The Unlikely Artist Graced Canvas

Today we talk about why taking action is so important.
We need to take action to not be in a conversation of one. If we want to satisfy our yearning to have an impact, we need to invite at least one other person into that conversation.
When we actually do something, it feels totally different than just thinking about doing it. It’s only through our actions we can develop our own way of going about it and make something our own.
The process of doing something new rewires our brains and makes taking further action easier.
Finally, putting something out in the world allows us to get the feedback we need to expand our ideas and take them to the next level.
DISCOVER WHO YOU ARE
If you’re focused on pleasing everyone around you, chances are you’re not leading the life you want. People pleasing is the main obstacle I help my clients tackle so that they can discover who they are and live the life they desire. If you suspect this might be you, but you’re not sure, I offer free coaching consultation calls where we’ll talk about what you want to do and why you’re not doing it. I’ll offer you my prescription and we’ll see if it makes sense to coach together. Use this link to book your session: https://gracedcanvascalendar.as.me/freestrategysession/.
Everything I offer helps you discover who you are. In my Creative Expansion newsletter, I share the kinds of insights I share in this podcast. Plus I let you know about my online coaching offers and live events and workshops here at GRACE Studio in Prince Edward County. Enjoy the scenery at my acreage and explore who you are through mindfulness, nature exploration, making art, creative writing, and other means to discover at a deeper level who you are and what you want. To subscribe for my newsletter, use the link at the bottom of page of my website, https://gracedcanvas.com/).
I’m also on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gracedcanvascoaching/), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/heatherirenekerr) or LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/heatherkerr/).
THANKS FOR LISTENING:
If you’ve found this episode helpful, please spread the goodness by sharing it with a friend, family member or colleague.
To complete a review, go to The Unlikely Artist on Apple Podcasts, scroll down to Ratings & Reviews, tap the stars to rate it and write a sentence about what you like best about the podcast.
Send your podcast topic suggestions to heather@gracedcanvas.com.
ABOUT ME:
I’m a former international tax lawyer and senior partner of Ernst & Young in Toronto, where I serviced banks and other large multinationals and led a large group of professionals.
My life expanded when I left the law in 2014 to learn how to paint, something I’d always dreamt of doing, but had no reason to believe was possible for me. After a couple years of painting and selling my work, I became passionate about helping other people who yearn to feel more personally fulfilled, invigorated and soul connected in their lives every day, and I became certified as a life coach.
I now spend my time painting, coaching, and creating live events at GRACE Studio (more formally, the “George Russell Academy of Creative Expansion”) in beautiful Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. And, of course, producing this podcast for you.

You’ll find this episode useful if you’ve been feeling stuck or disappointed or like something’s not working out.
In nature, there’s no such thing as a straight river. Rivers meander, find the easiest way forward, get wider and then narrower, change course, rush down steep areas, and become still and reflective in others.
If we want to move forward in a way it doesn’t feel like we’re struggling all the time, we need to be more like a river.
Tune in to this episode to find out how you can use the technique of pretending to be a river to push past the pain of disappointed expectations and flow forward.
DISCOVER WHO YOU ARE
If you’re focused on pleasing everyone around you, chances are you’re not leading the life you want. People pleasing is the main obstacle I help my clients tackle so that they can discover who they are and live the life they desire. If you suspect this might be you, but you’re not sure, I offer free coaching consultation calls where we’ll talk about what you want to do and why you’re not doing it. I’ll offer you my prescription and we’ll see if it makes sense to coach together. Use this link to book your session: https://gracedcanvascalendar.as.me/freestrategysession/.
Everything I offer helps you discover who you are. In my Creative Expansion newsletter, I share the kinds of insights I share in this podcast. Plus I let you know about my online coaching offers and live events and workshops here at GRACE Studio in Prince Edward County. Enjoy the scenery at my acreage and explore who you are through mindfulness, nature exploration, making art, creative writing, and other means to discover at a deeper level who you are and what you want. To subscribe for my newsletter, use the link at the bottom of page of my website, https://gracedcanvas.com/).
I’m also on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gracedcanvascoaching/), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/heatherirenekerr) or LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/heatherkerr/).
THANKS FOR LISTENING:
If you’ve found this episode helpful, please spread the goodness by sharing it with a friend, family member or colleague.
To complete a review, go to The Unlikely Artist on Apple Podcasts, scroll down to Ratings & Reviews, tap the stars to rate it and write a sentence about what you like best about the podcast.
Send your podcast topic suggestions to heather@gracedcanvas.com.
ABOUT ME:
I’m a former international tax lawyer and senior partner of Ernst & Young in Toronto, where I serviced banks and other large multinationals and led a large group of professionals.
My life expanded when I left the law in 2014 to learn how to paint, something I’d always dreamt of doing, but had no reason to believe was possible for me. After a couple years of painting and selling my work, I became passionate about helping other people who yearn to feel more personally fulfilled, invigorated and soul connected in their lives every day, and I became certified as a life coach.
I now spend my time painting, coaching, and creating live events at GRACE Studio (more formally, the “George Russell Academy of Creative Expansion”) in beautiful Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. And, of course, producing this podcast for you.

Today we consider why professional development might feel like a burden or a chore and how it can be transformed into something that feels nourishing and useful to you.

I was motivated to create this episode when I read Dr. Jackie Eldridge’s post on Instagram (@drjackieeldridge) where she said: “Imagine if people thought about professional development as food for the mind and soul, instead of a chore and a burden.” Jackie is a teacher, motivational speaker, coach and author of Hearts and Minds Matter: Creating Learning Environments Where All Students Belong and The Freedom Journal – Silencing the Critic to Free Yourself for Possibility.

We all criticize ourselves. We believe that if we judge ourselves harshly, that will spur us on to take the actions we need to take or protect us from disappointment. Our negative judgments don’t accomplish either result.

At the end of this podcast, I present some actions you can use to defend yourself against unproductive self-judgments:

Build an awareness of all the ways you judge yourself negatively.
When you notice your self-criticisms, refuse to criticize yourself for criticizing yourself. (Don’t double down on your self-criticism!)
Build counterarguments to the negative judgments you have about yourself.
Relisten to this episode and explore the reasons you’ve believed criticizing yourself is useful or will protect you from disappointment. Review your accomplishments and notice that negative self talk wasn’t what actually what inspired your actions. Notice how judging yourself negatively ahead of time was unhelpful. Instead, identify the compassionate and self-approving judgments that have led to positive outcomes in your life.

Expect self-criticism to continue and develop go-to thoughts to counter your most common self-criticisms.

My art teacher, Ian Roberts, shared a thought with us this week that made the hair on my arms stand up. Because of the truth of it. He said, “The quality of attention produces the music.”
In this episode I share my thoughts about how the quality of attention you bring to what you do can fundamentally alter your experience of it, draw out the meaning, create the connection, help you see the beauty, and bring you into a deeper understanding of the people around you.

Our quest to feel more alive comes down to one thing. We desire to live life in a way that feels more “us”.

In this episode I explore how to become more of who you really are by pretending in one of 3 specific ways. Explore pretending:

to have a personal quality you wish you had,
to be a celebrity or other person you admire, or
to believe something you’re not all sure about.
Pretend this way regularly and you’ll soon become more of who you yearn to be.