Resilience Unveiled: Candid Insights on Manifestation, Authenticity, and Inner Dialogue

Episode Transcript:

[00:00:00] Isotta-3: Welcome back to Art Is… a podcast for artists. I'm here today with my wonderful co-host, Lauryn,

[00:00:10] Lauryn-3: Hello everyone.

[00:00:13] Isotta-3: so we're really excited to talk to you today about a topic that's been top of mind for both of us, the idea of resilience in your life and in your practice. So to begin, Hmm. So I've often thought about resilience as a way of dealing with external factors like criticism

[00:00:38] Isotta-3: From those around me or from my professional work. negative feedback or critique or, you know, battling different issues that, that come up in my daily work. But after a lot of reflection and discussions with Lauryn, we've come to realize that resilience is really also an internal battle. the idea of being strong within yourself and.

[00:01:05] Isotta-3: Taking yourself and your work seriously, and treating yourself with respect. So Lauren, I'd love to hear a little bit about what your thoughts are on this idea of personal resilience and how you've developed it through your work as a creative career coach.

[00:01:25] Lauryn-3: Just thinking about, you know, our feelings. Like we're the only one who feels our feelings. So really any of the discomfort, the frustration, the fear, the annoyance, all of those quote like negative feelings, those are all produced. From within. No one else is producing them for you.

[00:01:57] Lauryn-3: But the funny thing is, the interesting thing is, is that it feels like someone else or something else externally is creating those feelings, which is not true. You're creating them internally. So even just that awareness and understanding gives you a little bit more power and seeing that, you know the way that people react may have nothing to do with you.

[00:02:31] Lauryn-3: Something that someone says to you that triggers you may have nothing to do with you and more to do with them. It may be a projection. That they're creating from something that's going on internally within them. So it's having this awareness of the feelings to be able to make sense of them and grow your resilience to see that, you know, each time you do get triggered, You do go through something that is really difficult or traumatic, that you have the ability to, again, like slow down and process what's going on within, so that you can come out stronger and make more informed choices going forward, if that makes sense.

[00:03:29] Isotta-3: I thought it was interesting that you mentioned this idea of, you know, projections, people projecting, you know, their own stress or fear or anxiety onto us. But

[00:03:39] Isotta-3: it's sometimes hard to tell when. People can be really upset with you and, um, just kind of out of the blue. so it's important to remember what you said about, you know, people coming to the table or coming to the conversation with you, with their own fear and stress and anxiety, and having that kind of inadvertently bounce onto the communication that you're having in that moment.

[00:04:01] Lauryn-3: Yeah. And I think that when it comes to your artwork too, you know, people have so many difference. Reactions to, the work that may be so close to your heart, you know, that you've worked tirelessly over that is shedding these deep parts of yourself and you're putting it out into the world and people have these reactions.

[00:04:26] Lauryn-3: a lot of them are projecting things within themselves that has nothing to do with your art either. That's why it's so interesting how interpretation, you know, art is so subjective and there's so many different interpretations of art and so, like hundreds or thousands of people might be, wow, that person is not a good artist, but they believe so strongly in what they're doing, that it needs to be out there.

[00:04:54] Lauryn-3: And then they somehow take off because they have the resilience to not listen to those people that are naysay and you know, telling them that they're not good enough essentially.

[00:05:09] Isotta-3: How do you think we can build that kind of resilience if it doesn't necessarily come naturally to us? And perhaps it doesn't come naturally to anybody, but sometimes you know, you see, I. Really type A personalities, especially on Instagram, you know, showing their highlight reel of their life and they just seem so natural.

[00:05:32] Isotta-3: Like everything is just going great for them. Like their life is perfect. Um, but you know, of course we never see the full picture. So how would you recommend, like, thinking about building that kind of muscle?

[00:05:52] Lauryn-3: Yeah, and it's so hard. Well, it's not so hard. It just takes work to discern, you know what the truth is. You know, what is the truth and what is the truth for you? And taking the time to do that is essentially how you can create what your deepest desires are, and. I recently went to a big event for Arnold Schwartzenegger that Tasha was putting on.

[00:06:25] Lauryn-3: Tasha just launched a very large book that is a limited edition Arnold Schwartzenegger book. Uh, one of them is $15,000. It comes with an Annie Leitz. Photograph that's almost life size. And the book actually comes with a stand that looks like a Greek column. And uh, it's really, it's really beautiful. It's bright turquoise and it has, um, years and years of all of his different careers.

[00:07:05] Lauryn-3: And, uh, we got to go to, An incredible event at the Academy Museum here in Los Angeles, where he and the editor Diane Hanson talked about his, his life essentially, and he was so inspiring. He's so down to earth, so funny. I I just had such a inspiring. Experience listening to this man who, you know, grew up in Austria and had this inner knowing that he was meant for big things and he worked tirelessly to he, he wanted to come to the us, he wanted to come to LA and.

[00:07:49] Lauryn-3: Uh, and he was like, I'm gonna do it through bodybuilding. Like that's how I'm gonna get there. He had this idea that for some reason in the US that bodybuilding was like this big thing here when it, it really wasn't. But, uh, but that's, that's how he got noticed. And that's essentially how he got to la And then once he kind of mastered, you know, the body building scene, he was like, you know what, I want to be a film star.

[00:08:20] Lauryn-3: I know this is my path. And everyone around him was like, you are not going to be a film star. You're, you're not the body type, uh, you know, in the eighties. Like, you're not the lead role body type. You have this accent, you know, how are you gonna be a film star? It's just not gonna work. And then he just, he believed so hard and kept.

[00:08:46] Lauryn-3: Getting out there, stepping through fear, taking risks, experimenting, meeting people, and was able to create, you know, this lead role for himself essentially, like first was Conan, Conan, the bar barbarian, and then, uh, to Terminator, which, you know, he's this playing this robot. So his. His build and his voice, his accent were perfect for that role and it just ended up taking off.

[00:09:18] Lauryn-3: So he was, you know, in that same theme of resilience of people continuing to be like, your dream is not gonna happen. There's no way. It's like having that internal dialogue of like, I know deep down. Authentically, this is the path for me and I'm, I need to do this, and no one else can tell me any different.

[00:09:49] Isotta-3: I love that intentionality and authenticity that you really, you know, conclude on with that story. it's crazy to think that someone like Arnold Schwartzenegger was ever, you know, not famous and not successful, but, you know, it's, it's true like behind every. Icon, there's, you know, a story of ascent and you know, whether or not your goal is to be famous or just to, you know, have a sustainable career or practice.

[00:10:24] Isotta-3: That intentionality and connection to like the authentic self is the common thread. So how do you think we can, you know, become more in touch with that side of ourselves and maybe even like, you know, get to know ourselves better, like if we've not. Thought about it before, or like interrogated within ourselves, like our true desires and passions and aspirations because you know, it's easy to compare yourself to, you know, others on Instagram, but sometimes we're comparing ourselves and being upset over things that we don't even care about or don't even want ourselves.

[00:11:10] Lauryn-3: And I think this relates to manifestation as well. You know how things manifest in our lives, and we can talk a little bit more about what, you know, the word manifestation means too. But just going back to like the authentic self and. You know, I'm a, I really believe like taking time to do the inner work, the inner inquiry of, okay, what do I value most?

[00:11:37] Lauryn-3: You know, what, what are my deepest desires, like, based off of what feels authentic for me, you know? Um, and you can do that by looking back. When you were a kid to see like, you know, what were you doing then? Because at that point we weren't, we weren't so restrained by society, by our parents, like just, we were just kind of living, uh, more authentically.

[00:12:12] Lauryn-3: And, um, and so looking back to see like, okay, what, what did I love to do as a kid? What do I love to talk about now? What do I. What lights me up? What do I spend the most money on? What do I, you know, have in common with a lot of my friends? Um, just asking yourself these questions to trying to understand like, what do I value most?

[00:12:37] Lauryn-3: What are my, my highest values? 'cause that'll lead you in the direction of your more authentic self and authentic path. And I think we're confronted when we're like trying to manifest things that we think we want, we're confronted with, you know, a lot of, uh, experiences that might be different than we expect on that manifestation path.

[00:13:10] Lauryn-3: And, and then, It trigger like big learning experiences. And so I think it's not only that inner world of like, okay, is this something I desire? What are my deepest values? But also seeing what the circumstances are reflecting back to as well when you're moving through life. So Even thinking about, you know, manifesting an apartment or something.

[00:13:38] Lauryn-3: And sometimes it can happen so easily and effortlessly and sometimes it's, you're just hit with all of these like difficulties and it's just not the right fit. Right. So it's kind of like, Understanding your deepest desires and also seeing what is being reflected back to you as you walk through life, to kind of be like, okay, so maybe I should pivot.

[00:14:09] Lauryn-3: If this isn't working, maybe I can try something different instead, because the reality of the situation is, Is something different than I had envisioned previously.

[00:14:23] Isotta-3: Yeah, it really makes me think of this idea of friction. And, you know, the good friction and the bad friction that exist. Um, like recently I had a really big project that was a commission, um, that I had been working on for a long time, you know, uh, fall through. And at first I was devastated. And, then, After some time passed, I was able to like reflect on the situation and just see all of the friction points that came out and just like how those were just red flags that I was avoiding and not really like trusting my instinct on versus just last week I, um, Decided to move back to Valencia in Spain and my partner and I in one day secured an apartment, after seeing it, you know, just like that, within an hour.

[00:15:25] Isotta-3: Got it. Like frictionless, you know, and it's just been interesting to look back at my own experience, like in my personal life and in my professional life, and just like start to see a little bit more of these Signals that are happening around me. and I think that often I create friction for myself.

[00:15:43] Isotta-3: you know, this, this is feeling bad, so it must not be the right thing. When in reality it's like, maybe I just, you know, am uncomfortable about that or have limiting beliefs around that. And so I kind of create these boundaries myself. So how would you like recommend navigating that, you know, Divide recognizing when you are standing in your way and like you're not, you know, being a resilient self versus you know, reading the room and picking up on the signals of those around you.

[00:16:16] Isotta-3: Like the vibrations and the kind of energy around something.

[00:16:21] Lauryn-3: Yeah, it's such a paradox. It's such this kind of like push and pull because as I was talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger and saying like, you know, he wasn't listening to the people around him and he stayed focused on his goal. Whereas then sometimes it's like there's certain signs that are popping up that are like, all right, red flag, red flag, you know, this is not the direction, it's not gonna work out.

[00:16:45] Lauryn-3: And then it kind of blows up in your face and or the rug feels like it's being pulled out from underneath you but then you look back and you're like, wait, no. I think there was some intuition here. There, there was something that was out of alignment. So it is, it's, it's difficult becausethere can be this outside information that you need to block essentially, and then there also can be this outside information that is relevant and very helpful for you.

[00:17:23] Lauryn-3: So it's like I always come back to awareness and, and staying present in the present moment. Like, this is really what we have. The, the only thing we really have is this present moment, you know, right here, right now. And, not being afraid to make mistakes. And just, it's okay if those red flags come up.

[00:17:50] Lauryn-3: It's okay. If you don't listen to your intuition, it's okay. You know, just giving yourself grace with all of this. 'cause it's a journey, you know, it's, it's never gonna be the way that you completely imagine it. And that's okay. You know, it's a ride, it's a rollercoaster and. To just enjoy yourself in this moment through all the difficulty, through all the joy, through all the different rainbow of a, feelings that come up.

[00:18:26] Lauryn-3: And like being able to feel all, of the things too. Being open to feeling all of the things. Um, because when you are more open to feeling all of the things, you can be more.

[00:18:41] Lauryn-3: decisive and discerning with what is really true for you.

[00:18:47] Isotta-3: I think that really brings us back to, um, what you brought up before around this idea of, you know, Manifesting and authenticity, um, and being in touch with that like inner self. So for those who are maybe new to the term or the practice or, you know, have heard about it but never tried it out themselves, could you kind of introduce what manifesting is?

[00:19:18] Lauryn-3: Yeah, and I'll bring it back to even just the dictionary description so that you can understand from that viewpoint as well. And just, you know, here's. The description from the dictionary is display or show equality or feeling by one's act or appearance to demonstrate. Another one is be evidence of prove, and then another one is, Of an ailment become apparent through the appearance of symptoms.

[00:19:52] Lauryn-3: So what I, I think these all have in common is like the proof, you know, manifesting is something coming to fruition and like showing you proof or having, you know, the appearance of symptoms manifesting to create something to demonstrate, something to show, to come to life, essentially.

[00:20:17] Lauryn-3: And you know, as this relates to manifesting the term that's used so much now within like goal setting, spirituality, just kind of like the trendy term of manifesting is like, you know, creating things, most of the time, physical things in our lives. that we don't necessarily have now.

[00:20:46] Lauryn-3: But I think what's interesting to think about too is you can not only manifest physical things, but you can manifest feelings.

[00:20:55] Isotta-3: So manifesting the feelings and focusing in on, okay, what are the feelings that I wanna create? You know, is it peace? Is it flow? Is it joy? Is it neutrality? And then understanding like, okay, what in this moment will create that for me? What long term will create that for me? And you know, it's gonna be different for every person, but I think that there are some kind of manifestation.

[00:21:31] Lauryn-1: Protocols that can help you create what you want essentially. Um, one being what we've talked about already is like understanding your values and your desires on like a very true, authentic level, uh, rather than your ego desires, which, yeah, so one person might want to be famous and the other person wants to be famous.

[00:21:58] Lauryn-1: Like one's actually authentically, deeply like known and the others, because it's an egoic kind of like, oh, they're doing that. I should be doing that too. And so it's different for every person and like really understanding what that true essence is underneath it. And then, Uh, another one to help you manifest things is like seeing other people do what you want to do, essentially, to see that it's possible.

[00:22:30] Lauryn-1: So putting things intentionally, doing research and getting out there to see other people do things that you wanna be doing to be like, oh wow, they can do it. I can do it too. Which also is that playing with that idea of like, okay, well is this still authentically what I want to do? So it's always kind of this push and pull of like, okay, looking outside of yourself and then looking within and going back and forth, journeying down this path and trying to, you know, Keep in alignment, but when you veer off, like also enjoy that process as well.

[00:23:12] Lauryn-1: And, and the, you know, excitement and the struggle and the everything that comes with that journey. And, um, and then the last step really is like stepping through fear. So getting outside your comfort zone. Um, taking risks. And, uh, pushing yourself beyond what you think is possible, which can help by understanding what you're thinking and letting go of those limiting beliefs.

[00:23:46] Lauryn-1: So that's kind of my interpretation of manifestation and, and some of the tools that I use to create, um, what I want in my life.

[00:23:57] Isotta-1: I can attest that the tools that Lauren has created and uh, uses in her coaching practice are remarkable and work wonders. So, um, I highly recommend that you tune into them.