The topic for April is authenticity
What it means to be authentic, what keeps us from trusting our gut, and how to find practices that connect us with our true sense of self.
Hey Friends,
Raise your hand if…you ever find it difficult to speak up and say what’s on your mind, you feel like you have to portray a certain image to be accepted, or have caved to others demands without expressing their impact on you, and you’re aware of and connected to an inner voice inside that is sure, that knows what is right for you, that you call your true self? 👋👋👋
Then join me in exploring this month’s focus topic: authenticity. We’ll take a look at what it means to be authentic, what keeps us from trusting our gut, and how to find practices that connect us with our true sense of self.
As humans, we all have a basic need to connect, belong, and be loved. Our need to connect and form attachments is an evolutionary part of our survival, relationships, and the formation of cultures and societies. But in situations where we have to choose between being accepted or facing the vulnerability and possible rejection of being direct and honest, it can be hard to choose the latter.
As creatives, we have a need to be authentic in how we express ourselves. Ideas come to us more freely when we’re true to ourselves; the creative impulse urges us to bring them to life, naturally springing us into action. Add an outside expectation, a desired outcome, an audience, a client, or a self-critical inner voice, pushing us to act out of alignment with ourselves, and it can get in the way of our creative flow.
Having to compromise your values to meet someone else’s expectations can be very difficult, especially when outside expectations don’t align with your unspoken inner desires and expectations. This pent-up stress, over time, can lead to burnout.
One of the hardest decisions I’ve made as a studio owner was to walk away from a big project I really needed because a client I’d allowed to walk all over me finally overstepped a major boundary, and I had to choose between sucking it up or asserting myself.
I don’t regret this choice, as I’ve been able to learn from this experience that it’s up to me to set and communicate clear expectations and boundaries that guide healthy client interactions that are aligned with my intentions.
At some point, we all learn that it’s unfulfilling to live in service to someone else’s expectations of us and that we have to trust our ability to make the right decisions for ourselves. There is no greater gift you can share with the world than showing up truly as you are. What helps make this possible is being conscious of where you’re at in every moment and not being afraid to say yes to what is serving you and no to what isn’t, even if it means letting go sometimes. The choice is always yours to make.
I hope that what I have to share with you today can provide some useful tools for taking the next step towards showing up more authentically in your life and profession.
Warmly,
Shawn
What does it mean to be authentic?
There’s no one whose work resonates with me more on this topic than physician and author Dr. Gabor Maté, who is sought after for his expertise on trauma, addiction, stress, and childhood development.
How does Gabor Maté define authenticity?
“Authenticity is the need to be ourselves, which means to be connected to our emotions and our body and be able to heed their guidance. Our gut feelings are our “inner GPS.”. As animals in nature, we evolved to survive by being connected to our gut feelings. How long would an animal in nature survive if they’re not connected to their gut feelings? Not very long.”
How to stop people pleasing and set authentic boundaries while staying kind
In this video, Gabor Maté discusses the interplay between attachment and authenticity in human development. He explains that attachment—the drive to be close to others for care and survival—is essential to our survival in childhood.
Maté illustrates how conflicts between attachment and authenticity arise, often leading individuals to suppress their true selves to maintain relationships with their parents or meet societal expectations. This suppression can lead to various negative outcomes, including emotional distress, illness, and addiction.
He suggests that reconnecting with one's authentic self is possible by paying attention to the body and emotions. We need to realize that, as adults, you are more important than your attachments. While choosing authenticity may lead to losing some attachments, Maté argues that prioritizing one's true self ultimately leads to greater fulfillment and well-being.
3 simple steps to start showing up more authentically:
As an individual
Invest in practices that help you connect to your true self by paying attention to your emotions and body and calming your nervous system. Tuning into emotions is the saurest way to start to know what it is you want.As a creative
Have an artistic practice that you do only for yourself without any outside expectation, other than because you love doing it.As a professional
Show up authentically in your profession by being able to say no to opportunities that are not right for you, so you can say yes to the ones that are. Set clear intentions, expectations, and boundaries for yourself to guide how you engage and make yourself available to others.
A 5 Min Guided Meditation Practice for Authenticity and listening to your true self
Try tyis easy meditation practice for calming your nervous system, paying attention to your body and emotions, and uncovering the needs connected to your feelings. As I learned from Gabor Maté “If you want to prioritize showing up more authentically, tuning into emotions is the surest way to start to know what it is you want.”
Show up authentically in your profession by being able to say no to opportunities that are not right for you, so you can say yes to the ones that are
As the owner of a small, growing business, it can be difficult to be direct in asserting yourself with your clients if you fear missing out on an opportunity or losing business by not keeping up with the client’s demands. If you have to make significant concessions to attract a client, you can expect to make additional concessions to retain them. Continually bowing to the demands of others against our better judgement can lead to much exhaustion and frustration over time.
Remember that your responsibility is to your own firm, and your clients will benefit from having you in charge of the process, guiding them to the intended outcome.
You can come to these conversations prepared by having a work agreement between you and your studio as a framework for how you do business. This exercise is designed to help you set clear goals, intentions, and appropriate boundaries for yourself as an independent business owner. Use this agreement to outline how you will interact with your business as the owner and your clients as the service provider. Determine what you are willing and unwilling to perform, as well as the working conditions required to maintain a healthy relationship with your work. This agreement can function as a foundation for monitoring where you stand in regard to your business and client relationships.
“The authentic self is the soul made visible.”
– Sarah Ban Breathnach
Thank you for joining me! I’d love to hear from you if you have questions, comments, or a story you’d like to share with this community. Hit me up!
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The topic for March is intuition 💡
In March we’re delving into the realm of intuition—our innate sense of what feels right.
Hey Friends,
Spring has finally sprung, bringing with it the promise of new growth, energy, and creativity. As I watch ideas sprout seemingly out of nowhere, like seeds bursting forth with potential, I'm reminded of the mysterious source from which creativity emerges. It's a place deep within us, where ideas are felt rather than thought, bubbling up to the surface of consciousness like fresh springs of inspiration to draw from.
Welcome to the 4th edition of our monthly community newsletter, where we'll be delving into the realm of intuition—our innate sense of what feels right. From gut feelings to flashes of insight, intuition guides us in ways that rational thought cannot always explain. We’ll look at findings that help us expand our understanding of what intuition is and how it works, and I’ll share practices that are helping me access it and work with it as a creative.
We’re a highly sensitive bunch, us creatives. We’re able to notice beauty in the subtlest details and experience the world with more intensity. I experience my creativity as a rise of ideas and visions within myself as opposed to deliberate thinking or problem solving. While the thinking mind acts as the editor and manager, the intuitive creative voice waits quietly for something to emerge. Whatever you like to call it, ego vs. higher self, thinking vs. feeling, for many creative people I meet, myself included, when there is a clash between intuition and reason, it can lead to overthinking, self-doubt, creative blocks, frustration, and lethargy.
How can we become more able to notice what’s arising around us, trust what we’re sensing, and move towards our felt sense of what is right and feel more aligned?
Practical techniques such as journaling and mindfulness practice have helped me overcome mental blocks, unload and quiet an overactive mind, and increase my ability to notice what’s arising in and around me, giving space for creative insight to emerge.
I recommend Vision (Mood) Boarding, a foundation of the creative process, as a tangible tool for tapping into intuition and manifesting goals. By creating visual representations of our aspirations, we become attuned to our intuitive guidance and open ourselves to new possibilities.
Albert Einstein once said, “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
Together, let’s explore the realm of intuition to reconnect with the guiding force that leads us toward our truest selves and most profound discoveries.
Warmly,
Shawn
Focus Topic: Intuition
The power or faculty of attaining direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference.
Findings on Intuition
What science has to say:
Intuition is a form of knowledge that appears in consciousness without obvious deliberation. It is a faculty in which hunches are generated by the unconscious mind rapidly sifting through past experience and cumulative knowledge.
Often referred to as “gut feelings,” intuition tends to arise holistically and quickly, without awareness of the underlying mental processing of information. Scientists have repeatedly demonstrated how information can register on the brain without conscious awareness and positively influence decision-making and other behaviors.
What philosophy has to say:
In Zen Buddhism, it is understood that intuition is one of the deepest functions of the human mind. It is a means of perceiving reality directly, not by means of logic or reasoning. This occurs or is experienced when the personality is well integrated.
The different ways we experience intuition
Strategic Intuition, or Intuitive Flashes of Insight: "Eureka!" moments that produce new and useful ideas in a single thought are behind some of the world's most creative and practical innovations.
Strategic Intuition, WIlliam DugganGut Feelings, or “Spidey Sense”: A feeling that appears quickly in consciousness, with us unaware of the underlying reasons, but strong enough for us to act on.
Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious, Gerg GirgenzersExpert Intuition, or Snap Judgements: The ability to “thin slice” large amounts of data or information that help with decision-making. Sometimes leading people to make harmful and biased decisions!
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm GladwellArtist’s intuition, or Temporal Intuition: A sense of the timing being right to create or capture an opportunity.
The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin
Improving access to your intuition
The daily practice of "Morning Pages" introduced by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist's Way—three pages, without thinking, editing, or judging the content, just letting it out on the page first thing in the morning, every day—is a great tool for accessing your intuition.
The pages provide a space to wring out the ego—the complaints, fears, bickering, negative beliefs, self-pity, and sorrows—that, once cleared, allow access to a gentle voice of inner wisdom. It’s an opportunity to explore your depths, uncover thought patterns, get to know yourself better, and discern more clearly your desires. The practice of writing without thinking has also improved my ability to creatively flow with less self-editing in the moment in other areas as an artist as well.
A Journaling Practice to access intuition:
What you will need:
• Any old pad of paper or journal
• A penInstructions
• Write three pages first thing in the morning, and then the next day, write three moreHelpful tips from “The Artist’s Way”
• There’s no wrong way to do the morning pages
• You should write your pages first thing in the morning
• Nothing is too silly, petty, stupid, or weird to be included
• Nobody ever reads your pages, except you, and don’t even go back and read them for at least 8 weeks
• The pages are not art or even writing, but just the simple act of moving the hand across the page and writing whatever comes to mind
Utilize your intuition to influence tangible outcomes
I’ve been creating vision boards—in the trade we call them “mood boards"—my entire career as a graphic designer. It’s a key early step in the creative process to transition from the brief, the rationale for the project, to a visual expression of early conceptual thinking. It allows us to explore what’s possible through sourcing inspiration that guides possible paths to take the creative process. It also helps the rational thinkers (the client) get on board with what the creative thinkers are beginning to feel and pick up on from the brief before any actual creative is produced.
Vision Board Exercise
Similar to a mood board a vision board is a collage of images, pictures, and affirmations of one's dreams and desires, designed to serve as a source of inspiration and motivation. Creating a vision board is an intuitive creative process of turning ideas into a collection of images that serve as an artifact or map of your early conceptual vision. The board serves as a big picture reminder of your goals and aspirations to guide your journey towards your desired destination.
Download the vision board instructions
The importance of having a compelling vision
We can be pushed down the road by deadlines, expectations, and to-do lists. We can be driven by the desire for money or accomplishment or by the promises we make. Or we can be pulled down the road by the gravitational force of a compelling vision, like water running downhill. You can feel the difference between these two forces: pushed or driven on one hand, or pulled irresistibly on the other. Discovering what draws us has the power to overcome the bonds of lethargy and fear. Finding a compelling vision can take any goal, action, or outcome and invest it with new power.
Co-Active Coaching, Karen Kimsey-House, Henry Kimsey-House, Phillip Sandhal, Laura Whitworth
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom the emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand wrapped in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed. The insight into the mystery of life, coupled though it be with fear, has also given rise to religion. To know what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms-this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religiousness.”
– Albert Einstein
Thank you for joining me! I’d love to hear from you if you have questions, comments, or a story you’d like to share with this community. Hit me up!
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Community Spotlight: Dena Jane Leone
Dena shares valuable guidance for individuals looking to sustain their creativity, find meaning in their work, and prioritize their well-being as part of their creative journey.
Greetings,
For this month’s newsletter, we shine a light on community member Dena Jane Leone and have a wealth of insights from her to share with you! Dena is the multi-talented artist, designer, and founder of By Hand, a creative studio and online shop where she transforms her distinct creative vision into art, handmade goods, apparel, custom designs, and visual identities for wellness, beauty, and retail brands. Dena and I met last fall when she joined me for Portfolios & Coffee, and I’ve since become a huge fan of her work and the message of connection, motivation, inner-wisdom, and abstract, organic beauty it expresses.
I reached out, hoping to learn more about Dena’s unique approach to creativity, design, and running her own creative studio. What I received in return was an insightful trove of supportive practices that have helped her thrive as a creative, which I am excited to share with our community!
Dena’s insights offer valuable guidance for individuals looking to sustain their creativity, find meaning in their work, and prioritize their well-being as part of their creative journey. Enjoy!
With Grattitude,
Shawn
Community Spotlight:
Dena Jane Leone
With everything that goes into managing your own business and earning a living, how do you sustain your creativity and prioritize time for creative output?
Creativity runs the show for me. I always let my imagination run wild whenever it needs to. To do this, I document what crosses my mind in many ways. It could be a quick sketch on a notepad, a voice note detailing an idea during a walk, a flowy yoga practice with pauses for journaling, or conversations with a friend that inspire a new concept. I believe that true creatives never stop creating. Yes, we may have to pause to do the more managerial tasks of our business, but our brains never stop creating. I’ve noticed over the years that when I draw a fine line between “non-creative” time, not only my mind but also my body get frustrated. I get stiff, and everything feels forced, so I have to take breaks.
My approach is sort of a Pomodoro method for creativity. Traditionally, you’d take a 15–30 minute “restorative” break in between work. Creativity is my restoration, so I pepper it in fluidly throughout the day. To fully stop or block creative thoughts for extended periods of time is unnatural for me. I find ways for creativity to come through, whether I have 30 seconds or 1 hour; this has been the most effective way I’ve noticed to prioritize creativity.
For days that are just so heavy with the business side of life, small breaks and something to look forward to will keep me going. A drive to a new town the next day to sketch from inspiration is always a favorite move to reprioritize creativity. It’s sort of like saying, “Thanks for waiting; here’s a treat; run wild.”
Your work contains affirmations of positivity, inner wisdom, and connection. I know you have a passion for yoga. Has practicing yoga affected your art, message, or creativity?
I'm a trained yoga instructor, but ironically, I don't feel connected to teaching it the way our modern world of athletic-driven asana studios teaches. I'm much more connected to the spiritual and philosophical side of yoga. When I took my teacher training, I heard the instructor say, "Just by breathing, you are doing yoga," and that alone made every bit of me connected to the yogic way of living.
The asanas, or physical poses, are so beneficial yet such a small portion of what yoga can offer. Yoga is a practice of self-study, and it’s been such a pillar in keeping me grounded and finding my way to a deeper purpose.
Growing up, I was classically trained as a ballerina and became very able-bodied, powerful, expressive, and graceful. When I found my way into a yoga studio, I witnessed everyone in there moving so fluidly, making such unique shapes. I saw all of them unifying over deep, reverberating, loud breaths, and I think my brain had a mini-eruption. I was so well physically trained, yet I could barely keep up in class. I was used to structuring and holding everything in, but to do yoga, you need to release and let your inner self decide what happens on your mat. Yoga was a cerebral experience, and ballet was very physically focused. In ballet, you are taught such amazing things, but you are also taught nothing less than perfection when you put that leotard on. I think I’ve been fighting against that perfectionism since I put my leotard to rest.
My art has a very obvious hand-drawn quality to it. Despite my deep love for ballet, nothing should ever feel perfect or ideal. It should feel transient, malleable, and fluid. Even though my patterns are usually made from broken parts, I disassemble and resemble unexpected views of a shape that’s taken on many lives. If you were to deeply inspect some of my art, you’d notice a single shape is reworked many times to reinvent itself with new meaning. That’s exactly what I aim to do with my life and what I hope to inspire others to do who feel stuck in a pattern they feel they need to break. I never want to be just one thing. I hope we all get many chapters in the story of our lives. Just like that single shape, we are just one thing, but how we shift, reframe, connect with others, disconnect with those that break us—all these parts of life make our story and let us become our next best version of ourselves.
Towards the end of 2023, I was feeling very disconnected from what I was creating. I was making things everyone really seemed to like, but they didn’t have much meaning behind them. My goal from the start of By Hand has always been to reflect the places and organic parts of life we love that make us feel most alive. As I’ve transitioned into 2024, I've started to create less of what I assume people like and more with intention and soul, just like a yogi on their mat.
“My work is whatever you and I need it to be. All the parts can be extracted or combined to create a new perspective for anybody to experience in their own light for any meaning that resonates with them. We are each not just one thing, so neither should the art or what it provides you.”
What’s something you’ve enjoyed or is most rewarding about the work you do?
Two of the most rewarding parts of the work are people and my health. People, meeting them, connecting with them, learning from them, and inspiring them. You put something out into this vast space called social media, and then you think, “I hope that finds its way to the right people." Then somehow it does. I’ve met so many talented creatives through sharing my art, and that’s been the greatest gift. With regard to health, I believe that if you are a naturally creative person, it is only healthy to create as much as possible.
I was in a very restrictive day job that was limiting my ability to use my creativity as much as I needed it to. So I resurrected an old Instagram account and made something new every day. Did I know what the end game was? No. Did I have a defined style? No. Did I know everything there was to possibly know about being an illustrator online? No. But did I feel good and excited to see what I’d create and enjoy the process of doing it? Yes, yes, and yes. When you don’t feel like your best self, turn to the thing you absolutely love doing. Even if life is busy and crazy, squeeze it in as much as you can, wherever you can. Only good things can come
of it.
Is there something you’ve learned, or a word of advice, as a working creative that you’d like to share with this community?
Earlier this year, I heard this quote, and it gave me a great sense of encouragement for my creative journey. “Never start when it’s perfect, because then you start too late.” There are so many talented people, and their work can be intimidating. They make it all look so easy. Create it and put it out there anyway. The right people will find your work and cheer you along as you figure it all out. And if you need more of those people, find me on Instagram and send me a message. Supporting and nurturing talent is one of my favorite things to do in between all the things of life.
Also, first and foremost, take care of your body. We all love to be productive, be at our computers, or scroll on our phones. Try to be conscious of these learned behaviors and opt for something good for your body and mind every day. Some of my favorite tools for this are the Insight Timer App, The Elements of Ayurveda Podcast, cooking my meals, walking around botanical gardens, and, of course, keeping a sketchbook with me wherever I go.
Also, I’ve benefited from this community newsletter. Shawn provides helpful wellness gems you don’t want to miss out on.
Thank you Dena, for sharing with us! You can follow Dena at @byhand.designs and be sure to visit her website and shop.
We’d love to hear from you too! If you have questions, comments, or a story you’d like to share with this community. Hit me up!
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January is a time of renewal.
My 3-step daily renewal practice to keep stress, anxiety, and burnout in check.
Focus Topic: Renewal
The act or process of renewing:
• to make like new : restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection
• to make new spiritually
• to begin again
merriam-webster
Greetings and Happy New Year!
I hope you had a peaceful and restful holiday. I’m coming back from the holiday feeling recharged and excited to kick off a new year of community, creativity, and growth.
January is often a quieter time of year for work, which affords me the space to reflect on the prior year and begin setting intentions and planning for the year ahead. I find that energetically, in these early weeks of the year, I’m not quite ready to dive into work and am more interested in getting organized, decluttering my space, and seeking activities that offer stillness and space for reflection and new visions to emerge. Knowing that in the months ahead, things will again be busy and cruising along.
Reflecting on the natural rhythm that occurs with the change of season and the transition from the pause during the holidays to the sense of beginning again that happens at the new year, when we all return to our usual activities, inspired this month’s focus topic, which is "renewal.”
The R word we’re most familiar with at the start of the new year is resolution. Do you find resolutions a bit anxiety-inducing? I certainly do, as if out of nowhere society asks me to look at my life and come up with a firm list of definitive should’s and shouldn’t’s for the year ahead, as if to come to terms with all the slacking off and extra indulging I’ve been doing the past few weeks.
So I’d like to offer a word that’s a little gentler, that follows the natural flow of nature in renewal. With an invitation to consider what aspects of your life you would like to see newness, freshness, and new energy this year? What things bring you a feeling of renewal in your life?
Some may still hear the word renewal, and their mind will go right to their expired passport or gym membership, and that’s OK, because I’m going to share with you how I apply the idea of renewal into a set of practices that allow me to attune to my energy levels, notice when I become uncentered, and find renewal by choosing activities that restore my presence and energy whenever I need them. As opposed to something I have to remember or wait to do after it expires, or once every year or so, like taking a vacation or getting back to the gym.
Do I do these practices consistently every single day? Not always; life can get in the way, but what I’ve learned through having the intention to practice them is that I’ve gotten better at noticing when I need them and can easily give myself some renewal whenever I’m in need of it.
Welcome back, and thank you for being part of this community of creatives supporting other creatives with me! I wish you a year of abundance, growth, and renewal.
With Grattitude,
Shawn
A Three-Step Daily Renewal Practice
Attune: Become aware of the natural flow and rhythm of your energy. What draws from your energy, and what replenishes your energy each day?
Notice: Find and adopt a routine mindfulness practice that allows you to notice, pause, and make conscious choices to seek renewal.
Renew: Write down a few simple activities that bring you renewal that you can regularly practice each day or when you need them. Write them down and put them somewhere you’ll see them every day.
I’ve made special just for you three practices to attune, notice, and renew with downloadable exercises, a meditation practice, and guidance on how these practices help me find renewal each day.
A visual excercise to attune to your energy flow
To effectively renew ourselves wouldn’t it first be helpful to become aware of where our energy goes big picture to begin with? What aspects of our lives take energy from us and increase stress, and what areas of our lives put energy back in and renew us?
This is is the second year in a row i’m doing this excercise in January, and last year it really helped bring clarity at the time to what I experienced as a fog of not knowing why some days I felt excited and other days I felt sluggish or worse, overwhelmed.
Not only did it help me start to sort out and make sense of my complex energy cycle, but it also just got me thinking about it more and became a helpful reference for checking if my energy is flowing towards the things that elevate me in life or if I’m doing more of the things that leave me feeling exhausted and drained.
A Centering Practice for renewal and noticing what’s present in the moment
If I could boil mindfulness and the benefit having a mindfulness practice has had on me into a single word, it would be "noticing.”. Just simply pausing and noticing without reaction or judgement. In a sense, noticing is both the practice and the benefit gained through practice. In that, the more I practice, the more I notice in and out of practice!
Increasing awareness of our mental and physical state and noticing when things feel out of balance trains our ability to choose activities that support our well-being. Noticing gives us the option to choose to take actions that will give us renewal and recharge our energy, vs. unconsciously or involuntarily choosing behaviours and patterns that drain us.
I offer this simple mindfulness practice that is my go-to for coming back to center between activities during the day so I can notice what’s coming up inside of me, make conscious decisions about how to support my well-being, and break from rushing from one thing to the next and feeling burned out at the end of the day. The practice involves tuning into the breath to calm the nervous system and clear the mind, and a simple body scan to notice any tension held in the body while breathing into those areas to release and relax further into the practice. Enjoy!
A reminder to seek the renewal you need each day
This is the simple reminder I keep pinned on the wall next to my desk that helps me remember to prioritize activities that bring me renewal and stay accountable to my goal of one hour of me-time every day.
Prioritizing a daily practice of renewal has been a game changer when it comes to managing my baseline stress level, anxiety, and potential for burnout. They’re also activities I implement after stressful events to help return to center.
If you did the energy exercise above, you may already have some good ideas of things you like to do that renew you. By having a simple mindfulness practice, you’re going to develop your ability to notice, pause, and consciously choose activities that renew you when you need them vs. being on autopilot and falling into behaviours that maybe provide some short-term relief but overtime don’t contribute to your well-being meaningfully.
To find what activities renew you, consider what you love to do that helps you feel good, that is sustainable (maybe not an extra 30 min. scrolling instagram), something you couldn’t get enough of, or something you wish you did more of that you love, and that the more you do, the better you feel.
It’s OK to start small. My goal for the past year has been to give myself one hour a day that’s entirely mine, broken out into three 20-minute chunks.
I divide my daily hour of renewal into mind, body, and spirit, as those three areas, if I can continually sustain and renew them with small conscious efforts, I feel will contribute to my overall wellbeing in a big way.
Here are a few more ideas for renewing activities: making a playlist of calming music, having a favorite book of poetry nearby, doing some simple stretches, journaling, taking a bath, or finding a place outside your home or office to walk or get some fresh air.
Download a copy of the reminder
In closing, I leave you with a quote that invites you to follow the natural rhythms of renewal in nature.
“I think of the trees and how simply they let go, let fall the riches of a season, how without grief (it seems) they can let go and go deep into their roots for renewal and sleep ... Imitate the trees. Learn to lose in order to recover, and remember that nothing stays the same for long, not even pain, psychic pain. Sit it out. Let it all pass.”
― May Sarton
Journal of a Solitude
I hope you have fun with it! Renewal is about prioritizing the things you love to do so you can feel fresh and energized.⚡️❤️
Thank you for joining me! I’d love to hear from you if you have questions, comments, or a story you’d like to share with this community. Hit me up!
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🔥Welcome to our first community newsletter!🔥
How to cultivate a resilient mindset to navigate challenges with ease.
Focus Topic: Resilience
Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.
Welcome,
Thank you for joining me on this journey of bringing creatives together to support one another. Each month, I’ll be choosing a focus topic based on conversations shared with our community of creatives and providing a couple helpful resources to help inspire and lift you up as a creative. Our first newsletter is all about resilience, our steadfast companion, empowering us to bounce back, learn, and thrive in the face of challenge!
2023 was a tough year for working creatives. I’ve heard many stories of layoffs, being out of work, and difficulty landing opportunities. The economy was a bit shaky and unpredictable with inflation this year; this led to budget cuts, major layoffs, and an extremely competitive job market whether you were in-house or freelance. It hit me too! Leaving many of us out of work, waiting by the phone, feeling lost and discouraged as we navigated so much uncertainty. Yet, when things got tough, I saw so many of us get creative by reinvesting back in ourselves and our careers, connecting with each other, tightening up our portfolios, and prioritizing passion projects—in other words, planting seeds for new opportunities. Way to show off your resilience!
It can be so hard to pick ourselves back up when we get knocked down. I've stumbled, fallen, and faced rejection many times. Big falls can even bring about feelings of shame about not belonging, that we’re somehow flawed and undeserving, leaving us feeling stuck and afraid to get back out there again. I’ve learned that building resilience requires facing vulnerability without blaming myself for what’s outside of my control or donning heavy armor, but instead an opportunity to look inward to recognize old thought patterns and triggers, make space for self-compassion, and find fresh perspective to turn hardship into a pathway for growth.
Join me as we dive into resilience, uncovering the strength within adversity. I’ve got some practical insights and exercises to fortify your well-being and explore that resilience isn't just a trait; it's a skill that can be honed, a mindset that can be cultivated.
Wishing you a happy holiday and a resilient journey ahead!
Shawn
The three secrets of resilient people
Dr. Lucy Hone's TEDx talk unveils the three secrets of resilient people—realism, acceptance, and self-agency. Embracing these principles empowers individuals to navigate challenges with a balanced mindset, acknowledging realities, fostering acceptance, and building inner strength. Watch her powerful story of moving forward with actionable insights on cultivating resilience in the face of adversity.
Realism: “Resilient people get that shit happens... When the tough times come, they know that suffering is part of every human existence, to stop you from feeling discriminated against when the tough times come.”
Acceptance: “They focus on the things they can change and accept what they cannot.”
Self-Agency: “Resilient people ask themselves, “Is what I’m doing helping or harming me?”
OK, so shit happens. What can I do about it?
Finding acceptance through building your “internal Locus of Control”
An excerpt and exercise from “Building resilience through locus of control” by Mackayla Paul
Locus of Control is a psychological concept that refers to the degree to which an individual believes they have control over the things that happen to them.
When someone has an internal Locus of Control, they feel that they are in charge of themselves and their circumstances. They focus on what they can control and do what they can to make the best of the situations they find themselves in.
On the other hand, those with an external Locus of Control focus on things that are external to them and outside of their control. They are often described as people who see what happens to them as being governed by external forces like fate, luck, chance, or other concepts like this.
Having a high external Locus of Control can lead to decreased motivation levels, pessimism, and heightened stress.
This is a useful tool to use in exploring your internal Locus of Control. When you look at the [below] diagram, which areas of your life do you spend the most time thinking about and actively trying to change or influence to achieve desired results? Which areas bring you the most stress? This could be an indicator of where your Locus of Control currently sits.
By actively cultivating an internal locus of control, focusing on what we can influence, and harnessing the power within ourselves, we pave the way for heightened resilience—a key to navigating life's challenges with strength and fortitude.
Download a copy of this exercise
A meditation practice for self-agency, calling forth your resilience superpower
Use this practice to dig down to find your strength in adversity: It's about trusting your gut and tapping into your own inner wisdom to overcome challenging circumstances you may be working through. Remember, resilience is about finding your strength in adversity. You've got this!
I leave you today with a quote from Carl Jung that I came across while reading Brené Brown’s “Daring Greatly” a great book on courage and resilience!
“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.
― Carl Jung
Remember! We have the incredible power within us to not just endure but to use our creativity to emerge from every experience stronger and more resilient than ever. 💪
Thank you for joining me! I’d love to hear from you if you have questions, comments, or a story you’d like to share with this community. Hit me up!
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