In the latest episode of the Ladies Get Paid podcast, you’ll meet Elizabeth who came to me deep into unemployment and wondering if she should make a pivot. However, pretty quickly into our session, it became clear that there was something else that was blocking her.

Elizabeth went to school to become an artist, something that used to give her a lot of joy. But now, whenever she tries to make art, her inner critic is so loud, it’s become a source of anxiety.

As you’ll see in the session, this becomes the basis of my diagnosis: until Elizabeth learns how to create art again without self-judgment, everything else, including looking for work, will be a struggle.

Whether she makes art her career is not the point, it’s the process of learning, of being quote “bad” at something that will alleviate the burden of perfectionism so that she can embrace the process of becoming.

Elizabeth shares that she is in mourning for the artist she was, which in some ways may be true, but what is also true is that she is still that same artist, it is just her relationship with it - and herself - that must evolve.

I give her tips for how to shift the mourning to a celebration and so if you also find yourself in a sort of “no man’s land” - that uncomfortable and often painful season in which you’re transitioning from one understanding of your self to another - this episode is for you.

Just a note, this session has been recorded with her consent and edited for clarity. If you’re interested in being coached by me or simply have a question you want answered, go to coachmeclaire.com

#282 - Chris Billam-Smith | Former Boxing World Champ On Ego, Defeat & Team Mentality.