Hey Reader,
There's a new moon today, which always feels like a fresh start.
The beginning of a new lunar cycle is when we get to set intentions and call in new energy, of course. And don’t get me wrong, I love a fresh start, but this one… I want you to think about it in a bit of a different way. One that doesn’t involve setting goals or doing more. In fact, it’s kind of the opposite.
Allow me to explain.
What's brewing
I’ve been sharing about the concept of “creative alchemy” for a while now.
And when people hear that… they think it sounds pretty. A little mystical even.
And sure. it definitely is. When I found those words to describe what I do… it got me excited.
But alchemy… the actual concept… is all about transformation. Taking something heavy or dense and turning it into something else entirely. Lead into gold, if you wanna get traditional about it.
And the heavy, dense stuff I help creatives transform? It's the exhaustion, depletion and the other the crap that’s blocking them from doing the thing they actually WANT to do.
The "I used to love this and now I can barely stand to look at it" kinda feeling.
But here’s one of the toughest lessons I’ve ever had to learn.
You can't transform that stuff by thinking about it harder.
For most of my life, whenever things got hard, my move was to think my way through it. Because I’m an excellent strategist and fire-putter-outer.
So, I’d get myself the latest planner, organize and color-code the heck out of all my tasks, then read about the latest productivity hack that would make me 5x more effective in 1/2 the time. I was convinced that if I just strategized hard enough, I'd come out the other side on top.
But spoiler alert: I never did. Instead I wound up exhausted, with about 5 pages of a beautifully organized planner filled out, hardly anything checked off the list, completely out of steam and feeling even more disconnected and defeated then when I began.
Cuz here's what nobody told me… and what I want to tell YOU, especially if you're feeling burned out right now:
You cannot think your way out of depletion.
The overwhelm, the second-guessing yourself, and spinning out at 2am over a decision you should've made days ago… that sh*t doesn't live in your head. Not really. It lives underneath it… in your body, your subconscious and in your energy.
And the crappiest part about this is no amount of planning, pushing or pure will can reach it. Which is exactly why everything you've tried so far hasn't quite worked.
That's where the alchemy part comes in. Transformation has to happen in the places that the thinking mind can’t reach. And in order to do that, we need to find out what’s blocking you, and start to clear it.
THAT'S the real reset. And the good news is, it’s not as difficult as you think. And it’s a whole lot easier on the brain AND body than the way you’ve been white-knucklin’ it through life thus far.
JUST FOR YOU:
Creative AlCHEMY EXERCISE
“Clear Your Cache”
Here’s a little practice for getting OUT of your head and back into your body. I call it Clear Your Cache because it’s not too different from the digital declutter that’s needed when your websites are overloaded and not displaying things properly.
The exercise takes maybe 10 minutes total. So grab a journal, and let it flow.
1. Get it all out.(5 min) Write down every single thing rattling around in your head right now. The to-dos, the worries, the half-completed tasks, the deadly shoulds that have you stuck in a loop. Get them all out. And don't organize them or try to curate. Just dump them all OUT of your head and onto the page.
2. Reset the energy.(3 min) Put down the pen and place your hand on your heart. Take three slow breaths… in through your nose, out through the mouth… nice and long on the exhale. Now just notice where in your body you actually feel tiredness. Maybe your jaw? Your shoulders? Wherever it is, imagine taking it and sending it down your spine and out of your body through your tail bone (root chakra). Just let it flow out of you for a moment. See how much of it you can release.
3. Ask for one thing.(2 min) Hint: I’m not talking about a to-do. Just ask yourself this sentence: What do I actually need right now? Then listen for whatever comes up first. I could hedge a bet it’s not something that was in the cache. And that’s exactly the point.
Sometimes what we need is to step away from the list and give our body what it's asking for. And now you have the space, because your cache is cleared and on paper, your energy is clear and you body can tell you what it wants. So go honor it, as best you can.
This is some of the exact work I do with my people, except we add sound and make it a ritual. Intentional practices like this are a great first step to transforming your energy from the inside out.
A more personal note this month:
If you've been reading this and thought "okay, Kat but I need more than a journaling exercise" …I hear you. And you might be right.
The path of burnout recovery is not linear, and it can very challenging without the right set of tools. It can also be isolating because it’s hard to explain to others what’s really going on. Well, nothing makes me happier than walking alongside a creative who's ready to put down their sword and come home to themselves. I have a toolbox FULL techniques to help facilitate this process, and I know exactly what it’s like to go from utter depletion to thriving creativity.
That said, I'm opening up a few private spots right now to work with people 1:1 over the next few months. Before anything else, I'd just love to have a real conversation with you about what's really going on, to see if I can help.
Book a creative connection call with me →
WANT TO SEE ME OR MY WORK IN PERSON?
Upcoming SESSIONS & Events:
Every Tuesday & FRiday - Creative Power Hour
FREE inside the Creative Alchemy Collective• 3PM GMT+1 | 10AM ET
Twice a week every week I host a study hall using sound to help keep you focused and working on your creative projects. Pop in any time!
Join us tomorrow for free →
Every Tuesday - Creative threads
Inside the Creative Alchemy Circle• 4PM GMT+1 | 11AM ET
Our weekly accountability call for creatives looking to focus on building a consistent creative practice. Join the CAC for only $17 →
FRIDAY, JUNE 19 - CREATIVE ALCHEMY WORKSHOP
Inside the Creative Alchemy Circle• 2PM GMT+1 | 9AM ET
Included in your CAC membership are monthly creative workshops. This month is: Design 101! Kat will teach the basics of design for you to step up your creative game. Join the CAC for only $17 →
FRIDAY, JUNE 26 - GROUP ENERGY CLEARING
Inside the Creative Alchemy Circle• 2PM GMT+1 | 9AM ET
Included in your CAC membership is a monthly energy clearing session. Bring whatever it is you're ready to release and shift your energy so you can realign and better flow. Join the CAC for only $17 →
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Until next time, keep leaning on spirit to ignite your creative spark.
With love and creativity,
Kat ❤️
P.S. You don't have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to get beneath the noise and listen. And if it tells you it's time for support... you know where to find me.
“The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.”
— Julia Cameron