when it feels like it’s all too much to handle

It’s almost too much to handle.

Busting at the seams with passion and desire and anger and love and a voice that wants to be heard and…..

And…

And...

And yet.

And yet where is the outlet? How does this storm of emotions and truth channel itself through me?

I saw my mom have an utter meltdown. At the dinner table with extended family. Crying and shouting in her protest against Trump, trying to get through to the other family members at the table who didn’t seem to feel as strongly.

She got up and moved to the other room where I sat beside her, embracing her shaking body that felt like it had just been through a trauma.

It’s rare when I see my mother totally give in to her emotions, since she lives so much of her life in her rational brain. But when it comes out, it really comes out.

For years I’ve been gently and not so gently cajoling my mother to find an outlet. She’s a talented writer and a passionate woman with an intelligent mind, a body that holds stories, and a soul that gets easily trodden but always rises up.

She doesn’t have it easy. Her life is consumed by doctors appointments and caretaking my father and taking out the garbage and balancing her checkbook.

It breaks my heart because I want her to feel free. I often feel guilty for the freedom I have when she seems to struggle so much. And after trying so so hard for so so long to help, to inspire, to motivate, to troubleshoot, to somehow fix her life and help her find an outlet, I’ve realized that it’s out of my control. It’s still a process of making peace with the fact that I can’t fix everything. I can take action in my own life, I can help if is help is asked for, and I can continue guiding the people who seek out my professional services. And I can love my mother for who she is, exactly where she is.

I share this with you not to get sympathy but to make a point. About our passions and emotions and the channels we can choose or not choose to put them through.

This election season has shaken my mother on a deep level, and it seems like she’s finally taking the steps to channel her passions and beliefs into action. I’ll be marching in NYC with her on Saturday.

And given all the circumstances, I’m more motivated than ever to take a stand for something I believe in deeply: women’s bodies.

Here’s what’s hitting me over the head like a ton of bricks:

As women we are mush if we don’t have structured channels.

It’s great to swim in the mush for a while and feel feel feel all the things. It’s necessary.

And then there comes a time where it needs to pour out of us in a productive, channeled way.

Through the container of a phone call or a dance class. Through words on a page or movement in an empty studio. Through a march. Through art in any form.

Let me ask you -

What’s your container? What’s your channel for this expression? What’s your outlet?

And have you been practicing it?

(And if you don’t feel like you have that emotional mush of stuff inside of you right now, I can tell you it’s even more reason to seek an outlet because it IS in you. It’s just been buried.)

I have an invitation for you.

If you missed my email a couple of days ago, I’ll remind you that I’m currently gathering a group of women to take part in a game-changing program from February to June.

It’s designed to give you the structure - via intimate, personal group coaching sessions, online dance sessions, and customized guidance directly from me to you - to channel what’s in you in a healthy, creative, powerful way.

Imagine:

• Your emotions, monthly hormonal fluctuations, and physical body becoming fuel for your creative process and life, instead of a hinderance

• Having an un-biased, fully present support squad there for you next time you get stuck in your head trying to figure out your next move

• Feeling confident, inspired, and connected to your truth as you continue to create and share more of yourself with the world

All that is possible, and more.

I’m talking to women individually this week and next to help you assess your inner mush, get clear on what it is you truly are wanting in your life, body, and creative world, and then see - in a no-bullshit way - if in fact what I’m offering could be the perfect fit for you.

The calls are 30-minutes, 1-1, over the phone or video, and are completely complimentary and non-obligatory.

Do you want a spot?

Comment below or simply click here to set up a time to talk: https://calendly.com/jessgrippo/cgs

Remember: Women's bodies dancing is a political act.

Given the history of women’s oppression, a history that still is alive today, the fact that we have the freedom to choose how to move our bodies, how to dress our bodies, how to make ART with our bodies, is truly a gift.

If we don't take action and choose how we move and what we create, someone else will do it for us.

Whether or not we work together, I want to know what is written on your body, what lies within your body. I want you to dance it through you and help awaken yourself and the world around you to the great power you hold to heal and change the world. Through your body.

Think of this invitation as a first step toward channeling the mush into action and activism.

Whether or not the full program is for you, it will certainly give you insight on the best next steps you could take.

Comment below or simply click here to set up a time to talk: https://calendly.com/jessgrippo/cgs

to the beauty in the mush, Jess

p.s. If this is lighting up something in you, even if you don’t know what exactly it is, don’t delay on taking action. Let’s talk: https://calendly.com/jessgrippo/cgs

re-inspire yourself

It’s been a shitty year for many of us.

The holidays might have been rough.

There’s a lot of “rah-rah-rah! it’s a new year!” stuff being spread on social media along with the general darkness of tragic news and the current state of politics.

I’m sure there’s a lot of personal darkness, too, that isn’t seeing the light.

I’ve personally been feeling introspective, retrospective, even. Craving time for reflection and to get back to some sort of essence… magic... the creative flow… the space of inspiration before creation can happen.

The reality is, I’m not there yet.

So rather than forcing myself to create before I’m ready, or to use my injured leg too much before it’s healed, I’m giving in to what’s happening inside.

I recently came across the dance videos I made 7 years ago (!) when I first started getting back into dance and my creative process. Something in them struck me. (note to self: when you feel “struck” by something, it’s a sign you’re going in the right direction.)

There’s a certain tenderness that was present back then when I first started creating dance videos. It was before dance became a part of my career, and there was a sense of wonder and deep honesty that, I’m not shy to say, upon looking back, I really admired about myself back then.

So I’ve dug up lots of those old videos as part of this effort to introspect. To re-inspire myself in the present.

I’ve been sharing one a day on Instagram, along with a brief story of why I made the video or what was happening in my personal life at the time. It’s an intimate peek behind the scenes to shed some light on the drive to create, in spite of or because of whatever was going on at the time.

The process of writing these blurbs and reviewing these videos has already lit up something inside me.

If you feel curious and want to join me this month in the process, come on over to my Instagram land and follow me there.

I’m also encouraging anyone who’s up for it to join in and find ways to re-inspire yourself, too.

If you feel so bold, share your own introspective - or retrospective - posts on the ‘gram and tag them with @jessgrippo / #reinspireyourself so that I can see what you’re up to.

We are all in this together. And I don’t know about you, but from my point of view, we certainly could use more inspired, creative humans adding positivity to this crazy world.

Wishing you hope, peace, and inspiration on this Friday the 13th.

to the tender dances that move us, Jess

p.s. Happy anniversary! While it’s the 7 year anniversary of publishing dance videos for me, it’s also the 5 year anniversary of this very blog you’re reading, Creative Fridays. It was a Friday the 13th in 2012 when I led my first creativity workshop and a couple of weeks later, I started writing weekly.

No matter how long you’ve been reading, please know that I’m so grateful for your presence here and so honored to be taking this journey with you.

If Creative Fridays has been part of your process in any meaningful way over the last 5 years, please just comment below and tell me how!

It would light up my world to know.

Thank you for being here.

p.p.s. For my NYC peeps, there’s no formal party happening tonight after all, but I’ll be at an Open Mic night at Shaktibarre in Williamsburg at 7:45pm and would love to see you there!

why you can’t get anything done this week

Anyone else feel like their work efforts are pushing upstream?

If so, I hope this helps, and if not, put it in your back pocket for next time you’re struggling.

Sometimes I feel like I bang this point into the ground so much, but I think it’s the kind of reminder we need to hear over and over again:

IT’S OK TO NOT BE  PRODUCTIVE ALL THE TIME.

IT’S ACTUALLY HEALTHY TO NOT BE PRODUCTIVE ALL THE TIME.

(Like the ALL-CAPS emphasis on that one?)

If you keep pushing yourself, you’ll end up with a broken leg or the flu (like I did in the fall).  Not fun.

This theory is a huge part of the cyclical method of creativity that I teach in many of my programs. I’m going to outline a bit of it here for you.

Here are 3 reasons for you to stay in bed as late as possible, push back deadlines, and just generally slow down as much as possible right now:

1. It’s Winter.

   It’s the friggin season of the slow down. Mother nature takes a break from outer growth, so why shouldn’t we? Instead of starting new things and diving into New Year’s resolutions, try cultivating your inner world. Listen to your dreams. Do the kind of creative projects that just feel good to you - even if they don’t seem to have a purpose.

2. It’s Mercury Retrograde.

   I’m no astrologer but I have been following really great ones for years now and this stuff really works for me. From what I hear, until January 8th we’re in the midst of the time of year when the planet Mercury goes Retrograde - this is known for messing up communications and technology. Again, don’t push yourself to do a million things during this time. Finish up unfinished things. Get the thing fixed that you’ve been meaning to get fixed. You get the gist.

3. You’re pre-menstrual.

   Ok, maybe you’re not right in this moment, but I am and I felt compelled to write about it. When I’m pre-menstrual (technically called the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle) it’s a time when I don’t feel like doing shit - for good reasons! Hormones get a bit whacky and the body requires way more rest than usual, as well as more B-vitamins (hello, gluten free zucchini bread!)

   This is a time when my clothes are in heaps all over my floor, dishes get piled up in the sink, and I really don’t want to go out and be social. (Usually a day or 2 before my period I get this surge to clean my entire apartment, so eventually things get back into order!)

   If you feel this too, don’t fight the feeling. Nourish your body with good food and plenty of physical activity. Stay in bed longer. Wait until after your period to start the new projects or do lots of things. You’ll be more aligned energetically at that point and it will feel much more effortless.

   Want more on this topic? Check out my friend Lisa Lister’s book Love Your Lady Landscape, of which I was a proud contributor!

   (BTW if you don’t get your period because you’re a man or you’ve stopped menstruating for various reasons, you can still tune into cycles in your body and cycles in the moon!)

Did I convince you? ;)

Comment below and tell me your agreements or objections or obsessions.

from the front lines of the snooze button, Jess

p.s. As a creativity coach, you would think it’s not in my best interest to tell everyone to stop creating, right? I could totally be someone who pushes the idea of creating and producing all the time, but that would just be against my values and against the cyclical nature of life.

There are far too many things out there trying to push us to do more and be more and have more now, so here’s a place where you know you can always take a break from it.

You’re wonderful just the way you are.