129: What is creative flow? The cycle of creativity with Jo Makas
I am not creative.
Have you ever said that about yourself?
I have heard it many times from clients I have worked with. But we are all creative. We all have it in us to create something magical.
You created your own business after all.
So let’s shift the narrative and learn how creative flow is something we have access to at all times, it just might look different depending on the cycle of nature.
This episode is set to inspire you and teach you something you may never have thought about before.
If you LOVED the episode, make sure you share this on your Instagram stories and tag me @essential.shift and @theembodiedapproach.
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KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS
What is creative flow?
What is the cycle of creativity?
How you can harness your own creative power
How you can harness the moon cycle to make you more creative in your business
SHOW RESOURCES
FOLLOW JO on INSTAGRAM - HERE
CHECK out Jo’s WEBSITE - HERE
READ more about the cycle of creativity - HERE
DOWNLOAD Jo’s FREE playbook - HERE
Want to connect and build your business with a support network? - HERE
FOLLOW me on INSTAGRAM - HERE
Find out more about how to WORK WITH ME - HERE
If you like this episode, don't forget to share it to your Instagram stories and tag me @essential.shift.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Joanne Makas is a beacon for creative souls seeking to step into their fullest creative potential. With a rich tapestry of roles as an artist, intuitive energy healer, feminine embodiment coach, creativity mentor, and sound healing facilitator, her life’s work is dedicated to nurturing the creative spark within heart-led visionary women.
Joanne’s passion lies in guiding you to connect deeply with your creative power. Through her unique blend of energetic embodiment practices and creative mentoring, she weaves together a curated collection of methodologies, drawing from the arts, the healing resonance of sound, self-care rituals, elemental alchemy, and the mystical cycles of the moon. This rich mosaic is designed to awaken your creative energy and tap into your innate wisdom, inspiring you to cultivate a consistent creative flow.
Bless it be.
With love, Laetitia!
PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION
Laetitia Andrac 0:00
It's okay, I'm gonna press record basically and I will ask you the first question that I always ask which is, who are you as a human being so you can share your astrological sign anything you feel called to share about you as you know, as a blueprint as an energetic blueprint. And then we're gonna go into what is the origin story of your business? Like how did you became the embodied approach sacred CEO, and then we're going to, which is often you know, the question I start with, and then we'll go with the flow and my focus is around making sure we speak about the cycle of creativity. And then at the end, I always invite you to share a link or resource and so on, and I think would be wonderful to share the playbook. Link like the playbook, and then speak about this program so unique that you burst during the retreat and that is ready to enroll and things like that. Okay. Yep. Okay. You're gonna be awesome. Dory, I'm confident.
Joanne Makas 0:58
Thank you.
Laetitia Andrac 1:00
Okay, let's do it. Recall. Hello, Joe. Welcome to the essential shift podcast.
Joanne Makas 1:08
Hi Laetitia. Thanks for having me. I'm really excited to be here.
Laetitia Andrac 1:13
Oh my goodness. I am so thrilled for anyone who was was going to listen to this conversation, to be inspired to reconnect with their creativity and how to be creative honoring their own cycle and all of that is going to be juicy. So stay connected everyone. Let's get into my first question that I always love to ask my guests and we know each other really well. But some people who are listening to this are discovering you. So can you share with anyone who you are as a human being Joe?
Joanne Makas 1:43
Yes, I am. Yeah, giant markers. And I am, oh, gosh, who am I? I'm an artist first and foremost an artist. I've always been a creative, my whole life. I've just stepped into that feeling of creativity. And I am a cancer son, a Virgo moon and Capricorn rising. And I'm a five to emotional generator. See my human design. So yeah, that's that's sort of my blueprint. My you might say. Yeah. And I'm the founder of the embodied approach.
Laetitia Andrac 2:25
You are and you really embody all of this in your work, you know, all of your energy of the cancerous moon and you know, this beautiful Capricorn rising and this generator energy it is so beautiful to witness you. Stepping into your beautiful light and your work. So Joe, for anyone who is discovering you and your work, can you share with us how the embodied approach came to be what is the origin story of this business, which is a very unique and innovative business. So for anyone who is listening to this, I love to go back to the origin story. How did you came up with this business idea? Yeah,
Joanne Makas 3:06
sure. Well, the embodied approach is a blend of creativity and also holistic well being. Something I forgot to mention before I am an intuitive energy healer, a sound healer, and a feminine embodiment coach. And so I weave those in with my creativity and the embodied approach is about expressing how to express from your body you know, in a creative way to really dive deep inside and find that creative spark that lives within you. And you know, a lot of us are in touch with that. But sometimes we aren't intuitively aligned with it every day and all the time. So the embodied approach is about yeah and embodied approach to creativity to making decisions and how you live your life. And the way it came about was I actually going back to when I was studying my masters at art school, at the National Art School, and I was also at the same time grappling with a condition like the that I have, and I sort of found out about it, it's a neurological condition. And that led me down the path of exploring the identity of the body, how the body thinks and feels, and that weaves its way into my work. And then when I finished my master's I, yeah, it was just on a deep healing journey as well. I had lost my sense of identity who I was, who I thought I'd be. I was, oh, gosh, how old was that? At the time? I can't even remember it just for me. I just, I just it's just something that doesn't ever really, I always have to stop and think about how old I am. I've many times I just feel like a you know, young woman I always feel at all sometimes I feel like I jumped between. But yeah, I always feel young. But back to my, my journey, my healing journey, which led me to embodiment practices. So I was doing a lot of talk therapy at the time as well, but I fell into Cymatics as well in somatic therapy. And it really aligned with a lot of what I was doing my art practice. Yeah. And then from there, I just started to explore even more and more. And that's how I fell into sound healing as well.
Laetitia Andrac 5:40
I love it. Yeah. taking us through this story, because it's, you know, a lot of people think that everything happened overnight, but it's actually years decades in the making, for the embodied approach to come to what it is
Joanne Makas 5:57
today. Oh, yeah, definitely. is one of the first things that I studied and it was more just for myself because I was trying to work out how to live with this condition was our Aveda, a woman's form our VEDA wellness, some quartz, and initially it was just to help me and then from there, I realized it was another avenue to be able to support other women and help other women who are going through that transition of trying to re identify who they are. And also at the same time I was going through perimenopause, so there was a lot of you know, there was a lot of stuff going on, which was really like difficult at times to navigate and I had, I think, gone from a lot of my very masculine way of doing doing very focused and disciplined and hardworking. And I fell into my feminine but then I crashed into it as well. And I realized at some point along my journey, I realized there needed to be a flexibility between the two a dance between the two, so that I wasn't always just the my sort of messy flowy feminine, but I also was able to bring the discipline and the masculine sort of side of me together. So that's really I think that's what the embodied approaches is actually
Laetitia Andrac 7:29
yes. And it is really like a long journey for you to come into this space where now you're serving artists, creative innovators, with this beautiful unique offering, which we're going to dive deeper in but before that you mentioned and we know each other for three years and I've witnessed your transformation for the last three years being your business doula, but for anyone who is listening to this, you touched on it very quickly, your masculine energy of your past career but I think it is very important to mention what is what was this carrier because you know when you share that with me it was three years ago because I met you when you were in your feminine, you know, really into your feminine. And the day you shared with me this past. John, what was she doing? I was like, oh my goodness, we can harness that. And today you're harnessing the past Joe the present Joe and the future Joe and this is something that is so beautiful to witness. But for anyone listening to this because a lot of people like oh, I cannot be in that space where Joe is you can actually be because Joe before that I had a very successful career in a very masculine energetic work but can you share with anyone so that they can reflect also on their own journey?
Joanne Makas 8:45
Yeah, definitely. Um, I worked in fashion for 15 years, and I worked in production and I was a production manager, probably the last eight years before I moved into fine art. And a big part of my job was yeah, just planning, organizing spreadsheets strategy, managing a big team as well. I was in a high end fashion label at the time, and we were shifting from you know, and I started it was cinnamon and I started with them from a small when they were a small company, and we were working in a little studio in Surry Hills. And we moved to Alexandria and I was part of that sort of beginning stage of their growth which was really exciting. But was a lot of a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication. And I had a young family as well at the time. Yeah, my Yeah, my son, my kids were in there. So they were they were kids, and I was working full time. And so yeah, I was very much into that doing and doing I exercised a lot. I really pushed my body and at the time I just felt like that was I was being healthy and I was being Yeah, just healthy which now I look back at how I was operating, and how I see that I never really gave myself that opportunity for rest and taking time out. I did take time out. I was good at that. But I still pushed very hard and if I and so I had a cycle of highs and then crashing and burning out. Yes.
Laetitia Andrac 10:33
And that is so beautiful to share. Thank you so much Joe for sharing that. And this is a beauty of your past and what you learned through those experiences and how you can now help everyone who may be in that cycle of their life you know in this lifecycle. So there is some things that you have created and I've witnessed you creating and birthing air during the different retreats that you came along with me and the work that we've done together but I think this is like such a beautiful IPs that you've created, which is around how we are cyclical in our creativity. So can you share with anyone who's listening to this? What is it talking about? What do we mean by the cycle of creativity and what is that?
Joanne Makas 11:18
Yeah, definitely. It's something that yeah, it has come about very slowly. A lot of it sort of started when and I think it's divine timing really. It's always about divine timing, isn't it? It has it's been it's always and this is where you know, I have had to work through my perfectionism as you know you've worked a lot with me on that. And that's been one of my big sabotages is perfectionism and not getting out there because it doesn't you know, it's not quite perfect. Not quite right. So you've helped me a lot to get past that and it's good enough and also the beauty of work. And that is actually what creative flow is working and letting it just flow and then working with other people and letting letting it grow and take its organic sort of form, which I think is how we're where we're at now. But yeah, the cycle of creativity came about from from air Aveda and from the work that I do with you with you know, elevator in business that I you know, that I studied with you as well, and implementing those into my business. It that was probably the first little you know, light that came that that I that I felt around Oh, that's really interesting. So it has taken me a couple of years to for the concept to really sort of come together but yeah, the cycle of creativity is really the energetics of creative flow and I aligned it with with the phases of the moon. And so understanding you know, understanding the phases of the moon, which is actually aligned to the female hormone, you know, menstrual system so I find the phases of the moon really a wonderful way for me now to be able to bring me back to my body. Sometimes I do forget and I get into that really masculine space of doing and it's wonderful to have the body to remind us to come back to ourselves and say, Okay, where am I can check in and see where I'm at. So um, the site the energetics of creative flow is really following the, the phases of the moon. So when we're in the new moon phase, it's a very reflective phase. So being in that creative flow in a reflective creative flows sort of way, is what the first sort of that's that's one way of thinking about it. But if I go back to Yeah, the energetics of creative flow is is following the phases of the moon. So understanding that it's not really ebbs and flows and it's not really I'm not creative and creativity is only available to you that one time of the month, which that most people call it the creative stage. When you're it's that the waxing stage of the moon and also just after your ovulation when you're going yeah, when you're going towards your period, so towards your menstrual blade, so that phases they call it the creative phase. I actually call it the intuitive sort of instinctive phase. Because I think we're creative the whole way. It's just that it looks and feels different along the cycle. So creativity can be reflective. It doesn't have to always be about output. It's actually also about you know, creating something or being engaged in a creative activity that is not outcome driven.
Laetitia Andrac 15:13
That is so true. And that is such a unique way of seeing it which is actually you aren't creative in the whole cycle of the moon. But the way you are creative is looks different. If the moon is widening or the wind is waxing if the moon is new, or even when the moon is full. So can you guide anyone who is listening to this and they're intrigued around what would it look like for you in your own creative practice of honoring that like what would you do so for instance, you are an artist of course and you create beautiful artwork. So what would it look like for you, Joe? Embracing this cycle of the moon in a in a project? Um,
Joanne Makas 15:55
it is about blending that strategy with this and sort of so we have deadlines that we need to meet and mapping out those deadlines. And then within that, you know, planner, identifying the different phases of the moon or the different phases of energy really so of energetic so whether it's a reflective, you know, each week or as we move along, if it's a dynamic phase, then you know that that's when you're going to be a lot more focused and you'll get a lot of stuff done. So and it's also when you're more inclined to be reaching out to people. So it's a really great time to be promoting what you're doing to be then reaching out to people to talk about what you're doing to apply for those exhibitions. Or or at prizes or whatever it is you're doing. So the dynamic phases are really great time to do those types of jobs. Whereas the the creative phase, you know, the that instinctive phase is a great is a great time to allow yourself just for free play for that sort of just allow ideas to come through and just go with them. And also allow yourself to jump around. I was fine that at this stage, it's i and it's not about completing anything. Don't try and complete something in this stage. Either. The the time to sort of complete is just after the full moon. So in that sort of the full moon on where am i I'm getting a bit lost here again, it can be quite complex and I do have it all very much written out and I actually then will create a calendar for myself and I will then refer back to the moon phases or the energetics of each week and and it's not perfect doesn't always align because it's life. So you know, it's about being flexible and working through things. But knowing that, you know, this is not a great week to be social is a really good time to block in studio time because this is when you're going to be the most sort of just inward. And it's I that's what this week is it's a really lovely time to be just writing or being in my studio pottering around, creating things working on things intuitively. Amazing.
Laetitia Andrac 18:29
And what have you notice thank you for sharing that with us and for anyone who is curious about the cycle of creativity and so on. We'll put a blog that Joe wrote about this topic for you to dive deeper and look through the different phases and all of that. And you know how I love to teach in the iodine business, how to honor those phases in your business planning and I love how you created your own IP around power that is applicable to actually the cycle of creativity for artists innovator creative, all that it is so beautiful to see how you took this and you actually made it your own with your own. You know, expertise and your own experience because we may have different experiences as everyone so I highly recommend I will put the link in the show notes. But some things that came up as you were talking as a follow up question to that is what are the things that may get in the way for someone to actually tune in with their body and the cycle of the moon in their creative process? What have you noticed in the multiple clients that you've supported the multiple artists that you're supporting and yourself as well as an artist as resistance around honoring this cycle of creativity honoring this consistent flow? That looks different every phases of the moon in terms of creativity?
Joanne Makas 19:51
Yeah, definitely. It comes back to the self sabotage and our negative self talk or our mindset and that's why I do like always coming back to that that map because it's a reminder that you know, sometimes we think, Oh, I'm not creating something or I'm not getting things done and why could I have why was it okay a week ago, and now I can't do this. And it's a really nice way of reminding me to be kind to myself, and to honor the phase, the energetic phase that I'm actually in right now. And so that I think is what a lot of the time is what the blocks are or the challenges of you know, I think it's and also we live in a very sort of, with, you know, like a world where we have to do lists and we have like we're we're raised to achieve things in a particular way. And it's shifting away from that. So when we're trying to shift away from that, it's actually quite hard. Whereas now actually, I do find it a lot easier for myself to drop into it. It's normal to get busy and life takes over and I've got a million things to do. And I'll start going down that path of ticking off the to do list, but then it's about coming back to my body. And that is a practice that I do every single day. It's like okay, just sitting with myself with my body. And it's not through meditation and it's not through any other practices, but it's just sitting there and saying, okay, body What do you want today? How do you feel today? What is it that you want to do today? And even though we I do have certain things that I must achieve? I do it in a way that is honoring my body more. And then I really look at what I had planned to do and if I am tired and if I am feeling fatigue, then I'll reshuffle my schedule around and move things. But um yeah, I think the yeah the challenges. I think it's I think it's an awareness and understanding of what your sabotages are where your challenges put because everyone has different challenges and different so it's that's where I like to work, you know, one on one with people because like I said, before, mine is perfectionism. Yes. Other people it's procrastination or negative self talk or not feeling valuable or not feeling good enough about themselves and always having that and they have a history of that in their life. And so, it is it is very individualistic. Like it depends. Yeah, on your, on your story, what your life has has been on what your challenges and what you've gone through and, and at the same time, I think it's also looking at where your strengths are. And so then bringing making sure to bring that in as well.
Laetitia Andrac 23:05
I love it. And that is so true that you know a lot of individuals are looking for one quick fix, but actually, there is a path that looks different for every one. Especially as a creative artist, impact driven entrepreneur. Like whoever is listening to this podcast, you're actually all of you have your own story as you're reminded us and I know that personally what's blocking me with my creativity is real. It's was perfection for a long time, but I walk through that I love to call myself a recovering perfectionist and I love how I help now my clients recover from that as well. But now it's definitely the self doubt. I am always doubting, you know, this kind of imposter syndrome. But it's reassuring to see that 70% of people will feel impostor syndrome at one point in their lives and like, oh, I don't feel alone. But for me, it's really this self doubt and impostor syndrome like who am I and I need sign always from the universe Damn, you know, you actually knowing so much it's time to you know on the stage on that on the space on that. So, wherever is listening to this and you know you may be blocked right now in your creative flow in the cycle of creativity. Just reach out to Joseph and she can help you unravel what's blocking you and really connecting with that. And there is some things that I love to ask my guests which is what is your biggest lightbulb moment as I call it in my book? It may be a fact of moments, but what are those moments of pure failure or moments where you're like, oh, my gosh, I shouldn't have done that. But actually was a lightbulb moment for you in your business journey with a embodied approach.
Joanne Makas 24:50
Oh, wow. That's a great question. What's a light bulb moment for me? I think it was the the moment when I decided to bring creativity with my embodiment practices. Prior to that, I wanted them separate. I never actually planned to be speaking about creativity or bringing creativity into it. For me it was there were always two different practices. So I think the light bulb moment for me was when I did start to bring them to weave them together. And probably that's when it dropped for me around the cycle of creativity and how I'm operating within with energetics and in that sort of way. And what's interesting is that I think I'm pretty sure I've done this my whole life just intuitively. I have always felt very creative. I've never doubted myself. And I've even in terms of a skilled illustrator or it's not it's not my practice. It's not who I am as an artist. It's not what I do. And yet I've never felt less than someone who has that skill. I admire them. And I sometimes do wish that I could draw like they do or have that skill, but I don't. I have other skills. And so I'm very lucky to have never had that, that type that impostor syndrome. They're or they're not feeling good enough. You know, why am I here, when everyone else around me have, you know, amazing, you know, have these amazing drawing skills, especially going to an art school like the National Art School where drawing was a really huge component of our studies. But where I did Excel was they're all in the expanded drawing in the in the, you know, the the space where it's about your thinking in a more expanded way, thinking about drawing more conceptually opposed to in an as an illustration and then that filters into my painting practice, which then led me to installation work. And then now as a sound healer, I'm wanting to bring the sound into my into my art practice as well. And I'm slowly starting to weave that even more together the creativity with the sound and the energetic healing work that I do.
Laetitia Andrac 27:21
Yes, definitely. Oh my gosh, that is such a beautiful space that you play in which is really innovative and there is no one like Joe to offer that which I really love. And what was one thing that you're very proud of which was a very courageous, intuitive, bold moves that you took in your business, I have witnessed you in the last three years that we've been working together taking so many bold moves, but if one is coming and sparking what it is, and maybe it's one that's coming soon, you know, I don't want to I don't know if you want to disclose the next iteration of the embodied approach. But what is it?
Joanne Makas 27:59
Okay, I'll say two things. One is one is definitely my blog. Launching and finally allowing and I think that's where my imposter syndrome comes in, because in this space, I think who am I to be doing this? So yeah, definitely. launching my blog and sharing my ideas and my views and I'm a I'm a closet nerd. I love to research I go down that rabbit hole of research. Reading is so is one of my biggest loves. So yeah, I think it's that the blog and the second one is definitely what you mentioned before it is I will be opening a creative and holistic wellbeing space at the end of the year. And that's a huge move very bold. I'm sort of thinking why am I doing this now? At 55? Like seriously, because it's fine. Yeah, exactly. It is definitely time. I think also, it's about what one of the reasons behind it is so that I can bring everything into one space and it's about efficiency, like how to use my energy more efficiently and be in a space where I can do the different things that I do. I think for a while I think that was actually probably a really great shift for me, was for a long time I was trying to narrow it down and focus on one thing and it's so hard for me. And I realized one day I actually don't need to do that. I can actually do all these different things. But it's again, how do you manage it energetically? How do you manage your energy and your you know, in terms of time and space and moving around, it's can be exhausting. And fatigue is something that I deal with because of my neurological condition. So yeah, the space is one for that. But the other big one is yeah, I really want to get out there into the world in real and have a space where I can share the magic of, you know, creativity as a healing modality. You know, I think that's what it is. It's this embodied creativity that I have somehow developed and I do and for myself, even though I'm an artist, and I have my practice at the same time, I have these other embodied creative practices, which is separate to my, to my art making, and it's separate to my work. They're purely there as a way of me connecting to my body connecting to the wisdom that lives within me, connecting to my ancestors, my you know, and all that sort of stuff so that then they can help guide me and I can move forward with a lot more grace and a lot more ease.