Cultivating Presence in an Increasingly Digital World

Reflection and Artwork by Sebila Kratovac

Working on the land in New Mexico, planting, watering, caring for plants, taking time to notice all the creatures, colors, and shapes around me, must have been the first time in my adult life where I felt completely present. I was more in tune with my needs, I ate food that I planted, I gazed at the stars every night, and I woke up at sunrise for meditation, yoga, and birdsong. For most of us, these moment of enjoyment and presence are rare, and we are conditioned to feel guilty when we aren’t fully participating in the demands of the society. It is not necessarily realistic for most of us to leave the lives we know and go live on a farm but there are many small changes we can make to feel the joy of connecting with others and nature. I was inspired to write about presence when listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Design Matters with Debbie Millman. In an episode with filmmaker and author Tiffany Shlain, Tiffany and Debbie discuss how simple changes in our lifestyles can make a huge difference in the quality and enjoyment of our lives. These changes can help us be more creative, enjoy other people’s company, be more productive, deal better with fear and anxiety, and become greater manifestors.

Children in today’s age grow up with cellphones and screens, and have little time connecting eye-to-eye with other children and even their parents. Most people work a job where they are at the computer most of the day and this doesn’t stop after they go home. Tiffany’s biggest epiphany on her journey to more presence was giving up all screen time on Sundays, a journey that her whole family embarked on. She talks about feeling as if she was resuscitated – everything became more real and enjoyable, and her relationship with her husband and kids became stronger and more intimate. I never thought about how I have been impacted by being on my computer every day for hours until I remembered my time working on a farm in New Mexico. An extension to this advice is to go back to the analog way of doing things at least for some part of our day. For example, use a watch instead of checking time on your phone. You can read a physical book, draw or pain using physical art supplies and paper, write a letter with pen and paper to someone, get a landline so that you don’t have to depend on cellphone towers, burn candles instead of having artificial lights on, or ride a bike instead of driving a car.

Journaling, writing by hand to transmit thoughts onto a page, is another great tool for staying present. Writing can also be seen as a form of meditation, a way to become conscious of what is hiding in our subconscious mind and to be present with our thoughts, desires, and needs. The more we get to know who we are, the more we can manifest what we desire in our lives. Another form of meditation that I particularly love is walking. I prefer walking in nature but walking anywhere helps me ground and relax while noticing everything around me and feeling each step I take. If I am in a forest or garden, I can also connect to the energy of peace and beauty of nature and embody these qualities. I also love petting my cat Poey, looking into his eyes and imagining my energy going to my heart center. This heart centering exercise is hard for me but I keep practicing it because I know that being in my head makes me anxious and reactive. If I am unable to take a walk, I try to sit in silence and do nothing for a little while. This can turn into a meditation session, but it doesn’t have to be so structured. I also love sitting still when I am in nature and listening to all the organic sounds which are, to me, just as healing as silence.

When was the last time you really connected with someone without a phone or other distractions? When I moved to the US, one of the biggest culture shocks I experienced was that people didn’t take time to talk and get to know each other. Meeting up with people was always about doing an activity or having a short coffee break or meal. To me, these interactions felt so cold and superficial that it was very hard for me to make good friends and deep lasting connections. I am a great supporter of the art of listening deeply to one another, having empathy, and showing our vulnerable self and I hope that deep relationships will make a come-back in the Western society. I think that our priorities would have to change from prioritizing work, technology, and how to get ahead to investing more time in high-quality lasting connections and taking time for leisure and hobbies.

Another one of my favorite ways to cultivate presence is to move my body. Walking in nature is a no-brainer for me but so is dance, yoga, tai chi, pilates, and other forms of exercise. We all have different preferences, but as long as we can move in some way to oxygenate our blood and move energy throughout the body, we can be more aware of how our body feels, of our boundaries, how we show up in the world, and how we engage with life. Noticing how our body feels is an important element of an incredible meditation technique called Vipassana. In Vipassana, the meditators scan their body to notice any sensations that each part of the body holds. If there is any pain or discomfort, the ideas is to stay with the feeling until it vanishes. This meditation method also shows us that we experience emotions and sensations inside each moment and that these experiences are of temporary nature. If we can live presently through these uncomfortable feelings, we can live more aware, healthier, and purposeful lives.

For me, presence comes down to feeling good in my own skin - embodied, grounded, integrated. I am also practicing what it feels like connecting from the heart with others and the environment around me. This concept may seem a bit too abstract but it is very important because connection is essential for optimal physical, mental, and emotional health. The fear and anxiety we feel when meeting people is kind of a resistance to presence. We can push through this resistance if we realize that we are otherwise cutting ourselves from our life supply - heart energy we call love. Love, however, isn’t a temporary fix to our problems but something that comes hand-in-hand with healing the parts of us that make us feel empty inside. Love, to me, means wholeness, vitality, and unstoppable creativity. We all have this capability inside us that is waiting to be nourished and expressed.

On this episode Debbie talks to Tiffany Shlain about cell phones have taken over our lives.

Tips for Building a Supportive and Thriving Following

Reflection and Artwork by Sebila Kratovac

We don’t need anyone to give us permission to be an artist, and we don’t even have to show our work to anyone. But what if we want to create art that is seen by others, art that helps us engage and connect with other people? I have always felt that the relationship between our self-worth and how we see ourselves in the world is closely related to how we connect with others. The journey that we take to become confident enough as creatives - to even feel worthy to have a loyal and paying audience - is essential to establishing a solid ground on which we can build our creative community and a business. A lot of us expect ourselves to follow a certain protocol toward success in order to establish a steady fan base and continuous income. Although some people are able to accomplish this, most of us have failed many times to learn important lessons in relationship building. But this journey is so valuable because it helps us cultivates confidence in who we are and freedom from caring about what the naysayers think.

In a fascinating Creative Pep Talk podcast 6 Tips on How to Build Your Following + 4 Fan Favorites CPT Ideas of all Time!, the host Andy J. Pizza talks about his own experience in building his creative community and enlists his patrons from Patreon and artist friends to talk about what helped them connect to their audience. The first challenge for us creatives is to develop courage to express our unique selves, no matter how strange and out there our creations seem to be. What comes up for me here is the concept of self-worth or value that we have to offer to the world. I believe that having courage to let our work be seen with confidence is directly proportional to how we see ourselves. Too many creatives have been rejected time and time again for different reasons. Add to it the fact that many of us are very sensitive people, it is truly marvelous that any of us make it through this step. The question to ask is: What will I give up for not having courage/initiative/stamina to show myself as I really am? Of course, taking action to expose ourselves to strangers might be a slow process for some of us but it is a necessary step on our journey.

One way for us to gain confidence is to experiment with different ways of expression and start sharing these experiments with other people until we find something that resonates with a specific audience. Guest Diana Rodriguez, an illustrator focused on body-positivity, suggests that what we put out there has to relate in some way to a specific audience through our unique style and our interests (identity, struggles, belief systems, philosophy, core values, guilty pleasures etc.). This is, in essence, our niche. Let’s say that you are really into astrology, herbalism, colorful magical art, and vegan food. You can build your art and business around these subjects with your unique twist. Personally, what I look for in an artist I want to support is uniqueness and passion for their art (and life!) and their ability to inspire me to do my thing and be my authentic self. One such artist for me is Shayna Klee (aka The Purple Palace) who truly lives a full, magical, and exuberant artist’s life and inspires me to do the same.

As we attract our specific audience, how do we stay connected without trying too hard to please our supporters? What kind of relationship or energy exchange is desirable or even appropriate with our audience? Because this is not an employee/employer relationship, there is a potential to form authentic friendship-based relationships. For me, this step is probably the most difficult one because it demands of me to get out of my comfort zone as an introvert and to risk trusting strangers. It also could be overwhelming to put in the energy needed to form deep and meaningful friendships with strangers I may never meet in person. One way to build trust with people who are supporting us is to be consistent with the quality and frequency of the creations we put out. Of course, sometimes we will not be able to accomplish this but, since we have developed a relationship based on trust, our audience is very likely to be understanding if we slip up sometimes, especially if we explain what is going on. If we think of our audience as collaborators or “climbing partners” as Andy calls them in the podcast, we can view the relationship from a less uptight perspective. We can see that actually we are supporting our audience as well, that we are helping our patrons achieve their dreams.

I am coming back again to what I feel is essential in creating authentic relationships: vulnerability and trust. Another podcast guest, expressive character illustrator Fran Meneses, points out that honesty and vulnerability is the key to building a creative following, even if it means risking negative feedback. It takes this openness to put ourselves out there on Patreon, GoFundMe, YouTube, or any other social media platform to potentially see great rewards. Many creatives struggle to break through this exposure barrier. What has helped me on my journey is to take small steps and work on myself first, to really understand my resistance to opening up to strangers online. It is truly inner work and, if not pursued, can be something that can keep us away from wonderful experiences in life. The biggest lesson I learned is that trust attracts trust. There are exceptions but the risk is worth the effort! For me, patience for myself while allowing myself to make important changes in my life rather than forcing myself to do something I am not comfortable with is a priority. But, maybe it is about not taking ourselves too seriously and committing to having more fun in our lives. As our vibration rises, being able to trust could just be a side effect of living an authentic and joyful life - and then abundance follows.

If you are looking for a boost of creative community in these isolated times: LISTEN TO THIS NOW!!! This episode gave me some serious feelings and I can not wait for you to hear it!! This episode is made up from 3 tips from me, 3 special guests and YOU our patreon backers!!

Recognizing Your Secret Powers: A Survival Guide for Introverts

Reflection and Artwork by Sebila Kratovac

Navigating my life as an introvert, I have realized that many people have the wrong idea about introversion and, to make things more confusing, even introverts don’t truly understand how they differ from extroverts. From my perspective, the biggest myth about introverts is that they don’t like social situations. For example, I love getting together with friends and talking to people that can handle my communication style, but put me in a classroom or a meeting with many talkative extroverts, I can’t wait to get out and spend some time alone.

Another common myth is that all introverts are shy. Shyness can develop from insecurity and anxiety, but many introverts actually love connecting with people and thrive in more relaxed and intimate social situations. Instead of thinking that introverts innately dislike human contact, I believe that their nervous system is wired differently and is much more sensitive to outside stimuli. With new and unfamiliar situations, introverts are easily drained of energy, needing to recharge by spending some time alone. If they are in their element - if they feel safe, seen, and valued - introverts can be the most talkative and dynamic people in the room.

Sadly, many societies don’t value introversion, especially in schools and the workplace. In Western societies in particular, it seems that extroverts are handsomely rewarded in the public sphere, while introverts, working quietly and often doing an excellent job, get passed for jobs, promotions, and other opportunities. Loudness and assertiveness are seen as competence, while diligence and quietness signal weakness.

I was recently watching a YouTube coaching session with Chris Do, a graphic designer and an incredible design educator at The Futur, and his self-proclaimed introvert client, Rebecca Heinemann. In the video called Secret Power of Introverts - Being A Great Listener ep. 4, Chris turns the table around on introverts because he gets Rebecca to see that, instead of believing that something is wrong with her, she can embrace the way she is and let introversion work for her. As Rebecca talks about her reluctance to approach people and engage in small talk, Chris challenges her to connect with people from an empowered state of mind. Our beliefs are powerful and thinking that we are worth engaging with calms the nervous system down and helps us have a fulfilling exchange with another person. If we start seeing introversion as an asset, we can even feel excited about networking and doing business.

As an introvert himself, Chris talks about being in design meetings with a room full of extroverts talking over each other and feeling petrified to speak up and assert himself. This is where he learned about his superpowers as an introvert. After a particularly intense meeting, his boss noticed that he was quiet and asked him his opinion on the presentation. Chris answered with a very thoughtful and cohesive strategy on how to improve a design discussed at the meeting. From then on, his boss always knew where to go for smart advice. This important experience taught Chris that his power lies in being an excellent listener, soaking up all the information, and giving himself time to think about everyone’s and his own opinion to formulate a win-win scenario for the design team. For me, listening lets us “see into” people and connect on a much deeper level that allows us to understand others and their needs. In workplaces and personal relationships, this quality is priceless.

Chris discovered his second superpower as he started valuing himself more. Since everyone stopped to listen to him when he did talk, his words weighed a lot and he could transform the vibe in a room as he wished. Because people responded to him positively, he realized that he has power to shape energy around him. Chris also discovered that his tendency to think deeply and have a rich inner life gave him an incredible manifesting ability. He could visualize what he wanted and was usually able to see it come to fruition. When he was living through situations that he clearly pictured in his mind, he felt a sense of déjà vu, as if he had experienced the same situation before. Through empowering himself, Chris was eventually able to show up in the world with confidence and, using his empathetic traits, has helped many people including Rebecca to thrive in life and business. In fact, serving others and showing them how they can cultivate confidence has been his greatest fulfillment and his most cherished superpower.  

So, what are some practical steps that other introverts can take to tap into their superpowers? Chris suggests to Rebecca that the first step is to accept herself as she is an to stop caring about what others think. Appreciating ourselves and believing that there is nothing wrong with us is important so that we can feel relaxed enough to let go of control in social situations. The second step is to commit to making important changes in our life and see introversion as an asset rather than an excuse to limit ourselves. With commitment to change, we can start getting out of our comfort zone every single day. It is a good idea to ask a friend or hire a coach to hold us accountable for accomplishing our goals. Lastly, Chris encourages Rebecca to trust the transformation process and to go with it even though he sees that she is resistant to some of the advice he is giving her. In my experience, resistance is a sign that I am confronting something important and that I should examine how I feel about what I am resisting. Is it something that will benefit me in the long run? Am I resisting change because of fear or because the change is not aligned with my desires?

I am not at all surprised that introverts are well-represented in creative fields since thoughtfulness and introspection are very conducive to creativity. I often marvel at the courage it takes for artists to put their work out there for everyone to judge. It is truly a paradox since artists tend to be the most resistant to this kind of social exposure. There must be something about introversion that helps artists deeply connect with their audience. I believe it is their ability to be alone, to feel the depths of their emotions, to be intimately familiar with their own inner landscape which they can energetically transmit to the audience. Interestingly, many performers note that they experience a high after a play or a concert because they feel that they become one with the audience through an equal exchange of energy. The superpower to merge with others is another important introvert superpower. This superpower allows introverts to receive energy that is freely given to them and to give out energy that they desire to share with others. Extroverts, of course, have many incredible superpowers as well. The big question is, will the West finally recognize the riches of the subtle introvert? 

Lessons in Stumbling on a Creative Path

Reflection and Artwork by Sebila Kratovac

My confidence as an artist and my self-worth as a human being has been tested many times in my life but a memory from my eleventh-grade art class comes to mind very vividly. In high school, art classes were my only refuge from feeling like an alien in the American Deep South. I loved drawing, painting, and sculpting and remember only feeling joyful in art classes. In this particular art class however, I had a teacher who very much disliked my art. Despite not being supported by this teacher, I decided to enter a high school art competition that year. The teacher was shocked and displeased when my painting received an honorable mention. This happened to me again in graduate school for science, where I was discouraged and unsupported by my “advisors” but I still continued to go forward and eventually got great feedback from other people who were more receptive to what I was trying to do.

So many of us hear our calling to create – an urge which is deeply connected to our joy and soul purpose. It can be heartbreaking to discover that others don’t recognize our great potential and passion for what we want to do. In a recent episode of her podcast Magic Lessons called "Who Gets To Decide Whether You're A Legitimate Artist?", Elizabeth Gilbert interviews Cecilia, a young poet whose love for poetry was tested when she tried to apply for MFA programs in poetry. Despite writing poetry from youth and loving the process, Cecilia stopped writing after all the schools she applied to didn’t admit her. She felt absolutely crushed and conflicted because she saw herself as a talented poet while the “experts” didn’t feel the same way. How was she to trust herself ever again? Luckily, Gilbert, a writer of the beloved book Eat, Pray, Love, who went through her fair share of criticism, gave Cecilia some great advice on how to continue committing to her craft.

First, Gilbert compassionately reminded the young poet that she doesn’t need anyone’s permission to do what she loves – no teacher, no “expert”, no parents, no friends, no one but herself. She gave Cecilia an assignment to create her own diploma so that she can give herself permission to continue writing poetry and to think of herself as a poet. To me, the handmade diploma is a symbol for our faith in ourselves and commitment to staying true to what lights us up. Many now-famous artists and writers have had to overcome ridicule and constant rejections. Gilbert’s second guest, poet and spiritual adviser Mark Depo, gives a striking example of the celebrated American author Herman Melville. When Melville presented his book Moby Dick to the world, he was laughed at, shamed, and banished from his writing community. Melville even stopped writing for a while. Today, Moby Dick is considered by many as a masterpiece and one of the greatest books of all time. The impressionistic painter Vincent van Gogh found himself in a very similar situation. Despite being rejected by his peers and never selling a painting in his lifetime, he continued to paint passionately until his death. Nowadays, he is one of the most revered and loved painters because people from all walks of life recognize something very special about his art. No critic can take the magic away from what he created. Gilbert goes on to highlight the importance of looking into history to feel that we are a part of a larger and timeless network of creative people that went through the same struggles but persevered.

In essence, the experience we go through when we are rejected is a path of self-acceptance and of living a life we desire despite all outside forces telling us otherwise. The final advice that Gilbert gives Cecilia is to focus on writing her poetry without the pressure of putting her work out there for one full year. This advice may seem counter-intuitive or even crazy but when we are not pressured to put out artwork that gets likes on social media or approval from critics, we finally may be able to let go of resistance enough to start creating what we want. Even seeing that we are more productive can improve our self-esteem. The bonus comes when we realize that we have accomplished what we never thought we could and that we created work we are really proud of. From this empowered state, putting our work out there when we are ready might not feel as scary since our worth would no longer be tied to what others say about our art. In Cecilia’s case, there are many reasons why she wasn’t admitted into graduate school including that it just wasn’t the right time for her. She could have been scared to send in her most-cherished poems because of her need to fit in. Now that she can have time and space to work on her poetry and strengthen her confidence, she may not even feel compelled to go to graduate school after all. Situations that to us seem crushing, can teach us to believe in our own worth and to project this confidence into the world, releasing our dependence on the outside world to tell us who we should be.

I wonder what compelled me to defy my art teacher and believe in myself enough to enter the high school art competition. Maybe it was my rebellious nature which loves to prove wrong those who think that there is the right way to create art, or possibly my intuitive knowing that art is my calling, that gave me the courage to stand up for myself. The golden thread that I see running through Cecilia’s and my own life experience is the necessity to stick to doing what we love and what sounds true to us. Through committing to our truth, we can develop unshakable confidence, even if it is at first a symptom of our defiance. As we embody confidence, we can attract other people to us who truly appreciate what we do. We are then supported for who we are, not for what others expect from us. I am reminded of one of my favorite artists, Kate Bush, who decided to introduce herself to the world with the song Wuthering Heights. Everyone in the music industry said that the song would end her career before it started. She could have debuted with a pop song but she knew that she wouldn’t be speaking to an audience that would support her authentic self. Wuthering Heights, as strange and alien as it was to untrained ears used to pop music, became Bush’s most iconic song and inspired many artists in the 80s and beyond to embrace the unusual.

Finding Our Truest Niche: Creating a Business from the Heart

Reflection and Artwork by Sebila Kratovac

For creatives and healers, making money with our art and services has been one of the most difficult roadblocks to overcome. As I watch many YouTube videos and resources online, I am constantly advised to structure my business around what sells and to get inspired by trends. I am told to mimic (but not copy!) the way “successful” people have run their businesses. I am reminded that I have to “hustle” and market myself through many social media channels to get myself out here. Since I couldn’t envision my every-day life chasing clients and being in lots of social situations that drain my energy, I knew that there must be another way to thrive, to have a successful business that fits my purpose and personality.

Growing up, I always thought that as long as I could crack the social code and fit in, my life would be easy and prosperous. This method never worked for me because I could never “conform” to any standard, even if I tried to do it in desperation to achieve financial independence. I wanted to convince myself that living a life of constant competition, overworking, and burnout was how live is - that I should “get over” my anxiety and exhaustion, and abandon my need for a lot of self-care and relaxation. This “working like a bull” to survive attitude made me very sick physically as I abandoned myself, going against who I am and what makes me thrive. Looking for advice on how to have a sustainable business that would also be true to who I am, I really resonated with Tad Hargrave who runs Marketing for Hippies where he helps creative and holistic business owners with marketing. In a few of his wonderful Youtube vlogs (Your Deepest Wound and Your Truest Niche, On Niching: Your Gifts. Your Nature. Your Wounds., and The Three Elements of Your Niche), he teaches people how to recognize and use their uniqueness - their niche - to create a specialized business.

Niching is an interesting, and well-talked about topic in the business world. Hargrave has a unique spin on how business owners can find their specific, true niche. One of his most illuminating tips is to find our biggest wound, a wound that we are on our way to healing or that we have already healed. This is the place where we are most likely to have a lot of knowledge and passion. We are also working from our own life experience instead of helping people from what we learned in school or from what has worked for others. For example, our wound could be that we have had many skin issues in our life but we have managed to heal our skin inside out by cultivating a healthier lifestyle. Reflecting on our healing experience, we can empathize with others who are going through the same issues and could help them with very practical ways to heal. Knowing our wound, according to Hargrave, gives us the direction for our business: What problem will the business try to solve for people?

Hargrave’s second suggestion for narrowing down our niche is to ask ourselves what our gifts are. What have we always been able to do easily and with joy? What do people complement us for? In the case of helping others heal their skin, we could focus on our love for plants and use herbalism to teach people how to detox and heal their body. Many different gifts can be combined together – knowledge of plants and talent in art can translate into personalized, illustrated herbal protocols for each client. Our talents can help us define the tools we have at our disposal to form the shape of our business. They can also help us narrow down the kind of people that would be drawn to our offerings. The third aspect or our business to consider is how we would like to present our business to others. This will depend on our vibe/nature/personality. Our overall vibe is a very important part of our business because it plays a huge role in the kind of people we will attract. Hargrave, for instance, is a very chill, funny, and hippyish guy so naming his business Marketing for Hippies was an effective way to attract people who like his vibe. Knowing ourselves and having the courage to be authentic in the world is a huge asset in business because we can capitalize on our sensibility and captivate new clients naturally by letting our personality shine.

In practical terms, how can a niche-specific business be profitable? After all, focusing on a much smaller group of people eliminates a big number of potential customers. Many business insiders consider niching a risky business model. I think that this belief of having to standardize how we are and what business we provide is a very outdated scheme benefiting only certain kind of people and it is not at all realistic for everyone. From Hargrave’s own life experience, he was only able to be successful and happy with his business after starting to do his business from a place that feels good. Before this, he was a run-of-the-mill sales/marketing guy who did business the way he was taught by the old industry leaders. His approach was cutthroat, pushy, ethically questionable. Hargrave felt terrible interacting with people this way and his approach also alienated his friends who knew that the personality he was taking on wasn’t truly him. Once he stopped doing what didn’t feel right for him, he was able to reach his ideal customers.

What if we feel that people don’t want what we have to offer or aren’t willing to pay the amount we charge? Does this mean that we have no chance in living an abundant life and running a business we love at the same time? Attracting our niche clients may be the most difficult part of establishing a sustainable business. This is where we could be tempted to standardize our business or even give up completely. Through my life experience, I have found that working just to make money is only a temporary financial fix with many consequences (unless our sole purpose and motivation for having a business is to make money). Firstly, the effort it takes to be someone we aren’t, can lead to quick burnout and even illness. Secondly, if we don’t enjoy what we are doing, we will not be motivated to work through glitches and hardships that are a part of business. It is very much worth fine-tuning a business to fit us first and then to attract specific customers. We may have to become very honest with ourselves about who we are and what we want. We can also seek help from others, be it a business coach or friends who can give us suggestions based on their interaction with us. The more we become confident being who we are and connecting to the outside world through our authenticity, the easier it will be to find our clients. There are no guarantees in life, no matter which road we take, but we are free to experiment and decide if it is worth it for us committing to our uniqueness and creating a niche business from the heart.

Building Authentic Creative Communities

Artwork and Reflection by Sebila Kratovac

Living in New York City throughout my 20s, I became disillusioned with what it means to belong to a creative community. As an artist and a creative, I tried to figure out how to make artist friends without success. Either I wasn’t “cool” enough, self-destructive enough, or technically skilled enough to find the right fit for me so I developed a negative view of artist communities in general. My perceived failure to belong to a creative community in NYC planted a seed of unworthiness into my subconscious, a self-sabotaging belief that I somehow would never belong to anything just the way I am.

The fact that many artists, including me, are introverts, at least most of the time, led me on a path of isolation, loneliness, and stuckness. I am still on this journey of finding my “tribe” and have recently come across very informative YouTube vlogs (4 Ways to Build Creative Community and How I Built a Creative Community That Kicked Off My Creative Career) by Tom Froese, a very talented illustrator and educator. In his story-infused videos, Froese talks about how he brought himself out of depression by building a creative community around him before the days of social media. He mentions ways in which he connected with other creatives, initiating relationships that helped him become more confident and inspired to pursue an illustration career. But how does an introvert with limiting beliefs become a creative community builder?

Froese describes how his yearning for being seen and appreciated for who he is became a strong motivation for him to share his art. He started with blogging - sharing his thoughts, song lyrics, digital photography, and other creations. Once he gained a following, he slowly developed confidence and created his own meetup group Creative Breakfast. Taking a small step such as sharing our art on Instagram so that people can find us can be a powerful catalyst for getting unstuck. This way, we can attract an audience and can get our followers involved with our creative process. For example, Froese started posting illustrations of noses on Instagram every day for 100 days under the hashtag #the100dayproject. As he received more interest in his art, he began engaging with his followers by commenting on their posts and leaving positive feedback, as well as answering all their questions. Social media can be a great tool to attract people who match our interests and many people who meet through social media go on to start online communities through Zoom and other digital platforms. 

This amount of online engagement can seem intimidating and exposing to a lot of introverts and I have found myself coming in and out of social media when it begins to feel too overwhelming for me. But, luckily, there are many alternative ways to engage with other creatives. If you are more comfortable connecting with others in person, you can create a workshop, a meetup group, or an event such as a dance party or a potluck where creatives with similar interests and values can come together. Froese talks about going to conferences for creatives where he made many personal and business connections. From my own experience, taking a course or pursuing further education in a desired creative field will automatically give you access to other creatives, feedback, and mentorship. You can also seek out mentorship outside of academia so don’t be afraid to reach out to more experienced creatives for help. 

What if there aren’t many physical opportunities to meet creatives in your area? Since big cities are becoming too expensive for artists, Froese suggests to search online for smaller, more affordable towns with burgeoning artist communities and see if moving to one of them is a good choice for you. If moving is not possible, collaborating with other creatives remotely could be a good way to create deeper relationships with others. Collaborations are also a great way to get inspired, learn from others, get feedback, or just to be held accountable for creating new artwork.

How can we make the first step to put ourselves out there? What has helped me is to make peace with my discomfort in certain social situations. It is okay to feel anxious, slow to trust, or uncertain about how to create boundaries with people. But, since most of us, introverts included, want to connect with others - to be seen and heard – we can take small steps toward connecting with others, even if it seems uncomfortable in the beginning. To make the process less stressful, we can think about how we want to feel around people we want to connect with and imagine we are already surrounded by our tribe. We can pay attention to how we feel when we meet people and ask ourselves “Do I feel good around this person or am I pursuing this relationship because I feel lonely?” Most of us have a desire to belong, but at what price? One of Froese’s greatest takeaways is that the best way to become unstuck and authentically connect with others is to build our own creative communities, on our own terms. This way, we can attract people to us through freely sharing who we are, be it by writing a blog or posting our artwork. Connecting with people takes vulnerability and an open heart ready to risk disappointment. As long as we can cultivate courage and healthy boundaries (this comes with life experience), as well as patience for authentic connection, we will eventually find what we are looking for and thrive.

The Artist’s Dream: From Resistance to Inspiration

A drawing using my non-dominant right hand. Such a fun exercise and surprisingly easy and flowing!

Reflection and Artwork by Sebila Kratovac

There is nothing so frightening yet full of possibilities than a blank page. We have all been there. I believe that we are born with the ability to create freely and abundantly but, as we grow up, we learn that things should not come so easily to us and that we have to work very hard to create anything worthwhile. Resistance creeps in and we manifest the pain that we originally believed was necessary to create what we desire. Inspiration, which is available to us as the air we breathe, seems to be in short supply and only accessible to “true artists.”

Creatives often find themselves in a situation where their passion is to make art but inspiration doesn’t always show up when they wish to create. They feel guilty, overwhelmed, and stressed out, an emotional space that can easily lead to a self-sabotaging downward spiral. Kendyll Hillegas, a freelance illustrator, talks about her struggle to keep inspired in her YouTube video The Truth About Inspiration for Artists and Illustrators. She believes that inspiration comes once we commit to a particular creative practice through all the trials and tribulations that can come with resistance. This period of testing our commitment is crucial to finding our true passion. If we find that we cannot stick with something through completion, we are then free to explore different ways to create or even completely change our direction in life.

Breaking through resistance and letting inspiration flow is not an easy endeavor, even when we fully commit to pursuing our passion. To complicate matters even more, resistance seems to be proportional to how much we love the work we do. In his must-read book The War of Art, dealing with ways to conquer resistance, Steven Pressfield writes that “the more Resistance you experience, the more important your unmanifested art/project/enterprise is to you - and the more gratification you will feel when you finally do it.” Where does this blockage to inspiration come from? Sometimes we are resistant because of perfectionism or pressure we put on ourselves to create in a particular way. In Hillegas’ case, she resisted her art practice because of pressure she put on herself to draw realistically. But, with constantly asking herself “Is this what I really am interested in and passionate about?” she found that the blood, sweat, and tears she put into her artwork were worth it. After that first breakthrough, Hillegas felt inspired to continue with realistic drawing, feeling more joyful and excited to see how she can improve her drawings with more experience.

As Pressfield puts it, by committing to creating something we love, we have earned favor of the muses and are now magnetized to attract synchronicities, guidance, mentors, insights, and ideas to help us get inspired. So, what are some of the ways that we can open up to inspiration? One way to get inspired is to bypass the brain circuits which we usually employ when we are attempting to create. For example, we can write down poems or stream-of-consciousness thoughts, draw or sculpt, or even brush our teeth using our non-dominant hand. As we are creating new brain circuits, we are also strengthening communication between the left and right brain hemispheres. Another way to trick our brain to welcome inspiration is to switch our tasks drastically. Instead of sitting frustrated at our desk, we can go out for a walk, prepare a delicious meal, or watch comedy skits for an hour. Connecting with others – going for a coffee with a friend, playing with our pets, spending time with loved ones – has the power to shift our mind from contraction to expansion. Movement, especially freestyle movement, can prepare our body and mind for inspiration. Yoga, sports, dancing, walking, and any other forms of movement increase the flow of energy and oxygen throughout the body and make us feel more embodied, grounded, and present. We feel that we can take up space and create, that our actions can impact something out there in the world. Far from distractions, these exercises are meant to save us time and energy we spend on resistance so we can get to the fun stuff.

For some people, bringing their mind and body into a relaxed state can be the most effective way to release resistance. Taking a bath, listening to soothing music, going to a sound healing class, having a hypnotherapy session, trying yin/restorative yoga and yoga nidra, and starting to meditate with binaural beats can bring the brain into the alpha and theta wave states of deep relaxation, priming us for receiving inspiration. And for an even deeper state of relaxation, how about taking a nap? Getting our brain to the delta wave state during sleep, gives us access to our subconscious through our dreams. Paying attention to our dreams can be a huge gold mine for inspiration. To go even further, exploring lucid dreaming (a dream state in which we are aware that we are dreaming and are able to influence the dream) can help us see that we have the power to create our own reality and that there is nothing that can stop us from creating anything we want.

When nothing else works, all we can do is surrender to the fact that we are not in a place to be inspired. As Hillegas advises, we can give ourselves some time and space to come back to this journey of creating. In her channeling work through Abraham, Esther Hicks talks about how each morning is a new opportunity to live our best life. When we are in that zero-point neutral state, before any negative thought enters our mind, everything is possible, even letting go of resistance. Coming to terms with how we are feeling, we can then move on with our day, wake up the next day refreshed, and start over anew.

Intuition Knows

Reflection and Artwork by Sebila Kratovac

When I worked in the science field, I was greatly surprised that most scientists believe they only operate from the rational, logical mind when developing science projects and experiments. Reflecting on my work in science, only when I allowed my intuition to guide me, was I able to experience breakthroughs which were not only exciting but usually went against any pre-conceived or pre-approved notions about the particular subject I was investigating. How could this be? I believe that when we create anything unique, we are receiving guidance from the intuitive voice that is internally guiding all of us, even without our awareness.

Not surprisingly, intuition plays a pivotal role in the creative process. Artists often speak of their intuitive guidance as the muses coming to cocreate with them. But even for scientists, it seems to be necessary for breaking the bounds of current scientific knowledge. The more we control the creative process, the more we seem to be led away from innovation. I recently listened to a very interesting and illuminating podcast by Inspire Nation, called “Intuition: Get Guidance and Hear It Loud and Clear!” In this episode,  Australian filmmaker Bill Bennett talks about learning to listen to his intuition throughout his life. In his film “PGS: Intuition Is Your Personal Guidance System,” he documents his own experience with intuition and talks to people from a variety of backgrounds on this subject. In the podcast, Bennett beautifully discusses his five steps to consciously use intuition on our journey to fulfilling our purpose: Stop, Listen, Ask, Trust, and Follow. So, what is intuition and how do we become aware of this superpower that each one of us possesses? Let’s dive in!

Oftentimes, we feel stuck, not knowing which way to move toward fulfilling our dreams and our unique purpose. Although this situation might seem daunting, it is a perfect opportunity for us to become aware of and sensitive to our intuition so that it can be our guide in life. What if we are not hearing an intuitive voice at all or we can’t even begin to fathom what intuition sounds and feels like? In his short but priceless book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Deepak Chopra describes how we can create a state in which we can begin to hear our intuitive voice. Chopra’s suggestions are akin to Bennett’s Stop and Listen. He recommends being in silence at least one hour a day, enjoying connecting with nature, meditating 30 minutes in the morning and at night, and observing how our body feels while minimizing all outside distractions.

To make things even more complicated, we may start noticing an inner voice guiding us to things that seem weird or irrational. Many different sensations can arise as we experience resistance, fear, or a sense of losing control. This is where experimentation comes in handy. We can try to do what we have always done and ignore this voice, opting for controlling every aspect of what we do…or we could follow this intuitive voice guiding us into the unknown. How does it feel when we follow our intuition and what happens when we don’t listen to it? After a few experiences, we will gather some invaluable information to be able to decide what approach works best for us. Even after experimentation, we can still have hard time trusting our intuitive voice, feeling that we will be disappointed if things don’t work out. We may have a lot of resistance to changing our life and doing something different because of previous trauma. Even if we are strongly guided toward a certain opportunity, we may be afraid that others will think we are crazy to go for it. What we can do is ask ourselves, “What’s the worst that could happen?” Even if we live out our worst nightmare, how can we see it as an experience that helps us know what we want and don’t want?

As we become more familiar with our intuitive voice, we can start asking it for guidance, knowing that it will act in our best interest. As Bennett further explains: Ask, Trust, Follow. What if our intuition guides us to do nothing? What if we follow a strong hunch but nothing happens for a while? Does it mean that we are left in the cold? In this world, we are used to pushing for something to happen and we want things to manifest quickly but, through this process, we learn that this approach is not necessary - something that is good for us in the long run will eventually come true and something that we force into manifesting will disappear very quickly and often painfully. Here is where divine timing comes into play – trusting and paying attention to signs or synchronicities internally and externally will keep us informed in the meantime.

How can we live a life of flow and intuitive guidance when there are so many distractions and pressures to “be in touch with reality,” to work hard until exhaustion because “no pain, no gain,” to act quickly or we will “miss out” on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Think of how we were as children before society’s programming got hold of us. If we could bring out our child-like qualities of curiosity, trusting and listening to our feelings, flowing with our inner guidance, creating without reservation, and tapping into the universal wisdom, our life could be our own, on our own terms. As we align more with who we really are and our life’s purpose, we can become better friends, parents, companions, and citizens of the world, having the health, wisdom, and vitality to truly make this world a better place.

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How to Step Into the Unknown

Reflection and Artwork by Sebila Kratovac

Embarking on a creative journey is kind of like going on a hero’s journey – it is a feat of trial and error, fear, confusion, resistance, slaying inner demons, and feeling lost. But, there are rewards on the other side, gifts from the universe once we do the necessary work to overcome what is preventing us from creating authentically on our own terms. I recently listened to a wonderful Creative Peptalk podcast episode called Your Creative Center: How to Find It and Create from It with Johnny Pemberton, which inspired me to talk about some of the ways we can begin this daunting journey.

In many cases, we are afraid to start our creative journey based on limiting beliefs of unworthiness, lack of talent, or that we have nothing unique to offer to the world. Other reasons we feel stuck and resistant might be related to our fear of the unknown or of doing something that is out of our comfort zone. The hardest thing may be to make that first step but how and where do we start? As Joseph Campbell once said, “Just dive in!”. We can start by finding a first step that feels the easiest for us to make. For example, in the book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron talks about encouraging her clients to commit to writing morning pages, three page stream-of-consciousness writings completed every single morning before anything else is done. Activities like Cameron’s morning pages, freestyle dancing, or doodling that suspend our judgement and our tendency to plan are very effective in freeing the mind from the left brain box and releasing our fear of doing something in the “wrong way.”

After making the first step to ease a bit of our fear and resistance, we can then feel freer to explore and gain some life experience, which is priceless for teaching us more about who we are and what makes us light up. There may be times when we follow a direction which, in the end, will not feel right to us but we are always free to change our course. Through our life experiences, pivoting as we go, our inner compass will be refined, clearing our way from distractions to our true North.

Once we find something that is dear to our heart, the trick is to focus all our energy into that creative activity. Let’s say we figure out that we want to illustrate children’s books but getting a job as an illustrator with a big publishing company seems like a far-away dream. What we can do is seek out people who have written a children’s book and would like to have it illustrated or we can illustrate our own book! This may be a path of less resistance where we can gain more experience and confidence which can prepare us for bigger, more competitive projects.

Fully engaging in something we love, something that feels authentic and nourishes our soul, can lead us to experiencing the flow state – a place where time is suspended and energy is limitless. The more we create in this flow state, the more we can perfect our craft and gain confidence to show our work to others. Our authentic voice will inevitably shine through. We won’t have to look for our creative specialty or style - it will find us.

There isn’t necessarily a milestone or a destination that we have to reach on our journey. For me, the creative journey is about getting to know myself and making choices that feel better and are more aligned. These gifts of clarity and purpose may be even more valuable to us than reaching a particular goal. Our journey never truly ends because humans have this innate drive to grow, expand, and create. So why not make our creative journey an exercise in what is possible and also enjoy the discoveries along the way?

For me, there is NOTHING more important to my creative journey than finding and staying in my creative center. Finding and creating from your creative center is about tuning into the pulse of your path. There's nothing worse than creating from a place that feels untethered and imbalanced.