Meet Elizabeth Blake Thomas

We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth Blake Thomas recently and have shared our conversation below.

Elizabeth, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.

Growing up I never fitted in. I didn’t understand who I was. I was emotional and angry. I felt lost and alone. As I got older, and through having a daughter of my own, I’ve recognized what would have helped me when I was growing up. I’ve learned what my “why” is in life. I needed a mentor, a teacher, or a guide, someone that would be there for me to help me. So I became what I know I needed. It is integral to my existence to be able to share my experiences and help other people in this journey called “life”. This shows itself through my books and courses and mentoring. I cannot help but share and teach others so that they never feel like how I did growing up.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m 47 years old and I’m definitely going through a transition. Often questioning what is important in life and how I want to spend the next half of it. It doesn’t mean that the decisions I make have to be stuck to forever or even for a few years. It’s all about exploration and unlearning what I’ve learned and recognizing how the next 47 years can look. The fabulous cacophony of life ahead of me means that I’m writing a play, completing my next book, writing scripts, and directing films. Running creative retreats and prepping for my next TED talk. I’m also learning about who I really am and being kind to myself. Having recently returned from a 2.5 month trip of traveling and working I was able to gain even more clarity on what I like and don’t like and how I enjoy spending my time.
All of my experiences enable me to bring clarity to what I am and what I do. The understanding that it’s ok to not fit in the box, and just “be”. What’s so exciting is being able to pass this knowledge on to others. To share what I’m learning and to almost have people grow symbiotically with me. I do this through all of the methods mentioned above. This is an exciting time for us all.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. I do wish I’d understood the impact I had on others and the world around me more clearly. This would have led me to recognize how everything I say and do means so much. From throwing trash away but not knowing the more serious impact that has on landfill. From buying into society’s pressure of keeping up with “the Joneses” by shopping and purchasing at every opportunity. The environmental impact this has and also the emotional impact of wasting money and feeling the immediate gratification as opposed to a longer more meaningful experience.
2. Understanding friendships and how it’s not about quantity of the friends or trying to fit in with certain groups, it’s about the quality of the friendships and recognizing who you want around you.
3. Finally understanding that it’s ok to grow and change and above all learning from my mistakes. I don’t call them mistakes, I call them lessons. So continually learning at all stages of life.
My advice: Be kind to yourself and understand none of us know anything. We are all just doing our best.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I am feeling overwhelmed or burned out I do something I call Brain Breathing. My brain needs a break, the way I do this is through recognizing who I am and what my needs are and then placing myself in that situation. I wrote a book called “Living With Intention” this contains various exercises: Pocket of Happiness, Creative Cocoon and Energy Circles. These exercises help me recognize what I like and don’t like in my life, maybe resulting in making changes by actually taking practical steps to recognize what I need. My Pocket of Happiness is writing or drawing something that makes me truly happy, people, places, for example being in the sunshine or even on a picnic with my daughter eating avocados! The Creative Cocoon, what does my physical space look like? Do I need to be in nature? For example my art gallery was inspired by me being out in sunshine. It has elements of my european life such as the cushions and colors. I also love fairy lights everywhere. Finally my Energy Circles, what do I currently want to be spending 10%, 50%, and 90% of my time on, then looking at what I’m actually spending that time on. I’ll often find it’s a total inversion or what I want to do compared with what I am doing! So I have to make an effort to flip it!
I have to stop and breathe and consciously get my brain to shift from its current pattern to something new. There are many more steps to each these exercises but for now, this is a good first step.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elizabethblakethomas.com
• Instagram: @elizabeth_b_t
• Facebook: Elizabethblakethomas
• Linkedin: Elizabethblakethomas

Image Credits

Isabella Blake Thomas
Vivian Killilea
Devin Alpanian
Joe Kershaw