When I stopped dieting, it helped me find my Why

 Sleeping and family time are my top priorities. These things sometimes slip when I get into my studio and lose myself in the paint, but I don't want them to.
 
I had to find something else to let go of that would give me more time to be creative. I work full-time and can't give it up right now, I already cut out (most of -- don't judge!) Netflix. What else could I edit out of my life to make more time to focus on art?
 
There was one thing I spent a lot of time and energy on.
 
Dieting. I gave up dieting, so I could spend more time creating.
 
Most people probably don't spend as much time on dieting as I did. I used to spend a huge amount of time thinking about food.  Wanting it, not wanting it. Fantasizing about what I would eat if I was skinny or what I would eat if I didn't care if I was skinny. How many calories I burned at the gym, or walking the dog, or doing yoga. I planned meals in advance and pre-cooked for a week or I didn't plan anything and then obsessed about everything. I worried about how people looked at me, what they thought of me and caught sideways glances of my silhouette in the mirror or the storefront or the rear view mirror of the car trying to guess what people thought when they saw me from the outside. I even avoided family events because of the food.
 
It was exhausting and thinking about food took so much energy that I didn't have time for a lot else.  So, I made a conscious decision to give up my obsession about food, so I could focus on being creative.
 
When I stopped caring about what I weigh I had a lot more creative thinking energy available and I got closer to what I really care about - creating. I started asking the question: why does it matter that I make things?
 
When I had more time to think, I discovered that these are the things that I care about:

• empowerment of individuals,
• being authentic and vulnerable,
• creating connection with people and nature,
• valuing what is right in front of us,
• getting lost for a while,
• being introspective

 
I want to serve people looking to add vulnerability and authenticity to their surroundings. People who want to enrich their space, so it expresses their personal beliefs. I truly think that by getting very specific you connect with the universality of the human experience.
 
When I create a piece of art that connects with someone, I feel less alone and that makes me hopeful and brings optimism and connection to my life. More hopeful than examining the calories in a piece of pizza.
 
I challenge you to find the thing that eats up your head space that could be better spent on creativity and stop doing it for a while. Let your creativity have a little room to move. Spend some of that energy on finding out what you care about. Give up your current obsession that might not be serving you to find a new one.
 
Can you relate to this story? What have you given up to pursue your passion? Leave a comment and share your inspiration.
 
--Andrea