Permission Slip

The Permission Slip Experiment.

I read about permission slips in We Need Your Art, by Amie McNee, and the idea has stayed with me.

This week, I’m sharing the Permission Slip Experiment.

Write yourself a permission slip.

Your permission slip can be handwritten or typed.
It can be taped to a wall or a window, tucked into a sketchbook, or kept in your pocket. You choose. Mine is at the end of this post.

If you’re willing, let me know in the comments what you’re giving yourself permission to do. Or not do.

• I give myself permission to not finish work for one week or a day.

• I give myself permission to follow my curiosity instead of set plans.

• I give myself permission to start something and stop early, with no intention to finish (as a child might do).

• I give myself permission to make, cook, or sing something messy and “bad” just to see what happens.

• I give myself permission not to explain my work—to myself or to anyone else.

• I give myself permission to (fill in the blank).

Once you’ve written your permission slip, let it guide you this week. No pressure. No correction. Just your undivided, loving attention.

Notice what shifts when you stop asking yourself whether you’re allowed to do something or make something (or nothing at all).

This is the practice of self-authorization. You are the leader of your life.

If you truly trusted yourself, what would you give yourself permission to do—or not do?

I gave myself permission to linger after lunch today. To (almost) forget it is Wednesday. To draw more than write (for future posts) this week. To revisit an idea (this permission slip idea) I have used before (when mentoring artists online). To send a Wednesday installment considerably later than I usually do (typical timeline is 3:11 PM PT).

I also gave myself permission to let the topic and the image be completely unrelated. I considered not sending an image, or sending something else entirely…

Although now that I have said that, I’ll go draw.

Practicing the art of self-authorization began here: sending what exists today instead of punishing myself for what does not.

In Oregon this week, we are experiencing unusually high temperatures (it is in the 90s today), and massive amounts of smoke from wildfires. My husband has been evacuated from his job due to nearby fires, and most of us are staying inside near air purifiers. On Monday, my head hurt so much it felt like it might explode. Today my heart raced when I went outside only long enough to get from my car to the gym where I work out. On my way home, my eyes burned.

I have been giving myself permission to do just what is necessary, and not much else.