We recently connected with Kerry Warnholtz and have shared our conversation below.
Kerry , appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
• By creating space, and weaving these spaces into my life. The space allows me to slow down, so I have time to reflect on what’s important, what gives me purpose, brings me real and lasting joy and allows me to be more intentional about how I use my time and the people I connect with.
• I’ve always been curious about the world, people and nature and how amazing this world is and the potential we have to do amazing things. Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve always wanted to travel the world and see amazing places and meet interesting people. I have travelled a little, but not as much as I would have liked to. So there is still so much I want to do, places to go and people to meet. It’s this curiosity and wonder that fuels my creativity.
• Part of that curiosity has me always asking the big questions about life. It keeps bringing me back to nature…those wild and beautiful places. There are so many. When I’m in those places, I feel such a strong connection to it and I’m transported to another place. A feeling of absolute bliss washes over me and everything takes on a magical quality. Clarity, peace and sometimes feelings of pure ecstasy ensue, solutions to problems appear and my path becomes clear. Often, it’s in these moments that my creativity goes into overdrive. Ideas begin to explode. I’ve never had any shortage of ideas. My problem has always been what ideas to choose.
• Life for me is all about creativity…not just artistic creativity, but the desire to live creatively – to create beauty and magic where and when I can. And to find it in unexpected places.
• In my early working life, my creativity was stifled. I opted for security and predictability, because it brought me consistent income and the ability to travel and begin exploring the world. And I didn’t know then, that you could make a career out of art. Outside of work I explored my creativity and my need to be physical through martial arts. I could maintain my fitness and need to be physically strong and be creative at the same time by moving my body.
• When I look back over my life and my growing desire to live a life of creativity and still earn enough to fund my explorations, I found I would oscillate between two types of vocations…analytical and creative. I would pursue jobs that brought me income, but stifled my creativity. The challenge throughout my adult life has always been how to balance the need for structure, security and discipline with the yearning for complete freedom, flexibility, spontaneity and creativity. I’m still in pursuit of that balance.
• But with age comes wisdom. There’s more looking back and reflecting now. There’s that realisation that time is finite and with that realisation comes a certain type of acceptance about what your body can and can’t do. But there’s also the excitement about future possibility and how your mind can transcend your self-imposed limitations .
• There’s also the realisation that there’s no time to waste. There’s no time for bullshit; no time for negative or toxic people; no time to waste on things you don’t enjoy. There’s only time to do what you really want to do. I’ve definitely become better at saying no. There’s only time for creativity, because that’s where the magic is.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
• As an artist, photographer and nature lover, there is a strong need and desire to create beauty through the creation of my work. And as I pursue this new career as an emerging surface pattern designer and a freshly discovered love for nature journaling, the magic I’ve found in the diversity of Australian landscapes, its’ birds, wildlife, and flora that inhabit them, is the feeling that I want others to feel. • So it’ may not come as any surprise that I specialise in designs incorporating Australian plants, flowers, birds, animals and landscapes.
• What I love about what I do is that I’ve been able to bring together all the parts of myself…the best parts, and create a beautiful life. Part of this beautiful life is now about intertwining my new career with my love for the Australian bush.
• But this love is more than just about the aesthetics. What I’ve only really begun to understand and what I’m really passionate about is advocating for Australian birds, plants and wildlife and environmental conservation, by raising awareness through my designs and supporting meaningful conservation initiatives.
• My hope is that by educating individuals through nature journaling, I can spread the magic so that others too may form a deeper connection to and appreciation of the natural world, whilst at the same time sparking their creativity and improving their mental well-being.
• From where I stand, that’s a win-win. Not just for me and others, but for our animals, birds and plants of the Australian landscapes.
• This year, teaching nature journaling as an aspect of my business has taken on a life of its’ own. It wasn’t something I foresaw. Initially, I started journaling as a way to have a break from the digital world – to get outside in nature, whilst still indulging in and bettering my own artistic ability.
• I hadn’t considered teaching nature journaling, until I attended a workshop by a well-known and experienced local nature journalist and ecologist. That experience and some encouraging words from her, gave me the courage and impetus I needed to start teaching my own workshops.
• One year later, and the explosion of interest in nature journaling and my workshops has been exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. And it’s not just the demand from the public, eager to explore Australian nature and develop their own creativity. But the demand and interest from local government and environmental non-profit organisations, wanting to offer the general public more ways to creatively engage with and care for the environment, that has had me under the pump, delivering workshops and sharing my passion for both art and the environment. The magic is contagious!
• A peculiar and refreshing thing that I’ve discovered, is that the one-to-one, personal connection that I’ve had with people on the ground, rather than digitally, has reawakened me to the importance of personal, face-to-face communication and relationship building. I had forgotten and underestimated the importance and power of these encounters and good old-fashioned networking, as a way of quickly building the ‘know, like and trust’ factor in my business. So much so that I’m beginning to field enquiries for collaborations in other creative and health spaces. It’s all so very exciting!
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. Having a vision for the future and having a possibility mindset. It means having the utmost faith and trust that whatever you ask of it, the universe will provide the answers that are right for you. Doors will open and people will come into your life when you need them most and you have to be open to receiving. Don’t worry about the HOW…just take care of the why. You don’t always get what you think you should, but what comes along is quite often better. And it’s the unexpected things that show up which make it all the more exciting and magical. 2. TRUST YOUR INTUITION!!! Where I’ve made my biggest mistakes or failed convincingly, especially when it comes to relationships with people, is usually when I’ve ignored my initial gut instinct. I’ve learned to really listen to my intuition and feel into it, and to trust it. It knows what’s right for me, even when I don’t know.
3. Be curious about life and have an attitude of lifelong learning. Say YES to the hard things and be willing to get uncomfortable. You’ll figure it all out later or as you go. Because that’s where the growth is. I’ve never really achieved anything substantial, where I felt I was ready or ever good enough (I still don’t) – it’s exactly at these points that I’ve just taken that leap of faith and then persisted. And it doesn’t always look pretty – but it works out in the end. Most importantly, seek out those who would support and encourage you and who are aligned with your values. Surrounding yourself with people who have your back and those who are ahead of you on the path is important to keep you moving forward and upward on your journey.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
1. The number one obstacle and challenge I currently face, and have always grappled with throughout my life is self-belief. To believe that I’m just as deserving of success as anyone else, and that I’m good enough. 2. I know that I am just as talented as the next person. But often I don’t believe it until someone else tells me as such. I think this lack of self-belief stems from my childhood. It’s been a lifelong journey to overcome these self-limiting beliefs and I’m still working on that. I often say that I’m a work in progress, and that’s totally okay. I don’t think you have to have it all figured out. But I’m definitely more confident now about my abilities and it’s my infinite drive, curiosity and love for life that trumps any of my limitations.
3. How am I overcoming this challenge? By constantly working on myself. I’ve done a lot of inner work over the years. That never stops. It’s important to stop and look in. To have the courage to be introspective and reflect upon things and to be honest with yourself about who you are and what you need to do to become better. And again, be a lifelong learner…never stop learning or seeking answers. Especially when there are unanswered questions. I trust that if I keep asking the universe, that eventually the answers to my questions will eventually show up. I just need to be aware enough that I will see the solution when it appears. Those answers and solutions can show up in different ways…serendipities, people who come into your life, books, information, and clues that show up for you to follow. They appear for a reason, so trust that, because I believe there are no coincidences.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kerrywarnholtz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerry.warnholtz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091569276561
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-warnholtz/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com.au/kerrywarnholtzdesign/
Image Credits
Profile image: Photo of myself by Nicole Crosswell. Other images with me in them: Photos by Philomena Warnholtz. All other photos: taken by me (Kerry Warnholtz)
