creativenachos.com Blog

This is Baby Nacho #2  (No that is not a penis it’s a leg) My daughter is going to be the best big sister

Elation, fear, excitement, caution, joy, warmth, happiness, love, laughter, tears, magic, dreams, hope, wishes….with all the words in the English language those are the only ones I have right now…that and a HUGE balloon of emotion floating around inside of me.

There are two things I LOVE! Ok, ok there are a zillion things I love but today I’d like to share two special ones. I love that it is possible to be creative in everything we do just about as much as I love being a kid. I think we forget as we get older that we can be creative in every area of our lives. Do you know how often I hear people say, “No, I don’t have a creative bone in my body!” LIES…all LIES! (Insert evil laugh here). I bet if I were to sit and talk with those “non-creative folk” about their childhood we’d stumble upon the time they made a potholder or a drawing for their Mom or another special someone. I’d learn that Mom or whoever received that heartfelt gift treasured it and how that person, the one who isn’t the slightest bit creative, believed that was the best thing they’d ever made. For a fleeting moment, I’d watch a light shine in their eyes and bask in the small, warm smile they’d wear as they remembered that moment of giving the creative, homemade gift before they’d travel back to the present where they would almost certainly bury their creative beauty again.

As we age there’s a distinct part of us that actually loses wisdom like a tire losing air. And do you know why? Because somewhere along the way someone told us we HAD to color in the lines and that the sky is blue and not fuchsia and we mistakenly believed them. We said to ourselves, “Oh that’s the way everyone else is doing it so it must be right,” and right then and there we began to pack away that essential stuff that makes us unique. We packed away our purple clouds and trees with rainbow trunks and believed that our “art’ didn’t fit with what was “expected.” Over time the creative bones stopped rattling inside the trunk on the highest shelf in our inner closet and we forgot they were even there.

We need to pop open that dusty trunk and enjoy our “art”. Maybe it’s in the way we bake goodies or the way we decorate our homes. Maybe it’s in the way we dress ourselves or the simple way our suggestions add a spark to work projects. Whatever it is we all have it. So, in honor of it, I went back to childhood and pulled out a dish I used to love to eat – Jello! Go ahead, sing the tune right now!! Until this weekend, I had never made Jello for my daughter so I grabbed some at the store, brought it home and made it with her. She loved the way the powder turned into liquid and then the way it froze. But I think her most favorite part was the “Wiggle Dance” we did around the kitchen whenever we would take it out to eat it. That’s the kid part I love. It’s so much more fun to be a kid and dance around and enjoy moments then it is to be serious, isn’t it?

Today I invite you to bring something from your childhood back to life. I invite you to be creative, laugh, dance, sing – do whatever makes you feel like a kid and then share. I’d LOVE to hear about everything from your favorite childhood dessert to what makes you feel like a kid.

Peace, love and childhood fun to you all!

Last year, despite the fact that I came down with the flu right before Christmas, I considered flogging myself when I realized my Christmas cards would not make it out. It’s not as though I thought there were hoards of people sitting by their mailboxes waiting for a card from my little family. Nor did I have some hidden desire to see how many people I could infect with the flu by sending my card and licked envelope. I just think cards are a nice thing but that doesn’t explain why I was having such an incredibly hard time with it. This year, I was working, prepping for the holidays and, right before Christmas, dealing with a sick two and a half year old. Ok, so everyone was busy right? I’m not the only person who was stressed by the holidays so screw the excuses, what was my deal?

Well two things were at work. Amid all the other things that I had going on, I simply didn’t plan my time well enough to write cards. I would leave them to the end of the day after my little Doodle had gone to bed and that was not the wisest move because when she goes to sleep I’m toast.

The second thing is I realize that I don’t like to write cards out when I’m in a bad, tired or stressed mood. I have this thing – and now you are about to think I’m nuts or is it already too late for that?  – that I just don’t want to send that feeling, energy, out there. I know like there is some way my feelings can be communicated through the ink on the card – crazy but I wait to be jolly…yes, like Santa. (I know …you are now convinced I’m nuts and I’m ok with that.) Guess what though the jolly didn’t happen till the presents were under the tree which is why folks will be receiving Christmas – or should I call it New Years – cards soon.

All of this got me to thinking. So much of the stress that we feel is self-imposed, especially when it comes to time. Is there anyone holding a gun to my head telling me that my cards need to be out before midnight on Christmas Eve? No. It’s me. I beat on myself because I have set time limits in my brain and despite anything that may happen – fire, snowstorm, frogs falling from the sky – I beat myself into submission to get them done. It’s unhealthy. There are immovable time limits for things like getting the flu shot, showing up to meet people and how long you can leave a brownie in the fridge before you MUST eat it. But for the most part there is a little wiggle room for us all we just need to allow ourselves to find it.

I planned to have a project up and running by today. Well, as often happens while in mid-flight, I realized I needed to add something to it to give it a little more flavor, if you will. That has caused a slight delay and the moment I realized it would, I felt that urge to hang myself upside down by my own toenails. Now, I think this is pretty funny given the fact that the ONLY human being on the planet who knew about my start date was me; it was completely self-imposed. So, why was I being so harsh?

We all have inner clocks that we set but sometimes we need to snooze or reset them for a few minutes more.  It’s ok if those projects that you are working on are adjusted from time to time. Life happens and sometimes we need to make that modification to our plans in order to help someone, give ourselves more time to create or even just take a mental breather.

What’s your relationship like with time? Are you friends? Do you have that love/hate thing going on?

Celebrate It!

And a writer returns to the page.  A warm smile spreads across her face as she does so.

I have missed you, dear friends, readers, writers, artists, sharing souls. How are you? It’s been far too long.

2009 was an interesting year. It was filled with the highs and lows we all experience but there was more. It picked me up toward the middle to end of the year in a tornado of moments, chaos, heartache, joy, suspense, challenge and whirling color and did not allow me to set my feet upon the ground till now. This is not to say I was a victim of circumstance or could not get here because I was stuck under something heavy. Well, I might have been stuck under something heavy – my own thoughts, insecurities, worries, etc. I was so “busy” with the move, worrying about losing work time, worrying about our new home, worrying about not being there enough for my family, worrying, worrying, worrying, that I lost sight of what is truly important and needed a personal time out. Yes, sitting in a corner quietly for awhile is exactly what my soul needed. Everything took a backseat including my Christmas cards (you will be getting them in January! What a treat LOL)

This year, I learned more than I ever imagined. I started off the year with a new business venture but my plan was not as solid as I thought. I had all the key components needed. I followed all the right procedures but I did not plan for life. Yes, as a business woman and Mom I quickly learned that I need to plan for the unexpected curve balls life is so famous for throwing out. I learned some incredibly tough lessons. I failed on a number of levels but out of that – and those growing pains hurt – I carved a new path, a more realistic one and got my professional life back on track.  Now, I’m learning that I need more professionally to be fulfilled; this learning curve is steep but I’m growing but that’s now always easy but it is a wonderful gift. Even though I hate it sometimes – especially when I get tossed on my ass HARD – I am amazed at how there is always something new to learn.

Personally, I began to think more about how I spend money and time and quickly learned that I do not need many things. I realize how full, rich and beautiful life can be because of the people and not the materials we possess. It’s not as though I didn’t know that but living in a culture that promotes garnering more for oneself it can leave you often feeling as though your life is lacking somehow but it’s not. It’s full with love and creativity and imagination; we just have to adjust our perspective or at least I did. Imagination is the most precious gift we have! It’s simply amazing – we can make the things we dream come to life. And I worried that there wasn’t that much magic left in the world! It’s the self-belief part that can be tricky. I often found myself comparing myself to others and I reached the end of the year wondering why…I mean really wondering for the first time. I’ve talked about it, written about it and spoken about it but at this juncture in my life I honestly don’t want to do it. There are so many folks to learn from that if we or I spend time comparing and feeling “less than” I will lose out on valuable lessons I can learn. Instead, I need to know that there’s a place for me just as there is for all of us and that thought in and of itself is like the World’s greatest Christmas present.

I don’t make resolutions but I hope for things for me and for those I love. This year, my hope is to stay in touch more, to say I love you more and take more time with things. It’s to keep my eye on my passion, follow my heart and do everything in my power to be the best Mom, wife, daughter, friend, sister, woman I can be – without overwhelming myself and needing to hibernate (that’s a reoccurring pattern in my life.)

You have done so much for me. All of your sharing, your thoughtful comments, your love and support…without all of you I would not have made it through some very tough times and for that I will never be able to thank you enough. I plan to be here more – sharing, writing, creating and just living life. It is my sincere hope that you will come here to play too. Is there anything better than playing?

What’s your hope for the year ahead?

Have I mentioned how nice it is to be back….thank you for taking the time to read. It means the world….it always has. Thank you for being you and for being here. Happy New Year may 2010 be an unforgettable year for us all!

© Image Copyright Natasha Reilly 2010