Week 9: The Car Picnic Solution

This week, a road trip to the tulip fields didn’t go quite as planned—but what bloomed instead was something even better. 

Join us as we share the unexpected joy of a car picnic, reflect on the magic of releasing expectations, and talk about how creativity, like life, thrives when we allow room for play, spontaneity, and connection.

Thank you so much for listening.

If you know someone who needs this kind of gentle nudge, send it their way. The more kind, creative hearts in this space, the better.

And if something in this episode resonates or makes you smile, come say hi on Instagram @theartpeaceexperiment 🤍

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

Thank you. Welcome to the Art Peace Experiment. We're your hosts, two artists and friends. I'm Tasha. And I'm Brianna. At the end of 2024, we decided we wanted to cultivate more safety, peace, love, alignment, and excitement through our art and our art practices. So here we are sharing our journey with you. And we're so excited you're here. We hope you enjoy our conversations. They're honest, raw, just Just two friends talking to each other about the realities of life and creativity. We're so excited for you to join us and be along with us for the journey. Yesterday, we went to Holland, Michigan. We did. We went to go see the Tulip Festival there. It was so beautiful. Spoilers, it was very beautiful. Yeah. Just in case, you know, you didn't know. You didn't know. Yeah. So we got the kids all packed up, got in the car. We had to drive about three hours. Yeah. It was a trek. It was with the munchkins in the back. So we got it all set up with the, you know, the entertainment, the food, the snugglies. Yes. And we've been talking about doing this for years. Yeah. So long. I feel like the expectations were high.

SPEAKER_02: 1:30

yeah

SPEAKER_01: 1:31

yeah to like finally get to go do this together yeah because I've been and I've told you about it but you hadn't been before and so um it was yeah really talked up and it was so exciting and we finally we finally got to do it before together and yeah so we finally went yeah so if you don't know uh it has the tulip festival which is really beautiful and like the rows of tulips like you would expect there's like five million tulips Which is insane. It's insane. There's so many tulips. And it was like, what, five acres or something? Oh, I didn't see how many acres. I got stuck on the five million tulips. I was like, what? I can't even comprehend this. But yeah, it's like the photo reference dream. Yeah, totally. If you like tulips.

SPEAKER_00: 2:22

painting

SPEAKER_01: 2:23

flowers like some of us tulips do that's the place you know it's the place to go um yeah so it has it has the tulip festival and then it also there's a dutch village which is really fun and a bit more kid friends yeah for sure um yeah so we got all packed up and we we made it there and the kids did great in the car and then we went and saw tulips and that was less fun for the children like can we go yet can we go yet and And, you know, we had plans to stop and eat lunch at a restaurant for, you know, before going to the Dutch village. And the problem is I have a bunch of food allergies and I can't eat at very many restaurants. So the one place, Chick-fil-A, that we could go, it was closed because it was a Sunday. We forgot that it's closed on Sundays. Darn it. We don't normally do things on Sundays. Yeah. go to restaurants and things. So we, we totally forgot. And we like, Brianna pulls up the directions to Chick-fil-A and it's like, it says closed. It's like, oh yeah. Oh no. Oh no. What do we do? What do we do? And so we had this moment of, okay, we got to get creative. And we got to figure this out because we've got two cranky kids. Yeah. They are ready for food. They need to eat. We've got to figure stuff out. Yeah. Yeah. So we end up– there was a– we were going to– partly why we were going to go Chick-fil-A is A, because I could eat there. I mean, I can eat a few things off the menu there. Yeah. And B, it was like right next to the village. Yeah. And so– We'd look at the map, and Walmart was right there. Right next to it. Yeah, right next to it. We decided, okay, we'll go to Walmart, and we'll just do what we can to make a picnic lunch that my daughter and I could actually eat, and we could all eat together. It was safe. We'd go in, and we'd go shopping. The kids are cranky, but we're powering through. We ended up having a very lovely lunch. picnic in the back of the car yes it was it was so fun we we all piled back and we had the seats back you know in the back they were folded down and so there was just room enough for the four of us and Our plates of food. The kids were quite cozy. My legs are a little too long. Yeah. We had to finagle around a little bit. But we closed the back and we were all just like cozied in there together. They both were so delighted. They thought it was so fun.

SPEAKER_00: 5:09

This is so fun. I think maybe this is my favorite part.

SPEAKER_01: 5:15

Yeah. So this morning, Ems comes to me and is like, Mom, I'm sorry to tell you this, but my favorite part of yesterday was the picnic. Oh my gosh. Of all the planning, of all the things that we had been so excited about and looking forward to, the best moment was that moment of chaotic creativity, coming together to save the day and make it work. But then it provided the most we had the most connection. Yeah. All four of us together. We had great conversation and would you rather? Yeah. Good games. Good games. And, and, uh, Yeah, it was just– We laughed together. Yeah. It was beautiful. We ate good food. It ended up being quite tasty. Yes. My son said it was the best lunch he'd ever had, so we win. We win. They said even better than Chick-fil-A. Yeah. And we had tofu, so all you tofu doubters out there. Right.

UNKNOWN: 6:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 6:24

can be quite delicious yeah anyways it just it was a good reminder to us we got together this morning and I told Brianna about whatever he said about like that was I'm sorry mom I know you were looking forward to all of yesterday and all the big plans all the big plans that was my favorite part like that was just that was just wonderful and so fun and yeah it was a good reminder that you know, we can, we can figure out when we're in tough spots and also leave room for the unexpected. Yeah. Yeah. And I was like, you know, I think that's kind of part of the reason that road trips do bring so many good memories are because of those little pockets, not necessarily like the big main event, but some of the best memories and the funnest times are in those little moments right yeah spontaneous thank you spontaneous moments where you just you really connect and it's kind of unexpected and unplanned and there's no expectation around it yeah I think a lot of times we um when we make plans or have an idea in our head we hold so tightly onto the end result the expectation of what we want it to be and what we want it to feel like. And we're going to have this great time and everything's going to be amazing. And, you know, and life doesn't work like that. No. Like ever. Nope. And, and so, yeah, yesterday was just a really, it was, was a really good reminder that when we let go of Yeah. come into it with that attitude of, well, we're going to make this fun. We're going to have fun anyways. We're going to, you know, it's kind of an adventure and it's experiment and we're going to figure it out together and, and we're going to just make the best of it.

SPEAKER_02: 8:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 8:44

Despite whatever is going on around us. Right. Then that's when it becomes the best time, you know, that's when it becomes the most joyful and, and free. Yeah. Right. Your creativity is your superpower. That's right. And I think so often when we have something that we want to create, well, I feel like this isn't, you know, this goes across any platform. thing in life you know any kind of situation and anything we're coming coming to but um especially you know bringing back around to creativity um when there's something that we want to create if there's a painting that we want to do or you know something we want to make or or do um I think so often we hold ourselves back from doing it because we hold so tightly onto the end result that we want. See, I am struggling with this right now. Me too. Well, I'm working on this collection of four paintings. Yeah. And the first three, I had a blast because it was all– exploring and just play and like figuring out how to do the next thing. And I had a lot of fun with it. And now, you know, I got to the fourth one, the final one, and it's been taped down to my painting table for a lot longer than it probably should because I got partway through it. And then I just got stuck and like, okay, I don't know how to finish it. And like, I have the other three done and I want to finish the fourth one, but I like, is it good enough? I don't know. You know, it's like all the doubts. Yeah. That's where it came up. I mean, I'm glad that that happened on the fourth one instead of like

SPEAKER_00: 10:32

the first one,

SPEAKER_01: 10:33

but you know, it's like any stage of the process is, This can happen. Yeah, that's so true. I like that you bring that up because it's not even, it's not even just at the beginning, but it can be throughout the whole, the whole thing. And so it's kind of a constant reminder that we, we have to tell ourselves, we have to remind ourselves it's okay. It's okay. Like the whole, the whole process can be a playful thing and an experiment. And, and it doesn't have to, yeah, I don't know. I think it's, For me, I think often that is at the beginning and then I don't even do it. Right. I've had those moments too. Yeah. And that's where I think of that problem existing is like at the beginning of the experiment or experience, I meant to say. But it is. It can be through the middle. It can be at the end. It can be through the whole thing. Self-doubt likes to creep up at all times. At all times. Yeah, it's there. But we have to figure out how to work through it and work with it. Right. I mean, I have a painting as well that I'm like... part, most of the way through, but I have to figure out the foreground of it. And it's been, I mean, it's been sitting in my office taped on the board for, for weeks now. Like I just haven't come back to it. Cause I'm like, I have this specific idea and I'm not really sure how to execute it. And I want it to turn out really well and I don't want to ruin it, you know? And so I have like all of these things in my head that are, they're blocking me that are keeping me from continuing and from finishing it. And, um, I think just letting go of the outcome is really the answer to all those, all those fears in those blocks. Yeah. And let yourself just play, let, let yourself just play, like know that it's, it's okay. Even if it does ruin it because what, what's the worst that can happen? Right. Not much. Right. Right. I have the sketch. I could start over. Yeah. Yeah. Like I wouldn't be able to really, um, save it you know necessarily if I really well I don't know I like I still could I could go over it and it would be fine but even then I feel like no matter how it turns out you're gonna learn yes you know and that could be more valuable than like a perfect and 100% yeah yeah it's all in the process it's all in the learning and just the fact of Letting go, practicing that is learning, right? And even just having fun is a worthy experience. value to get out of it. It doesn't have to have this end result of what we deem productive. Good enough to sell or good enough to show people. Or even that I learned something from it is still this productive type outcome that we put so much pressure on needing to have happen. And really just the joy of it can be all it's meant to be. And that's Okay. I love that. Yeah. I love that. I think that's really... hard to fully believe yes I mean I struggle with that too because I'm thinking about it like I'm saying this and I'm thinking about that painting I'm like yeah but I also just want it to turn out good I don't want to start over yeah right I mean I think everything that we say we're saying to ourselves because these are things that we just struggle hard with you know and are trying to figure out that's the whole the whole purpose of this podcast is to talk about and figure out and you know like really face these these issues and these blocks and be real about it right well I love in our friendship like having these conversations because a lot of the time we'll bring up things that we're both struggling with like I'll bring up something that we're both struggling with or you'll bring up something that we're both struggling with and when you bring it up I can like come up with some kind of answer or solution or the thing that really I need to hear and I can say it to you yeah even though I haven't been able to say it to myself. Isn't that interesting? Yeah. I think that's so funny because I think of that with other things in life too. Like what would you say to a friend right now? When I'm struggling or having a hard time, that's a big thing that I've been trying to implement in my life. way of thinking, I guess, is what, you know, what would I say to a friend right now? How would I talk to a friend? You know, I wouldn't beat them up. Right. I don't know. So often we beat ourselves up or we stop ourselves or we, you know, we just kind of contain our, ourselves and we, we, I think our anxiety gets in the way of, of our creative solutions and our, you know, our kindness and our empathy for ourselves.

SPEAKER_02: 15:55

Right.

SPEAKER_01: 15:56

And so it's easier in a lot of ways to do that for, for another person, which I think is so, why it's so impactful to have a community of like-minded people that can be that person for you and that you can be that person for them as well. Yeah. Cause it's, I mean, it's amazing how much helping another person can help you and extending that love and that compassion. It can be so healing and so good for the soul and just like we're getting cheesy here and just, you know, like it's, it's, It's amazing how much it can impact your life. And then, you know, having that extended back to you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 16:41

There's nothing like it.

UNKNOWN: 16:42

No. Yeah. There's no replacement for that. And, and it's, and it's so important.

SPEAKER_01: 16:48

So, um, yeah, that's why, that's why we're here. That's why we're doing the podcast and why we want to, you know, spread the love and spread the community is because it is, it's so important and so impactful.

SPEAKER_02: 17:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 17:01

Find yourself a picnic, buddy. Back of the car. Okay. Ah, yeah. So we wanted to share that with you today and we hope that it will help you to remember in those moments to be kind to yourself and to find the joy in the little moments. Be spontaneous. Let it happen. Yes, exactly. Let go. Your creativity is your superpower. We'll see you next week. That's it for today, friend. Thanks for spending this time with us. We hope you're leaving with a little more light, a little more peace, and maybe even a nudge to go be creative just because it brings a little more joy to your life. If anything in this episode spoke to your heart, sparked a thought, or made you smile, we'd love it if you'd follow the show, leave a quick five-star review, or share it with someone who might need a little creative encouragement too. And remember, your creativity matters. Your voice matters. You matter. We're cheering you on always until next time, keep making, keep softening and keep showing up as your whole beautiful self.