Let’s get real about creativity and aging! This podcast episode is a goldmine of insights on how to keep your brain sharp and your heart happy as the years roll on.

We brought in Jenny Leigh Hodgins, a Creative Empowerment Coach who’s here to show us how diving into creative activities can boost our brainpower and lift our spirits.

Creativity isn’t about perfection; it's about expression and fun!

We get into the nitty-gritty about how to navigate burnout and creative blocks, because let’s be real, we all hit those walls sometimes!

We explore practical tips on how to incorporate little bits of creativity into your daily routine without it feeling like a chore. Plus, we dive into the importance of self-compassion and taking time for stillness amidst our busy lives.

So, if you're ready to embrace your creative side, tune in and get inspired to play, create, and thrive in this beautiful journey of aging!

Takeaways:

• Creativity enhances mental wellness, so don't shy away from trying something new.
• You don't have to be an artist to be creative; it's about expressing yourself authentically.
• Taking time for stillness and reflection can rejuvenate your spirit and spark creativity.
• Even small bursts of creative practice can lead to significant wellness benefits over time.
• Embrace the idea of an 'artist date' as a way to nourish your creative side and explore new interests.

Links referenced in this episode:

• Find Jenny Leigh Hodgins here and get her free My Creative Empowerment Sampler: yourcreativechord.com/getinspiredhere
• Sign up for your 30 minute free discover call with me here: https://calendly.com/boomer-banter/30minutes
• Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Wendy Green: 00:00:16

Well, hello and welcome to Boomer Banter, where we have real talk about aging. Well, I am your host, Wendy Green, and every week we have honest conversations about what it really means to grow older in today's world.

Navigating health, purpose, relationships, caregiving, and everything in between. And I hear from people all the time that think something's wrong with them because retirement feels boring or lonely or like it's just off.

But here's the truth. Like losing structure, losing your identity from your career and or even motivation after a major life change like retirement.

That's not failure, that's transition. And you have not lost your value. You've simply stepped into a space where old routines don't fit fit anymore.

This is a natural and temporary part of adjusting to a transition.

And if you would like to talk more about this, you can schedule a 30 minute complimentary discovery call with me and I promise you will leave with a little more clarity about what transitions are and how they affect us and what could be an exciting new beginning for you. So I will include the link to my calendar in the show notes where we can set up a 30 minute complimentary discovery call.

All right, so you know how for wellness we are told to eat right and exercise and manage stress and then those are kind of tickets to age well. But what about creativity?

Could playing the piano or creating a beautiful garden or even making a new dessert really keep your brain sharp and your spirits high? Well, my guest today, Jenny Lee Hodgins, believes the answer is yes.

And she is here to share the science, the stories, and the strategies behind using creativity as a powerful tool for well being. So who is Jenny Lee Hodges, you ask? Well, she is a creative empowerment coach.

She's an author, poet and host of your Creative Chord podcast, which we will share for you in the show notes as well.

And with over 30 years in music education, performance and composition, Jenny Lee helps midlife women, caregivers, overwhelmed professionals, burned out creatives, and the creatively curious reconnect with their potential. Especially when you're facing burnout, boundary challenges, creative blocks, or life transitions like we just talked about.

Jenny Lee's creative empowerment coaching program guides clients in setting healthy boundaries, rediscovering their authentic voice, practicing self compassion, and building sustainable creative flow for greater wellness and inspired living.

She has a couple of books, Start Piano, what you need for successful Learning and Kaleidoscope of the Heart, which is a book of poetry and lyrics and they offer insights on creativity and music to support holistic wellness.

She also shares practical tools through her free Inspirational bookmark trio, which we're going to tell you how to get at the end, and leads the creative flow and inspired living Facebook group for ongoing inspiration and support. So wherever you're listening, tune into the rhythm and color of today's conversation and hopefully we will inspire some of your creativity.

So let's welcome Jenny to Boomer Banter. Hello, Jenny Lee.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:04:54

Thank you so much, Wendy. It was lovely to hear that and to be here with you today on your wonderful show.

Wendy Green: 00:05:00

Well, I am so glad to have you and you know, I've enjoyed every conversation you and I have had, so let's dive in. So you, you, you know, we talked about some people that don't feel creative, but you've lived a creative life. Music, composing, writing, podcasting.

So tell me about how creativity has shaped your own journey, especially after 60 and beyond.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:05:26

Okay, well, I, before I start, I want to say I've, I've, I have definitely incorporated insights from research and books and other podcasts. But what I'm sharing today comes primarily from my experience as a performer, teacher, author, poet, you know, coach and entrepreneur.

And the practical strategies that I have tested and refined with real people, including myself over years of guiding, know, creative exploration. And Speaking of post 60, of course, I lived as a creative my whole life as a pianist, composer, performer. I've taught kids ages 4 to 90.

Wendy Green: 00:06:04

Wow.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:06:05

But I actually started this, my online business and published both of my books right at age 60. You know, I started at age 60.

So this is to me a very new way of creating and, and connecting with people that we talked about that a little bit backstage. So it's wonderful because I am a live in caregiver for my 85 year old mother. So shout out to all caregivers. Take my cyber hug.

It is definitely a juggle, but it, it's wonderful because I can work it in the wonderful, you know, aspect of technology. Sometimes wonderful, sometimes you want to hurl your computer out the window.

But being a work at home online entrepreneur podcast, I can work with people all over the world while still maintaining a sustainable creative life and wellness for my mom and myself, you know, in that caregiver scenario.

Wendy Green: 00:06:59

Well, and as you mentioned, I mean, caregiving for your mom is a big part of your daily routine. So how has that influenced your perspective on burnout and the need for creativity?

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:07:13

Oh, massively. Because, you know, I purposely didn't have children.

I mean, I taught 600 kids, kids a week and 80 member choruses and then I would send them home, you know, as an, as an adult Living with an aging parent, I. I feel like I'm the parent often, as I know a lot of caregivers go through and, you know, the struggle to learn how to be more organized when we want to get out the door. It's not as simple as getting out the door anymore.

You know, you have to get things together and accommodate her rhythm and her physical ailments or whatever. So it's really taught me the necessity of.

One of the core pillars that I use in my coaching and all my products and my podcast content is the reset framework, which is about resetting my energy and taking into consideration things like, oh, I now have to accommodate, you know, my mother and her issues, so how I can fit that in and how I can take care of myself so that my creativity is sustainable, that's all part of, you know, the practice and what I do and what I help others do, if that makes sense.

Wendy Green: 00:08:19

Yeah, and. And I mean, well, you know, like, I help my mom, but I don't live with her. And another thing.

Well, and I'm, you know, I would think so, like, you need to be able to somehow have your own space to do the creative work that is so important to you. And I, you know, I'm curious how you figured out the balance and the boundaries around that.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:08:44

Oh, very good question. I did it by nearly burning to the crisp. I figured it out by burnout. And I'm in burnout recovery.

And, you know, that's why everything I'm doing is literally lived experience and learning how to navigate that.

And so, you know, just through that and in really engaging with others in the creative sphere, I've learned the most critical thing is what we always hear. You've got to take care of yourself first in order to be of use to someone else, especially when you're a caregiver. So I had to really step back.

And it's interesting because it goes hand in hand with a creative process, because creativity has an ebb and flow to it. You don't just constantly. If you're any kind of a creator of any sort, you don't just constantly output with no break.

I mean, we have heavy seasons of that. And I've just had one, you know, in my business where I'm creating, you know, well, I published two books. I built a business.

I just finished a bunch of products and. And setting up the back end and interviews.

And so when I have things like this, like interviews or setting up all that, then I've learned to shift into the eb part of ebb and Flow.

Wendy Green: 00:09:57

Okay.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:09:57

And give myself. Oh. I've learned there is a critical importance and this is really important for busy caregivers as well, to just have stillness.

Have that baked into my daily schedule where, for example, my mom has a rhythm where she gets up later. So I make sure I get up earlier, I make sure I proactively protect my night routine to get good sleep.

And then I get up early and do my exercise, my, you know, my prayer, do my own quiet time, then I'm ready for her and then I do her things. So it's kind of like stepping back and this, this fits in very well.

It kind of carried over from my piano learning and teaching days that, you know, part of the, the ability to excel and progress as a musician is your ability to step back and pause and kind of evaluate what's going on and then see the bigger picture that way and then proactively choose how to move forward.

It's the same thing, you know, I feel as a caregiver and business owner and coach, you know, learning to incorporate moments of stillness, learning to incorporate deeply self compassionate acts, whether it's simply reframing my talk or like I said, protecting my night routine, my wellness, my autonomy, my getting out and having social moments. You know, how the Julia Cameron, the author of the Artist's Way, right. Used to talk about the importance of having a monthly. So simple things.

And it doesn't have to be that artsy.

It could simply be, that's right, nature immersion, a walk in the park on your own, you know, or that's right, you know, visiting an art gallery if you want, or just going to a coffee shop and sitting by yourself and having a moment's peace, you know, simple things. That, that really helps me if that. I hope that answered your question.

Wendy Green: 00:11:51

Well. And you know, it's interesting. I wrote a, wrote a post and did a show called, you know, the. The Power of the Pause.

And I think, oh yes, you know, we, we tend to forget that because we're so focused on being productive and getting things done and. But I wanted to, I wanted to shift for a minute, you know, because so many people, when you say, you know, are you creative?

They're like, no, I don't draw. I don't do middle art, you know, no, I don't do music. Define what creative means for you.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:12:29

I love you mentioned that because spoiler alert. You are all creative beings, period.

Wendy Green: 00:12:37

Period. Tell me, tell me more.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:12:39

Yeah, and I've heard that so many times from so many, you know, clients and students and it's just flat out Mythbuster. Not true. You are creative. It's inherent. So okay, so how I would just define creativity.

To me it's a daily heart centered practice or rhythm that I've always naturally just felt it to foster meaning or authentic self expression and use self compassionate care. It's not about perfection. It's not about performance. It's not about technical skill. That's where a lot of people get hung up.

Creativity has nothing to do with that. Those are skill building things that we do as creators. But that's not about being creative. Creativity restores your energy.

Your is like awakens your inner soul. It makes you feel like you're truly in touch because you are to your authentic creative voice inside who you really are, what you really care about.

It also restores your resilience if you use it in a way to navigate your life's challenges.

Wendy Green: 00:13:45

But do I have to be an artist to be creative?

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:13:50

Not at all. It's about connecting to your inner authentic spirit, heart or voice and giving that space to live and breathe and exploring that modality.

Whatever you choose, whether it's art or music or dance or movement, whatever. It's about being attuned to your own voice. Just listening really. And that's. We're back to that pause.

You know that's a really critical part of tapping into your creativity is learning to step back and pause to hear your. Your voice. And it's creative energy is about.

A lot of people think it's about talent or you know, I can immediately draw something or I can immediately play something by ear or whatever. No, it's about problem solving. It's about embracing a unique perspective.

It's about trying an experiment or trying something new and seeing where it, where it takes you. And it's about finding value, value based meaning through your own life, through your challenges or through celebrating moments.

And I want to also stress because I know a lot of your audience is their caregivers or they're overwhelmed or whatever. Creativity does not have to be yet another task or a to do thing on your lips. Yes.

Wendy Green: 00:15:03

Please highlight that. Yeah. Because I don't want another task. Thank you very much.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:15:09

Exactly. And that's where I think a lot of people get hung up.

It's it be integrated gently again back to that self compassionate piece into your daily life as just short rituals. I would call them rituals rather than routines because that elevates it in the importance to your soul to what your spirit's needing.

It's simple things like taking time. I just talked to you a bit before we get on, on here.

I went for a walk in the park with my mom and we spent time finding simple, ordinary moments of beauty, butterflies or plants, and just recognizing them and relishing in their textures and colors and shapes. It's. It's like breathing, practicing breathing, mindfulness, doing things like the dishes and just tuning out everything but the actions.

You know, practicing mindfulness. These things kind of restore your creative energy and help you attune to it. It helps you find your voice.

And also, I want to stress it can be seasonal because like you, you know, like we said, a lot of us are busy and there's an ebb and a flow to creativity. And so sometimes the ebb, not sometimes, always the ebb is just as fruitful as the flow part or the creative action or the output.

So there are things that you can do.

Like there are practical and spiritual practices that go hand in hand with creative practices that nurture and sustain your own creative flow, help put you in touch with it.

Things like nature walks, nature immersion, taking time to pray, or in my case, I'm a Buddhist, so I do a chant, finding the pause, the stillness in your day, even if it's a five minute pause, you know, taking that moment of stillness or reflection. I want to say too, I had a friend guest that I had featured on your Creative Cord podcast a while back.

She's a caregiver for her aging mother who has dementia. She's a business writer by day.

And when her mom was going through all of this for her own sanity, she would just take time out in the hospital and start journaling and started writing poetry about what she was feeling towards her mother, towards the experience. And that ended up becoming, you know, a purpose for her, like a mission for her. She now has a podcast, Let the Flow, and, and features that.

But you don't have to, you know, you don't have to turn creativity into a big, you know, thing. It can just be simple light practices throughout your day.

It's the act of, you know, bringing something new into existence, whether you're building a skill like piano learning or taking drawing classes or exploring things like taking nature photography and just exploring the world. Yeah, Creative life really requires both of these things, the replenishment practices. And it just talked about the stillness, the reset.

Wendy Green: 00:18:01

Right.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:18:01

And the direct act of creating.

Wendy Green: 00:18:04

Yeah.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:18:04

And.

Wendy Green: 00:18:05

And I think it's important for us to, to do both, to redefine also. What? Yeah, you know, like if we take that pause, if we do that mindfulness dishwashing or you know, walk in nature or any of those calming things.

Like my, one of my routines is to journal every morning, you know, or most mornings. It's not. I, you know, I have to be realistic. Right. Sometimes flexible. That's right.

But just the act of taking that time to do that, I think helps to clear your brain and, and kind of refresh yourself for other thinking because.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:18:49

It helps you get in touch with and feel and that helps you release that emotion. That's a part of getting in touch with your creative, authentic voice.

And I think we're so accustomed to go, go, go and ignore your feelings that, that what you're doing there is a journal practice so critical for us, for our own, you know, creative wellness overall is you're getting in touch with your, your, your, you know, stopping the train, so to speak, and just really getting in touch with what you really feel. And that act of listening and reflecting, releasing emotions, that is a restorative, you know, practice for creative flow in itself.

Wendy Green: 00:19:30

So you have done a lot of research about this, Jenny Lee, and about what the impact is of creativity on our brain health and our mental health. Can you talk to me a little bit more about that?

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:19:43

Well, like I said at the beginning, I've incorporated insights from research and books and other things. But what I'm sharing today primarily comes from my own experience as a performer and teacher and coach and working with many people.

But for example, in my Start Piano what yout need for Successful Learning book, I did, I did dive into some research about that and, and the cool thing about, you know, shout out to piano learners everywhere, piano learning specifically, as opposed to art making or dance or something else creative.

You know, the research that I show in my book found that piano learning specifically boosted the cognitive function and all of these other wellness benefits like boosting your mood, your resilience and therefore harmony in your relationships, your cognitive function, it prolongs oral skills, the ability to hear better as you age. It boosts your eye, hand coordination, your independence, your mobility.

Because these are like learning the piano is a very complex layer, layered skill building, long term activity.

And so through all of that learning, even if you're starting from scratch, as you know, a new adult in your 80s or 90s or whatever, all of these benefits are shown to, to work especially and specifically for aging adults who learn piano, which I think is so awesome, it's more so than even art or, or other forms of creativity.

Wendy Green: 00:21:11

Huh.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:21:12

I think that's so cool.

Wendy Green: 00:21:13

That is cool. That is cool. So I know we've talked about it in the past that I need to get back to my piano, but it's another conversation.

So as a creative empowerment coach, why would somebody seek you out? What are they trying to accomplish?

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:21:31

Well, sorry, I'm not going to let you slide on that. I'm going to say, as far as your piano thing goes, I want to emphasize this because a lot of people think just shout out to. To your effort.

People might not know, but you actually played the piano through eighth grade and you haven't touched it for a while. And there's a lot of returning adult learners in that same scenario. It's not, don't make it into a mountain.

It's like use habit stacking to start incorporating just short bursts, five to ten minutes of, you know, sitting at the piano and just doodling on it or looking at a piece of music. Just start in a small way. Those little moments, it doesn't take much.

Literally, the research proves it doesn't take much, five to 10 to 15 minutes for that to rejuvenate all of those wellness benefits that I just said. And it also helps you get motivated to go further and to get a little more committed to it. So, sorry, I just have to.

Wendy Green: 00:22:25

That's okay. That's okay. When I sit down and try to play for Elise and it doesn't just flow like it used to, I'm like, okay, forget it.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:22:33

Yes. That's why you shout out to me the my piano specific episodes on your creative chord podcast.

I have multiple, and there were some of my most popular podcasts, multiple podcasts that talk about that, the mindset and the strategies when you're returning to practice, how to make it not frustrating, how to make progress, how to, how to do it successfully, where you feel joy, not okay, just redirected. But as a, as a coach, as a creative empowerment coach, I practice.

I mean, I focus on practical, everyday strategies that fit into our busy lives, especially caregivers and creators and burnout, because I'm on my own burnout recovery journey. So it's lived in real time experience. And I emphasize, like I mentioned, a reset framework. I have a, an inspirational bookmark trio that I designed.

And they're basically these, the concepts of each of these bookmarks. This is the reset your energy and create a flow bookmark.

For example, these are the basis for all of my coaching and my products, you know, leading up to that. And they're actually featured in a freebie that I have called creative empowerment Sampler. It's just a guidebook based on these concepts.

So if you're curious. We'll, we'll give that to you, to you in the links and you know, at the end.

But I emphasize the reset framework first before the other two bookmark concepts because it's about energy restoration and most of us need that. It's about self compassion and most of us need that. And prioritizing essentials, setting boundaries and navigating what happens when you do that.

Because many of us like myself come from dysfunctional backgrounds and so boundary setting is a new terrain and we need to learn how to navigate it well. And all of this impacts creative block or those negative voices about our lack of creativity. That's where that comes from, basically.

So nurturing yourself, leaning on support, that's my reset, you know, framework. And like I mentioned, you know, I emphasize things like stillness and self care, meditation, yoga, whatever you can do.

Ride a bike, attend a concert, listen to podcasts like Boomer Banter and listening to music.

Wendy Green: 00:24:40

Creative chord.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:24:41

Yes. Or you're creative. Thank you. Or I call it time on the shelf. You know, make sure you have time on the shelf for yourself.

And these are actually really critical first steps in this reset framework to spark creativity, not additional tasks. And that's really important, especially if you're in burnout or burnout recovery.

And then I do things through, you know, the keys to nurture creativity. I do.

I cover concepts that are again, research backed, proven for myself and other creators that nurture your creativity and things like finding what you enjoy the most, what nourishes you, what your interests are, and tuning into your own creative voice and spirit and just taking that pause to really attune to it. It doesn't take much. Like I said, research proves that five minutes of this a day makes a huge impact on your wellness and all.

Wendy Green: 00:25:37

That'S amazing, isn't it?

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:25:39

Yes. And so, and just carrying on with that idea, the, you know, it reminds me of I'm a Buddhist, I've practiced Buddhism for 39 years.

And my mentor Daisaku Ikeda talked about so critical to become people who have a poetic spirit.

So do things like, you know, if you can't take a walk at night, just sitting out on your patio, looking up, gazing at the moon and having a conversation with the moon and nature, just short moments like that, it, it brings the humanity alive and that's what fuels creative, you know, energy.

Wendy Green: 00:26:17

What about that just made me think, having a conversation with the moon, what about getting in touch with that child side of you? You know, where we used to be creative, we made stories up, we Played with our dolls or our tr.

Whatever we played with, you know, we would lie in the grass and look at clouds and see all kinds of shapes.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:26:36

Yes. Like, that's funny because mom and I, when we drive, we still do that. Do you really look at clouds?

Wendy Green: 00:26:41

It's like she's like watching the road. Jenny Lee.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:26:43

Not me, my mom. Good point. Stop. Okay. Anyway, I'm glad you mentioned that because, yes, the playful side of it, that's, that's part of my creative exploration flow.

Concepts of that, part of the inspirational bookmark trio concepts. These were all in my coaching and the creative Impact empowerment sampler.

And what this part of this does that ties into that is learning to navigate that inner critic. And part of that is learning again to tune into that playful, you know, childlike ex.

Exploration, just for fun sake, you know, spirit that is critical to that. And, and, but part of getting to that, you know, your childlike, innocent purity spirit is letting go of that inner critic.

And there are, there are ways in that. I help people learn that through that, through that formula, basically.

Wendy Green: 00:27:35

So you teach people to say yes instead of saying no all the time.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:27:40

Well, that's, yeah, that's part of the boundaries in the reset.

Wendy Green: 00:27:43

Oh, that's the other side.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:27:43

The other part, yeah.

Wendy Green: 00:27:45

Okay. There's so many parts to this.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:27:48

Well, but it's a, it's a simple, self paced, self compassionate based start where you are. That's why starting on your energy first is where we start.

And then getting into that creative exploration formula, that's where you get to play and have fun and learn to let go of that inner critic. And, and it's just a very simple guide and it's very easy to access. It's step by step. You take it as you can in bits and pieces.

Wendy Green: 00:28:13

So do you feel comfortable sharing some stories about some people you've worked with and, and you know how working with you or how they found creativity or you know, how it turned their lives around?

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:28:27

Well, okay, off top of my head, many people, as we, as I mentioned earlier, have had many students and clients feel completely disconnected from any level of creative energy or talent.

They've literally been the opposite, like self depreciating, self slandering, not believing in their own ability to, to do whatever the creative thing, you know, that they want to do.

And through working with me, it really is kind of a self awareness journey where you start to recognize, oh, these are just layers of things that have been, you know, told to me by society or culture and we peel those away and start to recognize, especially through that creative exploration formula process, you know, learning how to let go of the inner critic or how to navigate it. And then once that set us, it's almost like take your head off and set it next to you.

You know, he doesn't have to be a part of the process, you know, and then just, you know, when I've taught them to just release that and, and connect with that, you know, the, the differences in people, their confidence level, people afraid to perform piano, for example, having terrible stage fright, becoming so confident that they relish the next recital and just feeling proud of themselves and getting in touch with that and just finding it because it's basically inside of you, you know, it's inside of each person.

And once you learn how to navigate inner critic and external voices and set boundaries that protect your creative energy and then you have some simple tools to walk through is just a self discovery thing. You know, pretty much anybody I've worked with has experienced that.

Wendy Green: 00:30:18

So we all have that inner critic. I mean, whether it's about creativity or our abilities to do a podcast or, you know, anything. Right. We all have that.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:30:27

Yeah.

Wendy Green: 00:30:28

Is there one tip that you could give us to talk to that inner critic and ask it to please stop?

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:30:39

I love that. Well, that's a, that's a great point in itself. And I literally just said this to someone else recently who was asking about that.

You can talk back to your inner critic. You can flip it around. You know, why are you coming at me like this? And play devil's advocate, okay?

You're saying that I can't do whatever or I'm no good at whatever. Well, what about this?

What about I did this or I did that, or what about the fact that I have a curiosity to do this and my curiosity is larger than your criticism? What if I just want to do. I mean, just talking back to it is the point. You know, you have to just listen and take it.

You can talk back to that inner critic. And I think journaling that is really helpful.

You know, if you write out a thought that your inner critic has and then you can say something in your journal. Well, here's the opposite side of that. Here's the, here's the positive points, you know, that I see in that.

So I don't believe you because there's proof of the opposite. So that is a really solid way to do that. Just talk back to it.

Wendy Green: 00:31:43

Yeah, I like that. It's almost like getting back in touch. Not all the way to your child, but to being your teenager.

You Know when your parents tell you, no, you can't do that, you can say, oh, yes, I can. Yeah, right.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:31:55

Yeah. Bring out the rebel in you. I like that.

Wendy Green: 00:31:58

Yeah.

And I think, you know, I mean, I have, like, little signs up in my kitchen, like little empowerment signs that say, you know, very good this morning you got up and you can have a great day. That kind of thing, you know. And does it always work? Not 100, but it still is a way to talk back.

It's a way to say, yes, I can, and you can't stop me.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:32:23

I like that you do that because you have. It's a great tip to have visual reminders of positive review reframing or positive statements and put it around you so you can't miss it.

That is a great way to just tune into the positive, to, you know, work against the negative. And, yeah, you're right. We all have it. So it's. It's. You got to be proactive.

Wendy Green: 00:32:43

Yeah.

So if somebody hasn't picked up a paintbrush or, you know, a journal or played the piano for 20, 30 years, how would you suggest they try to even get started with something like that?

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:33:04

That's great. That's a great question.

Well, so, for example, just pick one creative modality that you want to explore this week, whether it's music learning or journaling or writing or art or movement, just pick one.

Or you can pair some together, like if you want to learn some drawing or painting or sketching, play some music, you know, while you're doing it, to mix the two together sort of thing. Just pick what speaks to you, what creative thing you want to in, you know, explore or investigate on your own.

And then start really simple and just observe your mood and your energy and your clarity and tune into your internal voice or your intent and really listen to it.

And if your inner critics in the way of that, just observe that and go back to really listening for your internal voice or your intent and let that, Your voice, your intent, your internal, you know, spirit. Let that guide you. Not the inner critic part.

And then I would say, you know, if you really want to make it a consistent part of your day, consistency does bring the best benefits. So habit stacking things, you know, like, if you want to get back into learning the piano, Wendy, you can start with your morning routine.

You know, stack it with, okay, I do it right after I brush my teeth, or I do it right after my morning journaling, or I do it right after dinner, or I do it as a wind down right before bed. Stack it with something that you already do, you know, to get that incorporated into your life. And it doesn't.

Like I said, it doesn't have to be 30 minutes or an hour or two hours. It can be five to 15 minutes and just working it in there. And like I also said earlier, we talked about that artist date.

Set a day or a time frame that you're gonna explore it like. Like schedule it in your, you know, in your day, in your calendar. And you can consider that artist date thing as an.

As an extra incentive, do something like, if you really love piano, go to a piano concert, you know, you know, somewhere. Find something that relates to that, that's going to inspire and motivate you, because motivation is for the birds.

I've never taught any of my students or any of my clients to rely on motivation. You. You have to set up tools and processes and systems that help you get there.

And part of that is the habit, stacking, getting yourself inspired by going on a, you know, an artist date, for example. And then you can do things like pair it with something else. Like. Like. Like you said earlier, you're journaling. You could.

You could pair your journaling or your spiritual practice with. And now I do my creative practice. I'm gon touch the piano for five minutes.

Wendy Green: 00:35:48

Yeah. No, and that's helpful. That is helpful too, to have it stack it.

But yeah, what's also helpful is you're telling me I can sit down at the piano for 10 minutes. I don't have to practice for an hour every day.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:36:01

That's hard for your brain, isn't it?

Wendy Green: 00:36:04

Yeah. I mean, when I was, you know, 10, 11, 12, I had an extra hour in the Right. Right now I probably do, but I don't feel like I do.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:36:17

Right.

Wendy Green: 00:36:17

And. And so it's overwhelming. And it's a good reason to say, no, I can't start.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:36:23

That's because the inner critic. And I totally get that.

Having been a, you know, a performer and teacher for 30 years, you think that one or two hours isn't enough, and that five or 10 minutes is ludicrous. But the point is, it's awakening your creative heart. It's awakening your creative spirit.

It's showing you that you're committed to, you know, exploring your own creativity again, and you're rebelling against that inner voice that tells you that you're not good enough. Unless you do an hour or two hours. That is rubbish. Because you can sit there for an hour, two hours, and make zero progress.

I've had plenty of people have had to guide away from that.

You know, as a teacher, the, the idea is incorporating that time, Even if it's five to, you know, 10 to 15 minutes initially, that's all you need to make an impact on wellness and resilience benefits from it.

But especially since you've played piano before, even if you're new to it and listening and you want to get into it, you can start with five to 15 minutes.

But I guarantee you if you make that a habit, stacked, consistent thing, you're gonna want more and it will naturally lead to more, you know, and gradually you'll fit in that 30 minutes or hour, whatever it is that you want to get to. But you don't start because that's an inner critic, that's not a creative heart approach, you know.

Wendy Green: 00:37:42

Okay, so what I hear you saying is, you know, stack this new habit that I want to incorporate into my life and I want to incorporate it into my life because it makes it. I'm. I'm anticipating that it's going to bring me joy, that it's going to help reduce stress, that it's going to, it's fun. Right.

And I'm going to have fun with it eventually.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:38:06

And it's beautiful.

Wendy Green: 00:38:07

Being critical of. Well, I sound, you know, so, so it's. Some of that is the shift there.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:38:14

Yes.

Wendy Green: 00:38:14

Is to incorporate that and to like I talk to people about when they retire, you know, and they're like, oh, I should. Why am I not. I don't know what my purpose is and stuff. I'm like, give yourself grace.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:38:27

Right.

Wendy Green: 00:38:27

You know, it's not gonna come like in 10 minutes.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:38:31

Right.

Wendy Green: 00:38:32

Everything takes time and practice and re. Framing and re. You know, energizing.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:38:41

Right? Yeah.

Wendy Green: 00:38:41

Yes.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:38:42

And I think you hit that nail on the head. It's. We don't find deep meaning and purpose at the snap of a finger.

We find it through repetitive self compassionate practices for stillness and listening to ourselves. And people aren't used to that. We're used to moving faster and not acknowledging what we feel, what we think, what we want.

So the more you practice that, the more you get in tune with that. Even starting small, it grows, it builds on itself. It really does.

Wendy Green: 00:39:10

Absolutely does. It absolutely does. Before we wrap up, you've mentioned artist date a couple of times.

Can you give a little more clarity on what an artist date is for people that have not read the book?

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:39:22

Oh yeah, when I read the book 100 years ago. But, but I just remember Julia Cameron wrote the book the Artist's Way and one of the. It's a great book. It's a good idea.

Wendy Green: 00:39:34

New one out now, by the way.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:39:36

And it's a. There's also a revised version of the artist's way too. That's out there. That's.

Wendy Green: 00:39:40

But she has a new one out called you're never too old to begin again.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:39:44

Great for. Yes, perfect for this. But the artist. The artist date is just.

And it's great for this stick, you know, tipping your toe slightly in the water of wanting to be creative again. She recommends just pick a day in every month and schedule it in. Then call it your artist date. And it can be whatever lights you up.

So, for example, going to a piano concert might be. If you're interested in piano and you love piano music, finding some local piano concerts and just deciding, I'm going to go to that.

And you don't have to do it every month the same thing. But you could do a piano concert. You could go sit in a coffee shop and read a book so that you can meet new people, you know, and.

And eventually become a fixture. If you go on the same day every month and people start to get to know you, you can go watch a movie, you know, take a.

Wendy Green: 00:40:36

Go to an art show, you can.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:40:37

Go to art gallery, take a nature walk at a local park, go to the arboretum.

Wendy Green: 00:40:43

Yeah.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:40:43

Tons of things that you can do, you know, whatever.

Wendy Green: 00:40:45

You do it by yourself, right? You do it by yourself.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:40:47

By yourself. Well, you can also do it with others, but.

Wendy Green: 00:40:50

But yeah, her way is you're dating yourself, basically, you're bringing it to you.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:40:56

For your own nourishment. Yeah. Yeah. So it can be whatever. If you, like dance, you could go to a dance class, sign up for dance class, or go to a dance concert.

If you like theater, you know, go. Whatever it is. You just go and determine that you're gonna nourish your own creative interest by going and enjoying it on your own.

Wendy Green: 00:41:17

And I, And I always appreciate it too, because, you know, so many times again, you. You feel like, okay, I'm gonna go to the farmer's market now, now, and zoom, zoom, zoom. I'm gonna get what I need.

When you go with the mindset of an artist date, you're like looking at everything. You're looking at the people, you're watching them smile, you're listening to music, you know. Yes.

And it is such a different experience when you can go with that slowness, I guess, and the ability to absorb what's around you. It's really very nice.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:41:49

That's what I call the reset. That Stillness and absorbing.

And that's the ebb of ebb and flow where you're just taking in life and appreciating and noticing it and paying attention to it. And it does, it does something.

It, well, scientifically it triggers neuro, you know, neuropathic, neuropathological, you know, brain pathways in your brain and, and refreshes your mood and stuff. But even without all that scientific gooblygock, it resets your spirit, it replenishes you.

Wendy Green: 00:42:19

It absolutely does. And Jenny, this has been such an inspiring conversation. So I want to leave our listeners with a challenge.

Okay, so how about those of you listening trying something creative this week? Maybe sketch, write, sing, dance, cook a new recipe, you know, plant a new garden, knit, organize your pictures, make a vision board.

I mean, whatever sparks you, right? And what I want to suggest is that you plan what you want to do right now while you're inspired after listening to this podcast.

And then notice, notice how that creative act makes you feel and how it changes the way you show up the rest of that day. Because creativity is more than art. It's really self care, as Jenny Lee has been telling us.

Now, if you want to get Jenny Lee's free inspirational bookmark and learn more about her, tell us how we can do that.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:43:22

Thank you so much. First of all, my inspirational bookmark trio has been expanded now into the Creative Empowerment Sampler.

It's a simple way to restore your energy, navigate creative blocks like that inner critic and nurture sustainable flow. And you can download my free creative empowerment sampler@yourcreativecord.com getinspiredhere.

It's just a gentle guide with practical tools to help you get started.

Wendy Green: 00:43:51

Great.

And, and plus you can find out everything else, all the courses and coaching and everything that Jenny Lee does, her books and things like that, that's all on that website. And that will be in the show notes. And, and if this episode resonated with you, you know, you're thinking, who else needs to hear this?

You know, please share it with them.

And if you want to talk about, with me about how coaching can navigate the transitions that you're in now, we can book a discovery call, you know, 30 minutes just to see where you're at. You know, would talking and coaching help? Or just a brief 30 minute talk is going to set you in the right direction again.

So I'm going to put the link in the show notes for that as well. And let's see, before we wrap up. Yes, I want to give you a little heads up about next week. So next week, you know, is Labor Day.

of my favorites from back in: 2020

And it's the inspiring journey of breast cancer survivor Sally Dunbar, who set a bold goal, I mean, a really bold goal. And proved that we're always stronger than we think. So while you're relaxing on the holiday, tune in and be inspired.

Telling you you're not going to want to miss this one. Thank you, Jenny Lee, thank you again. It's always good talking to you. And thank you all for listening. I appreciated the comments that came in today.

And we will see you next week. By.

Jenny Leigh Hodgins: 00:45:36

Sam.