#1 the one where I find my voice
It is funny because I often find myself encouraging my children to own who they are and be proud of being unique. I want them to have their own point of view, their own voice and use it. I want them not to be afraid to stand up and to stand out. My brother was very good at that. He was not afraid of being the dissenting voice among his peers or speaking out to someone in a position of authority when he saw something as unfair. Goodness knows it got him into trouble at times, but gosh how I admired him for it. That is just not how I was made.
I must be pretty good at talking the talk when it comes to teaching my children because just a few weeks ago when my daughter told me that she had a bad day at school it was because she had shouted at her friends because they wanted her to join them in doing something that they were not supposed to do. On another occasion she told a peer that when it came to big, serious subjects it was better to hear an explanation from an adult rather than another child - something I have been at pains to let her know so that she feels that she can come and ask me about anything and that I will give her a clear honest answer. Another time she replied to someone who told her that she was weird and not normal, ‘there is no such thing as normal, we are all unique’. Blimey, I am a great teacher! Why do I not practice what I preach?
Well done for reading this far, I am now going to get to the point of all of this and its not just how proud I am of my daughter and the amazing person my brother was. My point is this; after too many years I have now found my voice. My creative voice that is. I have spent many years being the good girl, doing what was expected of me, not taking big risks and opening myself up to the vulnerability that is putting yourself out there. I have spent years making sure that I was doing right by everyone else, fulfilling expectations and giving my children my undivided attention so that they felt safe, secure and loved. Don’t get me wrong it is all part of the journey that has led me here, at the brilliant age of 42, to being able to say that I am in fact an artist. This is my time. I am ready and able to use my voice to express myself wholeheartedly and share what I create here on my very own website - I never would have imagined it. And I can now teach my children in a different way. I can inspire them while feeding my soul and using my newly acknowledged creative voice.
So my message to you this week is to use your voice in whatever way you are called to. We all have something of value to say so do it, share it, live it and most of all enjoy it!
Louise x