Alissa: Centered by Creative Practice

My name is Alissa; I am a mom of three kids, and I want you to know that it is worthwhile exploring your creativity no matter how many loads of laundry you have left, or if you have dishes sitting in the sink. That’s the long and the short of it, really. This is the lesson I am learning and I would like others to join me.

I was lucky to grow up in  a family that always encouraged my creativity. I was the kid whose answer for boredom was, “let’s make something!” I drew, sewed, and crafted my way through grade school. I acted and drew in high school, and tried out costuming and dance in college. Even with all this creating in my life I was headed towards stagnation.

Somehow along the way (maybe just from society at large, I don’t really know…) I got the creativity-killing notion that creativity was only worthwhile if I could make money with it. This stymied me for years after college and into my married life. I fumbled with a few “creative type” businesses during my first couple years parenting, but didn’t get very far. I struggled and felt blocked.

The only thing that has removed that blocked feeling has been adding creative practice into my life — doing something creative every day, with no attachment to the result. I need to create for the sake of clarity in my soul. I need to make things to keep myself whole and centered, the rest can fall where it will from there.

Over the past year I’ve had the privilege of helping my husband work towards his creative dreams. Watching him pursue his passion as he opens Mother Road Brewing Company, has pushed me to follow my own passion of helping parents unlock their creativity. Currently, my primary way of doing that is by writing my blog, www.lissybug.com.

My other creative endeavors are cooking, parenting with gentleness and respect, drawing, and a smattering of knitting and sewing. I don’t have it all figured out (at all!) but I strive towards authenticity and I hope that living that way will move others to do the same.