From survival to self-expression

In my post motherhood unfiltered I mentioned how many times, i felt like i must produce to be loved. we followed this up by speaking to our inner child and the encouragement to create something just for us. Today I want to go in depth and help you rewire the brain from “produce or perish” to “play and grow” As shared in the Fridays are for me post , I went over how I block out my Fridays for weekly self discovery.

As we inch closer to summer with barbeques, fireworks in 10 weeks, pool days, summer smores and more, i’m reminded that the holiday season comes sooner than expected. (and with it comes the slow of winter) I plan to protect the month of December and designate it as a time of exploration, not execution. I'm not here to master each skill I want to explore, but rather enjoy the novelty of it and allow myself to fall in love, with whichever hobbies, naturally. Journaling, scrapbooking, bread making, cooking, pottery, sketching out dreams without deadlines etc.

While being a stay at home mom does sway the time in my favor, I understand that this may not be feasible for everyone. If weekly doesn't work for you try opting for one day a month and name it as your “self exploration” day. Journal in the morning after a freshly baked banana bread, garden with the kids in the afternoon and share homemade popsicles after, unwind in the evening by exploring painting or oil pastel drawings, the list goes on.

Tonight I encourage you to sit down and create a “Passion Without Pressure” list. Every version of you that you ever thought of, I want you to write it down. If you wanted to become a famous painter as a child, add Paint a portrait to your list and so on, include any other hobbies you've wanted to explore. Pick 3 of those that you want to explore first (with zero intention to monetize) and pencil it in your calendar/planner/phone for a day of self exploration. One tiny “novelty work day” at a time to gather experiences you can look back on and know you did it for you.