We Ride at Dawn—Hannah Berner’s inaugural Netflix special—does something spectacular, something we have yet to witness in the stand-up comedy space: She centers the feminine experience while using the vehicle of girly pop vernacular.

In an age where the ultimate playbook and advice on everything from whole body health to beauty and creativity is continuously trending, she offers a subtle sanctuary for her audience (and those who get it, get it).

A wildly confronting, grippingly honest personal essay about following the creative callings on your heart. This article was written by one of our in-house wordsmiths, Charlotte Jade Askew. The editorial design and editing was completed by Casey Balon. This piece was written for The Artist’s Lens collection.

Fulfilling our deepest longings removes the emphasis from the achievement of outcome and places the focus on our authentic desires. What do you crave? At a deep, embodied level, what do you yearn for?

This concept of longing is such a fundamental part of the human condition. Such a desperate and distinct experience. We want so much.

I used to catch myself wondering if there’d ever be a time when I was satisfied. If I pictured it, I always landed somewhere in the future—after I graduated from university, after I got a job, and then after I got a better-paying job.

Those elusive goalposts kept shifting, somehow making their way to a more distant place, and I wonder now if that was because I never really knew what I was chasing.

Whether you’re self-publishing, pivoting your creative business model, working with a traditional publisher, or experimenting with new artistic techniques… being the internally rich creative hype woman you’ve always desired is a surefire approach to deepening the fulfillment you experience throughout the process.

Rewiring our inner chatter requires compassion, openness, patience, vigor, and, quite often, ingenuity.

In today’s article, we are covering 5 types of Imposter Syndrome—the 5 different characters we play as a result of unhealthy relationships and ways of relating in the world that have impacted how we may think about and relate to the self. And so, we take on characters, personas in our mind that drive the way we communicate with ourselves and with others.

Allowing ourselves the space to truly practice our craft—whether that be writing or another form—is often a revolutionary idea. It is somewhat vulnerable to let ourselves be the apprentice again, or perhaps for the very first time.

In today’s article, we are looking at 3 templates for expression (3 creative archetypes) we can use to embody the fullness of our artistry. These archetypes are The Explorer, The Performer, and The Natural.

I have found the most liberating and inspiring environments for our creative energy, for our voice, and for our heart posture, often come by way of embracing these elements: adventure, curiosity, and experimentation (within our template for exploration); true practice, presence, and our sense of performance; and full expression in our most natural form when our art exudes from us without struggle.