Children's Books Are A Nervous System Reset, No Matter Your Age
by Emily Dolbin
So, I read to my kids every night. They are running around like crazy all wired and full of energy. Not the vibe I'm looking for at bedtime. But as soon as I crack open a book and start reading, they rush over, snuggle in, and bedtime suddenly seems possible. It's like their bodies and minds know that now is the time to relax and reset for bed.
Why does that happen? Children's books, and picture books in particular, cover complex topics in a simple way. It lets kids (and their adults) think about and approach topics from a new perspective. From a new angle. Children's books help you stop and reset and sink in.
Finding Your Creative Flow
by Emily Dolbin
I realized something amazing the other day—why creating sometimes feels difficult and draining, while other times it feels effortless and full of joy.
One of my art mentors mentioned something in passing that really struck a chord: when you’re learning, you’re using one part of your brain, and when you’re creating, you’re using another. Maybe you already knew that, but hearing it out loud felt like such a relief to me.
It made me realize that not everything I create needs to be amazing. There’s a time for learning and practicing, and a time for being in the flow of creation.
When I first started learning, I thought everything needed to be something finished, impressive, meaningful. What I didn’t realize was that it simply needed to be...practice. A start. A process. A beginning.
Separating practice from creation is such a freeing step. It relieves the pressure to make something perfect and invites more play into the process. Instead of struggling to remember the “rules” while trying to create, setting aside time for practice first can keep you in the joy of both learning and creating.
Have you had any experience with this? What have you noticed? I'd love to hear from you about your creative process (the flow or the blocks!).