Let Your Inner Child Out: Why I Used to Hide This Painting — and Why It Now Hangs Proudly in My Bedroom

When I opened the gift, I didn’t know what to feel. It was a cheeky, pin-up-style painting — with my face and my hair on someone else’s body in a Marilyn Monroe pose. It was bold, playful… and totally unexpected.

And it came from Billy.

My first reaction? A swirl of emotions:

• I felt a little jealous of this “perfect” body.

• I felt insecure.

• I thought, I’d never hang this in my home—it’s tacky and I don’t get it.

Still, I hung it in the bedroom. But only when Billy was there. When he was away, I’d quietly take it down and turn it backwards against the wall.

The painting that caught me off guard… and cracked me wide open.

🎈 The Shift That Changed Everything

At the time, I was in the middle of my life and health coach training. One week’s lesson focused on something I didn’t realize I’d forgotten:

Letting your inner child out.

Being silly.

Doing things for fun.

Not overthinking.

Letting go of judgment.

That lesson hit hard. I’d always let my serious side run the show. I was the responsible one. The reliable one. And when I did let loose (in the days of despair), it was usually fueled by alcohol and regret—not joy.

Why Letting Your Inner Child Out Is the Key to Joy and Connection

That painting became more than just a gift. It became a mirror.

It showed me how uncomfortable I was with playfulness, attention, and being seen.

It exposed the parts of me that still believed I had to earn lightness… instead of just letting it in.

🪞 From Shame to Celebration

So I coached myself through it.

I set a goal: Let my inner child out every day. Even just for a few minutes.

That started with silly things:

• Dancing with the vacuum to Latin music

• Creating themed date nights for no reason

• Laughing at Billy’s (terrible) dad jokes

• Letting myself be goofy, loud, playful—and present

Billy helped. His humor, his joy, and his ability to not take life so seriously gave me permission to loosen my grip.

And eventually, something powerful happened…

I rehung the painting. And this time, I left it up.

💡 What I’ve Learned

You don’t have to wait until life feels "perfect" to enjoy it.

You don’t need to have it all together to let yourself laugh.

You just need to give yourself permission to show up—not just as a responsible adult, but as the whole you. The joyful you. The playful you.

✅ Signs Your Inner Child Might Need a Play Date:

• Life feels like all tasks, no sparkle

• You struggle to be silly or spontaneous

• You judge yourself more than you celebrate yourself

• You can’t remember the last time you laughed until you cried

• You’re craving connection—but unsure how to be yourself

  
  

💛 One Final Reminder

It doesn’t matter what the world thinks of you.

It matters what you think of yourself—and whether you’re living in alignment with your own values, your own joy, and your own goals.

Having even one person in your life who sees you fully, who encourages your most honest self, who reminds you to laugh…That’s one of the strongest predictors of a long, joyful, healthy life.

And letting your inner child play? That’s not indulgent.

It’s healing.

🪞 Want help reconnecting with your inner joy, purpose, and play?

Let’s talk. I help people rewrite their stories from the inside out—starting with the parts of themselves they’ve been hiding.

📅 Book a free Clarity Session here: https://calendly.com/modernmindsetcoaching/30min

📖 Read more blog posts at https://www.modernmindsetcoaching.com/story-behind-the-plate

✍️ Catherine Richey

Coach & Chef for a Life You’ll Never Regret

Through nourishing meals, intentional habits, and joyful clarity, I help you rewrite your story from the inside out.

🔗 www.modernmindsetcoaching.com