"Art is not about perfection or praise. It's about discovering who you are. Letting your soul breathe. And growing through every beautiful mistake and honest attempt. Find the joy in simply creating and you'll find yourself." - Audrey Hepburn

All those many years ago when my children were little, I had given up a career in advertising to stay home with them. I was a copy writer and dabbled in graphic design. No regrets. But at the time, I was young and I was deeply depressed.

There was a day I'd dropped the kids at school, came home, turned on the tv and slouched back into the sofa randomly flipping the channels until I came across something on hgtv where a woman was sewing a handbag.

"I have a sewing machine," I thought. I got up, dragged out the sewing machine and some random fabric, and with no experience and no pattern, attempted to make a bag. 

And that was it. That was the beginning of my journey through a million creative doors I've walked through or sometimes, just peeked behind.

I'm not by nature, a teacher, or maybe teaching just isn't what brings me joy and fulfillment. But I am fully and without doubt an encourager. If I see you dipping your toe into a creative endeavor, my instinct is to give you a little nudge towards to edge. Maybe the shallow end at first. But oh, how every part of me wants to see you jump into the deep end, fearlessly swimming while yelling, "look at me! I'm swimming! I'm swimming!".

I want you to show the world your creativity, whatever that creativity is... home decorating, sewing, knitting, embroidery, crochet, painting and drawing, dancing, collage, writing, gardening ... there's a million ways to be creative. The tiniest things are creating ... silly things like placing books and items on your coffee table "just so" is an act of creativity.

I always say, creativity begets more creativity. You just start. Suddenly the synapses in your brain are firing off and you cannot stop. One idea leads to another idea leads to another leads to another. Soon your whole life in one way or another is creative.

You're watching birds... but you're imagining a whole world the birds live in. You're shopping for groceries, and you're putting recipes together in your head and thinking of how you might set the table.. You're cleaning the house... wondering where you can move that candlestick to that would look better to you.

It is all creativity if you practice and find the JOY being creative.

Today, the little sparkly, creative girl in me is whispering to you. Ok, maybe she's pushing you... nudging you... nagging you... do something... anything at all that gives you a little glimmer of your brilliant, creative self. As Audrey said, it will let your soul... breathe. 

Imagine that. Your soul ... breathing.

With love,

Bari