Guest Post by: Brandi-Ann Uyemura
As a professional writer, I sometimes neglect the source of all my inspiration-my inner child. I find myself squeezing every ounce of creative juice from my brain and offer it up on a serving platter to clients and potential customers. But when that inspiration runs on empty, as it inevitably does, I start to panic and wonder why I let myself get to this point.
Maybe after shedding our baby fat and childlike ways, we also let go of our precious playfulness. Life happens and we forget. In our desire to accomplish and get ahead as adults, we run fast in the direction of goals and don’t have the time or energy to notice what we’ve left behind.
How can we possibly dare to have fun, enjoy life or make time for play when there are real serious things to get to? How shameful it would be if our competitors, neighbors, and colleagues saw us twiddling our thumbs instead of killing ourselves to get ahead.
Sad, isn’t it?
Yet, I bet there is a part of you that can relate.
Maybe you’ve come to this blog because you have an instinct, a gut knowing that you’ve been neglecting yourself. Your days become dull and hard to distinguish from one to the next. Maybe you’re like me. You feel drained of creative energy and on a fix for some inspiration.
When you don’t pay the piper, you suffer in significant ways.
- You lose a sense of hope and possibility.
- You begin to neglect your dreams.
- You drain yourself of energy, which prevents you from accomplishing your goals.
- Your attitude, personality, and energy become hard, harsh, negative, unforgiving.
- You lose sight of what’s important.
I know it sounds crazy, but when you forget to take care of your inner child that child will react in crazy ways.
How do you get back to a place of play?
1. Schedule in “me” time. If you have to write it in your calendar, blackberry or iPhone do it. Don’t be embarrassed to put in play with my dogs, draw or paint. Remember if you don’t give your inner child attention it will sabotage your efforts in other ways!
2. Do something new. Do you remember when you were a kid and learned something new every day? That knowledge was invigorating like the first time you learned how to ride a bike or swim. You weren’t focused on failing. You were too busy enjoying the newest of the experience. Return to that state of innocence.
3. Pick up or restart a new hobby. For me it was photography and painting, for you it might be tae kwon do or gardening. Being creative wasn’t new for me, but it rekindled a passion that I had forgotten about since I was a kid.
Incorporating playtime in your life is a serious matter and you should approach it as such. But have fun with it. Be creative. Make it a part of your daily life and inspiration will come. You’ll see.
Brandi-Ann Uyemura is an associate editor for Psych Central and a freelance writer who has a passion for writing to inspire others. You can read more of her inspirational posts on The Inspiring Bee where she blogs to inspire others to pursue their dreams.
The secrets to magically speed 
Brandi, Great post!
This is such important advice for all business owners, but especially creative people. It’s easy to get caught up in the “busyness” of business and forget that we’re here on earth to play…and our vocation is a way to play with others and hopefully, touch them with our lives and art.
Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom!