Finding Flow 🌱 uncomfy feelings & what they're trying to tell us

Summary

In this video, the creator reflects on their month, sharing insights about their creative process and work. They discuss how they manage various projects like illustration, writing, and blogging, all hosted on their Squarespace platform. They highlight the versatility of Squarespace in running their business, from portfolio creation to managing newsletters and e-commerce. The video also mentions a major commercial illustration project that took up much of the creator’s time, with plans to share its process in the future. The creator wraps up with holiday wishes and a preview of upcoming content.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker reflects on their experience in Tasmania and mentions their journey of returning home to unpack and get back to their routine.
• 📚 The speaker discusses a book, '101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think' by Brianna Wiest, emphasizing how it's transforming their thinking about emotional intelligence and handling negative emotions.
• 💡 The speaker shares insights from a chapter in the book about emotional intelligence, stating that real maturity comes from fully feeling all emotions, rather than suppressing or avoiding negative ones.
• 😟 The speaker talks about their past tendency to avoid discomfort and negative emotions, realizing that avoiding them only prolongs the discomfort rather than helping them cope.
• 🧠 The speaker describes therapy insights, particularly how ruminating on past mistakes or future worries doesn’t help solve problems but prolongs distress.
• 🌱 The speaker emphasizes the importance of embracing discomfort as a signal for growth, rather than fearing or avoiding it.
• 🔄 The speaker highlights a recurring theme in the book: resistance to change and feelings often leads to a harder life, suggesting that accepting discomfort can lead to better self-understanding and personal growth.
• 💬 The speaker discusses how feelings such as anger, frustration, and insecurity are often suppressed but should be acknowledged and explored to better understand what they are trying to communicate.
• ⏳ The speaker makes an analogy about numbness, where avoiding all feelings leads to a lack of emotional awareness, rendering one incapable of truly processing emotions.
• 🛑 The speaker reflects on how emotional autonomy, or taking responsibility for one’s own emotional well-being, can be terrifying but ultimately liberating and empowering in one’s life journey.

Q & A

What is the main theme discussed in the video?

The main theme of the video is emotional growth, self-awareness, and the importance of embracing all emotions, especially discomfort, in order to grow and improve one's life and work.

How does the speaker relate their emotional growth to their professional life?

The speaker links emotional growth to their creative work by discussing how they use their emotional awareness and self-regulation in managing their projects, including their creative process and the tools they use like Squarespace for organizing their work.

Why does the speaker mention *101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think*?

The speaker mentions the book because it significantly influenced their thinking about emotional maturity, self-awareness, and how to handle difficult emotions in a productive way, particularly through the concept of emotional resistance.

What is the significance of emotional discomfort, according to the speaker?

Emotional discomfort is seen as a necessary part of growth. The speaker emphasizes that instead of avoiding discomfort, one should allow themselves to feel it, as it can guide personal development and contribute to emotional intelligence.

What does the speaker mean by 'resistance' in the context of emotions?

Resistance refers to the tendency to avoid or suppress negative emotions such as anger or fear. The speaker explains that this resistance can prolong emotional discomfort, while facing those emotions can lead to resolution and personal insight.

How does the speaker approach creativity in relation to their emotional well-being?

The speaker uses routine and creative projects as tools to manage and express their emotions. They discuss how a structured approach to creativity, like working on commissioned projects, helps them navigate and understand their emotional state.

What role does Squarespace play in the speaker's life?

Squarespace is a platform the speaker uses to manage their online business, including their store, blog, portfolio, and newsletters. It helps them organize and streamline their creative and professional work.

How does the speaker feel about their ongoing creative projects?

The speaker expresses excitement about their creative projects, particularly a commercial illustration project, and looks forward to sharing the process of these projects with their audience in the future.

What advice does the speaker give to viewers regarding their emotional state?

The speaker advises viewers to stop resisting their emotions and instead embrace them as they are. By feeling and understanding emotions like anger or fear, individuals can gain valuable insights into their mental and emotional well-being.

How does the speaker engage with their audience in the video?

The speaker invites their audience to interact by sharing their experiences and offering support. They express gratitude for the viewers' attention and look forward to creating more content for them in the future.