Did You Feel Alive This Year?

Did you feel alive this year?

I know, this time of year it’s a little bit cliché to set goals, or make dream boards, or write lists. But it can also be really, honestly, inspiring. What do you need in 2018 to feel really, truly alive?
Sometimes we call this “feeling truly alive” feeling self-care. But what does it even mean? Meditation? Bubble baths? Going to the gym? Training for a race? Reading more fiction?

When my second daughter was born and my oldest was two, I felt like I was drowning in my kids. I needed SOMETHING to make me feel like myself - something to think about in the shower, something to create, people to impact besides the ones crying in my lap.

I wanted something to light me up, use my passion, connect me with other women, showcase my talents. You know what people suggested to me? Go to the gym. Get your nails done. Buy a new shirt.

I wanted to scream. I didn't want any of these things. I wanted a dream, a project, something real. I wanted to have a voice and influence the women around me. I didn't want to sell someone else’s products - I wanted to make something new and something beautiful.

Do you ever feel like you're drowning? Like you've lost touch with what really makes you feel alive? Don't settle for the easy answers. All these suggestions are fine - but if they don't do it for you, don't stop looking. 

There are two things that make me feel alive – and they both involve making something. I love making friends. It makes my heart beat fast to meet new women, get curious about them and their stories, and begin to build a group that laughs together, cries together, and just sometimes just texts each other about the crazy thing their kids did.

I also love making things with my hands. Sometimes they are pretty and I give them as gifts, and sometimes they just turn out as crappy crafts that I end up trashing. Either way, the process of making something with real life materials like paper, paint, glue, and fabric, and getting to see something take shape beneath my hands, lights me up.

And you know what? I think these things – making friends and making art – could light you up too.

Making crafts together can be a deeply connecting experience, and I think that the two combine really well! For the past nine months, I’ve been leading a craft group designed to spark community and friendship, and it’s working! Having something to do with our hands made the initial awkwardness much more bearable, and we’ve begun connecting in real and deep ways as we make pretty things like painted rocks, shibori tie dye, and soap!

I want you to be able to have the same experience! Buy a craft kit - the perfect reason to gather and make friends on purpose!