Ep #125: (Part 1) The Achievements that Change Us with My Linh Luu

My Linh Luu: When I finished my novel last year, something changed in me. I feel like a new person. Not in the sense of, like, I achieved this. Something that I’ve always done in my life previously, I would achieve something and it would feel neutral, or actually not feel great at all. And I’d just move onto the next.

Something clicked with me though when I finished this novel, was because it was something that I really wanted to do, but it felt outside of my realm of possibility. But the way that I did it, with your support, with the mastermind and just this new paradigm of being a creative, I could see myself doing this for the rest of my life in a way that honors my self-care and my health and my rest and all of that. And almost, it feels as if it would be selfish of me to not share this with my people.

—

That was a clip from my recent conversation with Vietnamese novelist, writer, and coach My Linh Luu. My Linh is also one of my amazing, brilliant former private clients. And later, we got to continue our work together when she joined the Art School Mastermind.

It’s been a year since we started working together, and now My Linh has not only completed her novel, which she actually did in less than a year – she completed it in just around six months – but she has also built a beautiful, joy-filled, strong way of being and life that will serve her as a strong foundation and constant ally as she goes on to Columbia’s MFA program next fall – congratulations – continues to build her own coaching practice supporting other writers, and goes on to live out that lifelong dream; a beautiful, joyful, healthy life that includes the writing of many, many successful books.

I’m so excited to be able to share this conversation with My Linh today. Hers is such an inspiring and empowering story of what you do have to sacrifice. You have to sacrifice settling for old ways of being and thinking that requires you to burn yourself out and self-sacrifice.

And what you don’t have to sacrifice, which is completing your epic creative goals. You don’t have to sacrifice your dreams. And you don’t have to sacrifice that overall vision for a healthy, vibrant, beautiful life.

You are listening to The Art School Podcast; a show for artists and creatives who want to become the next greatest version of themselves. Learn how to cultivate an extraordinary way of being and take the mystery out of making money, and the struggle out of making art. Here is your host, master certified life coach, artist, and former lawyer, Leah Badertscher.

Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of The Art School Podcast. I hope you are having an excellent week. It has been an excellent one around here. After not feeling well, having some sort of bug or something last week – you know how you have that feeling like you have a new lease on life on the opposite side? I am definitely feeling that, enjoying these warmer temperatures, enjoying longer runs.

My knee is feeling great, so I’m pretty sure it’s because all of you have been sending me good healing energy for my knees. And also, thanks to my new Brooks running shoes. Those feel pretty awesome too. And I think just the elevation in energy from having more sunshine and it really feels like spring, the grass is getting greener.

And my kids are ecstatic to be outside. My husband installed not one but three new swings and a hammock on our property. So, they’ve been loving that. And it’s lighter out later, so they’ve been playing outside until it gets dark. So, just a great infusion of spring energy.

And definitely we have some awesome energy on the rise in the Art School this week because it was a contagiously awesome week. We had one client who met her Kickstarter fundraising goal for her album, which is amazing. Congratulations. You know who you are.

Another woman had some epic money breakthroughs. Another finished a draft of a creative work she’d been working on. And the list goes on. So, needless to say that we were talking about how it really is contagious when you are in a community where you begin to normalize celebrating one another’s successes, especially when that success comes on the heels of doing something that was really hard for you.

So, the client that hit her Kickstarter goal and was fully funded, she said the previous 30 days, it was the hardest thing she had ever done because it really required her to put herself out there in different ways. Quote comfortable with being a creative, but this really stretched her.

And to have a whole community of people witness that, see that, celebrate that, it is both extraordinary and it’s normalizing the extraordinary. And it is contagious. So, it’s just a testament to a rising tide lifts all ships. And then also this feeling of the normality of doing well, the normality of moving through difficulty and then also experiencing and integrating your own success. It just gives you this solid foundation upon which to stand.

It reminds me of that quote that’s attributed to Archimedes, “Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough and I will move the world.”

And I think it’s so important that we think about what does that mean for me? What is the place where I stand? What would that mean for me? What would I need? What would I require to have a place to stand? And what would be that lever?

Because I know – and this will lead in perfectly to today’s episode… I know so many of you listening, you have big dreams. You have dreams of moving the world. So, to begin to think of that as not just a pithy quote but an instructional piece of wisdom from a sage. You know, what are your places to stand and what is the lever, or levers, for you necessary to move the world?

And I would offer that celebrating – and not only celebrating for yourself, but really having a community that sees you, that gets you, and roots for you, to me there is no more solid place to be.

We were talking a lot in the Art School this week about a solid foundation and what that means to people. And really, because the goal is not to just get started. The goal is to build the foundation upon which you’re going to build your future. And some people already have a foundation in place, but sometimes the process by which you built it is no longer serving you. It’s like the integrity of that foundation has some problems, is compromised, and it’s threatening the castle, the cottage, the house, the palace, whatever your vision is, whatever the metaphor for your dream is that you want to build on top of it.

So, some of the work that we end up doing in the Art School is very foundational work. Even if you already have an amazing foundation, there are still times when you want to go back and make it even more amazing, or make some tweaks because you’re doing an expansion and maybe you want to build it out. And then other times, we move on from that foundational work, but it’s because we’ve built that strong foundation that you’re able to grow exponentially, that you’re able to scale if you have a business, that you are able to go for that next level in your creative work, whatever that means for you.

And so, with my guest today – and this is the first of two episodes – I am so excited to be able to introduce you to this amazing woman. Because she is an example of someone – well, there’s so many reasons she’s amazing. But one of them, she’s an example of someone who had an incredible foundation. And then also had these really amazing next-level dreams and goals that she was actively working upon.

And she’s a testament to digging in and doing the work and being in it for the long-term, taking the long view, and then also the testament to the kind of transformation and the kind of creativity that you can complete and create in just a year’s time.

Before we ever started working together, My Linh already had an impressive track record of high-achievement and overcoming obstacles and odds. You’ll hear her mention about how she left her home country of Vietnam and came to the states to boarding school at just 15. And she doesn’t share it in this particular story, but she also has an amazing story about how she was actually the one that brought the brochures to her parents about these educational opportunities.

And so, while she had this impressive track record, you’ll also hear her describe though, she felt she had hit a ceiling in terms of what she could create and what she could achieve. She still dreamed of being a novelist and writing books her whole life. But she could not see how that would be sustainable given the kind of harsh creative process that she’d used to accomplish her goals in the past.

So, when we met, we met because she was looking for a new way; a way in which she could achieve her creative goals. And most importantly, at that time, she was believing that there was a way. Even if she hadn’t found it yet, she believed that somehow somewhere she just knew that there was a way and that she was going to find it.

So, this was the crossroads at which we met, which is where I meet many of my clients; high-achievers who are ready to hang up the force, the push, the grind, the overworking their way to success. But they are not willing to compromise or settle for anything less but seeing their dream life, which includes their dream creative works, because they’re not compromising on that either. They’re not willing to settle for anything less but seeing that full creative dream, that full creative life, that whole picture come to fruition.

So, I have a little bit of a side story to share with you here today. It may seem like I’m on an irrelevant tangent, but I’ll pull it back around and you’ll see why this ties into this conversation with My Linh.

Today, I was having a conversation with a friend and a colleague and we were talking about our beliefs about attracting collaborators and friends and allies and also clients. And if you are an artist, you know, patrons, collectors of your art that are an energetic match for you.

And we were talking about all of the stories and the ways in which we’ve seen this bear out in our life and how it behooves you to not hold yourself back and to be aware of the ways where you’re toning yourself down or holding yourself back. And to just really embrace it and be unapologetic and to go for it. That if you don’t too, something dear is lost in the process. And a big part of that is you. You’re lost in that process if you’re not doing that.

And so, I had that conversation today. And too today, I happened to be going through my studio. I mentioned in earlier weeks that I’m refreshing and going to remodel in here. So, I was going through some old journals and I came across one from several years ago when I was settling into this new energy that I wanted to embody, really getting ready to up-level and elevate my coaching practice.

And I had written, been writing, about the claim that I wanted to stake in the universe and the work that I wanted to do and the changes, the impact that I wanted to make, what I wanted my contribution to be. And I would also spend time just freewriting about my dream clients.

So, I just wanted to share this small excerpt of one of those free writings about my dream client. They know they have a genius within them and are so ready and in love with that prospect of really going for it and creating a life beyond what their previous self could imagine. They’re hard-working and also able to be playful. Someone who has a capacity for seeing and understanding that there are entire new realms of possibility for what can be done and how it can be done. Someone who dreams big, really big dreams, goals, aspirations, visions.

And someone who isn’t afraid of showing up to do the work and is willing to make changes and change their energy to change their life. They’re not going to hold back or be shy about embracing all aspects of them; spiritual, intellectual, pragmatic, divine. They are highly creative, open-minded, and open-hearted, open to new ways of thinking and being and creating in the world. They are courageous. They are willing to transcend borders and barriers of all kinds, thought disciplines, genre, possibility, just geographic income, in order to bring about a new, more whole, loving, thriving, prosperous, creative, beautiful, bold reality.

So, I found that and it gave me chills because My Linh embodies that. And as I said, I wrote that several years ago, so it really seemed like a striking synchronicity that I also had that conversation today with my friend and that this also happens to be the day where I get to introduce you to this amazing person.

So, without further ado, let me begin with her brief but beautiful formal bio. My Linh Luu is a Vietnamese novelist and writer. She’s a romantic at heart who has lived in urban Hanoi, charming North Carolina, and the ever-restless world of New York City. Her writing includes both fiction and nonfiction and she likes to spend as much time analyzing as she does dreaming up new possibilities. She coaches writers both new and mature to finish their first books with pleasure and ease.

So, here is part one of this two-part conversation. I’ll give you a little heads up here and let you know that this does leave you with a bit of a cliffhanger and a tease as right after I ask My Linh about her process for finishing her manuscript in less than six months, I then leave it as to be continued for next time.

But you know where to find us next week. And I know that there’s plenty in this part one of the conversation for you to enjoy and contemplate in the week ahead. So, please enjoy this conversation with My Linh Luu.

—

Leah: So, here’s a place I was thinking about you and thinking about this conversation and how it’s merging with things I’m thinking about in general about the creative process. And I was thinking the other day, as I was sitting down to work on my own writing and poetry in particular that often where you sit down to write, like with a poem, or if I start with a painting this happens to me too, what I – the painting I think I’m going to make or the poem I think I’m going to make and that brings me there sometimes is what I make, but it’s like that had to happen. And then I discover these other things that want to be created along the way.

And it made me think about my work with you and work with other clients where someone presents – so they come with a dream. And we certainly work on that. And it’s in the process of that though that that particular goal or dream then helps open the doorway and lead you into this other world where you discover other aspects of yourself and goals and dreams.

And I don’t know if that resonates with you at all, with your creative process, including the creative process of the art of your life and what you have created even in the last year and what’s unfolded for you. But does that resonate at all?

My Linh: Yes, it for sure does. And I love that that’s the way you put it into words. It’s literally the art of life, isn’t it? And I think that’s basically your philosophy, but it’s the best art we can ever create. It’s how we choose to spend our time and it doesn’t just encompass the artwork in itself, but the entirety of our lives. And I think honestly, working with you as a client, for example, I think helps me to be able to go on this journey of building a joyful life.

And for me, that in itself is such an accomplishment to me that, sure, if I want to write this novel and publish it and then write al the books down the line, obviously I always want to do that, but it really mattered to me that particularly in the last year and when I started working with you that I could open that gate to a new way of being. And that was so important to me.

And obviously, when I came to you, I knew that there was some other life areas I want to work on. But I love how beautifully it all sort of connects at the end.

Leah: Yeah, and I feel like – I was thinking too that it’s almost a year since we started working together. It’s about our anniversary. And so, it’s a really great time to be able to have this conversation because you do get to connect so many more dots with the passage of time that it just gives me the chills to think about in some ways the things that you can intuit going into something and then to turn around and see what actually unfolded.

And so, can you talk a little bit about the goals and dreams that brought you to coaching work, or maybe how you’ve found coaching or my work and what was the genesis of that? And then from there we can maybe segue into then what else unfolded in the last year.

My Linh: Sure, so basically, I was in college at that time and I had been quite successful, landing a full scholarship. And this was me coming, at 15, from Vietnam to the states, so I had this whole journey of going through different stages to get to where I was in college. But what I realized was I had all of these issues, mostly internally, that felt very strong.

I couldn’t focus in class, even if I was still producing and getting grades or whatever, I felt like something was very wrong. Almost like there was a film between me and the rest of the world. And even though I knew at that point that I was so privileged, you know, I had this chance to get this amazing education and I had friends from all over the world and all of that. I didn’t understand why it felt so hard to just exist, honestly.

And obviously my journey brought me to different healers and I thankfully got that help as well. But even after that, I still knew that something wanted to be seen within me and I made sort of a pact to myself that, “Okay, maybe right now it feels very difficult. But I trust and I have faith that something will come into my life, a solution, an answer, and it will be the best thing that will ever have happened to me.”

And so, that pact to myself helped me just move through those days and honestly months, when it felt so hard. Now, looking back, I can describe it partially as the big leap, and that’s something that I told you when we first started to work together was I thought there was a ceiling to what I could create. And a lot of the drama that I felt was happening in my life, internally or externally, was because I could not allow it to be that good.

It felt very hard for me to let it be good. And I’m going to say something that might be politically incorrect, but at that point, sure, I had something in my childhood, but I was addicted to suffering. And I can say that now because I’ve made peace with it. And I just couldn’t be able to understand why my life had such good things happening, just falling on my lap.

Like this full scholarship, I was studying what I want to study. I had people recognizing me for my writing and I was just like, I couldn’t let it be good. So, that’s where I was when I started to message you for coaching.

Leah: So, can you say more, for people that might not be familiar with the term addicted to my own suffering. And I know particularly, I want to ask you because I know what a wordsmith you are and also your brilliant way of taking in wisdom and then articulating it. So, I feel like there will be listeners out there who will hear you explain this in a way that they need to hear.

My Linh: Yes, so when I say addicted to suffering, I think although I recognize that there were things in my childhood that I’m so glad that I could process it with someone, a counsellor, a therapist, like a friend, after doing that, even a while after, I still recognized that there were just patterns in my life that felt toxic and out of my hands.

And I felt trapped. I think that was the word. Trapped. And at the same time however, I knew that there was a part of me that got some satisfaction out of these cycles. Because if I put myself in the cycles of stagnancy or not moving forward in my life, then it felt very safe.

An example might be I’ve always wanted to write something longer, like a book, even in the earlier years, I’d get into an MFA but I had all these stories about, “Oh, you cannot do that because it’s not even your first language. Or life can only get so good because you can only be lucky once.” You got this scholarship. That was good once and you should just lay low and take that as a gift and then go home, or X, Y, Z.

Leah: Yeah, and it’s really interesting too, I remember initial conversations and I was very impressed by everything you had created already at such a young age. And then also, not surprised, because I hear this from a number of clients that I’ve talked to that are your age and also incredibly talented, this sense that they’ve peaked in their early 20s or mid-20s, or if they haven’t done the novel or had that big break by the time they’re 25 or 30, that it’s over.

And so, I just wanted to pull that out for anyone that might identify with that that’s listening, that there’s so much hope then here in your example. And really, this shift into joyful creating that you have created for yourself. Not only – and we’ll get to this – you wrote a novel in the last year. And you had already been accepted into an MFA program, and then COVID and everything, you decided to wait on that. But you decided you did not need to wait for an MFA in order to have permission to write your first novel and you did that – and not only did you do that, which we knew from your prior high-achieving record that you were capable of, and you’re an incredible writer.

But it’s like, can you do that and also have a joyful way of being in the process? And can the creative process be a nourishing, fulfilling one and not a crisis and not angst-ridden and not torturous. And you did that brilliantly. And I want to hear you talk about that and ask you questions about that. But I wanted to highlight that for anyone listening who might feel like, “Oh gosh, there are these two paths for me. I can continue to move forward and achieve and push myself and grind.”

And you can do it at the highest level. You can do it at the best schools. You also had some fabulous internships and opportunities, like you were working in New York City, living the dream. But then also feeling this inner, like, something is wrong here. And the fact that then you were able to accomplish your goal and then write, but also do it in such a joyful way and such a beautiful way and also growing so much in a year, I just want to share, so much can change in a year. Wouldn’t you agree?

My Linh: Yeah, so much.

Leah: Yeah, so can you talk about – well, I’ll let you talk about, what were your goals when we started working together?

My Linh: I think, when I reached out to you, I wanted to surpass the ceiling that I thought I had in terms of what I’m able to accomplish. And one of those things was to write a novel, doing so without the whole internal suffering mind drama chatter that I was having all the time.

Leah: Yeah, and so where do you think that comes from? In your experience, was it education? Was it from the literature itself? And what did you have to call upon or how did you have to direct your focus in order to visualize a different path and sort of break free from that old conditioning?

My Linh: A term that I learned recently is the term invisible structures. And so, I think to answer your question, it would be a combination of yes education, maybe a bit of society and conditioning here and there, and a lot of family history. I come from a family that has very strong female figures, who while they have achieved a lot as well, whether they tell me directly or I could watch them indirectly, I could see them working very hard, but also to the point of their own detriment, suffering, you know.

They were either suffering with a certain illness or they would feel a lot of anger and disappointment, even if they were very successful women. So, I think, in my own life, even at a young age, 18, 20, however old I was in college, and earlier, I replicated that in my life.

So, I would be very high-achieving, very successful, but then I would just take on too much or just not understand that there would be paradigms in which I don’t have to suffer. And yes, there was a huge part I do think that education plays in – and I think it’s always hard for me because I owe a lot of my life to my education, but I do think that for a lot of particularly women or female-identifying people, that kind of educational system that we have all around the world doesn’t always suit the ways that our bodies are biologically made, I guess.

Leah: Yeah, and I love being able to have this conversation with you because I know you do really appreciate everything that traditional education has given you. And I am, like, my own life too, very grateful for traditional education. And then also grateful that I’ve had life experience and tools and done the work I’ve done to be able to have this conversation about, like, well what can raising the awareness of what works, and what can use some work. And what can be the paradigms that we’re creating now that – because I don’t want to disparage anything.

I do want to construct always and learn from where we’ve been and construct better and better solutions. And as I like to talk about, what are the ideal ecosystems for the soul that we have within us, for the best life that we have to express and for our creative works.

And I think that acknowledging the times – that term invisible structures, I’m not familiar with it but it really resonates with me. Once we can be aware of what’s in place, then we can start to maybe reimagine some different configurations for what would better support us going forward. And by us, I mean the great diversity of us, from all different backgrounds and genders.

And so, I live being able to have this conversation with people who have been through that process. And you are now also ready to think outside the box and exploring outside the box. So, thank you for that, I appreciate our ability to articulate that so well.

And I think too, it just feels better to be grateful for the experience that you have had, and then also be empowered to construct one’s structures going forward. I’ve been thinking about this term a lot lately, abundant structure. Like, what are structures that are vast enough and flexible enough to create the sense of abundant creating and generating of opportunities?

So, for you, I know you explored it, even if we weren’t using the term abundant structure in our work. We worked together one-to-one and you were also part of the Art School Mastermind. But you also explore what it is to nourish yourself and what it is to live joyfully while creating. Can you talk about that, some of the things that weren’t directly related to pen to paper or sitting at your laptop that became an important part of your creative process in the last year?

My Linh: Yes, so for me, I remember being in college and not wanting to do work all the time. And so, what I would do was I would take naps. I would honestly watch YouTube. I would go on walks. And I think people would be surprised, like, “Isn’t she in this prestigious scholarship program? Why is she not being a typical student in the library grinding?”

And I think at that point, I did feel a bit of shame about why do I – it seems almost like I’m not taking things seriously enough. I’m someone who likes to indulge myself. I like nice things. I like the beach. I like all those things.

And I used to think that these things were the antithesis to achievement. And so, I would shut down as much as possible that voice that said, you know, take a walk, take a break. And I used to, whenever I would produce, whether I’d be achieving in school or even in my writing, turn on almost this automatic voice of highly critical, like, the worst critic you could ever meet. And she would be my guide as I work and or write.

So, later on, at one point, I think that paradigm of always having that voice in my brain, in order to achieve, that sort of mousetrap made me not only unhappy and stressed and borderline depressed, I just knew that it would not be sustainable.

And I’m going to say something that might be a bit triggering, but a friend of mine did pass away in college – excuse me, we went to high school together, but next thing I knew, he died from suicide just having received an offer to his Ph.D. program. And I say this only because I know that, in the sense that he was Vietnamese staying in the states. And it really hit me that, you know, obviously in my situation and his situation, when he was alive, we were very fortunate to be able to have the opportunity to go abroad and study.

And I think whenever I felt down or uneasy, I was telling myself, “You should not even complain about this because you have it so good.” The friend who passed away wasn’t the one turning point, but I think it was a very quick awakening call for me to say that, actually, sometimes, even if you were lucky in life, the problems that you may be dealing with, they are in themselves serious and it’s okay to take care of yourself.

And so, then I started to divert myself into a different paradigm and then reallow myself to exist fully as myself. And no matter what I needed or wanted, whether that be a break, three month’s break, I took a year break before I even applied to my MFA. That’s what I did. And just cultivate that fun and that sense of pleasure back into my life.

And that was what allowed me to come back to a place of creation and achieving. Because otherwise, I knew that I would not want to create anymore.

Leah: That point at which you said it, it sounds like such a simple phrase. But it’s really profound and it’s foundational. And I just want to pause and highlight and pull it out. And that is when you said, “It is okay to take care of myself.” And from there, giving yourself permission then to hear your own voice about how do I take care of myself, and to follow that, and to trust that that is the path to your greatest life, including creativity and productivity again. But really, that foundation of taking care of yourself.

And then I remember something that you said along the way. It felt so full of energy and life to me along the lines of, like, the more fun I have, the more pleasure I’m having, the more successful I am, the more I create. And it really, it came from this place of effusive joy and knowingness. Not just an aspirational, “I hope that’s true. I hope that’s true.”

But really, I love how you said it because you lived it. And it started from – for people who might feel like, “Oh gosh, that’s so far off,” I wanted to really pull that out, of you acknowledging your friend’s passing and that loss and from there saying, “It’s okay to take care of myself.” And you started there.

And then it took on this lovely momentum. Do you remember saying that, I think it was during the mastermind, when you were like, “Oh my gosh, the more pleasure I have, the more fun I have, the more successful I am. There really is a connection here.”

My Linh: Yes, I do. It’s so true isn’t it. I think honestly living a life of pleasure and joy and being in that habit of having fun and relaxing and just letting it flow allowed me to not be so worried about the invisible structures or the ceiling or anything that I have put on my to-be-achieved list that was stressing me out.

And what you said was so beautiful in the beginning, about how people who might be younger, in their 20s, would have these achievement markers, and if they didn’t achieve it, it would mean something. And the stories can be very – I want to use the word vicious, but it does feel very real when you’re in that bubble of, like, having studied different writers and how successful they were and how young these writers were when they were successful and comparing yourself to them, that could really hurt a part of your ego. But if you shift that into, “I’m just having fun. This is for me first and foremost,” then it’s the long game. I think you say a lot in your podcast…

Leah: Yeah, and I feel like you are one of these pioneers doing this and creating a new – better than a bubble. I’ve heard about all the bubbles. I’ve heard the bubbles from the medical community. I’ve heard the bubbles from the lawyers. I’ve heard the bubbles from the artists, the dancers, the filmmakers, the painters. Bubbles are very vicious stories, right?

And so afraid to step out of the bubble because what if that’s the dream and you pop it? But then you do and I think this is the thing about then being brave enough to step out and start to carve your own way is it’s like declaring, “I’m going to create a world. That world has been created by people; people like me. Why don’t we just get together and create another world?”

And I think then something magical happens too when you’re able to come together with other people. In the beginning, even if it’s like one to one with your imaginary future self in your journal, where you just start to make it real, like a better way, a third way, and take the long view. Like, “Okay, this is not going to happen overnight, but I am building something that goes beyond me even.”

And then maybe you take thar conversation to a therapist or to a friend or to a coach or to a community. And I think it’s then having this starting to build another world and another structure, like better than a bubble, where you’re like, “Oh, joy does work. Love of one’s self, radical, deep self-care, self-love, self-compassion, grace, it doesn’t turn me into someone who’s wasting their life.

Quite the opposite. You feel like, “Oh, no longer am I wasting so much of my precious mental and psychic energy on neuroses and be full of anxiety and competing in these vicious bubbles. But I actually have now that creative energy back to love on my life some more, and also to create.

And it does start to create this beautiful momentum. And I know too, your joy and your – I think the other words that people in the mastermind were using were like flourishing, blossoming, thriving, growing, shining, radiating, that’s so infectious too and contagious in the best kind of way.

And I know now too, you’re taking the skills you’ve learned, yes, and your brilliant mind, yes. And then also this beautiful energy that you’ve unleashed in yourself and you are now creating and sharing that with your own clients. So, can you talk about that? Because I felt like that was kind of one of these beautiful dreams within the dream that you have moved into in the last year in amazing ways.

My Linh: Thank you for bringing that up. Yes, so I know you have that expression, twin intention. And I think even when I was in a more difficult darker space, I told myself, one day someone will come into my life and help me get out of this. And second, I said, if I were to get out of this, I would teach people to do the same. I think that’s sort of the origin story to what I do as a coach myself.

And honestly, I thin being a coach started because I wanted to have fun and it felt joyful for me to be a coach and to teach. Similar to what you do for your clients. I find that to be – I won’t use the word rewarding because that has been sort of overused. But it actually does make me so happy that I get to take a part in creating this new paradigm and this new kind of world.

And you know how important it is to have a tribe. And it’s almost as if I am building my own tribe of people. And I just want to give them this sense of love in order for them to be empowered and do what they want to do in their own lives and careers and art.

Leah: Yes, so can you tell me about, like, what are some of the projects within your coaching work that you’re most excited about this year? Or that you’ve already done that you’re really excited about?

My Linh: Yes, so I’m actually in the midst of my launch right now.

Leah: Congratulations.

My Linh: Thank you. But I’m launching a one-year mastermind all about finishing your book. So, in all transparency, I’m so inspired by your own methodology and the way that you coached me. And I hope that I can just be 1% as good as you are as a coach.

But when I finished my novel last year, something changed in me. I feel like a new person. Not in the sense of, like, I achieved this. Something that I’ve always done in my life previously, I would achieve something and it would feel neutral, or actually not feel great at all. And I’d just move onto the next.

Something clicked with me though when I finished this novel because it was something that I really wanted to do, but it felt outside of my realm of possibility. But the way that I did it, with your support, with the mastermind and just this new paradigm of being a creative, I could see myself doing this for the rest of my life in a way that honors my self-care and my health and my rest and all of that. And almost, it feels as if it would be selfish of me to not share this with my people.

So, I’ve already done a program with two beautiful women in my orbit. And one of them is an actress and she also had tis idea of writing a book on her birthday. And so, I’ve worked with her and she’s written like five chapters and she’s going to be in the mastermind as well. And I just feel very grateful that I get to hold space for all the people, like you did for me. So, thank you.

Leah: I am excited for these people because the combination of your life experience and your education, also your perspective on your education. And then just your spirit and your creative spirit. They will be the lucky recipients of much wisdom and many breakthroughs and novels. So, it gives me goosebumps now just to think of that, of the art babies that are going to flow from the work that you do and to think about the lives that will be touched.

And I think too, that miraculous thing that happens when you do experience your creativity flowing in a way that’s satisfying to you, and in a way where the completion isn’t just about check, achievement, did it, onto the next hungry ghost kind of thing.

But there is something about being in that creative process and having a completion of something, like a book in a year, that is so solid and satisfying to your soul. That’s life-changing and life-giving. So, I am super-stoked, yes for you, and then also for the people that will be in your group.

And so, can you share about too your own process, like a peek into your own process this last year of moving from, you know, what does it take to move from zero pages to a complete novel? Because I know these are the sort of thing I love, if I could be a fly on the wall inside people’s minds as they move through their creative process, and especially someone – I got to witness the way that you did it and it was very strong and very, very awake and you were very intentional and grace-filled and then also having this unfolding of joy. So, can you tell the listeners about what that, no words, zero pages to completion, what did that look like? What did you learn?

—

So, this brings me to the part of the podcast where I want you to do more than just listen. I want you to lean in and really work with me, coach with me. Don’t just consume this information, but take it in, contemplate it, think deeply about it. And then apply it to your life. Take the time to integrate what you learn, reflect on that, and come back. Take this information and make it transformational.

You heard My Linh say, “When I completed that book, I was changed.” So, I have two questions for you. What is the creative project for you that, once you completed, you know, you just know it in your heart and your soul and your bones, that completing that particular project will change you? You will be a different person.

Trust the answer that comes up for you. Trust that as sacred information that is meant for you, that it isn’t just some random utterance running across your mind and it means nothing

This is why I have the sacred twin intention process in the Art School. I require my clients to have both a tangible specific goal they are creating, as well as the arguably more abstract goal of who they want to become and the emotions and energy that they want to exemplify and embody in the process.

I require identifying a creative work you want to complete because that process of completing that creative work, that will change you. It’s because My Linh’s experience isn’t just unique to her. It is a universal phenomenon, completing a creative goal like that which is really a creative dream, it will change you. You won’t be able to just talk about change or fake your way through change. The process of going through and actually completing it is a transformational process, and therefore you will be transformed.

Imagine what could be different a year from now if this was the year you completed that project. Imagine what would be different three years from now, 10 years from now, 25 years from now if this were the year that you completed that project, that you stood on the other side, having made some incredible changes, and having gone through this remarkable rite of passage and transformation that the creative process invites you to and requires.

So, what is the creative work that, when completed, will change you and the rest of your life? Thank you so much for listening to another episode of The Art School Podcast. If you’ve enjoyed these episodes, if this podcast has been useful, meaningful, inspiring, and empowering to you, I am grateful. Thank you for being here. Thank you for listening. And it means the world to me that you make this a part of your life and that you use it and apply it to not only complete creative projects. That’s so important to me. But it is also really that way that that changes you and that changes your life. That is the way that we change the world.

To me, this is more than just coaching work, more than just ideas and concepts. This is a movement. This is a creative revolution, and one that is about the evolution of the human spirit, about the evolution of creativity. And it is a way to create our lives in the world that is done from a place of deep love, ever-growing wisdom, compassion. And I hope that for all of you listening out there, even if we’ve never met, even if you have never taken part in the Art School or worked with me, I hope you do know that you are part of this community.

And even more than that, you are part of this movement. And if you would like to help and pay it forward, I would love it if you would share, if you would subscribe, and as always, going to iTunes and leaving a review. I so appreciate that. That helps me move the needle. That helps me bring this work to more people. And I really know and honor the time that it takes out of your day to do something like that.

So, today, I wanted to give a shoutout to a listener that left a review, Painter Mom wrote, “Than you Leah and Erica. Leah and Erica, thank you for sharing your lovely conversation with us, so filled with many a-ha moments, so good to hear from those who have similar thought and overdrive patterns and how we can change them. We are not on islands and it behooves us and others to ask for help.” Wit a beautiful smiling face at the end.

So, thank you, Painter Mom, and I’ll give a shoutout too to my client Erica Roesch again for that outstanding episode and conversation. If you haven’t listened to that one, please tune in.

And for those of that do feel like you’re already part of this community, already a part of the movement and you want to take the work deeper, be sure to sign up for the next Art School workshop. I offer free monthly workshops. I offer free group coaching, high-level laser coaching. And oftentimes too, I will teach the latest concepts that I am offering only to my clients within the Art School.

We just had one this month and I saw so many new faces. Thank you to everyone that was there and everyone that volunteered. The energy and the caliber of questions were awesome. So, I’d love to have you join us for our next upcoming workshop, which will happen in April. But we do them on the regular every month.

Also, if you are interested in joining us for upcoming Art Schools, you can go to my website to check that out, www.leahcb.com and explore the different ways of working with me, either through the Art School, in the mastermind.

And also, I have a big announcement. On a limited basis, I will be doing private one-to-one coaching later on in 2021. So, if that is something you are interested in, you can also email us, support@leahcb.com just to get on the waitlist for when we release the first information about that. It will be very limited; just a few spots. And it is an application-only process, as it is an investment on your part, and I invest myself tremendously in my clients.

So, I want to make sure that the project that you have is a great fit for the work and we want to make sure that we are, as I was mentioning earlier, that great energetic match, to really bring your dream into the world and help you reach that next level in your creative career and in your life.

And as always, any questions you have about the Art School, the mastermind, the free workshops, or private coaching, please email us, support@leahcb.com, and someone on my team will take excellent care of you and we will be in touch and get you everything that you need.

So, in closing, I really want to continue to keep your focus on that central question. I do not want to distract you from this question. But most importantly, from the answer that arises in you; what is the creative dream that, once completed, would change you?

If there is something rising in you so strong, honor that. Carry that with you for a week. Give it a reverent amount of time and space. You deserve that. Have a beautiful week, everyone. Thank you all so much for being here and listening in. And I look forward to talking with you next time.