Ep.60 Unleash Your Inner Rebel: Harnessing Creativity to Build an Identity that’s Unmistakably You

This week's adventure is all about empowering you to design a life that truly makes you feel alive. Say goodbye to autopilot living and step into your power as the original, bold, and impactful individual you were always meant to be. Through personal stories and enlightening exercises, I'll guide you towards pursuing those creative projects or bold life moves you've been putting off.

Inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's "Big Magic," I reveal how fear can be transformed from a daunting roadblock into just a passenger on your life's thrilling journey. This episode of The Mischief Movement podcast is a heartfelt exploration into the realms of creativity and identity. Whether you're feeling stuck in the mundane or yearning to break free from mediocrity, I will equip you with the strategies to silence that inner critic and embrace your true, unapologetic self. I'll share personal insights and actionable exercises designed to help you confront your fears and embrace creative living as a lifestyle, echoing the wisdom of Mykel Dixon in "Everyday Creative."

It's time to reawaken your rebel spirit, stop settling, and start living boldly. Join me as I set you on a path to a more vibrant, impactful life.

Transcript

Zoe Greenhalf: 0:00

I really love this sense that, as whole people, we bring a multitude of skills and experiences to the table, and I don't feel like we need to apologize for that either. Hey there, welcome, or welcome back to the Mischief Movement podcast. I'm Zoe, your guide on this journey to shake up the status quo and design a life that truly makes you feel alive. If you've ever felt disconnected, stuck on autopilot or trapped in a life that feels more like a treadmill than an adventure, you're in the right place. I know that change can feel scary, so let's turn down the fear and crank up the fierce as we transform your life from the inside out. Whether it's solo episodes packed with actionable advice or interviews with some absolute badass human beings who've dared to defy the norm by living life their way, we're here to inspire, activate, empower and challenge you each week. My mission is simple to help you reawaken your rebel spirit, break free from mediocrity and design a life that's anything but dull. You only get one wildlife, so what are you planning to do with yours? If you're ready to stop settling, start living boldly and create a positive impact along the way, let's dive in and stir up some mischief together. Now buckle up and let's go Now, buckle up and let's go, hey. So welcome back to the Mischief Movement podcast, and today we're diving into something that's really close to my heart. It's creativity, identity and how you can harness both to position yourself as an original. So we're going to talk about the kind of creativity that doesn't just stay confined to art and design. It's the kind of creativity that drives how you show up in the world, and we're going to look at how creating a true, unapologetic identity for yourself isn't just about doing what others expect. It's about making some noise. It's about shaking things up and showing up as the badass original you Are, you ready? So let's start with a quote from Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic, a book that really changed the way I thought about fear and creativity.

Zoe Greenhalf: 2:22

Creative living is when you're willing to feel your fear and do it anyway. And this is where we kick things off, because, my friends, fear is one of the biggest obstacles we face when it comes to creativity. The good news Fear can be a guide. Fear doesn't have to be a roadblock. It can actually be your sign that you're on the right track. So let's talk about fear and creativity for a second.

Zoe Greenhalf: 2:51

I mean, we've all had those moments when we're about to try something new and our inner critic pipes up. But what if you fail? What if you're not good enough? When I started mentoring and coaching, that voice was loud. What if people don't take me seriously? What if my journey isn't polished enough? And you know what? I didn't let it stop me. I decided to do it anyway, because I learned that fear thrives on inaction. The more you listen to it, the bigger it grows. But if you push past it and take some action, you'll see that it doesn't have the power that you think it does.

Zoe Greenhalf: 3:37

Here's something that really helped me to get through those moments of fear. I learned to treat fear like a passenger in the car. This is something that I took from Elizabeth Gilbert. So imagine it's in the seat next to you, but it's not in control. It might make some noise, but it's not the one holding the steering wheel. So I want to give you a little exercise to confront your own fear. Take a deep breath, close your eyes for a moment and think about something you've been putting off A creative project, a bold move in your life, or even starting something new. Now ask yourself what's the worst that can happen. Write it down and when you look at it, ask yourself how many of those fears are realistic and what would happen if you moved forward anyway. It's about taking that list of fears and reframing them, because fear doesn't go away, but it can't stop you unless you let it.

Zoe Greenhalf: 4:51

Now something else has really changed my approach to creativity is the fact that it's not just a one-off thing. It's actually a lifestyle. Michael Dixon talks about this in his book Everyday Creative, which is a fantastic book, and he says creativity isn't just something you do when you're inspired. It's something you choose to make part of your daily life. And that's exactly it. Creativity is a muscle the more you use it, the stronger it gets. It doesn't have to be confined to work or big projects.

Zoe Greenhalf: 5:28

For me, creativity is embedded in my daily routine. It's how I approach my life, my relationships and how I do my jobs. So one of the best things I ever did was stop waiting for a burst of inspiration to strike and instead I started looking at life as just one giant opportunity like one big canvas, if you like to just kind of I don't know tap into that creative energy, even on the days when I didn't feel super creative, for example. I don't just take a walk with my kids, I try and turn it into a bit of an adventure. So what would a squirrel do if it had a motorbike is something I might ask them. Or if we could ride our bikes anywhere, where would we go?

Zoe Greenhalf: 6:18

It's small, it's playful, it's silly, and it turns the mundane into something magical. So here's an exercise for you. Take a moment and look around your space right now your home, your desk or wherever you are. Space right now, your home, your desk or wherever you are. What's one small thing that you could do today to make it feel more you? Maybe it's moving something around, picking up a new hobby or adding a small creative touch to your space. Even if it's just for fun, embrace it, because small steps lead to big changes. This is where it gets really fun now. So Be More.

Zoe Greenhalf: 7:02

Pirate by Sam Conniff is another one of my favourite books, and in it Sam says pirates didn't care about permission. They made the world according to their vision. Boom. That's the kind of mindset that can unlock your creativity and identity, because it's not about sticking to the script. It's about tearing it up and rewriting your own rules, and that's exactly what I did when I transitioned from design into coaching. I didn't wait for a perfect plan or the perfect moment. I started with a vision and I made it happen, step by step. I'm actually still making it happen, so let me tell you that breaking the rules isn't always easy, but it's what has allowed me to show up. In a way that's true to me. My creativity thrives when I allow myself to rebel against what's expected, and that's what I want you to do too.

Zoe Greenhalf: 8:04

Think about one rule in your life that you've been following without questioning it. Maybe it's a career path that doesn't light you up, or a habit that feels like it's holding you back. It's a career path that doesn't light you up, or a habit that feels like it's holding you back. What would happen if you chose to break that rule? What if you started doing it your way instead? No-transcript.

Zoe Greenhalf: 8:31

All right, now let's talk a little bit about identity, because this is where the rubber meets the road. You've got the creativity, you've broken the rules, but how do you pull it all together into a truly original identity? Well, that's a process. My friend Austin Kleon, in his book Steel Like an Artist, says don't wait until you know who you are to get started. This was a game changer for me. When I started coaching, I didn't have all the answers and I didn't know exactly who I was supposed to be. But I knew one thing I wasn't going to pretend to be anyone else. I wanted to show up as myself the real rebellious, slightly introvert, adventurous me. And that's exactly what I did, pulled from my past experiences my time as a designer, my military training and my love for adventure and blended all of that into the coaching I do today. My identity didn't just appear fully formed. It evolved as I stayed true to myself.

Zoe Greenhalf: 9:40

If you want an exercise to help you start forming your own authentic identity, take a piece of paper and draw a circle. In that circle, write down what you know to be true about yourself, the things that are absolutely undeniably you. Then, around that circle, jot down the influences in your life, the people, the ideas, the books and the experiences that have shaped you. Now think about how you can blend those influences with your true self to create something fresh and something that's uniquely yours as somebody who's a huge multi-passionate with a lot of varied experiences and interests.

Zoe Greenhalf: 10:29

Trying to come up with a common thread or a common theme among all of these things has been insanely difficult, and it's a constant evolution, I think, of who I am and who I'm becoming. So, if you are finding this difficult, just know that you're not alone, and if you need some help with it, please reach out. This is something I absolutely love helping people with, especially when society would love to put us into a box and give us one label, one career, one job title. Do you know what I mean? I really love this sense that, as whole people, we bring a multitude of skills and experiences to the table, and I don't feel like we need to apologise for that either. Anyway, as we wrap up, I want to leave you with this Originality doesn't mean perfection.

Zoe Greenhalf: 11:26

It means being unapologetically yourself. When you embrace your creativity, your fears and your rebellious streak, you create something that no one else can replicate, because it's born from your soul. So what's your next step? What action are you going to take to break the rules and build an identity that's 100% true to you? I want to hear from you. Send me a message, share your breakthroughs and let's keep pushing this movement forward together Until next time. You know the deal Stay bold, stay creative and keep making mischief. That's a wrap on another episode of the Mischief Movement podcast. If today's content stirred something in you, let's keep in touch on Instagram or connect with me on LinkedIn. You can even click the link in the show notes to sign up to my Mischief Mail newsletter, where you'll get exclusive insights on upcoming episodes and your chance to submit questions to future guests. But shh, don't tell anyone, it's's our secret. For more info on ways to work with me and some fun free resources, check out the website themischiefmovementcom. Until next time, stay bold, stay rebellious and, of course, keep making mischief. Thank you.