LOVING YOUR LIFE: ART & ACCESSING YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL

LOVING YOUR LIFE: ART & ACCESSING YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL

Curious about how others find strength in their journey to sobriety and emotional wellbeing? This conversation between host Valeria Teles and psychotherapist, author, and expressive arts educator Elka Schultz centres on loving your life by reconnecting with creativity, intuition, and the wisdom of the body. Elka talks about how many people feel drained and disconnected from their passion, weighed down by stress, anxiety, and old expectations of who they "should" be.

She explains that as children "we're born creative" and instinctively know what feels good or bad, but over time we learn to doubt our bodies and silence our joy. Her work, including the book *Loving Your Life* and the *Anxiety Warrior* series, focuses on helping people return to that inner vitality through simple, accessible practices. A big theme here is listening to the body as a guide.

Elka describes noticing what lifts your energy and what makes it collapse, saying, "Our bodies don't lie. Our bodies just do not lie." She encourages practising with small everyday choices—like colours, food, or a walk outside—so the body learns that you’re paying attention. Over time, this helps people sense clearer yeses and nos, which can support bigger decisions around work, relationships, and lifestyle. You’ll also hear about expressive arts and “liminal space” where time seems to disappear.

Whether it’s drawing, music, gardening, or simply being in nature, Elka shares how creative self-expression can calm anxiety, spark insight, and offer a way to access feelings that words can’t easily reach. Threaded through the chat are ideas of gratitude, fun, and spiritual practice as foundations for resilience, even in grief and emotional pain.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted by life or unsure how to reconnect with your spark, this episode might nudge you to ask: what small, joyful practice could you say "yes" to today?