Fresh-stART February

14 Questions With No Wrong Answers

Hooray! It’s its hearty stARTy February – the most loving of all starting places.

Sure it’s still winter’s cruelest F-bomb, but if you struggled through the shartshow of January and didn’t get the creative joy you deserved, February is a fresh new starting place.

I’m a sun lover and winter hater, so long ago I had to make my peace with the first quarter of the year. I did it by embracing indoor creativity – and Hallmark’s little halfway mark of February, Valentine’s Day.

I discovered that putting my creative heart in charge of February was the power move, because a creative heart makes…

its own way,

its own joy,

its own warmth,

maybe its own dinner reservations?

I start in January to paint chatty hearts and finish paintings I’ve started through the past year. You can see some of those paintings and a little of MY backstory here, but let’s talk about YOUR backstory.

What have you been thinking about as the new year gets started? When you take a break from what’s happening in the world around you, what do you want to finish or start or make or remember? What ideas and stories should you be capturing or creating? What makes you joyfully zone out and lose track of time?

If this is a hard question to answer, maybe you should talk to someone.

Your therapist would be great, but I have a corny suggestion that doesn’t hit your deductible. Talk to yourself…to your curious, wise, overflowing, under-consulted creative heart!

Use February to chat with your heart about what makes it tick.

Hearts love to talk about themselves.

Admittedly, sometimes hearts go on crazy 5-year rants that get us into trouble, like egging our ex’s car or divorcing our siblings. So, when we talk to our hearts, we absolutely MUST control the conversation and steer it to the light.

Some questions to get you started.

1. What do you love to make?

   Do you love to make food or gatherings or new friendships? Do you love to make pretty little things, or to make things a little prettier? Do you love to make music or art or prose?

2. What’s a story your heart needs to tell?

   Writing or dictating your stories is a powerful way to unleash your creativity.

   

3. What would the YOU of next February be happy that YOU started today?

4. Who do you love to hang out and work with?

   Your heart can usually answer this question speedy quick. Then comes the follow-up question: “how can we get together more…with more meaning and intention?”

5. What’s a creative skill you already possess and enjoy? And when was the last time you brought it out to play?

   

6. What’s a skill you long to learn?

7. What’s the song your heart sings along with?

   Build a playlist around it! Sing it in the kitchen and the shower. Make a work of art with your favorite lyrics.

8. If you had to start all over making friends, what kind of friends would you MAKE?

   

9. What would you start if you knew you could finish? This gives us big hints about the things we’re depriving ourselves of. We often don’t start things we might love because we aren’t sure we have enough to finish. But we ALWAYS have enough to start…and only starting shows us what the finish really is.

10. What would you start if you never HAD TO finish? What’s something you just love to do? Even if it makes a mess? Even if you don’t yet know what it might end up looking like?

    

11. Who could you, should you, WOULD you…write a heartfelt thank-you note to? Or a love note? Or a note of encouragement?

    

12. What makes you feel more happy, centered and loving – an hour on Instagram or an hour making a little something, like your favorite dish or a Valentine for your mom?

    

13. Who do you want to send a Valentine or Galentine to?

    A teacher? A sister? A co-conspirator? (If you send it this week, it should get there in time.)

    

    Finally…

14. Why didn’t you buy yourself those skinny colored markers for yourself at Christmas to write in your journal? Just think how colorful your journal would be today!

So there you go. Fourteen questions with no wrong answers, all of them proving that Hallmark was onto something: sending valentines feels good, and when we talk with our hearts, we learn stuff.

P.S. I humbly offer my Valentine’s Day philosophy in my first book, Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone; Advice Your Mom Would Give If She Thought You Were Listening.

From page 119:

“CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY, EVEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT IN LOVE. St. Valentine would agree. Love’s holiday is the perfect time to express your heart to co-workers; friends; and siblings. And, especially, your mom.”

(It makes a fun Valentines Day gift, and it lasts longer than flowers.)