Reflections on Thriving Mindfully as a Creative in the DMV: Finding and documenting JOY in my daily life

Finding and documenting JOY in my daily life is one of my self-care practices that helps me embrace, embody, and express Thriving Mindfully.

In August, I started taking slow and mindful walks that offered space to notice and appreciate the color of doors on houses and buildings located on side streets in my U Street neighborhood. My eyes were amazed!

Check out the photos below. Which door is your favorite and why?

I imagined the inspiration that guided each person to choose their door color. I even made up some stories about the people using the colors of the chakra energy system as inspiration. For example, I imagined there is a 60 something African American woman writer (like me!) living in the house with the yellow door who is working on her next memoir and second novel. She’s been experiencing creative blocks all summer. I think she decides to sit on her porch with her cup of green tea, floral journal, and pen in the early mornings with her back resting against the yellow door. On many days she just sits, breathes in and out, and slowly sips her tea. No writing. Just being. And then one day that comes close to the end of the month, she is inspired to write. Another day of writing occurs. Then a week of journaling brings her into a new month called September. She continues to write in her journal and starts to explore why she is blocked. At the end of her journal entry, she thanks her yellow door for supporting her back as she writes. She tells the door that its yellow color has been a reminder to tap into her third chakra energy of persistence and determination as she moves through her creative blocks.

MORE ON THRIVING MINDFULLY

Learn more about my heart-centered approach to being present, well, and the REAL ME by listening to my spoken word song, “Thriving Mindfully Theme” that is featured on my debut spoken word album, Thriving Mindfully As Theresa’s Daughter. Garnet Jay, my BFF Soul Brothalove, music producer, and founder of Footprint Productions, composed the music for the song.