Creativity, Bravery and the Fear Year Project with Elin Lööw

Hello Couragemakers and welcome to the first episode of 2017!

So, I have a huge love hate relationship with the start of the new year. I love getting out new notebooks and writing down my dreams but I hate the bullshit around feeling like we have to change everything about who we are.

And that s why I’m so excited to share my episode with Elin Lööw. Elin is a writer and artist who set out to face her creative fears in 2016 with her Fear Year project. A project I absolutely adore, and I know you’ll be inspired to do by the end of this episode. Elin now helps fellow creatives find the courage to go after their dreams too.  Elin is a self confessed twenty-something creative weirdo living and she lives Sweden with her boyfriend Petrus and our two cats Pysen and Alice.

In this episode, we really dive into Elin’s creative journey - from being a freely creative child to losing track of her creativity when she felt she had to be the best and how she came to embrace her creativity again. We have a really honest conversation about many of the struggles creatives face, from self doubt and fear to joy and trust.

Elin shares the inspiration behind her Fear Year project - a project to identify, challenge and work on her fears in 2016. She shares what her project looked like in practice and fantastic advice for anyone wanting to start their own Fear Year.

We really explore how Elin’s way of measuring her creative successes has changed, how her creative process has evolved and how Elin’s Fear Year really explored the connection between creativity and bravery.

We talk about how important identity is to our creativity, how important it is to bring what we want to the world, not just what other people want and just how lethal combination of pressure and perfectionism is to our creativity.

This episode is perfect if you’re a creative and you’re looking to get more brave with your creativity in 2017, if you feel creatively blocked and are desperately in need of some inspiration, and if you’re intrigued about the idea of the Fear Year and want to start your own!

Elin has so much practical advice for fellow creatives who feel scared to start or continue and really helpful and compassionate advice for anyone looking to get back to their creativity! Elin’s episode is the perfect start to 2017 and I hope you get as much out of our conversation as I did!

Be sure to listen all the way to the end to hear an update on Elin’s Fear Year! You can read Elin's update on her blog here.

Enjoy the show!

About Elin

Elin Lööw is a writer and artist who set out to face her creative fears in 2016. Now she helps fellow creatives find the courage to go after their dreams too! She is a  self confessed twenty-something creative weirdo living in Sweden with her boyfriend Petrus and our two cats Pysen and Alice.

You can connect with Elin here: Website | Fear Year Project | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Things we talked about during today's show

 

How perfectionism and pressure stopped Elin creating and how she learned to re-discover her creativity The good things that hide behind your fears Elin’s Fear Year - a year long project to tackle her creative fears Advice for if you want to get back to your own creativity and start your own Fear Yer,

 

Books/Resources etc mentioned during today’s show

Linchpin - Seth Godin

Find out more and download the Couragemakers Manifesto here

 

If you have any question about today's episode, any comments or would like to be a guest on Couragemakers, get in touch: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com

 

About Meg & That Hummingbird Life

 

I'm Meg and I'm the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I started this podcast because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum.

 

When I'm not recording episodes and making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life, sending free self care checks ins to hundreds of women every Sunday and helping my clients build brands they love as a graphic designer. I'm currently on a 3 month road trip of the US with Mr. Meg but normally based in the UK.

 

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