The Sacred Rebellion of Creating Space

A pinky promise to protect what matters most.

There is no glory in hustling, no awakening in a full schedule, and no divinity in spreading ourselves thin.

I created this mantra for myself years ago, during a time when I was just beginning to unravel my own addiction to productivity. I had spent years sprinting from one thing to the next — deadlines, launches, social media feeds, the endless to-do lists of motherhood — convinced that being busy meant I was being purposeful. And yet, I often felt disconnected from myself, from joy, from my body, and from the deeper rhythms of my life.

These days, I don’t struggle as much with being hooked into the productivity loop — a gift, I believe, of getting older, unpacking it all in therapy, and taking a long break from social media (over two years!). Still, I often think about how deeply our culture glorifies the hustle. How it praises the packed calendar/feeds/etc etc. And how the true cost of that story — the burnout, the disconnection, the resentment, the bone-deep exhaustion — is soul-crushing, untethering us from what really matters.

Have you experienced this too? How have you found your way through?

Art print in my shop.

These days, I deeply believe the quieter my schedule, the more time for journaling and spaciousness and painting and daydreaming and reading — the more I feel like me. The creative artist spirit who resides in this body. The woman becoming more of herself as time marches forward.

And part of our sacred work, I believe, is to fiercely protect that spaciousness — so that whatever wants to bubble up from that mysterious place where creativity and becoming more of who we are begins… can find its way to us.

So let’s pinky promise something together.

Let’s make a collective effort to be present for the unfolding of spaciousness this week, or even just this day. When we catch ourselves caught in a frantic pace, let’s pause. Take a breath. Before we say yes (or no) to that invitation/appointment/commitment, let’s check in with ourselves and make sure our response is true. Not automatic. Not people-pleasing. But true.

When we start to compare our lives to someone else on the internet or when we’re mindlessly scrolling, let’s gently set the phone down, close the apps, create space and return to our own hearts and brilliance. We have plenty of it — right here, in our own lives, our own ideas, our own enoughness.

And when we pull out the measuring sticks — how we’re doing in family, life, business, wellness — let’s remember to trust the divine, sacred timing of our path. Right where we are is ripe with meaning, with learning, with love. Even if we’re a hot mess.

Especially if we’re a hot mess.

Let’s go gently.

Big love,
Kelly Rae

PS: Tell me your secrets! In what ways are you creating room to breathe, create, and just be? I’d love to hear how you’re tending to your own spaciousness. xxo

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