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7.01.2014

Taking a Break....

 In a world of increasing speed, business AND busy-ness, 
broadcasting our every meal and move and thought on social media,
and occupation with things happening outside of ourselves,
I crave simplicity.

I long for summer days that stretch into forever... 
a season of relaxation unfolding moment by memorable moment,
WITHOUT documenting it in photos or posts.

My heart yearns for a summertime like the one I experienced as a child - 
and if you want to see what that looks like, watch the movie 'Now and Then'.
The girls at the beginning of the film depict exactly the kind of summer vacation that I lived 
as a kid in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
I loved it. I tried to re-create parts of it for my own kids, who grew up in the 1980s.

In this recent post here on HOMEWARDfound,
I shared a bit about how a certain book influenced my summers and my life as a child.

That re-discovered book has stirred creative longings in me again:

To explore the local shops and parks and gardens that call to me as I drive by.

To spend my days off walking and sitting on the beach, 
photographing crashing waves and changing sunlight.

To be inspired to create something just for the pleasure of playing in the moment - 
not as a planned, scheduled, managed activity leading to a blog post.

To invest hours in writing letters to the people I love, 
rather than rely on texts and facebook comments to communicate with them 
in the midst of our busy lives.

To plan and enjoy a monumental birthday party for Mom and family reunion for everyone.

To spend days and nights wandering the magical streets of Disneyland,
seeing it again like an eight year old little girl with a dream in her heart
(and a camera in her hand).

To celebrate that my childhood dreams really ARE coming true 
as I work at the Happiest Place on Earth,
especially now that I have been promoted to member of the Visual Merchandising Team!

To lie in the shade and listen to music and read books that nourish my soul.

Actually, that word perfectly captures what I am craving:  
Nourishment.

I desperately need more than just a 'fast food' mindset when it comes to my creativity.
I need the freedom to immerse myself in an idea, a process, a project
and 'let it flow'...[ why, yes, I DO hear a certain tune when I read that! ]
instead of rushing everything to make it fit a blog post schedule.

There is only one way to satiate my hunger for simplicity and focus - 
and that's to simply STOP. 
Stop running through the equivalent of a drive-through for inspiration and motivation.
Stop worrying about making products and selling them online,
and marketing and promoting and... all of it. It's exhausting.

And now, finally, I'm ready to give myself the gift of summertime again...
I am taking a social media break for the rest of the summer.

I plan to spend the next few months feasting on time in nature, 
time with family and friends, time on a walking path and a bike, 
time in the sunshine, and time investing in my own creativity.

Heaven knows, I have learned that there are no guarantees.
No 'forever'. And sometimes, no 'someday'.

We have only each moment, each day, to LIVE. 

Enjoying every day: that's where I'll  be this summer.