Welcome to this week’s mindfulness blog post! This week I want to dive into creative freedom and the power of leaning into our unique selves.

For me, it all started with my Penguono sweater. 

When I knit my Penguono, something shifted. I definitely did not realize or know I was looking for a way to get back to myself or the childlike freedom I used to have around making things. When I knit the Penguono, I had a trash bag of yarn around me and I just got into this fun creative flow of knitting what felt right as I went along. It was so much fun! I used to make a lot as a kid, even as a teenager, and I didn't care too much about what the world thought. I enjoyed the process of externalizing what was inside me out into the world in a physical form. What my Penguono made me realize is that the time of my life, where creativity flowed freely, didn't have to be over. It could keep flowing, growing and evolving. Somehow I'd let it get beat out of me by the world. Has this ever happened to you? 

There are so many things in life that zap our creativity. There are so many barriers that make our creativity go into hiding and we forget its feeling of freedom and possibility. I think one of the biggest things for me, was trying to fit in. Trying to fit in is the enemy to my creativity, ha! I've also found stress to be a big barrier to feeling creative. For instance, when I started my business and had a few very difficult financial years, being creative felt impossible. Even though my business is a creative business, I was in survival mode. I think if I was in that survival mode again, my creativity might take another hit but I have a better awareness around it now. Can you relate to this?

One silver lining of COVID is that it has invited many of us to slow down and sit still. We have more time to pursue hobbies, interests and just be. There is no better moment than right now to lean into your creativity, to let it be free. A few years ago, I came across this Ted Talk, which I make everyone watch. It's called the Art of Being Yourself by Caroline McHugh. This idea is at the heart of my business, when we're simply ourselves and when we lean into whatever it is that makes us unique, we're our best selves. It sounds so simple but it's hard to do and society certainly doesn't applaud unicorns going their own way - ha!

Knitting creatively has helped me find this person again, dig up the me that was there all along but got sidetracked. I feel more in tune with that creative kid I used to be/still am and more inspired to go and make the yarns/patterns/projects I want to see in the world. Getting back to that person has been incredibly powerful. It is somehow easier for me to let things roll off me because of it. Maybe it's given me confidence to care less about what others think. But no matter what, it’s been a magical journey that’s allowed me, my business and my family to grow and I am so thankful for that. That Ted Talk sums it up so well. 

What would it take for you to lean into your creativity, experiment with something new, build something bold, dream something up and then make it a reality? When or how have you been able to do this during the craziness that is 2020 - or even before? Let that creativity spread its wings and fly!  Don't think too much about what the end product will be, just let things flow and see what happens. 

 I'd love to turn you onto a podcast about creativity that really inspired me this past summer to. Find that episode here. It's with the creator of Creative Live, Chase Charvis and Kevin Rose. I LOVED it. Especially when Chase spoke about the impact taking photos had on his mother's life. 

Thank you so much ~ cannot wait to see your progress! As always, reach out if you need help.

Amy