So, did you get thinking about that question last week?
When I asked Amy, she replied:
I’d have creative topics for the kids to explore each week. I’d do art activities with them. I’d be more creative outdoors. I’d let them be messier (for Amy, like others, having one child is manageable, but two makes it harder!). I’d do more baking.
Did yours look like this? Was it about giving your children opportunities you don’t normally because of the time or the mess!?
At the moment, with her youngest as a baby, Amy was able to take the time to do stuff with her daughter. As we saw last week, they had fun at Easter! It still gets messy, but it’s much more manageable. With two of different ages, things can get tricky, especially if one needs more help than the other, or one doesn’t like doing what you’d planned… Things like this can put you off even trying!
We probably saw what we could do during lockdown. With more time at home, even with home-working and home-schooling, I saw more people enjoying their time together and bonding over a creative kitchen table! More people took the time to find things for their children to do (mainly to keep them busy, lol!), but life changes and that time needs to be fought for again.
Maybe, with life so hectic, your own vision of what your creative life would look like seems far from reality and therefore unachievable. But let me tell you, it’s not! A small step is all it takes. Yes, my kickstart challenge is 30 days, but it doesn’t have to be – ticking the boxes a couple of days a week is enough to get the flow started and soon you will create a habit or routine.
As Charles Duhigg says in his book The Power of Habit:
“Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort, any habit can be (re-)shaped.”
So, if you are determined to change your lifestyle to make more creative time with your kids and benefit from the focused time together, it is within reach. 30 days is a good start to making it a habit, but it’s not set in stone. Think of it as the challenge that it is and have a go yourself. Mindset is a powerful tool, you never know what might happen!
So, lets think about step 2:
What are your biggest fears and how do they hold you back? What are you most afraid of?
Take some time to think about this, but don’t hold back from your answers.
Write down what comes naturally to you. These are the blocks that are holding you back from making a change, but are they really so huge that you can’t? If you can highlight them, then that’s a great start and it will help you to see what’s in the way.
I had loads of fears when I needed to get myself back to my creative self. I was very critical of what I did and didn’t do. I compared myself to others who hadn’t been through the same thing as me – that’s the worse thing to do! I lacked confidence and didn’t really have many ideas because my brain was still full of all the stress I’d held in. It certainly took time – months, in fact!
So, don’t be afraid to have a go at this question (and last week’s too if you didn’t do it). I’d love to know how you get on!
Next week, I’ll be diving into the FIVE things that you need to do regularly to get creative again!
See you then
Debbie x
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