BEYOND BARRIERS Episode 21: Self-Care In Uncertain Times With SketchPoetic’s Sheila Darcey
How do you respond to uncertainty caused by crisis? Do you feel paralyzed by fear and anxiety? Are you walking on eggshells but trying to hold it all together?
Meet Sheila Darcey who is an artist, innovator and founder of SketchPoetic. Sheila’s experience as a facilitator and coach, and her work with Fortune 500 companies has informed her understanding of what drives transformative growth in individuals and teams. Three years ago, in her quest for a self-care practice as a way of coping with stress and anxiety, Sheila made a personal commitment to sketch every single day. This daily practice became a catalyst for her transformation and led to Sketchpoetic – a movement for those feeling burdened by the desire for change but blocked by fear and doubt.
If you feel an evolution stirring within and are looking for transformation, stay tuned and learn how Sheila uses creative expression as a tool for self-reflection, self-care, and healing. Sheila is on a mission to share the Sketchpoetic practice with the world and to help others find their own way.
Highlights:
[03:54] Sheila’s journey
[08:58] Transformative process of sketching
[13:28] Dealing with stress and anxiety
[17:11] How grief changes us
[20:48] Fear of the unknown
[23:24] Creative expression is a powerful tool
[26:42] Curiosity about our emotions
[29:36] It’s never too late to play
[31:15] Bring your creative self into existence
[34:48] Guilt of being a working mom
[39:24] Struggle with perfectionism
[44:15] How the pandemic will change humanity
[52:02] Daily self-care practice
Quotes:
“Anxiety is the emotion that you are not releasing or expressing.” – Sheila Darcey
“Every emotion is there to guide you. It is very uncomfortable, but do not categorize it as good or bad because it's the outcome that will eventually lead you to growth, to transformation, to learning, to healing, to insight.” – Sheila Darcey
“We aren't just experiencing isolation today. It's actually making us remember the times we've actually felt this before.” – Sheila Darcey
“Creative expression is such a powerful tool. You are tapping into your imagination and focusing it in a positive way.” – Sheila Darcey
“When you are in fear, your imagination is used for the negative, and your body experiences the worst-case scenario.” – Sheila Darcey
“The power of curiosity is that it kills the inner critic, curiosity kills the judgment. If you go in with curiosity, there's no space for judgment and criticism.” – Sheila Darcey
“The challenge with being a perfectionist is that you're programming yourself to have all the answers all the time.” – Sheila Darcey
“Being a parent is the act of constantly forgiving yourself. What your children will remember is the effort, the love, and the care that you put in.” – Sheila Darcey
“Perfectionism comes from us trying to control something that is uncontrollable.” – Sheila Darcey
“On the other side of the crisis, there will be innovation, creativity, experimentation.” – Sheila Darcey
About Sheila Darcey:
Sheila has 20+ years as a facilitator, coach, and consultant in the technology and digital agency space. Her work with Fortune 500 companies informs her understanding of what drives transformative growth in individuals and teams. She earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree with a minor in Art History from the University of Memphis and certification Social Emotional Arts (SEA) from UCLA. The SEA certificate empowers educators, community arts professionals, mental health practitioners, and anyone interested in maximizing social-emotional benefits of arts experiences, and minimizing self-judgment and anxiety that can impede learning and growth.
“The beauty of SketchPoetic is in the process of creation itself. I want people to connect with the process as much as the outcome - to create without planning, without analyzing, without fear, and without expectations... because it’s liberating. It’s about being in a safe place to quiet the mind and spark the child-like curiosity we sometimes lose in our busy lives.”
What started as a personal commitment to sketch daily, soon became a catalyst for my own transformation. It also led to my greater purpose of elevating art as a tool for self-reflection, self-care, and healing. Through art, I was able to sketch and paint my way through complex emotions and process both my conscious and unconscious thoughts. The benefits of this practice became evident in my mental and emotional well- being. It also became a therapeutic tool in helping process anxiety and trauma. It has become my mission to share this practice with the world and to help others find their own way.
Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sketchpoetic/
Website: http://www.sheiladarcey.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheiladarcey/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sketchpoetic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheiladarcey