On the way home from the Visioning and Art in the Forest Workshop last month, a thought came, unbidden: I am finding my Voice. This felt incredibly right, and a bit scary. If I find my voice, I will have to use it! Well, I’ve been using my voice for a while now, but there are always layers to these things. New growth, new depths.

This got me thinking about how far I’ve come in the past 10 years, how much I’ve grown and changed, and the different things that have helped me to find my voice.

Humanity is at cross-roads. Finding, and using our voices to usher in a world where we ALL can thrive has never been more urgent, or more possible. I can feel this future, eager to be born, just waiting for us to clear the way. To make this vision a reality, each one of us needs to step up, move through our fears, and show-up as fully as we can.

I can feel this future, eager to be born, simply waiting for us to clear the way.

Our voices have Power. That in and of itself can be scary. And that’s ok. We have the capacity to walk through our fears and into our power. And remember, we don’t have to do this alone.

So how does one find their voice? Below, I put together a few of the elements that have helped me on this journey.

Tips for How to Find Your Voice

Experiment, Practice, and Try Things

The thing about ‘finding your voice’ is that it comes through practice; through trying different things. I imagine there are the rare individuals out there who are born with this knowing, and it simply comes naturally. For the rest of us, it takes practice, work, and simply trying things out. It’s like finding your own painting style. Most of us need to try all kinds of different ways of painting, and paint a lot, before our particular style emerges. And this style grows and changes with us.

So do some writing, schedule a talk about your work, make art, and share it! See what feels right and lean deeper into it.

Move Towards what Scares You

As a young adult I was terrified of public speaking. I was also terrified of making art. And I spent a lot of my life being afraid of what people would think of me for speaking my truth. I remember sharing some of my fears with a mentor a couple of years ago. She was amazed that I was able to be an artist, a public artist at that, working to create change, considering the fear inside of me.

I’m not sure where it comes from, maybe my stubborn, German from Russia, North Dakotan heritage, but there is something in me that insists on doing the things that scare me the most. It’s always been that way and is a huge blessing. When I face my fears and walk through them, I come out the other side stronger, clearer, and with so much more confidence in myself.

Move towards what scares you. That is where the magic lies. But do so thoughtfully, one step at a time, with as much self-love and gentleness as possible.

Self-Reflection

How can we possibly find our voices without an understanding of who we are as humans? There are so many ways to practice self-reflection. There’s meditation, writing exercises, being in nature, breath practices, art-making, and so much more. One thing they all have in common is that they require us to unplug; to create space where we can listen to what arises naturally within us.

One of the techniques that helps me is journal writing, in particular, a practice that Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, calls Morning Pages.

“Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. *There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages*– they are not high art. They are not even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page...and then do three more pages tomorrow.”

I love the simplicity of this practice, the flexibility (I do mine at night, and they aren’t always 3 pages long), and building it into a daily practice.

Stay True to Yourself

“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.” Says one of my heroes, Brene Brown. Setting boundaries can be a difficult practice for many of us. And a practice it is! Saying No when someone asks something of you and you just don’t have the time; telling someone how they are treating you is not OK. These are hard. Especially if you grew up in a home that did not model boundary setting.

When I set a boundary, I am often scared, sweaty, and maybe even shaking a little. Sometimes I need to ask for a moment to think about the request, which in and of itself can be hard! If I set a boundary with love and kindness, I feel so much better about myself than if I give into something that is not in alignment with who I want to be. That doesn’t mean the other person will like it. It does mean that I can look at myself in a mirror and know I’ve stood in my own integrity.

Find Your Why

The Why behind my work has been clear to me for some time: To show my daughter (and myself and anyone who needs to see) what it looks like to stand up for what I believe in and follow my bliss at the same time. My Why guides me in my work and life. Following this guide, takes me many places I would not otherwise have gone; places I need to go.

The idea of “Finding your Why” was popularized by Simon Sinek. Check out Simon’s Ted Talk “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” to learn the Why behind finding you Why.

As you begin to face your fears, set boundaries, and understand your calling at a deeper level, please be gentle with yourself. Finding your voice and using it in whatever ways you are called to, is a process. It may take years of practice, trial, and error before you feel confidence in sharing your true self. Psychic changes, like knowing that you are meant to do or be a particular thing, can happen instantaneously. It can take a while for our emotional and physical bodies to catch up. And that is ok.

Or it may happen in an instant.

Wherever you are on your journey, you are in the right place. So, take a deep breath, give thanks, and focus on the next right action. My hope is that my Yes will make yours that much easier to say.

What will you do today to find or use your voice? You can practice by writing it in the comments below!