Creative and Emotional Alchemy

May 6

Here is what I’ve been really curious about lately:

How can we alchemize difficult emotions into creative action?

The following is a first attempt at articulating my thoughts and ideas around this question by exploring one particular emotion: anger.

(Next might be sadness and grief.)

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Did you know that anger and passion stem from the same source in the body? Anger is really passionate life force trying to express itself through you. It's in our DNA, it's what makes us human.

Yet, from a young age, we’re taught that anger is negative and an unproductive emotion that needs to be mitigated. Anger doesn’t seem to fit in with the “pleasure principle,” our human instinct to seek positive feelings and avoid pain.

But anger seems to do three helpful things to our mind and body:

It’s like a boost of energy, focusing attention. Anger energizes us. It emboldens us.
It activates the part of the brain crucial to establishing behaviors that push us to pursue desired goals.
It makes our thought process less structured, less logical, looser, and more able to see the wider scope of the problems we face.

Contrary to the idea that anger clouds thinking, properly understood it is an astoundingly clarifying emotion.

Anger can feed creativity in ways that allow us creators to name the wrongs we see, give voice to people and ideas that are underrepresented, and imagine a world where positive change can happen.

For example, a part of me feels frustrated because we don’t get properly educated on the impact of stress, trauma, attachment issues and shitty lifestyles on our physical and mental health. I could have saved myself a ton of struggle and pain with more knowledge, but it took me years of self-education to understand how it all worked and to heal myself. I’m also kinda angry that we don’t get taught about the power of the breath and how to use it like a remote control to regulate our nervous system. Like - why TF not? #human101

All of this anger drove me to share what I’ve learned as a creator on my blog and on YouTube, and spread the power of the breath as a breathwork teacher.

Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Gandhi and many more used the inner message of anger to create transformation. In their mastery of anger walking the path with it as an ally, they unleashed tremendous creativity to achieve their ends, mobilizing others and ultimately making an incredible mark on humanity. Their artistry of anger changed the lives of many forever.

If you’re angry right now, the worst thing you can do is ignore it or try to suppress it. Instead, channel that anger into a productive and creative source. Better yet, use that productivity and creativity to address one of the problems our world is dealing with right now and invoke change.

Maybe you’re angry because the panini crisis is not ending and because you disagree with how your government deals with it all.

What makes you angry right now?

Maybe you are angry at your parents for the challenges you experienced as a child and all the inner healing work you have to do today as an adult.
Maybe you are angry at yourself for not getting your shit together to quite your job and finally pursue your dharma.
Maybe you are angry at life and the universe because things are not going the way you want them to.
Maybe you are angry at your partner, at a friend or the unfriendly cashier at the supermarket.
Maybe your anger is suppressed creativity wanting an outlet, but shoved aside due to the responsibilities of daily life.

Awesome. Embrace it. See your anger as information. What is your anger trying to communicate to you? Meet yourself, with acceptance and awareness.

Aware anger can change the world.

When we feel the energy of the anger, we can use this energy to create something. You can use it to write, to paint, to start a business or a new project, to make music...

(But also: Yelling into social media is not the same thing as making a painting or writing a novel.)

I first transmute my raging emotions via somatic work, breathwork and sitting with myself, punching pillows, yelling when no one is around, dancing, shaking and writing in my journal as stream-of-consciousness writing - and then I can use my wise anger to create.

As I create, I become bigger than any particular feeling. Just because I have anger doesn’t mean that’s all I have. Other feelings are free to show up in my work.

Anger can be fire for creativity and innovation. And as I use this powerful fire, I move beyond being a reactor to being a creator.

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My partner and I are organizing an exclusive online workshop (in German) on how to consciously deal with and process anger. It will include a series of practices to help you turn this fiery emotion into your superpower.

If you want to learn more about how to create a new and healthy relationship with anger, then come join us for “Himmel, Arsch + Zwirn! - Endlich richtig wütend!” on May 15.

Early bird ends in two days.

Click here for more information.

⚡️ My latest YouTube video:

How I Optimize My Life for Meaning + Health

I've been re-evaluating my life for a while and came to realize what truly matters to me.

There are three key areas that are making a huge difference to the quality of my life these days.

This video is dear to my heart. I'd love for you to watch it here:

🐧 Cool stuff I invite you to check out:

Podcast: How to Make Life Effortless with Greg McKeown on Modern Wisdom
I'm a huge fan of Greg's first book Essentialism that I read several years ago. He now published a new book that I can't wait to dive into. This episode serves a good intro exploring questions such as: Is the toughest path always the right one? Is the more important a thing is, the harder it has to be? Or is there a way to make the execution of what matters most in your life a little easier?

Article: In Lieu of Real Drugs, I Now Take Hits of Tim Ferriss by Alex Olhonsky
I read the 4HWW by Tim Ferriss in 2011 (changed my life back then like so many others') and even though I was never a die-hard fan of him, it's been interesting to watch his evolution and healing journey. As he has evolved, he basically took his followers as passengers on his metamorphic journey. In this essay, Alex outlines how the Tim Ferriss gateway drug works: 1st hit = Productivity hacks. 2nd dose = Deeper & psychedelic. 3rd fix = Healing trauma.

Video: The most important step in life by Hindz
Loving myself some Hindz wisdom these days, he just sums it up so nicely: "Gotta leave room for the magic to flow into the process." I can attest: The steps I didn't plan are the ones that made all the difference to some of the best things that happened in my life. Letting go of making elaborate plans and opening up for serendipity was my big lesson even before the 'rona hit - and it's been one of the most valuable and life-changing lessons for me.

Insta Post: What Urgency Culture Looks Like by The Holistic Psychologist
I've been thinking about time urgency, because I used to feel it too: This underlying feeling that there just is never enough time, to expect immediate results, responses, and immediate gratification. It's basically the world we live in and it's almost an act of resistance to normalize the pause, to slow down, to take our time. Definitely have a look at the beliefs and stories she talks about in this post - I have a feeling you will also identify with a couple ;)

App: Calmly Writing Editor
Sometimes, all I want is a fully white page to braindump my words onto. Even though I mainly use Scrivener to write, at times I like to mix it up and go more minimalist. This editor is exactly how I like it: white and simple. I currently only use the web version, which serves my purpose well, but they also offer a desktop app.

Music: Reinhardt Buhr on Spotify
This artist is currently on hot rotation when I'm writing (ie. now!). His music is divine. His music is improvisational and like a sacred orchestral sound journey. He combines guitar, electric cello, didgeridoo, vocals and percussion in a way that is truly special. I love all of his songs, but this one is my favorite.

Video: Be There, Be Present by Greg Dennis
During lockdown in 2020, photographer Nick Pumphrey turned to where he felt most at home - the sea. He dedicated to taking his camera in the sea for every dawn of the month of May, and sharing his experience each morning with ten photographs on Instagram with the hashtag #DawnDaysOfMay. This film captures Nick's story. (I'm in love with his photography, it's unreal)

🧚‍♂️ Quote wisdom that I'd like to pass on:

“Nobody will stop you from creating. Do it tonight. Do it tomorrow. That is the way to make your soul grow… The kick of creation is the act of creating, not anything that happens afterward. I would tell all of you watching this screen: Before you go to bed, write a four line poem. Make it as good as you can. Don’t show it to anybody. Put it where nobody will find it. And you will discover that you have your reward.” - Kurt Vonnegut
“Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as means of escape.” - bell hooks
"We think our distraction is due to external triggers––our devices and the outside world. But 90 percent of distraction comes from internal triggers, uncomfortable emotional states we seek to escape. Thus, becoming indistractable begins with mastering internal triggers." - Nir Eyal

📝 Journaling prompt I invite you to dive into:

What personality traits do you judge or criticize in other people, on social media, your friends, family or colleagues?
How do you possess and condemn the very same traits within yourself?

Uhhh, I love myself some good shadow work journaling. This one is a juicy entry-level one that I like to reflect on every now and again. It helps me to check with in with parts of myself that might still be hiding and bring them into the light. Give it a go, it's powerful stuff.

🪐 In my universe + what I'm working on:

Surfing a lot and am making lots of progress.
We went up to the capital Colombo a couple times for some big city shenanigans (dentist, chiropractor, epic food and coffee..).
Doing mentoring sessions with fellow creators, started giving private in-person breathwork sessions, doing weekly breath coaching calls.
Creating content around our anger workshop for social media and preparing the event. Hint: It's gonna be so dope!
My friend Jonny and I are part of a wonderful little virtual retreat that covers all things overwhelm, stress and burnout. Our session is on Breathwork for Stress Relief. Check it out here. (It's free)
Slowly looking ahead and thinking about our next steps beyond Sri Lanka..

This is it for today!

Thank you for being you.

With love and salt water in my ears (got smashed around in the waves a lot surfing this morning - gotta love those sessions too ;),‍

Conni. 🐋

PS:

Wanna get angry with me?

Ways you can work with me: