Make Time to Play

I believe I've mentioned email's that I receive that have that serendipity in nature for me. Today's really struck a cord in my heart as it's topic was to "Make time to play!"

"If we fail to nourish our souls, they wither, and without soul, life ceases to have meaning.... The creative process shrivels in the absence of continual dialogue with the soul. And creativity is what makes life worth living."
-- Marion Woodman

Stress, fear, negativity, too much to do and doing things for others at the expense of our own needs -- these all stifle our innate creativity. Relaxation, fun, meditation, and going after our dreams all get the creative juices flowing. Soul is always creative, always fresh and new.
How can you create more space in your life to allow the soul’s energy out to play?

"I learned... that inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic, striving, but it comes to us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness."
-- Brenda Ueland

"I lived in solitude in the country and noticed how the monotony of quiet life stimulates the creative mind."
-- Albert Einstein

So, I did just that...... made preparations to PLAY! by ordering two new books off my wishlist. The first, Celebrate Your Creative Self: Over 25 Exercises to Unleash the Artist Withinby Mary Todd Beam and the second, Texture Effects for Rubber Stamping by Nancy Curry. I've borrowed Mary Todd Beams book from my local library on several occasions. It is filled with techniques and inspiration for the artistic soul. Nancy Curry's book, texture effects for rubberstamping was an amazon recommended book, that I discovered quite some time ago. Since, I was unable to do any shopping this weekend and have been down with this cold/flu, I though what is better than a little retail therapy and giving oneself permission to play?