Who Am I? In today’s episode, Angela and Gemma discuss the difficulties of (re)claiming creative identity. Join us as we explore the tension that comes from asking the difficult question “‘who am ?I’” (now) and share stories and exercises that help shift the energy out of overwhelm and into curiosity.To kick us off, Anglea shares the poem by Oriah Mountain Dreamer. A poem written in brilliant defiance to the numbing question that seems to dominate social interactions “what do you do?”

Creative expression is deeply personal. It stands to reason that there is often confusion between who we consider ourselves to be and what we can imagine ourselves creating and expressing in the world. Our sense of self naturally becomes entwined with our roles and home life. It’s easy to get lost and lean on roles to help us bolster an inherently unstable identity, but we know this is not who we are. Often it’s initiations such as motherhood, grief and loss that dissolve our notions of identity and connect us with our essence.“I want to know what sustains you when all else falls away”

Inspiration Constellation Exercise:
This is an adaption of coaching exercise designed to get you tapping into what is lively and inspiring for you now! Identify 5 people or creations (book, film painting, Instagram post) that inspire you. Ask yourself ‘What is it about this person (or creation) that is inspiring me?’Write down your answer and then ask yourself again ‘What is it about that (that inspires me?)Keep going until you have some charge… a sense of the light bulb powering up. Then you have captured the essence of the inspiration. This exercise works well as a visual mind map on large paper- use a collage of images. See Angela's constellation #tgfchallenge #constellation


Links mentioned in the episode:
The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Connect with us at
@goldenflowerpodast on Instagram
TheGoldenFlower youtube

About The Hosts:

Gemma Kauffman
Intensely intuitive, introspective, former wild child Gemma credits her recent decade of ‘wrestling with complexity’ (aka abstract painting) for connecting her with her deepest desires and for making it through the initiation of maiden to mother. She loves deep conversation and pondering the mysteries of self-expression; which she experiences as a portal or cosmic mirror.

Since a spiritual awakening on a volcanic island, Gemma has been following the golden threads of art life and encouraging others to do the same. Future self? It used to be Kate Bush, cloudbusting on a hillside, cocooned in brightly painted silk- these days… tbc!

A creative coach and meditation teacher, she enjoys family life, off grid, in Portugal.

You can see Gemma’s paintings
www.gemmakauffman.com/
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/GemmaKauffmanArt

Angela Levesque
As a prolific wordsmith, transformational guide and digital wizard, Angela Levesque spends a lot of her time listening to the whispers of the Universe. Translating those whispers into stories, classes, art, insights, and meditations has been her life's work.

She is a lover of problem-solving and thinking on her feet. And is always willing to dive off the cliff and learn how to fly on the way down if the creative force beckons. The latest incarnation of her life’s work can be found at chaosandlight.com or read her Substack at https://substack.com/@chaosandlight/

Music Credit: MarbleSpace