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:







Love this! I feel so seen. 💚
LOVE everything about this, Aly! What a beautiful reminder. One of my favorite things to do for my son is to create faces out of the food on his meal plates at home and I’ve never once thought of it as creative. But I am counting it now, (and more things that I wouldn’t have!) thanks to your beautiful words and heart. 😍
ps - a backyard fence mural. What a fun idea! 🫶🫶