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Containers for Creative Freedom w/ Brigitte
39 Plays5 days ago
In this episode, I'm joined by Brigitte, a systems and self-care witch for neurodivergent creatives, to chat about how structure and process don't have to mean limitations on your creativity and can instead be "enabling constraints" to move you forward into creativity. We chat about Brigitte's path from not seeing herself as an artist to eventually seeing the real picture of becoming and inhabiting the life of an artist instead of wrestling with the picture she had in her head. Sound familiar?
If you're a neurodivergent creative with a million ideas you can't seem to organize, definitely check out Brigitte's coaching offerings! You can find her on her website as well as her YouTube channel.
References:
Yet another shout out to The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
"Enabling constraints" shout out to Christine Garvey with A Mighty Practice
Kyra Sutherland with Joyful Divergent
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Theme
00:00:02
Speaker
You can do it, you can go create Just get to it, I promise you'll feel great Because life can get ugly, and art sure can too What matters is to do it, let those feelings flow through you
00:00:37
Speaker
Hello everybody!
Meet Laura and Bridget
00:00:38
Speaker
Welcome back to The Ugly Podcast. I'm so glad that you continue to show up and ah hang out with me every every month. I'm really grateful for listeners who keep coming back and if you're new to the podcast, welcome!
00:00:52
Speaker
ah My name is Laura Alexander. i use they them pronouns and today I am wearing a what am i wearing My art is vital for survival t-shirt shout out to Alyssa ah who designed this um as well as a button-up white and blue striped shirt. um As ah usual, I am your white androgynous curly haired weirdo ah with big round glasses.
00:01:16
Speaker
um and Today, my guest, I'm so excited to introduce you to um is a systems and self care witch who builds intentional systems for neurodivergent creatives who want to feel proud, successful and get shit done.
00:01:28
Speaker
She makes notion templates and custom workspaces that are launchpad to helping you cross the finish line on your projects and goals. Thank you so much for being here. Could you please introduce yourself with your name, your pronouns, and a brief visual description?
00:01:43
Speaker
Yes. Hi. Thank you so much. I'm very excited to be here. I am Bridget, she, her, and I'm a white femme. I've got some very long brown into, i think right now it's like pink into reddish orange hair, which changes often, but that's what we've got today.
00:02:03
Speaker
And I've got my favorite pink lipstick on long sleeve black shirt. Wonderful. Welcome. um we We were introduced ah because you attended my field trip through Creative Mornings, right?
00:02:19
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Amazing. So, um, and as well, the, my guests last month, that's how I met them as well. And, um, basically like I just did a blanket, like anybody who resonated with the workshop that I did and wanted to follow up with me and stay, stay in touch. I just kind of did a blanket invite. I'm like, if any of you want to come on the podcast, I love just like chatting. And so, and so you took me up on that. So I appreciate that.
00:02:45
Speaker
Yeah, I thought that was really great. i was going to respond anyway, just because I got so much out of the workshop itself. So I just wanted to say like, hey, this is amazing. And then you had that call in there to be on the podcast.
Bridget's Artistic Journey
00:02:57
Speaker
And I was like, wow, I think this invitation is for me. Let's do it.
00:03:02
Speaker
Yes, it definitely was for you. So, yay. um Wonderful. I'd love to just kind of jump in and Like, tell us kind of your relationship to creativity.
00:03:13
Speaker
if you're if your creativity If your relationship to your creativity had, like, a story arc throughout your life, what would that be? If there are any, like, tropes that are involved, what would those be? Yeah, I think... yeah So I think like a story arc, it just that makes it sound so cool to me. I'm like, oh, this is dope. This is like, i don't know, like that.
00:03:36
Speaker
It makes it feel way more exciting than actually me like thinking about what it has been. Because these tropes in here have been something that I for sure have been working on for a long time.
00:03:48
Speaker
um But i have always, since I was little, had this just kind of like pool inside of me that i want to be an artist. I want to make art. I want to create things.
00:04:02
Speaker
And that started for me when I was really, really little, like up until kindergarten, we lived with my grandparents and my grandpa was always taking art classes. He was drawing, painting,
00:04:17
Speaker
He did some like wood sculpture. he played the piano. so like, I just, love that yeah, he also took American sign language. So I grew up learning like baby signs. And, and so it was just a very like creative, I guess, environment to grow up in and to be around even like as a child. um But I had this thing in my head and also I was comparing myself to like another person in my life and their,
00:04:47
Speaker
story and I felt like nothing that I made was good enough and I felt like um if I wasn't just immediately innately ah an expert at it that like that I couldn't do it or it wasn't for me i would like look at these other people and be like oh that's for them it's not for me And that's so sad to me, like looking back now, but like, that's what I then just like carried with me.
00:05:15
Speaker
And so, um I, I, ah but I just like always had that feeling inside of me that like, this is what I want to do, but I felt like I couldn't do it.
00:05:28
Speaker
And so I just took like your regular art classes in school. when I got to high school, art didn't fit in my schedule and I also didn't fit in my mind. I was still telling myself I couldn't do it anyway. Yeah.
00:05:42
Speaker
Um, Oh, but also i did do band. Um, so I started playing the trumpet in fifth grade. I love band kids. Oh my God. was not a, I wasn't a band kid myself, but I had a lot of friends in band and I just, I love band kids. They're so great.
00:05:59
Speaker
ah wow. Thanks. Um, I think, I think this is so funny though. Cause like, as I'm thinking about it, I don't think I thought of band as like a creative endeavor.
00:06:11
Speaker
Yeah. Um, However, looking back now, I'm like, oh, that was the creative, like artistic expression that i needed and like helped me to get through really challenging things.
The Impact of 'The Artist's Way'
00:06:29
Speaker
But I think that I was looking so hard for like art to look and be a certain way. and I wasn't doing that. So I kind of like was discounting everything else.
00:06:41
Speaker
Um, And so i i would just like doodle and things here and there. Um, going into college, I wanted to study art. Like I wanted to go to art school, but still the same thing held me back. So I didn't do it.
00:06:59
Speaker
And, um, But i I was always there like doodling through all of my class notes or like on my whiteboards as I'm, I got a degree in math and statistics. So I had to do a ton of math and, but I was always writing like little doodles to go along with like the math equations.
00:07:20
Speaker
I love that. so nerdy and cute. I love it. Oh my God. It's so nerdy. Oh my God. Oh, it's great. Yeah. i'll so I'll send you some after so you can see them. I'm sure I i'm sure i have pictures of them. um But so, you know, I was like kind of doing these things on the side to like kind of keep that alive.
00:07:46
Speaker
um But I think what really changed for me was in 2020, my aunt gifted me the artist's way. and I think that that program really started like cracking things open in the like perfectionism and feeling like it has to look a certain way and be a certain way.
00:08:05
Speaker
And I found my, i guess, like creative expression that i had wanted so badly through like drawing. I found it through writing, which was another thing that I had been telling myself that I couldn't do for a long time. But those, um what are they called? The morning pages.
00:08:26
Speaker
and just completely changed things for me, like enabling me to free write and to start writing things messily. it didn't have to be like a perfectly completed novel and it didn't have to even be legible. And I like these things were like revelations for me.
00:08:45
Speaker
And so that has now led me into this practice of allowing myself to be a beginner at things, to be bad at something at first. That's the whole purpose, right, of like learning how to do something.
00:09:00
Speaker
yeah um And then like thinking of the thing of like everyone starts out somewhere and... even people who are super great at things like pro athletes or like artists, you're still taking classes, you're doing training, you're practicing, you're like, you know, everybody is working at the thing. And so like, really, I guess, allowing myself to practice those things in my creativity now and to start, I think,
00:09:36
Speaker
I'm now starting to see myself as an artist, even after this whole like lifetime of almost 40 years of creating, but now I'm finally starting to see what it has looked like and not what I think that I thought it should look like.
00:09:55
Speaker
Yeah. ah Yeah. it's act It's like the real picture instead of what's in your head. Yeah. And that's a trip. Mm-hmm.
00:10:07
Speaker
It absolutely is.
00:10:10
Speaker
Man, the artist's way is's just so good. Like, I can't tell you how many people I've interviewed on this podcast that are like, oh yeah, the artist's way.
00:10:20
Speaker
Like, it brought me so just so many good experiences, gave me so much good perspective, gave me such a good practice, got me out of my, got me out of my head, made me realize that like I was limiting myself by all of these beliefs and And just helped me start to live a creative life. Man, just the artist way is good. And how funny is this too? when she When my aunt gifted it to me, I just thought it was a book.
00:10:48
Speaker
I didn't realize that it was this full, very intense program to work through. And so when i when I realized that, I was like, oh, I'm just going to read through it like real fast. I'm just going to breeze through all of the things. It's not going to take me 12 weeks. Like I don't, I don't need all of that.
00:11:03
Speaker
And then I quickly started to realize like, oh shit, no, it's a setup like this for a reason. And this is something I'm going to keep chipping away at like over time. um but yeah, the morning pages have totally inspired now my morning practice that I do every single morning. And it's been five years.
00:11:24
Speaker
But that's what I do for, I journal, I just free write. I dump all of the crazy wild shit in my brain out and like that's my practice. And then it's also my practice um for when i I, guess like when I'm sitting down to do work or like another creative endeavor and especially if I feel like I like can't get started on something.
00:11:47
Speaker
I'm like, well, I know I can sit down and just like jam on my keyboard until something like comes out and then it like gets me going. So like, holy crap, what a like, what a cool tool.
00:12:00
Speaker
Yeah, it's so good. That's how i feel about like, That's, i mean, that's how I use ugly art as my tool of like when I'm stuck and I don't know where to start. I'm like, well, I'm going to start with ugly and then we'll see where ugly takes us.
00:12:13
Speaker
Ugly might not end up ugly, but it's where we're going to start so that we can get going. Yeah. That's, yeah, that's, that's good too. Yeah. Yeah. I love it. I was just thinking, like, my... So my brain... So I grew up really religious, and, like, in my brain just now, I was like, what if the artist's way could be, like, a Bible?
00:12:35
Speaker
And, like, what if everybody did the artist's way? Like, what would our world look like today if everybody... And then my brain just, like, wants to go into, like, take over the world with the artist's way. Like, get everybody to think differently, expand their horizons.
00:12:49
Speaker
Yeah. I do think that about, like... about a lot of things i think like yeah like more compassionate thinking and like non-violent communication and just like yeah yeah if people actually like listened to each other and supported each other and felt like they could be a full expression of themselves like how different would this look seriously truly ah more curiosity about the world, less like judgment and like knowing.
00:13:20
Speaker
like, no, you don't know.
Consistency and Accountability in Art
00:13:22
Speaker
You don't know, go be curious. Okay, anyway.
00:13:26
Speaker
None of us know. Nobody knows. Nobody knows. Nobody knows. And that's okay. um what do you What do you find most helpful in keeping consistent ah with your art practice?
00:13:44
Speaker
I think that for me as neurodivergent person, I ADHD and I'm more recently pursuing an autism diagnosis.
00:13:58
Speaker
So that's also a new thing for me, but just like the more I learn about, i guess myself and the ways that I show up in this world and especially with things like the word consistency, I have to,
00:14:14
Speaker
I guess, remember and accept that these are things that I have to redefine for myself and make sure that like, I know what it means to me.
00:14:26
Speaker
So like in my head, I might have that story of like, oh, consistency means this very specific thing, like doing this same thing all the time. And I guess that's what like I have held onto for a long time, but with the ADHD, I'm like, oh no, when I'm done with something, i am done.
00:14:44
Speaker
Like I am done with But i think that this is possibly where like the autism comes in. I'm realizing I have a really, really hard time with change.
00:14:57
Speaker
And so i might know that I'm like done with something, but I'll keep doing it because that change is hard or i will quit doing it cause I'm done. And then I just won't do anything. And then I'll be beating myself up in my head Cause I'm like, I'm not doing the thing, but I don't know what else to do. And I don't know how, like, and so when I'm noticing like, okay, when those things start happening, when I'm having difficulties, like keeping up with something, I have to like, first to remember my definition of the word and what it means to me and know that like,
00:15:37
Speaker
I can change up the practice or do something completely different. And that doesn't mean I'm not being consistent. It just means I'm being consistent in a way that works for me. But when I start to have a hard time changing it up, that's when i know through a lot of experimenting and practice that I need to call in reinforcements. Like I need to ask for help.
00:15:58
Speaker
And so that's when Like certain things that work really well for me are either having an accountability partner that I can check in and be like, Hey, I want to do this practice and this is when I want to do it. I'm going check in with you when I do it or like after I do it or whatever it is that we kind of like agree on.
00:16:19
Speaker
Um, But the other one that works so well for me is that I'm a great student. If you give me a class that I have to go to, I got to pay for it. It's on a specific schedule.
00:16:31
Speaker
I'm like, i am, I am there. And so like, that is a ah container that works really well for me. So I know that like, when I know I need to change things up or be consistent in a different way, or I'm not being consistent in the way that I want to, um I gotta like lean into those things. Even if it feels hard to reach out, I know from practicing that that's what I need and it's okay.
00:17:00
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. i feel that really hard. I didn't realize until you said it, but like that difficulty with change, and I resonate so hard with that. It's so hard. It's really hard. And i think one thing I'm noticing is like,
00:17:20
Speaker
I am really struggling with, so, ah I mean, ah so many things have changed in my life over the past like six months alone. um And I'm struggling finding those like routines that I had when I was living on my own.
00:17:38
Speaker
um Having them now in a space where I live with another person who's my best friend and I want to be around all the time. um And then integrating like my same...
00:17:53
Speaker
routines like that's that feels weird but then I am I'm wanting that consistency but there's all these other changes happening like house renovations and like all these like changes in my business and so then my art practice has just I've had such a hard time finding it and being stable with it while there's change all around me all the time
00:18:20
Speaker
It's a lot. that That is a lot. That is a lot. And I mean, honestly, I think that maybe people don't talk about this as much as we should, but that like, I know often like um my other friend and I will talk about this, that like, we think that something is hard, but then we think like it shouldn't be hard.
00:18:43
Speaker
Like I'm like, oh, it it shouldn't be that hard to like sit down and doodle. like, or it shouldn't be, but like, it is hard. Like it is hard living in this world that's going on around us. Like it is hard. And so, um yeah, that's where I find like, it's really helpful. Like I especially wanted to start tapping into drawing. I wanna like, that's one of my goals this year. I'm like, I wanna embody this artist i archetype.
00:19:12
Speaker
I wanna draw more. And I was doing it a little bit like here and there I was doing it, but I was like, I'm not doing it in the way that like feels good. And so, I found a local art class, like a basic drawing class to go to um,
00:19:30
Speaker
that also scared the shit out of me. Cause I'm like, I'm going somewhere new with people. I don't know. This class is three hours long, like for four weeks. And I'm like, oh my God, that's, I'm not going to be able to sit in a chair for that long.
00:19:44
Speaker
Like, um but you know, i was like, I'm going to try it anyway and see, see what happens. Amazing. Have you gone to the, has it started yet?
00:19:56
Speaker
I already did ah and oh you already did it Yeah. I already did it Um, it went really well. It went like really well. Yeah. Um, and it like, I even like I did the four week class and then there was a break and I've started another one.
00:20:11
Speaker
Amazing. Yeah. Um, i love that I mean, like, I feel awkward sitting there in like a group of people that I don't know, but everybody's pretty chill. And like, you can do whatever you want. So I can get up and leave the room and walk around if I want. Like, I don't feel like I have to like, I think I haven't taken maybe a class where I've had to like sit down like this since like college. And so that was in my head of like, I have to sit in a seat and not move and that's just not gonna work for me.
00:20:42
Speaker
yeah And so, yeah, um it's very chill in that way. um But I'm like, I'm learning new techniques and that's what I was looking to expand my vocabulary in drawing so that I am able to tap more into that, um that like creative expression through drawing, which I've had inside me for so long that I've found through writing, but I'm like, I wanna do it through drawing.
00:21:11
Speaker
And so I thought, well, I expanded my vocabulary in writing to be able to express myself and my like, what's word? how do I want to say like my emotional vocabulary, maybe doing like a fuck ton of mental health work over these past five years too.
00:21:30
Speaker
And so I've expanded that. So I'm able to express myself in that way. So I was like, Oh, well, I guess it makes sense to learn drawing techniques. So then I'm able to express myself through that as well.
00:21:42
Speaker
Yeah. love that. i ah I was going to mention this at the top of the episode, but I forgot. um But I love that you are, you're the third neurodivergence systems coach that I've had on within like the past six months.
00:21:58
Speaker
um I love that y'all are drawn to me somehow. I'm like... Yes, like i consider myself neurodivergent. I was like most people around me are neurodivergent and I just I love how our brains work. And so I love coming across people who are like, yes, our brains are spicy and great and they work differently and that's OK and that's wonderful. And here's how we can like work with our brains to navigate the world while still having our silly little brains, you know.
Systems and Constraints in Creativity
00:22:29
Speaker
For sure, yeah. i think um I thought that was great when you told me that over email. I'm like, I am really invested now in this journey for you. but like and I'm like, I really want to know like how this...
00:22:42
Speaker
Turns out. Um, but yeah, I guess, you know, like that, like attracts like, and, um, it just feels, I guess, like resonant and that's, and that's like in my business where I've found kind of like my happy place is working with other people that are also neurodivergent. Cause it just feels like we get each other more or we get eat like how to show up. Yeah. In the world in different ways and and to make things that, that work for us and to do things in ways that like work for us.
00:23:15
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. yeah i Yeah, I've been, I've been, so on Friday I was talking to, or I guess it was Thursday, I was talking to my accountability buddy um and I'm kind of in ah an in-between right now between editing projects. And so I'm like, okay, I have some time to focus on like my other business stuff.
00:23:38
Speaker
And I'm like, I need to put a system in place. Yeah. I need to reevaluate and put a system in place and it's been so daunting so we might need to chat after this but um but I'm I'm just glad you're here um and speaking of like systems um a lot of people well I don't know about a lot but some people might kind of consider systems and processes counter to creative, a creative nature or a creative life.
00:24:11
Speaker
Um, they might think that those things don't go hand in hand. Um, so I would love to hear your thoughts on that. Yeah. I think like systems and the word structure, think that that can sound scary. Yeah.
00:24:23
Speaker
Um, to people, I, I was one of those people. I was like, hell nah, I don't, I don't want like a full, I guess I'm thinking like a scheduled out really strict,
00:24:36
Speaker
I'm like, no, I don't want that. I want the freedom, right? This is why I have my own business. I want the freedom to do what I want when I want and with creativity too, right? Like I want to show up and I want to do what feels good that day in that moment.
00:24:51
Speaker
And, um,
00:24:54
Speaker
But what i realized is that it is helpful to at least have some kind of structure or system or process, like whatever you want to call it. i think it's all interchangeable.
00:25:08
Speaker
um That having that container to like be within or to work within actually, I think creates more freedom and it creates more like,
00:25:23
Speaker
the ability to generate more ideas, which is actually, i took a while ago, another creative mornings class from Christine Garvey of a Mighty Practice. And the class was on like how to generate ideas for creativity.
00:25:40
Speaker
And she talked about, she called them enabling constraints. And I like that term. Yeah. So constraints. Her um exercise was to choose like three of these constraints to enable you to work within.
00:25:58
Speaker
So if it's like, um if you're gonna sit down and draw, maybe your constraints are that you're using an eight by 10 piece of paper, you're only using a pencil and you're only drawing squiggly lines.
00:26:13
Speaker
And that's your like thing. Now go at it and see what happens. Yeah. Um, and after taking that class, I think it was wild to me because I made that, I guess, connection from that creative artistic expression to that, um, in my business and like working within my business or kind of like, like any kind of container or structure, um, that I was like, if I don't have a container, um,
00:26:47
Speaker
then everything, like there are so many possibilities. You want to know what I want to do or create or make or like do in my business or do as a hobby or like, I want to do a million things.
00:27:00
Speaker
so yeah And if, and if you're just like, well, here, Bridget, here's your free time, go at it. I'm overwhelmed. I can't choose. Like, how, how do you want me to prioritize that? I don't know. My brain does not know how to do that.
00:27:11
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And so um then that's where I get like stuck or frozen or end up not creating or not doing the thing. and um And then I'll also end up thinking like, oh, I don't have any good ideas because I feel like I can't pick just like one thing and run with it because there's just too much.
00:27:34
Speaker
Yeah. And so when you have that like supportive structure that you can work within, then then Like, I'm like, oh, then I can show up and do what I want to do and actually get the things done that I want to get done.
00:27:53
Speaker
Yeah. I really like that. i i'm a big I'm a big fan of this enabling constraints concept. I've never heard that term and I really like it.
00:28:05
Speaker
It's good. It's good. It's real. I mean, it reminds me like that's... It reminds me of what I've been doing with like the ugly art practice of like, I don't know where to start.
00:28:16
Speaker
And like, there's too much, there's too many ideas and then too many, you know, limiting beliefs on top of all of the ideas. yes And so starting like creating the container, like, okay, I'm going to like, in the past I've made rules for myself. Like I'm going to grab the closest thing around me that is able to be drawn on. In which case it might, it was like a napkin.
00:28:38
Speaker
So I like, I grabbed a napkin, I can only draw on this napkin. And like I'm going to fold the napkin and then I'm going to draw on top of that. And like that's going to be my medium. And so like limiting myself in what I was able to create in that moment enabled me to create.
00:28:56
Speaker
um i really i I really like this. My brain is like going like a million miles an hour at the moment.
Embracing Imperfection in Art
00:29:04
Speaker
Yeah, it's so good. And I think like, you'll know, like, um, from taking that class that you taught and it was about just like, right, like just start creating something ugly, see where it takes you.
00:29:17
Speaker
i think you can say that for like any practice, right? If you've got these constraints, you're able to get started. and I think like, that's another thing for neurodivergent people, like transitions and getting started on things is really, really challenging.
00:29:32
Speaker
And so if you have like a small little structure to be like, Hey, this is how I get started. Like for me, like if going to sit down and I'm going to write ah newsletter or a blog post or start scripting a YouTube video, how do I get started? My very first step is to free write.
00:29:49
Speaker
And that is like baked into my thing. And so it's like, it doesn't have anything to do with what I'm actually working on, but I know it'll get me moving. and like get me going and take me into what I'm doing. And I think that like, that's what doing your like little ugly art doodles kind of felt like, right? Because it's like, just start moving it, moving your pen, whatever, like making something and then see where it takes you. And like in that class, I drew what I thought was the funniest little stick figure cat. I was like,
00:30:25
Speaker
What would a tiny little child draw like? Can I draw something like that? And it ended up being one of my most favorite things like ever. And that brought so much joy and of trying to just draw something ridiculous, ugly that, you know.
00:30:43
Speaker
Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. I love it. I loved your cat. You sent me a picture of it and it's delightful. It's the best. ah So good.
00:30:55
Speaker
ah Well, speaking of creating a container, should we create an enabling container right now? what Let's do it. Yeah. yeah um Before we started, i rolled... So I have this um color randomizer that my friend gave me. um They just like painted a bunch of wood blocks and okay they just become color dye.
00:31:23
Speaker
So I rolled them before we started and ended up with these three colors. uh turquoise green and red nice so those are the colors I'm going to be doing you're welcome to use whatever colors you have around or I can roll the dice for you if you'd like your own right well this is interesting to me so i don't usually do colors I usually just do pencil but i do have colors and I'm open to fucking around and finding out So what do you reveal come would you roll would you roll me some colors, please? I'd be happy to roll you some colors. How many would you like?
00:32:02
Speaker
Two, three, four. Three feels good. All right.
00:32:09
Speaker
All right. You got turquoise, pink, and like a lime green. Okay.
00:32:20
Speaker
Got it. That's very cute. That's very springy. Yeah. love it
00:32:26
Speaker
Are there any other constraints you'd like to put on this on this little ugly art time we're doing? um i honestly the first thing that popped into my head was just the word bunnies um i love i love bunnies and i love this springtime of year because bunnies are just out in stores every everywhere i recently got the biggest bunny peep like stuffed animal. I think you can kind of see it in the background.
00:32:59
Speaker
It is yeah fucking huge. And I got that for my 37th birthday this year. And it's ridiculous and very joyful. So yeah, I don't know something with bunnies or how about, how about, or is bunnies too niche? What about just like ears, like something with ears?
00:33:20
Speaker
Oh boy. i mean, I do like the bunnies idea. ah okay but Ugly bunnies? We can do ugly bunnies or we can do ugly ears.
00:33:33
Speaker
ah let's do Let's go with bunnies. I thought that was fun. All right. Ugly bunnies with the colors that we've rolled for ourselves. um ah Okay. Okay. Let's do it. And i know sometimes it's kind of hard to chat while you're drawing. So what we can do is we can either...
00:33:51
Speaker
Kind of, I'll set a timer for like five minutes. We can draw and kind of be quiet. And then that part, you know, we'll just like cut out for sound and whatnot. um And then we'll come back. Or if you are okay talking while drawing, we can do that as well. let's try it Let's try talking and drawing because i think that it's likely we're going to be sitting here laughing and
00:34:19
Speaker
i just kind of want to see what happens. I can't even sharpen my pencil. keeps breaking.
00:34:28
Speaker
Well, if this one doesn't work, I've got the other two. Yeah. um Cool. Alright, see.
00:34:40
Speaker
My animals usually end up really funny when I don't have a photo reference, and it's kind of my favorite thing. The first time I noticed this was like um when I tried to draw a Oh, that's actually not too bad. tried to draw whale, and I realized, I was like, don't know what a whale looks like. my My inner eye has no clue what a whale looks like ah
00:35:07
Speaker
like. Oh. Yeah, the only bunnies that I have, like, directly in front of me are peeps, and that's a very specific kind of bunny, so I'm just going to I'm gonna see. I love, okay. i love the idea that like, this is gonna be an ugly bunny because then that feels like it gives me more freedom to just to try things.
00:35:36
Speaker
yeah Whereas otherwise I'm like, I'm trying to draw the most perfect bunny you've ever seen. And this that isn't it, but maybe it maybe it actually is.
00:35:51
Speaker
um Do bunnies have whiskers? yeah Oh, yes, they do. Do they? Because mine does. I think they do. I'm pretty sure. um Oh, yeah.
00:36:03
Speaker
um This looks... Sorry. No, no, you're good. I think I gave mine a beak. I tried to give it a little... I tried to give it like a... Because their noses are kind of triangly, but that just ended up looking like a beak.
00:36:19
Speaker
That's okay. I think mine looks like a mouse cat bunny.
00:36:29
Speaker
oh yes, I love this. This is good. i i love that you suggested this. I wasn't expecting it and then I was like, that what a delightful idea.
00:36:42
Speaker
I didn't think about it for so long. And then like, so I used to, my kind of standard question at the end of this was like, what was the last ugly thing that you made? And then some people like, depending on who I brought on to the podcast,
00:36:58
Speaker
were just like, oh gosh, like, I don't know. And like, some people had like great answers and stuff, but sometimes people were just like, ah, I can't think of anything. And I was like, why don't we make like your most recent ugly thing that you made something you made here with me?
00:37:08
Speaker
You make it right now. Yeah. And so I thought that was really fun. Yeah. I actually, when I took that first run of this local art class, can I answer that question now?
00:37:22
Speaker
Yeah, go for it. Whatever you want. So it's like a like a realistic drawing class. And that's, you know, I'm used to drawing like little stick figures and cartoony looking things, like not like ah a realistic thing.
00:37:42
Speaker
And so he said to bring in photographs of like, like take some photographs of something that you might want to draw, like your cat. And I was like, i am going way outside my comfort zone just to like take this class in the first place.
00:38:00
Speaker
And I'm gonna allow myself to be a beginner and draw something bad. Like, I'm like, Bridget, this does not have to turn out good. And i was like, so I don't wanna draw my cats.
Unexpected Outcomes of Ugly Art
00:38:13
Speaker
I was like, I don't want to draw anything of my life because if I fuck it up real bad, I don't want to be like upset about it And he thought that that was like a really interesting, I don't know, had like nobody ever come to class and said that before.
00:38:28
Speaker
Like, but I went in and I, um, I took some images off of Unsplash. So just some like royalty free images. And I ended up drawing this, uh, up close, uh,
00:38:41
Speaker
chickadee that I have as my my computer desktop because because I'm obsessed with birds and I fully gave myself that permission of like I'm gonna let this be ugly it's not anything that's actually part of my life so I can let it be ugly and I drew the cutest fucking thing I've ever drawn ah like it turned out so good i was like this is gonna be bad and that's okay and I went into it like that of like low pressure and I super impressed myself.
00:39:17
Speaker
It was wild. Yeah. I love what that, it just opens up the possibility when you like literally people get confused sometimes. Cause like I have, I'll be like,
00:39:29
Speaker
I'll share something and I'll be like, God, I love ugly art so much. And they're like, this isn't ugly. And I'm like, yeah, you don't understand. I started it off by saying this is allowed to be ugly.
00:39:40
Speaker
and in doing so, I allowed myself to start and then you start and it can be ugly. you can like, sometimes I'll challenge myself to make something more ugly if that sounds fun to me.
00:39:51
Speaker
But sometimes I'm like, Ooh, this is starting to look really good. I like where this is going. And then I like, I'm able to keep going and it ends up being something really cool. I'd i'd get a similar thing with like, and wanted to play around with my watercolors and make like a crab.
00:40:05
Speaker
And I found this really vibrant picture of a crab and I was just like kind of using watercolor to replicate that image. And it ended up really cool. And i I like sent it to a friend and I was like, look what ugly art like helped me make. And they were like, this isn't ugly. And I was like, no, no, I know it's not, but like it helped me get started anyway. Yeah, the process the process of ugly.
00:40:28
Speaker
See, the ugly art is the container. That's the that's the structure. That's the yeah to process, the system. that's the The ugly art system. Exactly. yes oh I can't wait to show you these.
00:40:46
Speaker
love, yeah, I love this. my o This one's going to be a vampire bunny. oh i like that. I just gave this one um some eyelashes. oh yes.
00:40:58
Speaker
Fancy bunny. Fancy bunny.
00:41:03
Speaker
so my god, this one's so funny.
00:41:08
Speaker
oh i was like, I'm going to give this one two front teeth, and that is ugly. This bunny is ugly.
00:41:21
Speaker
And that's what we wanted. And that's what we wanted. Delightful. I've got quite a few different bunnies going. on I like it.
00:41:31
Speaker
This bunny has a tail directly on the side of its body and no arms.
00:41:39
Speaker
Perfect. I'm just going to draw a bunny butt. that's good. um my birthday was My birthday was on Saturday and a bunny came and had snacks.
00:41:52
Speaker
in my garden and I was like, what a wonderful birthday present to me. Thank you, little bunny. That's so sweet. Very cute. I love it.
Maintaining a Creative Practice
00:42:02
Speaker
All right, let's call that time.
00:42:04
Speaker
Oh, okay. and i almost just started another one. Okay, because I just ran out of space. So we'll just call that time. All right, let's... Let me move this I can see my own thing. Okay, so these are my bunnies.
00:42:19
Speaker
Oh, I love the vampire bunny. Yeah, the vampire bunny's up there. Here's the butt. That's the butt! Oh!
00:42:29
Speaker
um This one, I was really, like, this is how I would draw bunnies when I was a, oh no, it was this one. This is how I'd draw bunnies as a kid with, like, this, like, the big, like, chubby cheeks out to here.
00:42:40
Speaker
and then, yeah, with the little sticky arms. Uh-huh. Yeah. I like the one the one peeking in from the side, that red one. Yeah, that one. The one that looks kind of I don't know what it... It looks more like a... I don't know what it looks like. like I don't know. or some kind of...
00:43:00
Speaker
<unk> kind of mouse. I don't know, but it's a bunny. Oh God, I love it. Okay. Are you ready for these? yeah I wonder if I can show that. Okay. The pink one is the really ugly one. Look how ugly it is.
00:43:14
Speaker
Look at its teeth. No, that is, that's the tail. arms no No arms. That's right. There's no arms. Only the tails. stop and This is the one I drew first and I really like it.
00:43:29
Speaker
That one's haunted. yeah And then i gave I gave this one the same eyes and then that one got the eyelashes. But eyelashes, so fancy. Yes. Yeah. I really look how that they like this. The ears look like a, I love the like bow ears on that one.
00:43:45
Speaker
I really love it. So good. How delightful. ah So good. I'll have, um if you wouldn't mind sharing me or sharing, sending me a picture of, of that. Sure. After this, I will be sure to share that on Instagram.
00:44:01
Speaker
ah For anybody who just listens to the audio, you'll be able to see our little bunnies. That was delightful. Thank you so much.
00:44:10
Speaker
Thank you. Really.
00:44:14
Speaker
Um, all right. So as we are wrapping up, um, are any one, any kind of last thoughts or it's just things that have come up ah throughout our conversation and, or, um for people who might be struggling, ah to enjoy their creative practice or create a, settle in on a creative practice that makes them feel like proud and satisfied with their creativity.
00:44:40
Speaker
Um, what kind of things would you suggest? oh I love that question because that is something that I have been exploring for myself recently in like trying to find new creative endeavors or hobbies and getting frustrated at that like starting phase, especially when I start it and I'm really bad at it. And I'm like, I would wanted to do this to enjoy it and I'm not enjoying it.
00:45:10
Speaker
yeah And my therapist gave me the, this thing to think about is that can I like, okay, maybe I'm like really bad at this activity right now. Maybe it's frustrating. It's hard to learn.
00:45:25
Speaker
But like, and I'm not having fun, but can I look at it as, can I allow myself to enjoy the process of learning it? Can I open myself up to possibly enjoying it in the future?
00:45:43
Speaker
Even if I don't enjoy it now, can i allow myself to like lay that foundation to enjoy it more in the future? Once I kind of like, you know, have a better grasp on it and I'm able to do it like easier.
00:45:55
Speaker
or I, you know, get that container or those enabling constraints set up so I'm able to do the thing. So i think like just having that openness and curiosity of like, how can I,
00:46:11
Speaker
enjoy the journey. I, I fucking hate that too, but I'm also learning that like, Oh, this is like, this is like my big life lesson is that like, it's not about the outcome. It's about the journey. Yeah.
00:46:22
Speaker
And so like, it's a cliche, but it's a, it's a pretty true cliche. Yeah. Yeah. and so just, yeah, i'm being open to the process and opening to the prospect that I can enjoy this one day.
00:46:38
Speaker
Yeah.
Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up
00:46:40
Speaker
Yeah. I love that. I think that's, it's like those, um oh, actually one of the neurodivergent coaches that I had on here, Kira Sutherland was talking, well, cause we were talking, I mentioned like ladder thoughts. So like that idea that like, maybe I don't enjoy it now, but I want to open myself up to the idea that I can enjoy it someday.
00:47:04
Speaker
Um, and they were like, yes, ladder thoughts, but instead of making it hierarchy, make it lily pad thoughts. So it's like ah a next one, like a next one you can jump to, but so yeah we're moving the hierarchy. So i love the lily pad thought that like, if I'm not enjoying it right now, how can I set up, set myself up to enjoy it at a later time while still maintaining my presence and my, um,
00:47:32
Speaker
my actions still going in the direction that I want it to. um So I love that a lot. Good Lily pet thought. Yeah. um Amazing. Well, thank you so much for being here and sharing yourself and your ideas and your systems and your structures with us.
00:47:49
Speaker
um Where can people find you? How can they get involved or work with you or support you? Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. Also, um I had that sewing machine.
00:48:00
Speaker
um in fact there It's my girlfriend. so Well, so mine is actually um my friend's. I've been borrowing it for years, but you know, that's just how things go. But yeah, it's that same one.
00:48:13
Speaker
um And ADHD, I couldn't not say it. um You got to say it. Out loud. So if anybody wants to check me out online, um my website is BridgetMarieEnergyDesign.com. That's what my business is called.
00:48:28
Speaker
I am also on YouTube at BridgetMarie.EnergyDesign. I'm trying to step away from Instagram. So trying to hang out more on YouTube.
00:48:38
Speaker
And i also have a newsletter that you can sign up for on my website. And I have, um, DIY, ah not DIY, what am I saying?
00:48:51
Speaker
Like do it together. Like I do custom Notion projects with neurodivergent creatives. So we can set you up with either like systems and processes in Notion or specific dashboards and entire workspaces so that you can get the things done that you want to get done. And then i also have ready-made Notion templates as well. And you can find all of that on my website.
00:49:18
Speaker
Amazing. Thanks so much, Bridget. Thank you. and Thank you, everybody, as always for listening. And as always, keep it ugly. The Ugly Podcast is created by me, Laura Alexander Scribe and Sunshine.
00:49:32
Speaker
It's produced and sort of edited also by me and written and directed by absolutely no one. Our theme song was written and produced by the amazing Zoetronic. If you like the podcast, be sure to rate and leave a review on your preferred platform and share with the creative people in your life.
00:49:45
Speaker
If you're interested in learning more about what I do, head to scribeandsunshine.com to learn more about my ugly art workshops and my editing services. If you haven't yet today, i dare you to make that thing you've been thinking about making but have been too scared it's gonna be terrible.
00:49:57
Speaker
Make it terrible. And as always, keep it ugly.
00:50:03
Speaker
You can do it. you can go you'll feel great