You’ve heard the phrase: Stop and smell the roses.

You’ve probably said it.

To your kids, your partner, a frazzled friend. Maybe even muttered it to yourself—right before steamrolling through your fifth load of laundry and 87 unread emails.

But when’s the last time you actually did it?

Not metaphorically. I mean literally stopped. And sniffed. A rose.🌹

Or anything that didn’t smell like wet dog or the fridge mystery that may have once been soup.

When did you last pause just long enough to notice how the sun flirts with the leaves in late afternoon light? Or how a certain song somehow feels like a glass of wine and a hug at the same time?

When did you look—really look—at a flower? A piece of art? Even your lunch—without eating it hunched over your laptop like it’s Black Friday and Dyson just got marked 70% off?

If your answer is something like, “Uhh...can’t remember”—you’re in good company.

One of my clients—a mom of two teenage boys—told me in a session, “I just keep going. I say yes to everything. I don’t slow down. My to-do list is never finished.”

Sound familiar?

You’re juggling all the things: family, work, home, Target runs, calendar invites you don’t remember accepting. You’re in a full-time relationship with your to-do list.

So full of busy-ing, there’s zero space left for being.

And that, my friend, is why your soul is basically waving a white flag and whispering, “Can we please get some Creative Rest up in here?” 🙏

So, what is Creative Rest?

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of Sacred Rest, describes it as the rest we receive when we intentionally surround ourselves with beauty and inspiration—affectionately calling it beauty rest.

It’s basically giving your brain a bubble bath in beauty.

It’s losing yourself in a Van Gogh swirl without trying to “get the meaning.” It’s zoning out (in the best way) in a garden that smells like peace and looks like a Pinterest board—without angling for the perfect photo.

It’s you, coffee in hand, sitting at a café people-watching like it's a low-stakes nature documentary narrated by you. Or walking through the park, not for steps, but because watching dogs chase squirrels is better than refreshing your inbox for the 219th time today.

These moments? They’re creative caffeine.☕

No crash, all buzz.

They shake loose the stuck stuff. That idea you’ve been trying to force? Suddenly it’s waving at you like, “Hey girl, I’ve been here the whole time.”

You didn’t muscle it into manifesting. You gave it room to float in.

Because creative rest harnesses the beauty around you to stir something inside you.

It’s not about output—it’s about input. It’s doing things that spark joy, light up your imagination, and maybe even tickle an idea to life… without demanding anything of it.

That’s the magic: It fills you up without asking you to turn it into content, art, or a side hustle.

No performance. No pressure. Just white space and wonder.

Wait… there’s science to this?

Yes. Let’s go full nerd—but in a fun way. I promise.

So sure, every rose has its thorn—thanks for that, Bret Michaels. But what Poison didn’t tell you is that every rose also has a frequency.

(Which, let’s be real, wouldn’t have made it to #1 on the '88 Billboard charts. “Every Rose Has a Frequency” doesn’t quite scream rock ballad.)

Still. It’s true.

When you stop and smell one—not scroll past it on Instagram—you’re soaking up a little molecular miracle.

Color, shape, scent? All vibrations. Literal energy.

That flower? It’s not just pretty. It’s vibing at you.

Same with redwoods. Ladybugs. Sunshine. Even grass under your feet. Nature’s a whole symphony of feel-good frequencies—designed to tune you up from the inside out.

You, standing there in the middle of it? You’re basically writing yourself a prescription for energy medicine. No white coat required.

It’s like nature’s saying, "Take two whiffs and call me in the morning.”

You don’t need to sit cross-legged under a moonbeam (though, you do you). Just step outside, look up, breathe deep… and let your cells sigh, “Ahhh, yes. That’s the stuff.” 🤤

5 No-Pressure Ways to Get Your Creative Rest On

Want to revive your creative spark without adding one more thing to your to-do list? Here’s how to sneak in some rest for your brain that’s disguised as joy:

1. Step outside. Even if it’s just five minutes. Smell the air. Watch a bird do its little bird things. Bonus if you spot a cloud shaped like a llama in a sunhat. 🦙
2. Do your hobby—with zero expectations. Paint badly. Knit a scarf no one will wear. Garden without trying to win a ribbon. Just enjoy the thing. That’s it. 🎨
3. Visit beauty. Museum, flower shop, park bench with a view. Let your senses soak it in like your skin guzzling moisturizer after a long, dry winter. 🖼️
4. Follow your curiosity. Read something random. Watch a quirky documentary. Click on the weird article. Explore without needing to use what you learn. 📽️
5. Break the routine. Unplug. Wander. Say no to being productive and yes to being “pointless”. This isn’t wasting time—it’s investing in joy. 🤸🏼‍♀️

This kind of rest? It doesn’t just refresh you. It revives you.

Because when you allow yourself to truly take in beauty, something shifts. Your shoulders drop. A fresh idea floats in. You remember what it feels like to be you.

So maybe today’s the day.

You pause. You look up. You inhale something that doesn’t smell like stress.

Go ahead—stop and smell the roses.🌹

Not because it sounds nice. Because your soul is begging for it.

Simply resonating with a little beauty rest,

Stacy🌺

ps – 📩 Missed the last email in this series? It’s all about Physical Rest (spoiler: it’s not just about sleep).