You have no time to cook. Work is asking you for more than they've bargained for.  Adulting feels like a dance with chronic stress and nothing else. We turn on the tv to find adverts that tell us a decent time is the latest pain relieving medication, a good time is alcohol, and a great time is immersing ourselves in other people's stories.

Is there more to life? Whoa, wait a minute! Let's not get too serious here. Okay, let's take a step back. How is your day going today? What makes you happy? You deserve to feel loved today. No matter how busy you are and how tired you are and how important the tasks before you and ahead of you are, you deserve to feel loved. Today.

And you want to know a little secret... by fully engaging with this text, deliberately designed with your betterment in mind and heart, you are practicing kindness to self and pausing from all other things that could be using up your precious life minutes. [Pause. Take a deep victorious breath.]

The other things are still there and that's okay. For now you are here and we are grateful for your presence. Stay as long as you'd like or need to.

Find your safe space here in your very own art sanctuary. Let go of expectations and just be you. Feel the thoughtfulness all around and embrace all beauty that can be found outside of perfection. Our message and photos are in-house authentic -- never stock photos or AI generated -- imperfect yet celebrated, they are all connections felt from our real people-centered experiences with no compromises, because real recognizes real. And though mindfully handcrafted, our logo is a doodle drawn with a pencil and pen from a sports betting section in a Las Vegas casino. (No we are not advocating for sports betting.) We didn't want to wait any longer for "someday". With you in mind, we started before we were "ready". [What does your "ready" look like?] 

Creative freedom can be imperfect yet beautiful. It's time. Free yourself. Free your self. Be. Together, let's focus less on what we see and more on how does 'that' make us feel. We hope that you feel something positive being revived and or nurtured through your experience with us, or as we like to dive deeper and say through your practice with us. Your own creative freedom is immensely beautiful and powerful. We hope you know. We hope you feel it. We hope you know that you are loved. We hope you feel it too. And that you are enough.

Critical thinking cap on: Arts and crafts for humans - do you believe that it is necessary? And if so, how can it benefit you and why must you immerse yourself fully in the practice thereof? 

[Take a deep victorious breath.] Let's begin anew. Confidently express your self. It's time to let your personality shine. Begin before you're "ready". Let's celebrate your humanity. Let's practice together.  |  let's co-create.

Some of us at some point fully believed in the magic of a flying sleigh, reindeers and presents that were the direct result of our vocalizing our hopes, dreams and wants for what may have been perceived as a receiving gifts holiday. Perhaps, to be lovingly, culturally and experientially mindful, it was a different event or holiday that gave our childlike sense of wonder its spark and magic. 

Then reality struck. We were told to grow up and we have. We were told to move away from the spark because it might lead us astray. We were told to move away from our naïvete. And where has that led us?

Surprisingly, the 'grow up' advice hasn't been all bad. It actually has been good. We have gained wisdom in processing things around us. It has led us to become productive members of society. It has led us to being able to manage leadership roles with clear headedness and conviction. It has also led us to a place of awareness and acceptance of uneasy truths, pain and sufferings. -- All perhaps necessary things for our survival in a complex world and for an authentic human experience. [Pause. Take a deep victorious breath.]

But, and there is a butt, the process of growing up can at times dim out the childlike light within. And why does that matter? The childlike light within can make it okay to forgive yourself for mistakes, for falling short in important endeavors. The childlike light within can help you to laugh at yourself instead of judging yourself harshly, to perhaps an early grave. (By the way, did the "typo" a few sentences above make you laugh or judge? It's all love. We won't judge.)

There is a safe space for both your adult self and the child within to coexist, to thrive even. Such space is not some distant place. Take a deep victorious breath... you are already there. 

[Here's a challenge: Can you think of two ways to keep your childhood dreams alive and why that matters to your self care journey?] Or just live your best life.

It's time to let your imagination run wild. Let's get creative. It's time to fully embrace your younger childlike self. It's time to create outside the box as if you don't know any other way. It's time to dream, to see magic all around, to create magic even through just a smile. It's time for unlimited self-compassion again. 

It's time for gifts again, as an adult. Imagine the thoughtfulness and lovely stories (real human ingenuity, opportunity, passion, compassion, and love stories) behind the making of said gifts. Be the Santa in your own and or in someone else's life and feel the joy that this brings. Dream. It's not too late. Try new adventures. Gift. Create, co-create. Become a handcrafted artisan. 

Don't be afraid of trying. Let's say it together: "I am not afraid of nurturing my childlike self". [Pause. Take a deep victorious breath.] Reenergize your childlike sense of wonder. Let's be friends. Let's go on an adventure, together.  |  let's co-create.

Imagine yourself being able to let go of things or people or circumstances or past experiences that once kept you feeling shackled and powerless. Imagine being able to say no to vices that have ravaged past generations in your family tree. Imagine feeling like you can smile a genuine smile to yourself when things go wrong. And imagine you saying yes to new positive experiences, new insightful learning opportunities and new meaningful growth connections. Let's imagine. 

Now the above statements to so many may sound like fluff and that feeling is valid. But is it wrong to imagine positivity in our lives? Is it okay to say and believe that you are meant for greatness? Is it okay to pursue a passion or a creative endeavor? Is it okay to elevate, give high value to and create  aesthetic beauty in your own "faulty", "simple" or "beginner's level" handcrafted work? 

Absolutely.

It's time to give yourself the permission. The power for change has always been in your loving hands. And the practice of mindfulness, also know as being present, can be a great opportunity to see what we have and what we are capable of doing and being over the energy draining cloud of what we lack.

Start with a deep victorious breath. Be present there. This breath is yours. You own it. It is life. It is life empowering. This one breath powers up, as far as we now know and can compute, 9oo trillion cells. Wow! How amazing and victorious is your one breath. Yes, yours. All yours.

This is not an easy feat, literally a most difficult and astronomically complex feat to accomplish,  but it's something that you can do in your sleep. Literally. How cool is that? [Pause. Take a deep victorious breath.]

Find your mindfulness. It is here. Be present. Own your power. You are victorious. You are life affirming. See the real you. Feel the real you. The you that intentionally powers up 900 trillion, yes, trillion, cells. 

If you haven't done so, it's time. It's time to stand with your head held high. It's time to unstress and realign.  It's time to embrace your knowing without knowing power; that feeling that leads you to a place of self awareness, self empathy and unconditional gratitude and love for who you are today. This is your gifted moment. [Pause.] Fear not your greatness.

Let's together take a deep victorious breath. Nothing is impossible. Let's grow. Let's lead together. Inspire and be inspired. The day is yours.  |  let's co-create. 

Sometimes making friends can be difficult. Sometimes being in a loving relationship can be challenging and draining. Sometimes just feeling like yourself can be an anxiety inducing experience. Taking on a personal task is tough business. The human experience can feel so taxing. And sometimes it only seems that way for you. So what must you do?

There are thousands of external motivational tools out there and we seek them. There may be people in our lives pushing us towards what they see as betterment. And those people's actions can be from an honest and caring place of love. But as we often find, external motivations aren't always as effective as they are believed to be.

Think of it this way, if I push, they might fall. -- The act of being pushed can and often leads to falling. It creates hurt and pain. Not the intended goal in mind. The result of pushing can be frustrating, and can lead to giving up all together. [Pause. Take a deep victorious breath.]

So what can we do?

If I push, they might fall, but if I inspire... therein lies the magic. The truth is extrinsic motivation isn't as strong as intrinsic motivation. What is found inside is a treasured find.

How can one harness the powers of intrinsic motivation? Through inspiration. A positive affirmation inspires us to see and imagine ourselves in a new light. Yes, self doubt may say otherwise but every time we practice, we remind our core self of who we truly are outside of learned conditioning. As a result, in time, we can inspire ourselves to lead in our navigating our own challenges empathetically instead of beating ourselves for falling short or throwing in the towel or letting someone else decide what is best for us.

Positive affirmations are a great place to start in the journey of inspiring change over trying to force change. Critical thinking cap on: Can you think of any other ways? Can you see and feel more clearly how to help someone you love? -- Thank you in advance for your leadership. You are loved as you are. You are wholesome. You are enough. Thank you for being you.

We vow to never push you towards your next ❤ level. We hope to inspire you. We hope to empower you. We hope to celebrate you. We hope to support you. The past is unmodifiable, but the present and the future is ours to mold. Together, let's go beyond just surviving to having your feelings validated, your being celebrated and to seeing the real you holistically thriving. 

It's time. [Pause.]

Let's speak these words together:

I am a champion in my own ring. [Pause.] [Take a deep victorious breath.]

I am triumphant. I can unlearn, learn and grow. [Pause.] [Take a deep victorious breath.]

I am thankful for my many mistakes. They remind me that I am actively a human being. [Pause.] [Take a deep victorious breath.]

I am honoring my autonomy and my unhindered intrinsic motivation. [Pause.] [Take a deep victorious breath.]

I am an interdependent leader. [Pause.] [Take a deep victorious breath.]

And one more time. [Take a deep victorious breath.] 

Well done. Woohoo! We are so proud of who you are and who you are becoming. What a marvelous knowing smile. Pat yourself on the back. [Pause.] And don't forget to reward yourself for completing your intentional practice today. |   let's co-create.