I was spending some time with a couple friends yesterday, when my son found some paint and asked if he make a painting (the 3rd one of the day!).  We all became inspired to do our own after we saw the fun bunny he had produced and jumped right in!

As I was working on mixing new colors, I started thinking about how there was Nothing I would rather be doing in that moment.  I am so thankful to have a small child around that is constantly teaching and reminding me how good it feels to prioritize my play time!  I am also extremely thankful for the fun and awesome friends I have surrounded myself with who also value playing and creating and who don't mind stepping outside their comfort zones for the sake of having Fun!

A dear friend and I were having a conversation yesterday about feeling insecure in relationships. 

This is what we came up with:

When we're feeling insecure in our relationships, a lot of us will look at our partner and what he or she needs to give us in order to make us feel more secure (like "he doesn't tell me I'm beautiful" or "he doesn't appreciate me").  But security is not something someone else can give us.  True confidence is internal.

The more helpful question we should be asking is not "Does my Partner think I'm awesome?" but "Do I think I'm awesome?"  If the answer is "yes", then you are correct and you probably weren't feeling insecure to begin with.  If the answer is "no", then get happy because you just discovered the source of your problem!  Its not your partner, your family, or anyone else.  Its you! 

The good news is you can Always change You!  In fact, you are one of the only things whose change you can really control.  So have fun with your design! 

Here's to the Awesomeness that you are, and are becoming!

Suzy

Last night I went to an art museum opening and the number of people that showed up was incredible. Yes, the free food may have helped but knowing that such a wide variety of people in my town were being exposed to the work of artists (some of worldwide reputation and others local) felt great.


While the arts will not always create a "feel good" feeling,  they will expand your perspective, stretch your heart or make you think about what you can do. Well, for me, that's fun too :)


Some will have fun while playing sports. Some will have fun having sex. Others will have fun while meditating.


How you have fun does not matter, what matters is that you do. 


I won't lie to you, I am not a scientist, nor any kind of researcher. But I am an avid reader and observer. And here is what I noticed:


People who are bored or are sad and don't try to get out of this emotional state will only increase it to the point of depression.
People who have fun attract more fun.
People who have fun are healthier. Kids get over their illnesses much faster than adults because they are always looking for the next source of fun.
Fun feels good, and let's face it, what else do we want out of life?


So for your own good, go have fun. Sing your favorite song out loud. Dance the silly dance you did in college. Tell your favorite joke. Even if you have to do it in the bathroom while at work (yes, do it at work please), the results will blow you away. 


And to support some of my ideas here, check out this TED talk:

There are two ways we can make fun:
#1 Create it out of sheer desire to feel good
#2 Presenting a situation or someone in a way that ridicules them

While the first option is the most satisfying, many of us fall into the pitfall of choosing the second option as well. 
Sometimes it feels good to make fun of ourselves and if you are ready for a real good laugh, you can check out Richard Simmons making fun of himself below. 
But sometimes we make fun of someone else or a situation because what they say or do is uncomfortable. And I am encouraging you to feel the difference. 

This blog is mostly about option #1 creating fun and I love what they did with the steps in the subway (see video #2)

Here is to more making fun!

This morning is his free flow song (that he makes up as he goes along), my son said "an artist is someone who paints everyday, paints all the time.  An artists is very smart."  Right away I realized two things.

First, adults overcomplicate Everything!  As a recently recovered artist and creative, I've been philosophizing about art and arm wrestling with angels about what it means to be an artist etc.. (probably ad nauseum)  Yet, here my son had broken it down to the most basic and crucial component: an artist is someone that consistently chooses to work on her or his craft often - Very often.  The most important part is simply Showing Up!

But what about Talent?  What about Quality?  The first is a miniscule portion of being an artists, the second comes by showing up!

The second thing I realized through his sing song "an artist is very smart" is how much my 4 year old's beliefs already reflect his environment.  Naturally, this is the view that his two creative parents have passed along to him.  I wonder how many other 4 year olds have already formed beliefs that artists are crazy and doctors are smart. 

Values are highly communicable and contagious!  What values are you communicating today?  On a regular basis? What values are we communicating as a nation?  As a planet?

Peace ; )

Suzy

The busier I am, the more important it becomes for me to find time to play.  With all the responsibilities and To Do lists running through our heads, it can be hard to remember how important it is to make time for fun.  The funny thing is, once you make that time, chances are you'll have more energy to accomplish the rest of your "chores".  You'll probably also find ways to make the rest of your work fun as well.

I have a young child and sometimes I like to ask myself whether I'm the kind of adult my own inner child wants to be.  If the answer is "no", chances are I'm not getting enough play time.  Whether its browsing through a bookstore, singing at the top of your lungs, or building a fort our of pillows with your child, we all need to make time for fun.

Also, play doesn't always require as much time as you may think.  Sure, you may not be able to cook a 4 course meal (if that's your idea of a good time) but you sure can sing opera at the top of your lungs or rap while making your mac 'n cheese!

You might look and feel crazy but George Bernard Shaw said "We want a few mad people now.  See where the sane ones have landed us!"

Suzy

Last night a friend and I were going to perform at a local open mic venue with our red noses, some songs, some dance, some paint, and lots of fun.  Only, we were exactly two seconds too late and the person in front of us was the last performer to sign up.

We had two options (at least) the first was to be devastated (which we were for a moment) and the second was to have fun anyways.  We opted for the second and set off to explore our local scene.   After some impromptu acapella performances and fascinating exchanges with people (a given when you’re in the nose), we found ourselves in the middle of a charged and raging drum circle.

I had met the main drum leader earlier in the evening and marveled at his enormous, powerful, and clearly symbolic necklaces earlier.   His presence and energy were both powerful and soothing.  I immediately jumped into the center of the circle and the conversation began.

I was feeding off of the drums and they were feeding off of me.  I absorbed and processed the information they were giving me through my body.  There were no bent pipes, nothing holding the energy back from being released.  Everything was free flowing from the beats, into me and back out again.

I didn’t feel self conscious, I wasn’t thinking about my “moves”, I was trusting the rhythm and I was free.  I was wearing this freedom boldly on my face in the form of a raging smile and I was communing with everyone in the room.

One of the best parts was when my flowing skirt started coming off.  A female drummer was concerned for me but I only smiled at her and showed her the shorts I had on underneath.  I laid my skirt on the corner of the room and went straight back to the center of the action.  It took me a moment to release tiny thoughts of self awareness that threatened to creep onto my body now that I had lost my flowy friend, but after becoming aware of these thoughts, I was able to let them go without drama.

I looked at my friend and co-red noser who was dancing in the back of the room and I was able to completely absorb the wild energy she was emitting and get over any inhibitions once again.  Finally, my red nose actually started coming off from all the gallivanting.  I very simply took it off and placed it on top of my skirt.  Now I was truly naked!  But without much ado, I was quickly back in the beautiful flow.

I understood very clearly last night why drumming was such an integral community event in many tribal communities for so long.  I remember hearing that a tribe in Africa had a word for a dancer who entered a trance and was one with the drums and the spirits.  This person had completely abandoned ego and had just let go.

We don’t have to do anything, we just need to let go and let it flow!

First story of the blog.
When I was in college I would go to parties and pretend I was drunk. There were several reasons for this facade:
1 - All parties served beer and at the time, fresh from Europe, I only drunk wine
2 - I had heard horror stories of girls who got abused while drunk, so I felt safer knowing I was sober
3 - I quickly noticed that if you did not drink, people thought you were strange. And well, at the time, I admit it, I wanted to fit in.
So I would hold a beer in my hand for the duration of the whole party and acted drunk. While this was originally for protection and conformity, it quickly became a very fun game. I realized that when you are drunk, people expect you to act strange. So I could dance funny, sing out of tune, tell bad jokes and every one thought it was perfectly normal. I even became quite a popular girl, always entertaining every one.
I had a blast. It was no longer about fitting in or passing time while no one was making sense. It was about the fun. It did not last long, may be a term or two, but it was what I needed at the beginning to gain enough confidence and be silly anyway, without a beer in my hand.

Below is a video of a guy who just shows us what silly dancing can look like .... all over the world!

What is the craziest thing you did to have fun at parties?

If you read any Law of Attraction materials, you may be aware that it is recommended to be happy before you get the things that you think would make you happy.
Basically, before you become rich, you must feel rich.
Before you find a romantic partner, you must find self love.
Before you gain health, you must appreciate everything in your body that is working.
Etc. You get the point :)
My favorite Law of Attraction author is Abraham-Hicks. So I will leave you with this short, to the point video.
And please, do comment away!

The power of laughter...

Laughing for no reason except feeling good is simply the best. It allows our whole body to relax and feel energized at the same time. The more you laugh, the more you love. Also, the amount in your bank account won't matter as much. And you know what happens then? Well, go laugh, you'll see.
 
This man in the subway totally gets it. Warning, this may put you in a great mood: