2. You Are More Creative Than You Think | Michelle’s Inspiring Story

Hello friend!

Michelle here! In this episode of The Beauty Hunters podcast, I had a chance to open up about my own journey from self-doubt and comparison to breakthrough and creative empowerment. It’s a story that is very close to my heart, and I knew you’d want to hear all about it. 

I believe that my story can inspire you to recognize your creative potential and embrace it with confidence, too. After listening, head over to download the workbook that I created for you. If today’s show and the workbook bless you, then please leave an iTunes review and share a screenshot on your IG stories, tag me @thebeautyhunters and you could win a Starbucks coffee! I can’t wait to hear what you think! 

Sending you lots of love, Michelle Rose

Resources Mentioned:

• Worksheet: Building Creative Confidence 

Connect with us:

• Follow us on Facebook @thebeautyhunterspodcast
• Follow us on Instagram @thebeautyhunterspodcast
• Email us at thebeautyhunterspodcast@gmail.com

Transcript:

Jonathan Rose  0:04  

In today's episode of the beauty hunters, my beautiful co host, Michelle shares her journey of going from doubting her creativity. In fact, she wouldn't have even said that she was creative to now embracing her creativity with confidence, and we're going to show you how you can get there too.

Are you creative, but feel stuck and tired of not having enough time and money to create? Do you dream of your content making a significant impact on those around you? At the end of the day are you frustrated that you have no energy left to be creative? You are not alone. 

Michelle Rose  0:41  

Welcome to the beauty hunters podcast, where we explore life's beautiful moments to awaken your creative heart. We are your hosts, Jonathan and Michelle rose, fellow creative souls who have broken out of the daily grind and are living full time in our creative pursuits. We understand the struggle and are here to guide you with inspiring stories and strategies on the path to vibrant creativity. 

Jonathan Rose  1:05  

So if you're ready to take your creativity to the next level, and release it into the world, then grab your coffee. Tune in and let's create a more beautiful world together.

Michelle Rose  1:18  

Hey there beautiful souls. And welcome back to another inspiring episode of The Beauty Hunters Podcast. I'm Michelle Rose. Jonathan Rose  1:26  

And I'm Jonathan Rose and today we are recording in a parking lot in Pensacola, Florida, which may sound odd unless you realize that we live full time in our RV because I'm a full time artist and I do art shows all over the country. That just happens to be where we're at this weekend at an art festival in Pensacola, Florida called The Great Gulf Coast. And so we're going to have a meaningful conversation that crosses the path of many creative souls, if not all of us, about doubting our creativity, and it can be a major roadblock to our creative endeavors. Today, Michelle will be sharing her personal story of how she conquered those doubts and the steps that she took to reignite her creative competence. So Michelle, what our listeners may not know about you, but you have always been a bit of a wandering creative, and you've had a variety of interests over the years. I know you've shared stories with me about various exploits in dance, be it ballet, Scottish sword dancing, baton twirling. When I met you, you were an avid scrapbooker. Shortly after we met, we started a drama troupe together so we've been kind of all over the map creatively. So why don't you share a little bit about what your creative journey has been like? 

Michelle Rose  2:43  

Yeah, so as a teenager, I also did saxophone, sports, and theater, as you mentioned. Then in my adulthood, I picked up other hobbies like stamping, quilting, and then really dove deep into nutritional cooking and baking.

Jonathan Rose  2:56  

Let's not forget your fascination with numbers. Many of you also don't realize Michelle is a bit of a nerd. She can often be found balancing the checkbook for fun. And if I want to light her up for a date night, all I got to say is "hey, why don't we go over the budget?"

Michelle Rose  3:15  

Yeah, absolutely! Numbers have their own kind of beauty and order to them and so I find them super interesting. But what's interesting about all that list that we just talked about, despite all of those creative pursuits, I never thought of myself as particularly creative. 

Jonathan Rose  3:31  

See, knowing you that surprises me but I bet a lot of our listeners can relate to that. That nagging self doubt can be a real Creativity killer. So why don't you tell us more about what was going on in your mind during those times? 

Michelle Rose  3:46  

Well, the doubts were very relentless. I had several thoughts like I'm too simple, or I'm too boring. I'm not enough. You know, it's like a broken record playing in your head constantly. Pinterest really didn't help either. I was never going to be able to measure up to all those pins out there. 

Jonathan Rose  4:03  

So it sounds like comparison was a big problem. What made you feel that way?

Michelle Rose  4:08  

Well, I did find myself comparing to other people's work and thinking so and so is better at this this than I am. And you know what, that comparison was pretty paralyzing. And it kept me from taking action on my creative ideas. 

Jonathan Rose  4:21  

So when do you think that began to change for you? 

Michelle Rose  4:24  

Yeah, so that's a really interesting question. So I definitely lived with the fear of judgment, wondering if I was going to be misunderstood. And then also, I was kind of afraid of even experimenting because I knew that I was always just gonna mess up and never live up to the standard that I had in my head. And so that really kept me suffocated. But then I heard something that really changed it all for me, and it was... if God is the creator of the earth, and we are created in His image, then inevitably I must be creative. 

Jonathan Rose  4:56  

So you were created to be a creator. So that's a powerful revelation. What did that mean for you? 

Michelle Rose  5:04  

Well, it actually made everything click into place. You know, it just made sense to know that my creativity had a purpose. And it wasn't necessarily art for awards or recognition, but it was about using my unique perspective and skill sets to bring solutions to everyday challenges. 

Jonathan Rose  5:22  

Well, that's a beautiful perspective, just being able to help others with your creativity. So how did that mindset change and impact your creative journey? 

Michelle Rose  5:31  

Well, it actually was a complete transformation. I began challenging those limiting beliefs and seeing creativity everywhere in my life from experimenting with recipes to finding budget friendly solutions, and even my parenting was really creative. It all just became part of that creative process. 

Jonathan Rose  5:47  

Yeah, and see, all those things you mentioned are things that I would look at you as being good at like strengths and it's amazing how embracing your unique strengths can really breathe life into your perspective. 

Michelle Rose  5:59  

Yeah, exactly. It's not about comparing ourselves to others, but realizing that the world needs our creativity and that creativity is not just a concept, it's a way of living. 

Jonathan Rose  6:10  

So for our listeners who might be struggling with self doubt and comparison, what is your advice to help them start building their creative competence? 

Michelle Rose  6:18  

First, I found a significant shift when I anchored my identity in God, particularly in that context of creativity after that "aha" moment. It was like an empowering force that allowed me to stand up against those limiting beliefs and those pesky inner critics. And then second, I embarked on a sort of self discovery mission, and I took a closer look at all the skills I had honed in over time. There's things that I practice repeatedly. And I asked myself, How can I use these skills to solve real world problems? And it's where my skills and my passions unite. That was a game changing shift for me. And then lastly, I made it a point to recognize and celebrate the creativity of others. It's one of my most favorite things to do. And rather than feeling threatened or comparing myself, I found that celebrating others creative expressions not only kept me inspired, but also opened doors to a more diverse range of creative avenues for myself. And that became my own personal comparison killer.

Jonathan Rose  7:21  

Yeah, so much better to kill comparison, because comparison kills so much creativity. So those are fantastic pieces of advice. Just to recap, Michelle, sounds like you anchored your identity. You discovered the intersection of your skills and your passions, and you celebrated others. And that's a powerful set of tools for building creative competence.

Thank you, Michelle, for opening up and sharing this incredible journey and the insights that you learned along the way. And for our listeners, we've made a free gift for you. We've designed a unique worksheet crafted to help you dive deeper into the themes that we discussed today. It will help you list your skills because sometimes we forget just how talented and awesome we are. It'll help you confront your limiting beliefs that might be holding you back. It'll help you address your fears because we all have them on some level. And most importantly, we want to help you discover what God may be saying about your creativity because getting His perspective is the real thing that will transform your creativity. 

Michelle Rose  8:23  

So head on over to our Facebook page at The Beauty Hunters Podcast to grab your worksheet. It's the first step towards embracing your creativity and unleashing your potential. 

Jonathan Rose  8:32  

Please don't miss out on this valuable resource. And don't let self doubt hold you back any longer. Let's conquer those creativity killers together. 

Michelle Rose  8:41  

See you next week.

Thank you for joining us on The Beauty Hunters Podcast. We hope this episode has inspired you. 

Jonathan Rose  8:49  

Before you go, please hit that subscribe button and share us with your friends. If you want to support the show, the best way is to leave us a review on iTunes. You can connect with us on socials at the beauty hunters podcast. 

Michelle Rose  9:03  

Until our next encounter, always remember that your creativity will make the world a more beautiful place.