Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jenny Ollikainen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Jenny, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
I feel like my optimism comes from cultivating a strong spiritual practice/view and understanding of the world. I spent many years being very terrified of the world, I am audhd and so I experience emotions more intensely, this has been very challenging and misunderstood by many people including family and friends.
Connecting with a higher power, believing in the unseen realms, getting support from loved ones on the other side, connecting with your spirit guides and angels all have given me the strength to move forward in a positive way. believing in the bigger picture although you cant always see it when you are in the thick of it. Also surrounding yourself with people who support you and lift you up is so important, And lastly i have to say that my mother is one of the more positive people i have ever met,and i am so lucky to have her as a mentor and example of staying optimistic, and its her strong faith that gives her strength to believe everything is working out for the best, you are where you are meant to be, and that we are held and loved by God.
I believe in the power of the human heart and love, and i believe people who act in harmful ways are soul sick, and need help, and in that way you can cultivate more compassion for them, and not take it as personally. I can see how sick we are as a society, but with a spiritual understanding of my reality it helps me to see the lessons i am here to learn, and i think its the same for most all of us, which i think is cultivating a compassionate heart and learning to forgive.
Also listening to Ram Dass helped me through some of the toughest times of my life, and one concept that really hit me hard was finding the “deeper heart” and thats when you can see and tap into the love you have for all the beautiful things in life including the sky, flowers, animals, basically just the magic and majesty of earth.
Getting in touch with your heart is the most important thing we as humans can do. drop into your heart and see what it has to say to you.
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 have been a working artist for 14 years focusing on wearable art and performance art. Being super sensitive and living in a world that isnt, to cope I started to create these beings to make me feel more comfortable being human. I feel like they are here to help in some way, even if thats just making a smile.
I love magic and whimsy, I love the idea of art as a way to create a better brighter world. My goals are to create joy and connect people to something deep within themselves that they may have forgotten was there. I love creating silly content to make people smile.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think you just have to be so obsessed with your craft, there is a drive there, and that could be fueled by many different things but there has to be a burning passion and desire to explore and create. My advice would to be to just keep exploring the process and finding joy in that exploration. Dont have expectations on the work, do it for yourself or for you community.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I get overwhelmed often and easily as being adhd, its been a big obstacle for me, its had me loose jobs often, its can strain relationships. I am still finding ways to deal with constant overwhelm but one thing that has helped me so much is learning to meditate and find that solid space within myself that i can go to and connect with. it can quite all the noise and racing thoughts. it is where i can find peace. going into nature helps too. connecting with the trees flowers, sky, anything in the natural world can help me find my center and present moment. and thats the big one all these techniques are about connecting with the present moment. in the present moment things are mostly ok or even great. The world we occupy is so sped up, it is so overwhelming and its never ending!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jennyollikainen.com
- Instagram: @mythictimes
- Facebook: mythic times
Image Credits
Photos by Brick Kyle
