Summary
Joe coaches a woman artist who has been blocked for 15 years. She sits in her dream studio waving at unfinished work, reading books instead of creating. She used to use art as an escape from a painful reality, but now her reality is good and she doesn’t need the escape — so she stopped making art without understanding why.
Joe dissolves the block by challenging the separation between art and life. He points out that this very conversation is art, that going home is art, that reading a book in her studio is art. When she protests that it “doesn’t feel important” or “not enough,” he agrees — art isn’t important and it’s never enough, and that’s the freedom of it. He then guides her into a somatic experience: dropping out of her head all the way down to source, the place where she naturally makes art. From that place, he has her look at a piece that’s been waiting 15 years. She immediately sees it come alive. The “trick” is simply recognizing source is always there — no motivation, effort, or importance required.
Key Concepts
- Life is art, not separate from it
- Art is not important, and that’s freedom
- Source is always there — just drop down
- Creative block is trying to get somewhere
Key Quotes
“How is anything that you’ve ever done in your entire life not art? It’s all about creating in every moment.”
“The best thing about art is it’s not important.”
“You don’t have to get anywhere. It’s not important and it’s never going to be enough.”
“Your movement is to try to get out of here instead of to go there. And there is always there.”
“Don’t try to hold on to this thing. Art isn’t something you can hold on to.”
Transcript
If you feel blocked creating what you want to create in life, this is going to be a great video for you. I’m an artist, quote unquote. I should be creating because that’s my purpose in life and I feel like I’m missing it. I’m afraid I’m going to miss it and I’m going to die like, “Oh, you missed it.” In this live coaching session, we explore a woman’s creative block and how to dissolve it completely. I guess the biggest question I wrote down was I my whole life I’ve been creating as an artist, but I’ve never really done it professionally on purpose. I’m I do it because I love You do it accidentally. I accidentally It’s all accident. I just things just happen. I’m sitting in my studio right now and I love it. It’s my safe space and my dream studio which I generally now walk in and just wave at the things that I’ve been wanting to do and sit down and read a book or and I’ve gleaned so much from all the other people I’ve taken so many notes. One of the things that was the first girl, Aayita, wait, what’s the question? Is why don’t I let myself enjoy creating? It’s that’s a great question. It’s why why I even have notes that say, “Hey, come on up here and have some fun or let’s play.” And I just don’t there’s always something else. So then what? So then what? Like then if you’re not enjoying it, what matters if you do it? I do enjoy it when I finally get into it. It’s like a form of almost I leave my body. I’m meditating. It’s Oh, cool. What makes you not want to leave your body? I don’t know. Other than You had to guess. What makes it that you don’t want to go into flow space? Part of it. years ago, I was an escape from my reality and I would get lost and I didn’t want to come back. And my reality is much better now. I’m happy. Everything’s safe. And I love that reality. I’m really not sure. I I’ve created Yeah, I’m confused. I’m very confused. I used to do art as a way to escape reality. Now my reality is good. So I don’t escape reality. I’m scared to escape reality with art because I I don’t want to leave it. Right. What is the problem? It doesn’t sound like there’s a problem right now. Right now it sounds like I’ve got a really good reality and and art used to be an escape and now I don’t need an escape. I do love to create and I love to make things. Most all of my friends are artists and I don’t know. It’s I really I feel like okay, here it is. Yeah, Great. Should have done more. Let’s assume for a second that you never create again for the rest of your life. You never do another piece of art ever again. Ever. Ever. Then what’s your purpose? Well, I actually woke up from a dream the other night that said, “Your purpose is to love and be loved.” And I’m like, “That’s too easy. That’s there’s not enough stress involved in that.” And I know that’s hilarious, but my purpose is just to experience life and to be here and to love. What’s the difference? Yeah. Well, yeah. What’s the difference between experiencing life and love and being loved? Well, I could experience in many different ways. My choices to experience the beauty and the You’re in your head a lot for an artist. I’m always in my head. Yeah. How is that? It’s like a It’s a circus up there. Yeah. And but I’m assuming that when you’re in your art, you’re not in your head, right? Cool. Okay. So, how do you make this moment art? Nope. Not like that. I’m feeling not like that. No. How do I moment art? All right. You’re doing art right now. You do you somehow think that there’s a difference between doing art and living. I’ve separated the two. I get my studio and make things. Yeah. Like, let’s let’s say that for a minute. Oh, I’d love to see. So, right now, this is art. This is art creating life. I guess it doesn’t feel important. It isn’t. That’s the best thing about art is it’s not important. It’s true. One of my teachers said, “Doesn’t matter. It’s just art.” And it just crushed me. It’s like, “But it has to matter. It’s art.” And when did is that when you stopped working on art? No, I actually I worked for him for 15 years. Yeah. So So right now this is art. When you go home it’s art. When you go up to your thing and you say hi to all your art pieces and you read a book, it’s art. How is it not art? How is anything that you’ve ever done in your entire life not art? It’s all about creating in every moment. Yeah. It doesn’t seem like it’s enough. It isn’t. It’s not important and it’s not enough. Well, that sucks. What makes that suck? That’s freedom. It is freedom. I don’t know. I I guess I’m trying to make it harder than it is. Well, that’s an interesting piece of art you’re making. Yeah. I got a lot of that around. I could probably sell it. It’s hard. It I make things really hard. Yeah. So, that’s the art you want to make? Oh, then what makes you make it? Like right now you’re doing it. You’re making a piece of art hard. This is our art. We’re having it. We’re doing this art piece together, you and I. And you’re making it hard. Still making it hard. Yeah. I don’t want it to be hard. I want it to be fun and happy and beautiful. I I hear that you say it, but I don’t hear you actually wanting it because if you wanted it, like it would be easy and fun and beautiful right now, which it is for me anyways. For you, it’s hard. I know why your tag is f you Joe. Yes, I got that the first video. I cried for three days. So right now we’re making art. What’s the art we want to make? What’s the art you want to make with me right now? You want it to be hard? No. Okay. I want to have fun. I want to have a good time. I want to play. I want to play. I want my life to be a playground. It is sometimes. I’m not sure what gets in there that twists it and makes it hard. I’m not really sure. It’s right now. We’re just doing the art right now. You don’t do art in the like if you were having these thoughts while you were doing art. How would your art come out? It’s why it’s all sitting over there. It’s not getting done. That’s right. That’s why it’s all sitting over there not getting done. You don’t have to get anywhere. It’s not important and it’s never going to be enough. This right now, you’re not going to get anywhere. It’s not important. This is the art right now. It’s not important. You’re not going to get anywhere. It’s never going to be enough. You’re still trying to get somewhere, trying to figure it out. A lot of wise. Now, that’s where you go when you do art. I just saw you do it. Yeah. You might get lost here. I would like that actually. It’s time. I like to get lost actually. I’m in there. The elevator just keeps going to the penthouse. Got to get rid of that button. Yeah. So, let’s do a quick trick on that. So, what’s really sweet about you is that you see that, but let’s get let’s bring the elevator all the way down. All the way down. Nope. Pass there. All the way down. Don’t try to figure it out. Just feel. Look at that. Immediately you went to that place where you make art. It’s the source. Your movement is to try to get out of here instead of to go there. And there is always there. So you don’t even have to go. You just have to recognize. So let’s do that again. Recognize there. Don’t think. Just Yeah. Okay. Great. And then all the way How do you not create art from here? Do me a favor. Turn from keeping that consciousness. Turn to the piece of art, wherever it is that like has been the longest sitting there that you don’t haven’t done, but you want to do, but you haven’t done it and you’re telling yourself to do. It’s right there. No, look at it. Oh, you can see it. Yeah, I can see it. I know it. It’s in here. It’s been there for 15 years. Okay, go all the way down. No, look at it. Oh, look at it. Can I do it on my screen? Yeah. Look at it. Go all the way It’s been talking to me. And you don’t have to do anything. You don’t have to be motivated. You don’t have to try to get anywhere. Just go all the way down and and be with it. Oh, I just saw it. I saw that little creative spark. She She will be done. She’s come back to life. It’s been there. Yeah, of course. I just stay up here. What is there a trick to I mean, how is that not a trick that you just learned? It is a trick. I just I need a trigger to use electric shock or No. Nope. You’re just making it more complicated than I am. I do that. Okay. I remember source and I don’t matter. Nothing matters. Don’t try to hold on to this thing. Art isn’t something you can hold on to. You’re trying to hold on. Yeah. There you go. There it is again. Well, that was easy. F you, Joe. Thank you. What a pleasure. I love it. Thank you so much. You’re welcome. If you found this coaching video helpful and you want to experience it yourself or participate in a live coaching event, just go here or click the link below. I’d love to see you there.