Let The Artist In You Come Out And Play!

We were born to create. There is an artist within each and everyone us that is bursting at the seams to come out and play. Remember when you were a kid and you used to love drawing, coloring, singing, dancing, playing games and being free? So many of us have lost touch with that part of ourselves and, though we are alive, we are not REALLY living. In fact, if we’re not doing what we love, creating, expressing, playing, then we are slowly dying. So my questions to you are: What thing that you love doing haven’t you been doing? When was the last time you did it? What happened between then and now that made you decide you were going to stop listening to the voice of the artist within you?

In most cases, the decision to bury our artist is not a conscious one. Creative injuries and limiting beliefs around self-expression are very sneaky and they can be hard to identify from our own perspective. But what we can’t get away from is that all too familiar feeling that something is missing. You know the one I’m talking about. That yearning inside of us that wants to be released; that creative itch that wants to be scratched; that feeling that we aren’t playing full out and living to our potential.

I call that inspiration. It’s the seed from which all amazing art and creation comes forth and it lives within EACH AND EVERY one of us. Some of us carry the seeds for brilliant poetry, others for clever jokes. Some of us are master painters in disguise; some of us have the perfect pictures in our eyes. Whatever calls to your heart, whatever lights you up, that’s what you were made to do. And if you’re not doing it, then you’re missing out and you’re holding out on the rest of us.

And here’s the best part. You don’t have to be the best at it; you don’t need to win any prize. It’s so easy to talk ourselves out of doing something by thinking too far ahead and getting caught up in thoughts about where we want to end up. But creativity, self-expression and life happen NOW, in this moment. So don’t worry about how good you are at it or where it’s going. Just do it for the pure love of it. That is more than enough and it’s from that headspace that the best experiences are had and the best stuff gets created.

So today, I’m asking you to let the artist in you come out and play. No pressure. No expectations. No dramas. Just for a good time and a little fun. You owe it to yourself and you owe it to the Uni-verse that gave you the beautiful ability to create and the unique set of gifts that only you have. You know the ones I’m talking about.

I almost didn’t write my blog for The Daily Love this week. I was holding out on myself and you but thankfully, I got a loving kick in the butt from a friend. This is my loving kick in the butt to you.

Chris :)

Written for The Daily Love (June 23rd, 2012)