"I inspire busy and stressed-out moms to easily use mindless-creativity (crayons, paints and a camera) to help them calm their mind, ignite their joy and savor life."
I Work With Moms Who Are Just Like Me!
Moms who REALLY want to calm the stress in their lives (and in their minds) so they can slow down and focus more on what matters most to their busy mama heart...their children, their soulmate, their life!
Moms who've tried it all; yoga, guided mediation, massages, organic foods, high intensity workouts, slow walks in nature, going to bed early, coloring books, candle-lit bubble baths, but, the stress of the day still has them feeling exhausted, disconnected from themselves and what they love and full of guilt because all they can seem to focus on when they get a minute to themselves is the laundry, cleaning the floors and everything else on their to-do list.
Deep down, they know, that even when times get tough, they're still meant to be a more calm, happy and present mom who knows what her passions and joys are beyond motherhood. And even though they're stressed, they continue to have an inner yearning to "do something creative!" that they unsuccessfully try to push away because they keep telling themselves they're NOT creative and have NO idea how to even be.
Hi...I'm Renee!
Before creativity found me in 2008, when I was pregnant with my first born, I was one stressed-out lady. I looked cool, calm and collected on the outside, but on the inside, my mind was filled with anxious and worrisome thoughts.
And because of that, I spent many years trying to find natural ways to feel calm within and very disconnected from what I was truly here to do in life.
I tried it all; yoga, guided mediation, exercise, organic and local foods (I was a hostess home to a local farmer), slow walks in nature, going to bed early, hot baths, swirling Chinese Medicine balls in my hands, massages, to even getting my Journalism degree, to then becoming a very stressed-out elementary school teacher to then becoming a Certified Holistic Health Coach.
All of those things are great, and definitely helped, but my mind was still all over place (it was SO hard for me sit calmly in yoga class, or better yet, sit still in guided mediation).
I couldn't understand why I still felt so frazzled, tired and stressed, even though I was eating the cleanest foods and making
self-care a priority.
While pregnant with my baby girl, out of the blue, I re-connected with my love for photography (a love that was ALWAYS there, but I never was aware of until now) and found myself learning everything I could on how to take pictures with my DSLR.
Once baby girl was born, and I was knee-deep in the exhaustion (and the JOY!) of being a new mama, I continued to have a HUGE, inner yearning to do more hands-on creative activities, even though I still never, ever thought I was CREATIVE!
I took some online art journaling classes, but the huge supply list and artsy rules made my head spin and still left me feeling stressed out. Not what I wanted.
Soon, by chance, I found my match through coloring, doodling and doodle painting, like I did when I was a kid. The kind that involved very little supplies and had me playing with color, without much thought and only for fun.
It was this simple and fun creative activity that was my missing link to easily calming my mind and melting away my stress!
What I came to find, the more I colored pages with colors I loved, and the more I painted flowers that I used to doodle in my high school notebook, the more my anxious and worrisome thoughts calmed and the more my JOY and passion ignited and the more I stay connected to present the moment.
Not only did it CALM me (like no other!), but it re-ignited my inner JOY and CREATIVITY (like no other!) and, most of all, it helped me to reconnect AND stay connected to everything that lights me UP with LOVE no matter how stressful my day may be (like no other!).
I started doing yoga and guided mediation more consistently. I started to have more energy to devote toward my passion for photography. I was cooking and baking more, and, most of all, I was WAY more present and happy with my kids and husband. All the things I finally connected with that filled me up with so much passion and purpose in life. It was AMAZING!!
And because of that, I became a Certified Creatively Fit Coach, so I could share and inspire this message with others, especially moms, so they can SEE how when they calm their minds in this creative and fun way, it ignites their joys, their loves, their purpose and, not only helps keep it alive in themselves, but in their kids as they grow older, too!
Because here I was, all those years, thinking I had a "stress and anxiety" problem because I could NEVER find the inner calm I was looking for and I could never figure out what my passions and purpose was in life.
But, what I came to find out was that...
I didn't have a "stress and anxiety" problem. I had a VERY overworked "left brain"and a VERY underworked "right brain" problem.
Because I was way more focused on passing my tests in school, figuring out how to be an responsible adult after moving out of my parents house while growing up (which is SO needed!).
And because I never thought I was the "creative type," and never wanted to pick up a paint brush or draw again after turning, let's say 8-years-old.
Because, yeah, I'm NOT creative and I don't have time to be focused on kid stuff like that anymore because I'm an adult now. Right???
My right brain took a back seat and my left brain stole the show because I was focusing more and more on my to-do list, all the things that could possibly go wrong in life (thank you news media), how I could change myself (um, hello weight loss, I'm talking to you!), how to figure out my passions and was always concerned and anxious about the future.
So the more I focused to these very responsible left-brain thoughts that are needed in life, the more my right brain thoughts (that are needed as well) got buried, and the more stress and anxiety filled my life.
I was NOT giving my right-brain, the side that would CALM and BALANCE all these over worked, left brain thoughts, the much needed attention it deserved.
We NEED the left brain! It keeps us safe and helps us to continue to be a responsible adult so we can take care of ourselves and our families, but just like with everything else in life, it has to be BALANCED with right-brain thinking and activity, which can be very hard to do in this very fast paced world we live in.
So when I would try to do yoga or mediation, or anything that was calming (hello right brain!), my body LOVED it, but my left-brain mind would still run the show.
Raise your hand if you've taken a hot bath, but your mind still focuses your to-do list over and over and over again? ME!!!
Because picking up my kids Crayola crayons again is the easiest way to give attention to my right brain, I found that the more I colored just for the fun of it, the more my left brain thoughts, the side that was running my to-do list on autopilot AND the side that LOVES to tell me that "I'M NOT CREATIVE!" and that "I have way more important things to do!" started to calm.
Because I was reviving my right-brain in this way I would FEEL the heaviness on my shoulders melt away and I'd find myself saying, "THIS IS SO FUN!!" "I LOVE THIS COLOR!!" "OOOO...WHAT CAN I DO NEXT!!" while smiling BIG and then, when I was done, I'd feel like I just spent the entire day at the spa.
Aaahhhhhhhh!! SO NICE!!
My Inner Kid Was Revived!
The one who LOVES life. The one who lives in the present moment. The one who knows exactly what she's passionate about, what she LOVES and what her purpose here on Earth is. The one who cries when something upsets her and then once done, gets right back to enjoying the moment. The one who LOVES being creative, in her own, unique way, because she knows she was born creative, just like everyone in the world is. The one who LOVES showing everyone what she created without a care in the world of what they think. The one who is SO connected to her JOY. The one who is ALWAYS seeing the beauty that surrounds her. The one who knows what her heart wants and ALWAYS follows it. And the one who feels oh, so calm, no matter how tough the day is, because, at the end of the day, she knows she is safe and loved.
The one who lives life in a more, left brain, right brain balanced way!
You Can't Have Happy Without Sad And You Can't Have The Left Brain Without The Right Brain.
I'm not saying the left brain = sadness. There's SO much good it brings! What I'm showing here is we NEED both to BE balanced.
We can try SO hard to not cry about something and keep smiling no matter how sad we may be feeling inside, but one day, we will crack, because we are human and we are meant to laugh AND cry!
It's the same with our left and right brain. We can't go full speed ahead, checking off our to-do list, while continuing to strive for more and more success, because we'll burn out and realize we should have taken more time to slow down and relax.
BUT, like with me, if we continue living life with the left-brain on autopilot, we'll end up with anxiety, health problems, negative thinking and most of all, missing out on the present moment.
We're ALL creative!
We just have re-ignite that inner CREATIVITY that lives deep within us so it can help us create that much needed calming, balance we CRAVE in this VERY fast paced world.
CREATIVITY is different for everyone, but the only way to EASILY reconnect with it again is to calm your busy mind with some kid-like, mindless-creative fun that involves crayons, markers, paints and even a camera!
Mindless-creativity isn't a "must do activity" for only toddlers and young kids. It's a "must do activity" for EVERYONE, no matter the age!
Because it's the easiest way to connect to your right brain thoughts and get its (balancing) juices flowing again.
Because when your right brain is turned on in this simple and fun, mindless-creative way, stress EASILY melts away and calm, balance, joy, creativity, passion, purpose, love, rejuvenation, energy, confidence and motivation blossoms, which then, results in living, a slower, happier and present life, no matter how left-brain the day and the world may be.
Life isn't meant to be lived ONLY in the fast lane (left brain!).
It's mean to be lived in the slow (right-brain) lane, too!
Because it's this slow, right brain lane, that's gonna help you BE the calm, happy, joyful, patient, passionate, present mom you're meant to BE!
That's Why I've Created This Space
Because I was SO stuck in the fast (left brain!) lane in my younger years and all of my 20s (and can still stay there now as a busy mom), and because it was the ONLY thing that FINALLY had me FEELING the inner CALM and JOY I had been looking for and it's the ONLY thing that helped me connect with my passions and purpose in life, I created this website to help me (and YOU!) stay connected to BEing a more calm, happy, fun, creative, passionate, loving and present mom I'm (you're) meant to BE...through mindless-creativity.
Life is NOT slowing down.
Stress will ALWAYS be there, especially as we grow older as parents.
But I know for me, and I'm sure for you, too,...
I don't want to look back on my life wishing I didn't focus SO much on my to-do list and how much stress it brought me. Wishing I had been more present with my kids as they went through each stage of their young lives.
Wishing I hadn't been SO exhausted and SO snappy my kids and my husband all of the time. Wishing I hadn't lost my joy, my smile, myself. And, most of all, wishing I hadn't missed all the moments that I know would have filled my heart with love.
Nope!
I wanna look back and be so happy...
that even though life was chaotic and hectic and had me feeling oh, so frazzled, I still took the time to take care of myself, to slow down, to calm my mind. So when times did get tough, I was still 100% focused and aware of what matters most to my busy mama heart....
the JOY my kids bring me
the JOY my husband brings me
and the JOY my life brings me!
So If You're Like Me...
And you've tried it all (head still going a mile a minute in yoga and when you try to mediate?), and you're SO ready to FEEL more inner calm and peace, then why not give those left-brain thoughts a much needed break, in this simple, fun and kid-like way!?
You'll be amazed at what comes through for YOU once you open your inner,creative kid doors again...
feel the calmest and most rejuvenated than you ever have before
BE more present with your kids, your husband and your life
ignite your inner joy sparks
revive your inner, creative self (this doesn't mean you'll be a painter or an artist or a doodler...it just opens your, unique, creative doors again!)
revive your inner passions, your inner loves, your inner purpose again
do more calming and soul nourishing activities more consistently
connect more to your intuition and make decisions based on how you wanna feel
focus more on what lights up your heart with love
smile more
feel more balanced and light
connect back to YOU
confidence to share WHO you are and what YOU love to the world
live in a very fast paced left brain world with ease
less snappy to the people you love the most
have more positive thoughts
embrace all emotions
and so much more!
I know I was! (And I never thought I was creative...HA!).
I'm SO Happy You're Here!
When you get some time, please make yourself at home, put your feet up, browse around and BE inspired to get your inner, creative calm on, so you can continue to BE the calm, happy and present mom you're meant to BE!
My Little Bio
Renee is one of Whitney Freya's Certified Creatively Fit Coaches and she's also a Certified Holistic Health Coach from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Journalism degree and also Florida Atlantic University with an Elementary Education with ESOL endorsement degree. She was a substitute teacher on Guam, taught 2nd and 3rd grade in Florida and tutored K-12 ESOL students in Virginia. She's a busy mom to a big sister and little brother and has lived in Florida, Guam, Virginia, Louisiana and Georgia thanks to marrying her college sweetheart (GO GATORS!) whose career is in the United States Coast Guard.