A Date with Inspiration

Today I am having a date with inspiration. It’s like what Julia Cameron calls an Artist’s Date or what Elizabeth Gilbert refers to as “seducing creativity”. And that’s how I am spending my Saturday.

For one of the rarest moments of my parenting life, I have an afternoon to myself. My daughter is with my parents who are visiting from MA (Thank God for grandparents!), my husband is watching college football with a couple of friends (I don’t even know who’s playing), and I am sitting at my new house, in the comfiest chair in the world (seriously--what an awesome purchase!), decked out in a cute dress with newly coconut oil masked hair and just BEING.

I have spent SO much time DOING lately. A summer of caring for my daughter practically 24/7 while my husband worked on our new home, back to school preparation and teaching, the actual move, teaching wellness classes, planning events, writing for publications, participating in Masterminds. It’s not that I don’t love DOING all of these things...in fact, I do love DOING--so much that sometimes I forget to just be. So today, on this rare and beautiful opportunity, I am dating myself….and gifting myself the pleasure of just being.

I slept in and then drank some french vanilla coffee with honey and vanilla flax milk (not usually a coffee drinker---but yum!), then went for a jog in my new hood, then a restorative yoga video. And then lots of laying around. Texting with old friends. Reading. I even took a bath. And did a hair mask with coco oil, rosemary essential oil and tea tree (so refreshing!) and as I was deciding which pair of yoga pants to put on, I got the urge to dress up.

I bought this really cute dress (even my siblings and mom and dad said it doesn’t make me look like a puritan--which is another rarity) for a special occasion and have been too lazy to wear it. Sometimes it is hard to give up your sports bra and yoga pants (okay true confession: I am wearing a sports bra under the dress--couldn’t resist the comfort!) But today, I felt like showing up unapologetically FOR MYSELF.

Today...I got the urge to have a date with inspiration. On my date I am only DOING things that I want to do. That make me feel good and aligned and alive. Of course writing has entered the equation, or perhaps I have invited it in with my seductive ways--either way, here I am. And I am also being okay with just BEING too.

I spend so much time doing for others both in my profession and in my home life, and most days I wouldn't have it any other way.

But not today. Today is a celebration, a permission, and an invitation.

When was the last time that you dated yourself?

Or allowed yourself to just be?

Well here’s your permission slip...if you need one.

Because this feels damn good, and I want you to experience it too <3

PS: This picture is really interesting to me because I feel like there is so much shadow and light happening here. I have learned through sacred circle that there is beauty in the integration of both ❤️. Today I am having an artist's date and showing up for myself unapologetically, so it only seems appropriate that I am embracing my shadow along with my light.