(This post is part of a weekly series for subscribers exploring the creative process—one prompt at a time.)

This week’s creative prompt: Go outside your comfort zone

Part 1: Backstory

Talk about getting outside my comfort zone–last week I put on my big girl panties, loaded up the dogs and drove 800 miles due north. Hung a louie at around the 700 mile mark and kept going until I reached my new home in Port Angeles WA.

This is a BIG freakin’ deal–matter of fact it’s HUGE. I don’t much like to drive. Oh, short hops around town is one thing but 800 freakin’ miles navigating my way around strange cities and triple hauler trucks? No thank you.

And with a couple of dogs who puke and shake and act like they’re going to the vet or the groomer every time they’re in the car? Because one of them usually is and the other just likes to puke, even when she goes somewhere fun, like the river. Again, no thank you.

But I had no other choice. So I ordered this comfy car bed for the pups and it WORKED! They both slept nearly the entire way and no one got carsick. Not even once. And no one is paying me to say that.

As for me, I switched up my attitude that the drive was something to dread to the drive was an adventure. And doing it would free me from ever being held back by fear again.

So just like that I flipped the switch in my head, told myself I could do it and I did. Easy peasy! I arrived in PA the day after Mr. Spouse and the U-Haul. The sweet little house he built for us was crammed with boxes and furniture. Five days later I can say that we’ve made a dent in the unpacking but we’re nowhere near finished.

I can also say that it’ll be awhile before I face another rotisserie chicken…

Part 2: Inspiration

Unpacking involved lots of crumpled newsprint, brown paper, bubble wrap and cardboard. In other words, Muse crack. OMG, the potential! Texture! Big lush drawings! Stamping! Background papers!

And the scenery! Lush and green. Ferns. Saltwater views. The mountains. And wildflowers everywhere.

It’s muse overload–but I have to finish the nesting process before indulging. I have no idea when the new studio will be built but meanwhile I’ve claimed the covered porch as my creative space.

It will do for now. Because, y’know–I can do anything!

Maybe by next week there’ll be some new art to show. Arting and nesting are currently competing for my attention. We’ll see which one wins.

Part 3: Your turn

So yeah… this week’s prompt is all about stepping outside that warm fuzzy zone where everything feels safe and familiar. Like I did when I wrangled two drama queen dogs and drove 800 miles toward a future that smells like salt air and mossy forests.

Now it’s your turn.

What does outside your comfort zone look like for you? Is it a road trip with pets who puke? Trying a new medium? Sharing your art with actual humans who aren’t your family? Or maybe it’s just painting with your non-dominant hand and seeing what happens.

Tell me what you’re doing to stretch your boundaries this week—big or small, I wanna hear it! Tell me about it in the comments below. Hey, and if leaving a comment is outside your comfort zone–well, you know what to do about that!

‘Til next week-