My Mascot Of Immaturity

Who let me adult? I can’t adult.

As adults, we are under so much pressure in our day to day lives to ‘Adult Correctly’. We pay bills, engage in social graces, clean our houses, go to work…. It’s all so much pressure. You wonder how you got here. When did things start to become so rigid and complicated? How did I become such a grown-up? When did my imagination become something forced when required and pushed down when it impedes on our ‘adulting’?

Sometimes the pressures of being grown-up is so stifling and claustrophobic that we get lost in routine. Life loses purpose. Then we find ourselves desperately grasping at whatever we can to give our lives a purpose. We search for the right profession, the right book, the right group, the right quote, the right song, that speaks to us and gives us a way to be something more than just what our adult lives have become. Allowing ourselves to simply be, to *BE* free from criticism or doubt, to live in the moment will liberate you from the feeling of being trapped in adulthood. That purpose is there, and the act of liberating yourself from your daily pressures can help to rediscover that purpose.

I sometimes get so caught up in the act of parenting and work that I forget the silly, fun-loving gal that lives inside of me. Sometimes, when I recognize those moments, I’ll shut everything off and have a crazy dance session in the kitchen with the kids. Or play dress-up, allowing my girls to clothe me however they choose. Those moments of pure child-like play provides an instant release from the stresses and pressure surrounding me from the daily grind.

My Mascot for Immaturity by Bri Ketler

For this exercise, we will give that inner child, that imagination, that inner wildling, a face and a voice. This person will be your mascot for immaturity. She will represent the traits that you stifle in order to function in an adult world. She is your secret spirit animal, and you will call on her energy during those times in your life that you are fed up with the daily grind.

Grab yourself a few magazines or images on the computer to print out. Cut and collage images together (I used ModPodge) until you come up with an image sufficiently silly and interesting. Then write her story. Who is she? Where does she come from? What are her predominant characteristics? What is her life like?

Giving that inner silliness a face, a voice, and a story will help you to consciously separate yourself from the pressures we face day to day. Call on her, picture her in your mind, during those times of extreme stress. If you’re sitting in traffic, mutter “Princess Shamalamadingdong (or whatever you happen to name your mascot), give me strength”. Business meeting? Close your eyes and imagine her dancing on the table. The act of visualizing and calling on your mascot will make you feel less stifled by ‘Adulting’.

Bri Ketler

Bri Ketler is a thirty-something mother of two, artist, crafter, and volunteer in the Calgary area. A Calgary native, she decided to spread her wings and move to Edinburgh, Scotland in 2001 to pursue a degree in the arts.She graduated with her BA in Art and Design from Edinburgh College of Art in 2005.

She worked as an Interior Designer in Calgary until her passion for art overwhelmed her desire for wealth and fame.When she is not chasing after her two young kids, she is teaching art to teen girls in need and creating dolls for her small handcrafting business, Lil’Zo.

Bri believes that art is a powerful outlet, and many internal issues can be confronted, exposed, and resolved by simply letting go and allowing oneself to be creative – even if they don’t believe they are the ‘creative type’. Everyone can benefit from getting over their fears, and simply putting pen to paper, paint to canvas, click a shutter, put hands on clay, or whatever medium one chooses. Find her online here.

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