The Moodboard: Inner Child Menu

Maybe it’s Cancer season, maybe it’s being back home with my family, but my inner child (and teenager) have been especially loud this summer. I’ve found myself craving the simplest kinds of joy. The kinds that don’t make sense on paper, don’t need to be productive, and definitely don’t belong on a to-do list.

The idea for this exercise came while I was blowing bubbles out the window with my four-year-old goddaughter, Valentina. Every time a bubble floated into the sky, we’d decide where it was headed.

“That one’s going to the stars.”

“That one’s for my grandma.”

“That one’s for a unicorn.”

It made me realize that, in so many ways, I’m still doing the exact same thing now at 30. I’m still making wishes and looking for signs, still believing the universe might answer in unexpected ways. The only difference is that somewhere along the way we start calling it intuition instead of imagination.

So I made myself an Inner Child Menu. A collection of experiences that make me feel more connected to childlike wonder, and ultimately, more connected to myself. And are things I can do exactly where I am. Because I genuinely believe creativity grows best from nourishment and not more pressure. More often than not, the fastest way back to myself hasn’t been another strategy or a better morning routine. It’s been rest but also play and following a tiny curiosity simply because it feels like a side quest.

• Blowing bubbles (obviously)

• Playing mermaids at the beach

• Gathering flowers

• Learning an entire music video dance routine (very Leo Rising of me)

• Making a playlist of every song I loved growing up

• Automatic writing to a younger version of myself

• Painting, drawing, on actual paper

• Eating simple foods I loved as a child

• Rewatching favorite movies

• Hosting tiny afternoon tea parties

I think every brand has an inner child, too. Before there were algorithms, niches, or content pillars, there was the thing you couldn’t stop yapping about. The worlds you inhabited (both real and imaginary), the stories you wanted to tell, the specific crayons you reached for without thinking…

Whenever I find myself forcing creativity, I almost never need more inspiration. I need more wonder.

And maybe that means visiting a museum alone or spending an afternoon making something no one will ever buy. Maybe it means reading fantasy novels, collecting seashells, buying stickers, or lying on the grass watching clouds and deciding they look like a random animal.

Not because every joyful thing needs to become content, but because a nourished life will always make more interesting work than an optimized one.

So if creativity has felt a little harder lately, don’t start by asking what your audience wants. Start by asking what your eight-year-old self would’ve begged to do this weekend.

You might be surprised by how much your current self needed the same thing. And what happens when you listen to them.

I’ll keep you posted on how this experiment goes for me. What would be on your Inner Child Menu?

With love,
Daniela

If you’re loving this space and want to support my work, you can become a monthly Substack subscriber here, shop my Brand Kits for the Signs here, or inquire to work together here. And you can always find me on Instagram for more inspiration and behind-the-scenes moments.