The Permission Slip You Didn't Know You Needed

Today, I sat down to paint and realized I didn't want to paint carefully.

I wanted to play.

So instead of my usual process, I grabbed some acrylic paint I had picked up in Florence, made a colorful, messy underpainting, scribbled over it with a marker, and just...painted.

No expectations.
No pressure.
No worrying about whether it would turn out.

It reminded me that somewhere along the way, many of us stop giving ourselves permission.

Permission to experiment.
Permission to make mistakes.
Permission to be beginners.
Permission to travel.
Permission to say yes.
Permission to create simply because it brings us joy.

Maybe it's because we become adults. We collect responsibilities, expectations, and "shoulds." We get very good at being practical.

But I think something beautiful happens as we get older.

At least it has for me.

I'm finding myself giving myself permission in ways I never used to.

To travel.
To teach around the world.
To paint without knowing exactly where it's going.
To spend a morning making something that may never hang in a gallery.
To take risks.
To choose joy over certainty.

And here's the funny thing...

Every time I give myself permission to do something that feels just a little scary, life gets bigger.

Not easier.
Not more predictable.

Just richer.

I think creativity works the same way.

It isn't about making perfect paintings.

It's about staying curious.

It's about saying,
"I wonder what would happen if..."

That's where the magic lives.

That's one of the reasons I love teaching retreats so much.

They're more than painting trips.

They're permission slips.

Permission to step away from everyday responsibilities.
Permission to spend a week filling your creative cup.
Permission to wander through a market in Italy with a sketchbook.
Permission to paint in the French countryside without checking the clock.
Permission to remember who you are when you're making something just for the joy of it.

I still have a few openings in my upcoming retreats, and if you've been waiting for a sign...

Maybe this is it.

Give yourself permission.

Sometimes the biggest adventure begins with one small yes.