How to build a creative intention practice (and get invisible tattoos)

What if what you cared most about putting into the world, your strongest intentions from the depths of your soul, were etched on your skin, but only visible to you?

What if you got up every morning and as you sipped that first cup of coffee tucked between the veins and knuckles on the back of your hand you saw the word that would keep inspiring you to be the most extraordinary and true version of yourself. If that were the case for everyone on this planet, what would the world look like, what could each of us create?

Today I’m going to walk you through the steps of starting your own creative intention practice, which for me has inspired hundreds of whimsical sketches, cards, and paintings.

Let’s get to it!

What are Intentions?

Many of us are familiar with intentions, but for those of you who aren’t, or want a refresher, they’re guiding principles for how you want to live. Often, we encounter them as inspirational words or phrases we’re asked to repeat to ourselves during workouts or meditations. Power words to clench between our teeth and push through a particularly grueling 60 second hold, soothing words to wrap around our shoulders and calm our thoughts. But perhaps you’ve noticed as I have, how difficult it is to keep the intention in mind much beyond when explicitly told to do so.

An Example: Barely Awake and Trying to Be Someone

I wonder if this type of situation has happened to you. I was walking around my block last week when I noticed that someone’s trash waiting for pick-up on the curb was spilling out onto the street. Bottles and take-out containers littering 50 feet down the somewhat busy road. This was a pre-coffee walk, brain not yet awake, face freezing, just turtled into my jacket and trying to wake up with a little movement. And I thought to myself, ‘damn someone should pick that up.’ And kept walking. But when I got to about 10 feet beyond where this spray of litter ended I paused and said to myself, ‘wait, I’m someone.’ So, I turned around, grabbed what I could between passing cars and put it back into the bin.

‘Wait, I’m someone.’ It’s a hard fact to remember sometimes. Am I happy I decided to pick up the trash before I walked all the way back home and then just felt guilty about not helping? Yes. Am I pleased that it was my second reaction, not my first to be helpful? No. But I try to remember that we’re all works in progress as people. And here is where I think intentions can play a larger, more fun, role in our lives.

Handwriting lists: a practice that should never go out of style

This process starts with making a list. Make a list of all that you want the world to be. Big, small, righteous, grandiose, verbose, make a written list. Scribble out a plethora of ideas that can become blueprints for creating a better, more joyful world.

You don’t need to have a plan for what these words, ideas or phrases will inspire you to do, but I would recommend that they feel centrally true to who you are. Because this list can then become the foundation for guiding our little actions, big reactions, and our creative works, and ultimately begin to form the outlines of those invisible tattoos.

Getting Inked & Consistently Inspired

No, I didn’t forget about the tattoos and if you’ll allow me a moment of pure imagination, I can explain what I mean. I see intentions as built into the fabric of our bodies and beings. And when you try to think about them consciously, when you let them spill out into your work and inspire your everyday activities, you pull these words from deep in your brain, stomach, and heart and up to your skin. Once there, they bloom into a riot of tattoos hidden from but all but yourself, winding up and down your forearms, weaving between your toes and lining the corners of your knees. They become so personally visible and constant that they permeate everything you do, and help you build a meaningful life.

When we find partners or best friends we may even learn of matching sleeves of intentions and ideals. The more we look down and see our intention tattoos and let them help us to toss their energy out from ourselves, the happier, more moisturized and nourished they become. But when we forget about them, when we get too busy, or distracted, or sad, and stop being fascinated by the unique ink scattered across our limbs, they begin to sink below the epidermis and settle back into our hearts, gut and mind. To never be forgotten, but only gently remembered at opportune times.

Acting Practically & Thinking Creatively

Now let me bring this back to a more tangible reality.

My own list is the starting point from which I draw inspiration for all my actions, and importantly, my creative works. It’s the set of ideas that spur tangents, myths, object juxtapositions and the foundations of my stories.

I’ll share my full intention list next week (and how I use it), but it includes phrases like ‘lead with empathy’, ‘get outside’, and ‘be kind.’ I would love to see a world where we each consider the hardships of others in crafting reactions and actions and are honestly just nice to one and other. And beyond inspiring a myriad of drawings, it was seeing these intentions skittering over my nail beds that helped me stop, turn around, and go back to pick up the litter in the road.

So, this week, sit down with a cup of tea, maybe a little Chopin or T-Swift (whatever floats your boat), and start to list what you care about deeply. Write out the words that stitch together your mind, soul and your heart. And maybe afterwards you’ll look down and see them lightly reflected on your skin, waiting to inspire your next move.

Share your lists as a comment — I would love to learn from you!

For more of the work created using this process check out my website Lexidoodlesart.com!