Help Me. Be You.

Today was a beautiful lesson in serendipity...and how when I get out of the way of myself, I find wondrous life everywhere I look.

What I found may benefit you too.

By sheer luck, my husband and I found ourselves with only one child last night and without any children this morning.  (I love my children.  I really do. But parents - you understand.)  One at school during the day, the other at the grandparent's house for an overnight visit.

I've had ample to do recently...many of those things with an impending deadline.  But last night and today, I reminded myself what was important.  This mommy-daddy alone time with our 6-year old son is all too infrequent and fleeting.  So, per his request, we did pizza and ice cream last night.  If I would have been concerned about calories or fretting over not working on the things I "need" to get done, I would have missed out on his declaration on the ride home that, "This was the best night ever!  I have the best mommy and the best daddy in the world."

There is absolutely nothing more in the entire world I would have wanted at that point.  I let myself be a mommy and discovered, apparently, I'm the best at it.  :)

This morning, after he went to school, I once again put aside those nagging Needs.  (You need to get the house clean.  You need to work more on the workshop.  You need to do this and that and don't forget ...)

Hubby & I went out to breakfast at a local restaurant we discovered a few months ago.  It felt completely surreal (beautifully so).

We then decided to go for a brief walk.  We meandered past a local bookstore that I'm ashamed to say I've never actually gone in.  Something caught my eye as we walked past.

To be honest, I just learned of Chris Gullibelleau a few months ago.  But his name has been popping up everywhere recently...and I'm paying attention.  He's one of those Big Presences in the online world...but I'd heard he is unbelievably personable as well.  I connected to him on Twitter way-back-when and did some searching on his website.  I was quite inspired by what I found.  Because of this, his book (The Art of Nonconformity) has been in my Amazon cart since it was available.  (I put books in my cart and buy them as we have the funds - great way to keep track of what I want!)

But serendipity had spoken up, and I knew she was saying it was time to buy.  We went in the bookstore (and were greeted by three sleepy cats) to inquire as to whether or not they had the book.  They did, I bought it - and now I feel good because I supported a local business, I have a delicious amount of reading material for this evening, AND I get to meet the author next Tuesday.

As if that wasn't enough...

We rounded the corner and I finally got up the nerve to go into the Waldron Arts Center.  I've known about this place for years but for one reason or another have not gone in.  It was recently purchased by Ivy Tech (a college) so the center itself has changed a bit - but they still offer gallery displays, space, and classes.

We took a quick tour of the place, discovering galleries (and thus the work of some local artists!), children's work from a summer class (giving me some ideas of things to try at home with the kiddos), and - my favorite - two classes in progress.  I secretly watched as people shaped clay and listened as others learned about starting a sketch.  I felt alive.  I simultaneously was glad that I could go home and play on my own and equally enamored with the thought of being in a classroom learning about making art.

The point?

I learned more about myself and came home to be far more productive than I would have been had I first attended to the "shoulds".  I still got what "needed" to be done accomplished...the house was cleaned, this blog post written, some further work done on the 21 Secrets workshop & the new website.  I had more energy to do those things and was in a far better mood because I allowed myself to enjoy and explore in between the shoulds.

I allowed myself to not only peek behind the cracked door marked "What If" but to throw it open and dance in the brilliantly white sunshine so that I may return to work with warmth embedded into my skin.

Because I allowed myself to drench myself in....myself - my essence, my priorities, and awareness of that self...I can return to write this post.  I can celebrate a "successful" day and prove that it is possible to both get done what needs to get done and live deeply at the same time.

I not only want to give you permission to do the same - because everyone knows they already have permission - but I want to challenge you to do so.  Why?  Because when you are You, I am given more freedom to be Me.

Namaste.

p.s. I have more lucky finds that have come my way recently -- I'll share those with you tomorrow!  Be sure to stop back by...these are GOOD ones that you can benefit from as well.

p.p.s. I am HONESTLY blown away by the things showing up over at the 21 Secrets Workshop.  It is AMAZING that you can get all of this for less than $3 / workshop.

Paula - a.k.a. JournalArtista - did an awesome video answering some common questions about the workshop.  You can view that on her blog at: http://messymindcreativesoul.blogspot.com/2010/09/more-exciting-info-on-mixed-media-class.html .

Another karma reminder - it is an affiliate program.  You can click HERE to buy through me (in which case you'll have oodles of love coming your way and I'm sure many good things in your future).  If you read this blog just to make fun of me and aren't in the mood to give me money, please still go and sign up over at DirtyFootprints-studio.com.