Well Hello!
Spring Has Arrived (Without Asking Anyone's Permission)
Spring has come upon us here in the mountains! It didn't ask if it was okay to start sending daffodils and crocus, or if anyone minded that the birds are making a ruckus in the mornings, or if it was acceptable to swell the buds on the maples... It just did it. The Creation is like that - it creates as it pleases. No permission asked, zero cares given.
The Permission Problem (And the Way Through It)
A friend of mine sent me an email this week asking what I thought about an opportunity she had. It fit perfectly what she's creating (in a different industry, but creative nonetheless) and she met the criteria... so why wouldn't she go for it? Because - permission. She could say "I create things," but not "I am worthy of this." Both of those statements are true, though. The only thing standing between them is stopping the habit of asking outsiders to grant what's already yours to take.
Your Quick Start Kit (No Permission Required)
In the exuberant and bold spirit of spring, here's something to start with right now - and I actively encourage you to flaunt that unwritten "rule" entirely. The Quick Start Kit is a 9-page PDF guide packed with 15+ textures and marks from my own practice, and all the permission you could ever want - including the "Make Something Ugly On Purpose" prompt. It's only $7 for a real taste of creative freedom. Do it!
Get your Kit here: https://ko-fi.com/s/038553140d
Making in Good Company
I've been sharing a lot of fresh projects with the Wild Creation Membership - some of it still kind of messy, but promising. That's the magic of it: creating in companionship without worrying about permission or perfection.
The membership is a small, intimate space where we make things together - I share my process as it's actually happening, messy and promising in equal measure, and you bring whatever you're working on (or want to start). There's no curriculum, no critique, no performance. Just creative companionship for people who are done waiting for someone to tell them they can. Spaces are limited and I'd love for you to be there.
Join us here: https://ko-fi.com/shinydesigns/tiers
What It Feels Like
I made a short video of making marks and putting paint down for the pure joy of it. It's called "This Is What It Feels Like to Stop Asking Permission," and it seems to be resonating, come see what I mean: https://youtube.com/shorts/OmGH6H6QHYE?feature=share
What are you making this week? I genuinely want to know, hit reply and tell me. I read and respond to every message.
The Light Returns,
Monette
P.S. The Quick Start Kit is $7 and it's waiting for you right now. No gatekeepers, no criteria to meet - just yours if you want it: https://ko-fi.com/s/038553140d
P.P.S. Here's the thing about permission: you've been looking for someone else to give it to you, and that person does not exist outside you. The work you want to make is already yours. Take it.