#03. The Monday Muse ✌️
Quirk and a few things to kick off your weekly inspiration.
Reader win from Creative Dysregulation:
“The book gave me the push to just start [filming a mini-course on homeschooling] and start imperfectly instead of staying stuck in my head.” — Courtney
V1 of Creative Dysregulation is available on Amazon Kindle or directly (pdf + epub). The final version will be released in late May, and all V1 readers will automatically receive it. It’ll be like two books in one.
This week, I’ve been noticing quirky things that bring me joy. Just yesterday, while driving around Boulder, I was making weird ‘meep, beep, schneep’ noises for no reason. My husband looked at me and said, “You’re a totally different person than you were two years ago. You’re so quirky.” The truth is, I’ve been quirky my whole life but my quirk went into hiding when it didn’t feel safe to play. Defined as a ‘peculiar behavioral habit’ by Oxford Languages, quirk describes what makes us stand out against the status quo. If the masses are doing it, it’s not quirky.
Quirk is fringe, odd, idiosyncratic, eccentric, edgy.
About a year ago, I was in a plant medicine ceremony and emerged with a deep, soul-level knowing that “quirk is healing.” I even had an idea to host a “Quirkshop” that would gather a group of humans together to reveal, heal, and expand our quirkiness. I envisioned us in a giant room filled with wacky things like a kids’ ballpen, funny hats, noise makers, and stick-on mustaches. My theory is that by embracing our quirk and being fully accepted by others, we’d do some of the deepest transformation work possible while having loads of fun 🤪
When it comes to my creative projects, I’ve been asking myself how I can be more playful and quirky. One idea is that for the official launch of Creative Dysregulation this summer, I will sing a rendition of ‘Part of Your World’ from The Little Mermaid about books and creativity (beta lyrics here). I also have some other fun ideas up my puffed sleeves for a book promo video that includes musical theater singing, all-white clothes, buckets of paint, and a human pinwheel.
As for this newsletter, I decided while meditating to infuse more authentic quirk into my weekly writings. At the risk of being less professional, less profound, and downright weird, here are some quirky things that delighted my muse recently:
💃 CDK Dance Company ~ Somebody That I Used to Know
Quite possibly the best dance performance I’ve seen in ages. As someone with a 17-year dance history, I sometimes long to return to a dance company. There is nothing quite like training alongside peers to produce one-of-a-kind embodied art. Kudos to the choreographer, costume designers (for the bolos, neck scarves, velvet turtlenecks, bellbottoms, vests, and pops of teal), and dancers who put this gem together.
🫑 Sidewalk Bell Peppers
While walking the other day, I came across a handful of perfectly good tiny bell peppers. On a dirt road covered in pinecones and mud, the peppers popped out in an explosion of colors. I was immediately curious about what had happened. Why were these thrown here? On a stretch with no homes, I envisioned somebody in the passenger seat of a car angrily tossing the bell peppers out the window in an act of defiance—No! I will not allow nightshades on my salad!
What do you imagine happened here? 🤔 Share your sidewalk bell pepper theory in the comments (hint: this is an exercise for your muse).
🥗 Miscellaneous Inspo
Qveen Herby and her partner have a podcast at the intersections of creativity, spirituality, and healing; I find them delightfully entertaining as they unpack how they grew the ‘conscious rap’ persona that is Qveen Herby (one of my favorite artists right now)
This music couple is the cutest as they produce this downtempo Jazzy Brunch Mix from their living room while simultaneously cooking pancakes on their channel, Flavor Trip (warning: juicing oranges has never been so groovy)
Sadhguru and Matthew McConaughey with a 20-second experiment to feel your subtle body energy
A 10-minute and $20 date idea to refresh your spring wardrobe and get playful with someone you love
Over to you! What quirktastic things have you been enjoying lately? What has been filling your own creative cup? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Have an amazing week! Xx ~ Kelly 🫶
PS - I did not realize I was writing this on April Fool’s Day until the very end 😉
really enjoying your monday muse newsletters. there's a lightness and creative flow in it that always sparks something in me.
as for the bell peppers... seems like Peter Rabbit was up to his old tricks and getting ready for an easter pepper hunt
“Quirkshop” really made me smile. Love the Monday Muse post. And that dance routine is brilliant.