The Power of Fun

Happy New Year! I'm wishing all of you a fabulous 2024 filled with love and laughter. 2023 was a very stressful year for me personally. I've recently been reading a book entitled The Power of Fun by Catherine Price, and I wanted to share a few things I've noticed over the last week. On New Year's Eve, we went to bed early, but at midnight, we were awoken by all of the fireworks going off. Our home offers a view of the valley, so I snuck out to the living room window to enjoy watching them. Then, I ran down the hall to get the kids up to watch them too. For about half an hour we ran back and forth across the living room watching the fireworks in the valley and the show our neighbor was putting on by our backyard. We were ooh-ing, and ahh-ing, and giggling as we ran around in our pajamas. It sounds silly, but it was the most fun I've had on NYE in years.

This experience made me think about what I read in the book about having what the author refers to as "true fun" - losing yourself in the moment and being fully present. Instead of being frivolous, fun is actually an important component of a well-lived and joyful life. I love what I do, but I realized that I wasn't having much fun lately. This year, I will use fun as my compass when deciding how to schedule my time. Since my midnight fireworks show, I've been intentionally taking time to "play" with the kids - games, karaoke, cooking, etc. - and I've noticed that since I have made these changes, I've actually been more productive, less stressed and have more energy and focus to complete my work.

I'm sure I will learn much more about the health benefits of true fun as I continue the book, but I wanted to recommend it to others as many of us are inclined toward self-improvement at this time of year. I will be happy to share what I learn, but to encourage all of you to have "true fun", I'm giving you $5 off any class or workshop at the studio. Creating art is renowned for mental health benefits such as reducing stress, and improving mood, so give it a try and make memories and masterpieces with your loved ones.

 Use coupon code TRUEFUN24 for $5 off classes & workshops. Expires 2/28.

Cheers,

Laurie