It’s Your Time To Play

Hello! I'm Alex. Most people know me as an artist and a teacher.

And I'm here to give you permission to stop pushing so damn hard so you can get back to the creative fun stuff that lights you up.

So, let me ask you a question:

Do you know that feeling when you’ve got plenty of free time, but zero bandwidth to do anything that actually matters to you? Think of any of your creative projects that keep waiting for the "right moment"? What is it for you - drawing, photography, painting, or maybe writing?

Well, if your projects are piling up while perfectionism keeps you stuck, I get it. I really, truly get it. 

Because what you may not know about me is that I used to cry in the mornings because I didn't wanna go to work. 

I'd spent six years in college to launch a shiny corporate career in interior design, only to end up trapped in a loop. Drawing up plans on the computer, printing them out on a plotter, handing them over, getting them back with corrections, making the changes on the computer, printing them out, handing them over... well, you get the idea. I. Hated. It. 

It sucked all the joy right out of me. 

I had plenty of free time after work and on weekends. But I had zero bandwidth to do anything that actually mattered to me. Like my art. I mean, I thought about painting ALL THE TIME. But I couldn’t actually get going on it. There was something wrong with me.

My perfectionism had me convinced the answer was to try harder.

To fix myself, what I needed was to learn how to be more productive. So I did. Oh, the self-help books I read! And the hours in the gym! And to be totally honest, there was also a lot of retail therapy going on. But none of it helped me find my way out.

I still remember how totally trapped I felt.


Then I got lucky. My roommate kept dragging me to his dance rehearsals and convincing me to make stuff for his performances. One day, someone at the theater pulled me aside and said, "You know, those things you're making have a name, right? They’re called props and people actually get paid for doing that.” 

A door opened. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and I ditched my well-paying corporate job to become a properties artisan. No lie.

Well, first I spent a year as a props apprentice. And since that doesn't pay a whole lot, I also ended up waitressing on the side. Eeeek!

Here's the wild part. Working 40 hours a week in a workshop, where I was making things, getting messy, figuring stuff out I'd never done before, gave me MORE energy than sitting behind a computer ever had. So much energy that I was working two jobs AND finding time to paint again. I made enough paintings to start showing my art. Eventually, I found my first gallery. Another door opened. 

That's how I went from miserable corporate designer to full-time artist. 

Not by pushing harder. By playing. 

 

photo: ©Diego Alonso, Madrid, Spain

I've learned that every time I felt stuck, play is what unlocked the door.

It was the play of making stuff for my roommate that led me out of my miserable job to working in the theater. And it was the play of making theater props that led me to painting full-time. 

When you choose play over push, your energy returns. And you get your time back. Your creative projects stop feeling impossible and start feeling fun again.

There's an open door waiting for you, and play is how you find it. 

Because too many recovering perfectionists are sitting on a pile of creative projects they love, convinced they just need to try harder to get unstuck.


And this is why I do what I do! I’m passionate about giving all the amazing art-loving recovering perfectionists out there permission to stop pushing and start playing.

Let me help you play more so you can boost your energy, find more time, and finally get back to the creative projects you love.

You don't have to put your joy on hold anymore.

And if this sounds good, then why not try my free mini Permission To Play Training?

Get on my mailing list and grab the free Permission To Play Training!

This is a short, fun training (less than an hour!) where I'll guide you through my own 6-step framework for getting my butt unstuck through play.

Think of me as your personal trainer for getting your creative mojo back on track. 

In this training, you'll be scribbling, doodling, making marks, and having fun with your art supplies. No fancy skills required. Just you, some markers or crayons, and a willingness to play. 

What you'll take away: 
• The satisfaction of giving yourself the gift of spending time on yourself 
• The joy of having fun with your creative side 
• A simple framework you can use anytime you need to jumpstart your momentum 

CLICK HERE to learn more about what’s inside Permission To Play!

Big hugs from your Twinki-Winki little-miss-sunshine,
Alex.
customerhappiness@twinkiwinki.com