Taking risks is like checking your pulse to make sure you’re still alive, without them you might as well be dead.  What I’ve learned from getting things out into the world? Not to be attached to the outcome and certainly not to be afraid to start over.

Mixed Media 24 x 24 by Nathalie Dignard

(Working in layers above, bottom panels are closer details of the bigger piece, a little creature on the bottom right delivers life’s challenges right to your door!)

A canvas (or your life) may start out as one thing and goes a certain way for a while then… POOF! SPLAT! BOOM! It falls flat on its face (as you trip over your own feet, your words or inconveniently placed objects or relationships!) and when it gets back up it looks totally different, because what it came in contact with changed it forever, and it forever changed you.

Whatever that ‘change’ is, use it! RECEIVE it rather than fight it. Dance with it because it is now part of you, and part of your very unique layers. Decide what shines through to make the next layers of you even yummier BUT leave room for surprises too! It adds texture to your soul AND substance to your way of being in the world.

As a single mom, the hardest part to saying yes to more was saying YES first! I would stop myself from diving in because… What about daycare? Not having a car? Not having money? Being too tired? You find ways to make it happen but you HAVE to say yes! I’m still working on this myself and the latest I said yes to is a three day event (GULP!). How am I going to get a sitter for bouncy 5 year old for THREE days!? That’s when I wish my mother lived in the same city.

What changed you the most? What did you learn from your own creative process that can be applied to your life, leading you to a more authentic version of yourself?  Leave your thoughts bellow!

(Inspired by Kate Northrup’s post ‘My baby (book) is one year old today.’)