Get Creative

Have you ever noticed what you can do with what you have without spending a dime?

Look for photos on Pinterest of things that inspire you and wake you up to joy

Needless to say, day 12 and 13 of the anti-spending freeze had me feeling pretty edgy. I felt on the edge emotionally. I would spend time online looking at the exact fireplace mantles I wanted, and telling myself, “no, not today.”

Things at work were overwhelming and difficult. There are always more people with immediate needs that need help than I have the hands to give. I felt depressed not being able to change anything in my life on the spending freeze.

I thought, if I could just buy something that would make my living room look prettier, nicer, than I would feel better.

We will all have our mind play tricks on us when we are hungry and starving, but we just have to keep going.

What kept me going and brought more energy than I could imagine was getting creative.

I had pinned all these beautiful living rooms that I wanted mine to look like. I couldn’t afford anything in those pictures, or to redo my living room, so I got creative.

Remember that creative energy we all had as kids? It told us cardboard boxes were cars, and we could fly if we just imagined.

Ok, so I didn’t make a bunch of cardboard box decorations, but I got brave. I repainted furniture white that I didn’t like the dingy old maple color of. That was a super cheap fix, and made me happy without hitting a retail store.

I also rearranged all the furniture in my living room and created more open spaces, shampooed my carpets, so they smelt nice and clean and felt good on my toes to walk on.

I felt better after I cleaned my house. I got rid of clutter and stuff I didn’t need. It just made me feel better.

Guess what, after cleaning and decluttering, I didn’t have to shop to feel better.

I didn’t look online thinking there was so much more I needed; instead, I just felt happy. I took a deep breath looked at my re-arranged furniture inspired by Pinterest, and my shampooed carpets and said under my breath, “thank you Jesus. Thank you for all you’ve already given me. I do not need more. I need to get creative with what I do have.”