At the World Domination Summit this summer, I attended the premiere screening of the documentary Indie Kindred, by Jen Lee. The film features 10 independent artists talking about creativity and collaboration. These women are singer/songwriters, painters, writers, and magic-makers. I fell in love with each of them as I watched them be honest and vulnerable on the screen.

Sitting in the audience, tears streaming down my face, I knew what I had to do. Now, after months of thinking about it, knowing that it felt both crazy and essential to my well-being, I am about to launch into a creative sabbatical.

From October 1 through December 31 I will be spending my workday writing, reading, dancing, painting, taking photos and generally getting reacquainted with my creativity. There will be no blogging, no teaching, and no newsletters until January.

This is my oxygen mask. After years of putting others’ on first, it’s my turn to breathe. I want to use this time in the most heart-centered way, so that come 2014 I’m rested, filled up and on fire. There are a thousand things I want to do with my life, with my particular gifts, but doing them from a place of depletion…well, it just doesn’t work. As Lisa Nichols says, you’ve got to serve from the overflow.

I’ll be pulling some of the most popular posts from the archives and sharing them here while I’m away, and there’s a remote possibility that I might sneak in and post something. (I’ve been known to change my mind on a dime when feeling inspired) But life has been telling me to turn inward this last year and though it took me a while to catch on, I’m listening now.

You can still find me on Facebook and Pinterest. I’ll be unsubscribing from lists and blogs for a while, but I’ll always answer email. And I’ll be checking in here too, so you are welcome to leave a comment. I just won’t be pressing publish on anything new.

And now, I’m wondering…what’s your oxygen mask? What do you really need to do this fall to take care of you?

Tell me in the comments, shoot me an email or let me know on Facebook. I really want to know.

with so much love,
Alana

P.S. Click here to find an Indie Kindred screening near you.

P.P.S. You have no idea how hard it is for the over-achieving, people-pleasing little-girl-inside to allow this kind of a decision. But I’m standing in trust and in the truth of what I preach, not knowing where it will take me but believing it will be good.