Living Artfully is expressing who you are and celebrating the people in your life through the objects and the moments that you create. Stop censoring your actions. Be you, the only you there is. No one else is qualified for the job. Have fun, identify and embrace what you love, define what you believe in, dream. Be the person you are meant to be.

Act on the desire to connect, to belong, to love and be loved. You are driven to communicate.

Your desire to communicate is innate – shared, basic human need. Follow your heart, act on the desire to connect, to belong and to love and you will make a difference in the world and your world will be filling with happiness and meaning. Living Artfully nourishes your spirit. It is a force that can transform your life.

Come to your senses.

Use your whole self as you engage in the world each day. Engage your senses, they are your most valued resource for living creatively. Far too often we ignore our senses: we eat dinner on the run, not tasting the flavors. We don’t see the wildflowers growing on the side of the road as we scurry to our destination. Remember, the joy of the journey is in the ride. Slow down and see, taste, touch and hear life.

Expand the definition of creativity
to include all aspects of living.

To be human is to be creative. Your creativity lives in your heart and mind every moment of every day. You have the power to summon it any time you like. Let creativity become as much a part of the fabric of your daily life as are your everyday routines, like making the bed, cooking meals, cleaning the house and caring for the people you love. Fill these everyday, seemingly mundane tasks with spirit, individuality, fun and life.

Cultivate and use your own language.

Ultimately, to find happiness, you must find your own unique way to express yourself. As your personal language develops, so too, does your creative nature. You have your own style and an abundance of creativity to express and share. Do things your way; make choices that reflect your beliefs, purpose and aesthetic. Bake, write, paint, sew, talk, work, dance, plant or hug. No act of Living Artfully is “too small.” Every gesture or word you use to communicate love and caring will resonate and multiply. Through your creative personal language, you can communicate important messages that you cannot convey by words alone.

Create moments that matter.

Every moment is an opportunity to live fully, openly and with heart. You have the power to create meaningful moments that matter, to bring beauty into being. Fill the moment with ideas, values, beliefs, purpose, people and actions that define who you are.

See the beauty in everything.

When you focus on what is right, lovely and beautiful, your are Living Artfully, Look for the positive, the opportunity, the good in people, ideas, experiences and places. The way you look at life is the way it will be. When you see what is beautiful in someone, she, too, has the opportunity to see it in herself. When you see the beauty in a place or situation, you imbue it with a renewed purpose and enrich it with meaning. It’s a beautiful thing!

Play.

Play more, smile more, laugh more. Play rejuvenates and revitalizes you. It helps you see the world from different points of view. it rekindles your optimism, encourages experimentation, invites laughter and renews your ability to be flexible and resilient and make meaningful connections as you adapt to the changing world.

Imagine the possibilities.

There are no rules. Life is a work of art and your are its artist, born with the tools to create anything you can imagine. Living Artfully is recognizing and embracing your own gifts of imagination, curiosity and playfulness – and having fun!

Live life passionately.

Embrace each day as if it were the last. Follow your heart and dream big. Live consciously and enthusiastically with your focus on what you can bring to the moment. Life is precious. Each heartbeat is a gift. Allow care, compassion, empathy, understanding, forgiveness, generosity and kindness to guide your decisions, actions and life.

Excerpted from Living Artfully
by Sandra Magsamen