Give Yourself Permission to Say Yes

Giving Yourself Permission To Start

Judy Oskam 0:01

Have you ever thought about something you'd really like to do but talked yourself out of it? Maybe you wanted to try something creative or take a class or start writing or just do something different. But then life got in the way, or you decided it wasn't practical or cost too much money or something. Well, what if you gave yourself permission to just say yes and give it a go? I'm Judy Oskam and welcome to Stories of Change, Helping You Navigate What's Next. This week we've been talking about giving ourselves permission to begin to be creative. For today's ideas worth sharing, I want to tell you about a book I really enjoyed.

A Book That Sparks Creativity

Judy Oskam 0:42

It's called Life Whimsy: How to Think, Play, and Work More Creatively by Wendy Conklin. You may remember Wendy. She's the founder of Chair Whimsy. She creates colorful, one-of-a-kind chairs. And before that, she was a teacher and an educational consultant. What started as a creative interest eventually became a business, online courses, and retreats for creative entrepreneurs. I interviewed Wendy about her book, and something caught my attention.

The Power Of A Permission Slip

Judy Oskam 1:13

She includes a permission slip, an actual place where you can write down what you're giving yourself permission to do and sign your name. I absolutely love that idea because sometimes we're waiting for someone else to tell us it's okay, or to try something new, or to spend time doing something just because we enjoy it. But why do we need someone else's

Play As A Serious Practice

Judy Oskam 1:39

permission? One of the things Wendy talks about is the importance of play, not just for children, for adults. She believes we're so focused on work and responsibilities that we've forgotten how to play. I agree. I do that myself. And I think she's on to something. Her book includes a seven-day play everyday challenge. I even had my graduates' class take this a couple of years ago. And it doesn't have to be complicated. You might try a new restaurant, experiment with something creative, or do something differently to get out of your usual routine. The idea is to spark the curiosity and maybe say yes a little more often.

Build Spaces That Bring Joy

Judy Oskam 2:24

Well, when Wendy and I talked a while ago, she shared something about creating a home and workspace that reflects what you love. I found this really interesting and wanted to share it again with you.

Wendy Conklin 2:40

Begin with your surroundings of where you live and where you work. Because if you create the spaces that bring you joy, your life will be better, your outlook will be better, your work will be better, you will be a better parent, you know, you'll be a better spouse because your surroundings have a lot to do with stimulation and joy. And whenever and I and I I never really thought about this until I had done some chairs for a lady, and um they're really bright and colorful. That's the way all my chairs are. And she had sent me a card in the mail as a thank you. And she said, Every time I walk in my kitchen, I smile when I see those chairs. And I thought, Whoa, are you serious? I mean, like, this is news to me, you know, I didn't know this. And then I started noticing when I would post online pictures of my chairs, people would say, Your chairs just make me smile in the comments. And so this is, you know, you don't know when you're a creator, you don't know what effect it has on other people. It's to me, chairs are like art, you know. I I treat them that way. They are the art in the room. But those surroundings and those things that we look at, um, we need to have in our own homes that make us happy, you know, and not worry about what anyone else thinks about our decorating style. It is about you and what you like because you're living there, you know. So I would say give yourself permission to love the things you love. Surround yourself, whether it's in your work space or in your home or both would be ideal. Make sure you surround yourself with the things that really do make you happy.

Judy Oskam 4:40

Well,

A Weekend Exercise To Say Yes

Judy Oskam 4:41

this makes me inspired to work on my home this weekend, and it gets me thinking about what does it mean to create a great life? Not necessarily the life someone thinks you should have, but a life that works and feels right for you. A life where there's room for curiosity and creativity. I know that's got to be in my life, and things that make you happy. I've been thinking about that during this first week of my own 30-day podcast experiment. I've shared conversations with people who followed their curiosity and tried something new. Mandy Rowden found ways to make music and creativity a bigger part of her life, and we're all the beneficiaries. Jennifer Neverete followed her interest in podcasting, which eventually opened the door to building a business with her sons. And Texas State student Jamin Ochoa took a chance on studying abroad in Scotland, and he came home with new confidence. Different stories, but each reminds me that we don't always know where saying yes will lead us. And that brings me back to Wendy's permission slips. Here's one idea you can use this weekend. Get a piece of paper and write, I give myself permission to, and then fill in the blank. Maybe it's permission to begin something new, or maybe permission to have more fun, or maybe it's permission to stop waiting until everything is perfect. Then sign your name. And think about one small change that you could do to make that permission real. You don't have to change your entire life this weekend, but you can start creating more of the life you want.

Where To Go Next

Judy Oskam 6:32

If you'd like to explore these ideas further, I recommend Wendy Conklin's book, Life Whimsy. You could also find my full interview with Wendy on Stories of Change. Now, tomorrow I'm back with our Saturday recap of this week's conversations about permission to begin. And then next week we'll explore the courage to change. I'm Judy Oskam. Thanks for listening to Stories of Change, Helping You Navigate What's Next. Remember, life doesn't come with a roadmap. Sometimes you just have to take action and figure it out along the way. Thanks for listening.