How often do you do something you want to do by yourself? Create something by yourself and for yourself just because you want to? Write, bake, draw, paint, compose, sew, build...whatever creativity calls to you.

Probably not enough. And I want to share with you a little story...

This week I was working on some artwork on my own, something I wanted to do for myself as my own self-expression, and my 3 year old daughter wanted to help me.

Long story short, I told her no. And cue the tears, tantrum, taking the artwork from me, me spiraling and taking it back, getting frustrated, yelling, and two strong-willed ladies storming off to different sides of the house.

Not my finest moment. Stupid really, it's just a bit of artwork.

But here is the FIRST big takeaway I want you to really get:

You DO NOT have to share and do everything with your kid.

Let's go deeper...

You're meant to live FULLY self-expressed - it is divine, your truth, of your Soul and highest self.

Yet, most Moms I see are far from allowing their divine self-expression.

Got that creative urge?

Well, most times you don't have either the time or solitude to pursue it. If you've a younger child like me, you often feel compelled to include them...turning your wish for creating in peaceful solitude, purely in your own happy energy, into a project with your kid.

It's great doing things with your kid. I love it.

But are you feeling resistance to letting your kid contribute to your water color painting? Do you allow them to help you with your project because you think you have to include them? Because it will keep the peace?

If you are, you're leaking your personal power and blocking your divine self-expression.

HOWEVER...

There is a fine line between staying in your personal power here or leaking it through control and attachment.

Going back to my story this week to illustrate...

Things spiraled between my daughter and I this week not because I wanted to do my artwork by myself. We went into an emotional tornado because I was ATTACHED to doing my artwork by myself right then in that moment. I didn't allow myself flexibility, or extend my daughter compassion, to do my project later in the day or another day all together. It was now or nothing.

Because I was attached to that outcome and that perspective, I then tried to CONTROL the situation and the outcome by excluding my daughter...cue the spiral.

And even more than that, why was I so attached and controlling about this?

It wasn't even about the artwork. When I dove beneath the surface, I saw that I was feeling like my needs weren't being met in another area of my life, so I was trying to control my art project in order to give myself a sense of security, of certainty and predictability, from having things go my way.

YOUR TAKEAWAY:

• Yes, do things you want to do by yourself! Give yourself that permission to create, to express, to be - all without your child adding their own spark to it. Allow yourself the spaciousness and freedom to do that, enlisting help to make that space for you if needed (though yes, I know sometimes that is much easier said than done). You should not feel guilty about it or apologize for excluding your kiddo. (Yes, I had really great conversation later with my daughter about sharing, time for ourselves, honoring each other...)

• BUT also check in with yourself about WHY you are so adamant to do your creativity and project yourself.

  • Are you into any attachment or control about what you want to create or where or when?

  • Can you release your expectations, potentially include your child now, and then do creative time by yourself later?

  • Do you really need to do your project by yourself? Or are you REALLY looking for space, time, or to fulfill your own needs in some way because you're coping...and trying to control or fill yourself back up because something else in your life is the real thing that is bugging you?

Because, truth bomb, what you THINK you're trying to control and what you THINK you're sad/angry/worried/etc. about is rarely the root of it all.

ALL of your woes come from attachment, which comes from your fears. Anytime you're into control, attachment, and fear of ANY sort, you leak your personal power.

And your ability to change your life is proportional to your personal power.

In gratitude and to your wonderfully joyful Soul aligned life,

Teal