It all counts

a reminder I need and maybe you do, too

Unhooking from the idea that art has to meet certain parameters in order to “count”

Being held by the creative efforts of my current life

A self-compassion curriculum I created for my kids. We haven’t implemented it yet.

It all counts

I hope you know

it all counts

as art

as life

as love

as forward motion

as enough

the sketching and the color mixing,

the scribbled notes on receipts and snippets of ideas sent to yourself via text,

the processing on Voxer,

the ski days,

the snowy drives,

the reaching out to new friends,

the meal planning, cooking, and curriculum making,

the dream of a back-fence mural, designed by you and the kids,

the color-coded chart and reward system,

the re-stacking, the commenting, the pre-ordering for artist’s you love,

the far-off ideas and the quiet disciplines,

the quotes saved,

the prayers whispered,

the time spent in nature,

all the noticing

there is no right way to create

can we take advantage of this freedom?

if it is for freedom we have been set free,

why do we cage and prescribe and box ourselves back in?

it all counts

every moment you are alive to notice

awake to love

pouring out your pain and passion

folding tiny shirts

wiping counters smooth

kissing tender foreheads

it all counts

as art

as life

as love

***
What creative efforts do you engage in, but feel like don’t “count” toward your “real” creativity? What other endeavors would you add to my list?

***
In case you missed it, I shared my latest Plunge, paint, poems here: Celebrating Some?

Some photos of recent creativity that I’m tempted to feel like don’t “count” because they aren’t longform essays:

Painting cards for friends

puzzling

experimenting with new recipe

Ski days—solo and with friends (but somehow my kids don’t want to go!)