“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force." -Shel Silverstein
Free The Doodle!
I'm not really sure what happened to me the other day. The last thing I remember was sipping a hot cup of coffee while intently staring at my walls. All of a sudden, I found myself driving to the local Sherwin Williams paint store with my two kids in the car. Essentially, I think it was the crayon doodle all over my walls that finally drove me off the edge. I entered the store on a mission and quickly dove into a heavy conversation with the sales clerk about paint finishes, while my kids perused the color swatches. As we drove home with the paint cans safely packed in the trunk, my son asked, "Are we doing a project Mommy?" To which I replied, "I'm freeing the doodle!" He looked at me excited and confused. He looks at me like that a lot.
Interestingly, I chose a blue color. I LOVE blue, but it's risky for me to put on my walls. When it comes to decor, I can be boring. But for some reason, that particular day, I was going to throw the noodle. I was going to take on the creative! Well, not right then, but probably around 8pm when the kids were in bed.
Since that evening, I have to admit that I've been on a painting rampage! I painted the walls, painted a floor, painted the shed, painted the dog.....sorry Otis......I got carried away. Oddly enough, while stroking each new canvas, I found myself breathing, relaxing.......and most importantly, listening. With all of the chaos and noise happening every day, the simple creative task of painting, gave me a chance to listen to my own thoughts and feelings. Me and my brush found our own little world of silence. A place to recharge the battery. And most importantly.......free the doodle and listen to my noodles!!! (Such a powerful sentence.......and it rhymes too. I mean really.)
But being creative doesn't always have to be about freeing yourself of the doodle.....or any other task that might need to get done. It can also feel like a break, your own form of meditation, a massage or morning cup of coffee. And in those moments, when it's only you, your silence and your creativity.......that's when you most listen. And that's usually when the noodles start simmering.
So take on the creative. Free your own doodle if you must! Because you owe that time to your thoughts, your feelings, your creativity and maybe your walls. Tucked away in your silence, you may find some simmering noodles ready for take off.
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