Tuesday thoughts and Make Belief

Isabelle
Oct 14
3 min read

Hi Friends,

Thank you for you feedback on the harvest theme. As always, it makes my day to hear from you!This week, I was inspired by events around me, so here we go.

The Power of Make Belief

I recently came across the story of Max Alexander, a nine-year-old fashion designer who creates entire collections of gowns, jackets, and even couture pieces that rival adult designers. He doesn’t just play dress-up — he becomes a designer. In his mind, he’s already there. No hesitation, no impostor syndrome, no “maybe someday.”He just is. And he is fabulous. Playful at times, then super focused on his work. The way he interacts with his adult models is so sweet. He makes them twirl in his creations, like a child would. Silly playing with his brother, then still and professional at the sewing machine. I think he helps adults be more childlike again, as well.

It made me think about how easily children step into a role without second-guessing. They pretend not to escape reality, but to create it. They know instinctively that pretending is practice for becoming. I see it daily while watching my granddaughter. And I just love how she points at us adults and expects us to pretend with her, right then and there. Maybe it's a silly dance or we pretend to be a dolphin or a dog. She LIVES the world of make believe.

This idea has been dancing through my mind — quite literally — as I volunteer for an upcoming art and dance show. Watching the performers last year, and this year at an audition, I noticed how every dancer or musician steps into a new persona the moment the music begins. Shoulders back, eyes alive, movements confident and free.They’re no longer just themselves — they’re the music, the emotion, the story.And for those few minutes, they are that version of themselves completely.

It’s not fake. It’s freedom.

As adults, we often stop pretending because we’ve been told it’s childish or insincere. But what if pretending is actually how we grow into who we want to become?Pretending you’re confident until your body learns what confidence feels like. Pretending you’re calm until your nervous system believes you. Pretending you’re already the woman who trusts her intuition until that becomes your new normal.

And with Halloween around the corner, it’s the perfect reminder of how much we love transformation. Costumes give us permission to play — to embody a different energy for a night. Maybe it’s not about the mask we put on, but the part of ourselves we finally allow to come out.

If there’s a version of you you’ve been afraid to try on — the artist, the speaker, the writer, the woman who takes up space — start by pretending. Write as if your words already matter (they do). Dress as if you have somewhere important to go (you do). Show up as if the world has been waiting for you (it has).Pretending isn’t lying — it’s rehearsing for the truth that’s waiting to be lived.

So this week, I invite you to pretend on purpose. Pretend you’re already living the life you’re building. Pretend you’re the designer of your days. Pretend you’re brave, bold, and brilliant — until you don’t have to pretend anymore. Because pretending, my friend, is often just the first draft of becoming.

This week's Affirmation:

I give myself permission to pretend — not to hide, but to discover who I can become.

Isabelle

PS: Message me for a free consult to start moving toward a more confident you.

You are loved. Deeply loved. Loved beyond measure.

Until next time,