin Tuna?”

There is nothing wrong with being a catfish. However, it isn’t rare in it’s talents, command attention, or bring a price of 3 million dollars at auction.

So, let’s make this our year and 3 million dollars good.

Until tomorrow friends!

Hey, friends-

I hope your summer was a good one full of belly flops and warm days brimming with long, lovely bike rides. It's been a while since you received daily creative magic from me, but after a long break and some deep thinking about creating and living the full life, it has come to my attention that some of you missed seeing the creative work. 

Here is a little secret; I missed you more. I missed hearing about the work YOU are doing, making, and creating. It is magic.

So, let's start again.

Let's forget about expectations. They are NOT a source of what to do or who to be next.

Let's let go of perfection. It steals joy and robs us of living a human life.

Let's get back to playful experimentation and shake off what is holding us back from a better tomorrow.

After all, sometimes we just need to shake it off in order to find new kind of happiness.

Let's start again to continue create the highest expression of ourselves.

And if nothing else, there is a Chocolate Babka loaf recipe in it for you.

Until tomorrow, friends.

Day 12 Of Finding Empathy.

Being a mother is tough stuff. We deal with lots of things that are not glamorous or respected. Like barf, chauffering kids around, grocery runs, late night bloody noses, packing lunches, working through funny feelings and buying endless birthday party gifts. The list goes on, and so do the expectations. It doesn't matter who is helping us raise new humans; it can feel like we are the keeper of all things.

Don't get me wrong, being a mom is a beautiful job. It comes with moments of bliss, but with all the expectations, a mom's job can start to feel like there is no time to, well, ENJOY being a mom.

Last week, my daughter and I spent thirty minutes each day making, drawing or doing something together. It was delightful. We didn't have an agenda. We didn't have expectations. Best of all, we didn't argue. 

We just made stuff together and then talked afterward respectfully about what we made, how each of us might create something different and what we liked about the other person's work. We even collaborated on a project! 

We made some fun stuff but more importantly, we spent focused time together. The realization was in the age of deteriorating attention, being present is paramount in finding joy. Just being together with purpose brought on so much happiness to both of our lives.

So, let's take time out to be together even after Mother's Day is long gone. Get together more frequently, create something, anything, together. Enjoy the moments of happiness and joy that only being together can bring to our lives.

Until soon friends and mamas.

Day 5 Of Finding Empathy

When we are young, it's hard to imagine growing old. We might think that being young is the singular opportunity in our lives to live wild and free. As we grow older, the world around us can be unforgiving in its expectations. We can stop looking for the highest most authentic expression of ourselves or the wild part of us.

However, what if we have a personal responsibility to live our lives "wild" no matter what age?

What if this untamed self, creates a unique gift in this world? 

Freeing ourselves from expectations might give us the opportunity to live a long life and space to create empathy for each other.

Until soon friends.

Day 2 Of Finding Empathy.

It's hard to find the right words to say, including to ourselves. Maybe we are stuck in a creative rut or searching for a sage piece of advice. Our internal dialogue has nothing to offer that is meaningful. The thoughts we jot down don't seem right. It's a no spark, no voice moment. We can feel like we have a brain clog.

Today, I have a creative roadblock. Let's be honest; I'm putting up barriers. I'm not doing the work. I have a form of writer's block. The creative side of me is stuck. However, a wise man once said "Plumbers don't get plumbers block. They show up and do the work, fix what needs improvement, and they move on." 

So, what kind of wrench will get our creative juices flowing again?

A  whole bunch of quotes.

We should think of a quote as empathy from the universe. Afterall, the cosmos has experienced everything, and it just might have the right words to keep us going.

Thankfully Invaluable has 30 beautiful quotes help get us back to living our creative life.

Here is what Invaluable has to say about creative roadblocks:

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It's happened to all of us. You're on a creative kick and then all of a sudden you get stuck and are in a creative rut. Not only is it super frustrating but it can also make you want to abandon the work completely, something you shouldn't do. That's why words of encouragement can be so helpful. It can be from a friend or partner, but the right words are often enough to make your ideas click or at the very least enough to inspire you to get back to work again.

With that in mind, sometimes people aren't available to tell you the words you need to get back to work. That's why having quotes on hand for when you need inspiration is a great way to always stay inspired. Using these 30 different creativity quotes from Invaluable, you can take solace in the words of Da Vinci and Rembrandt, whether you're a painter or looking for creative inspiration in other areas of your life, be it cooking, writing, or other creative ideas. Hear how their thoughts on striving for perfection or what they look to for inspiration, and you may find exactly the thing you need to hear to get back to your creative dreams!

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Universe thank you for the pep talk and Invaluable for the quotes. Let's now spread the words.

Until tomorrow friends.

We tend to pile it on. We want more stuff. Sometimes it's to fill the parts of us that are empty. At other times it's to further our identity and to say we are someone special. Whatever style means to each of us, it tells a personal story. Whether we like it or not, who we are can be filtered by how we dress, where we live, what we own, and what we do. That's not to say style tells the story of the total package of us, but it does give a surface view on how we want the world to filter us.

The word chic gets a bad rap. Sure, the word can convey over privilege and self-importance. It can bring on images of thousand dollar dresses, the upper class and glamor found only in glossy magazines. However, what if we came to the agreement the word chic means "to be smart and selective about what we support in our lives?"

It might change how we look at things. If being chic is about being smart than education, self-restraint and selection are also a part of the definition of chic. Being chic can then be applied to filtering the words we read, the businesses we support, the causes we fund, the people we follow, the leaders we commit to, and most specifically support our core values. There is a certain bravery in the word chic because it means saying no. It empowers us to limit our choice and be thoughtful in the way we live and in turn, clearly, tells our personal story in a very specific way.

There is a certain level of a rebel in being chic and a particular kind of bravery in saying no.

How will you be chic today?

Until tomorrow friends.