We were lucky to catch up with Emily Schickli recently and have shared our conversation below.
Emily, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
As an entrepreneur, everything I do has the opportunity to be creative. And yet, if I don’t prioritize a regular ritual of connecting with the spirit of creativity, I can get sucked into the weeds of everything else that comes with stewarding a business.
I love the way that Elizabeth Gilbert talks about creativity in her book Big Magic as if it were an animate force – as if it were alive and could choose the people with whom it collaborates. I’ve personally experienced this phenomenon again and again. Whenever I feel truly inspired to create – whether it’s a piece of fiction, an online course to help folks overcome burnout or a sacred ceremony to support women with reclaiming their connection to their authentic self – it feels like there’s this force moving through me, asking me to steward an idea and bring it into the physical plane.
As a result, I treat keeping creativity alive as if it were a spiritual self-care practice. Some of my favorite ways to stay creative are:
1) Making with multiple mediums. While a lot of the regular creative work I do in my business is writing-based, I love getting re-inspired by playing with different mediums. I love to paint, doodle, weave, knit, dance, and craft – especially when I’m feeling writer’s block or needing to move some energy. Anything that uses my hands and has a repetitive, meditative feel usually does the trick to get me out of my head and back into collaborating with the spirit of creativity.
2) Immersing myself in nature. Whenever I’m feeling blocked creatively or just wanting to enhance a current creative flow, moving my body and connecting with nature always helps. For a quick reset, I’ll take a mid-morning walk around my neighborhood. For a deeper dive, I’ll visit a redwood grove near my house and curl up with a journal on a blanket, my heart open to receive. The awe-inspiring trees, tranquility of the land, and crispness of the air give me an instant creativity boost.
3) Listening to inspiring podcasts, reading good books, and connecting with other creatives. As a sacral authority Manifesting Generator in Human Design (a fun personality-type system like astrology), I find that I’m most creative when I’m responding to something. And if the creative muses aren’t sending new ideas my way organically, I get re-inspired by intentionally bringing new ideas into my orbit. For example, I love listening to podcasts to give me a jolt of creativity or reading a good nonfiction or fiction book. Lately, I’ve been totally immersed in reading YA fantasy novels (a favorite since childhood) as I hone an idea for a novel. I also love connecting with other creative minds. It’s fun to hear about what they’re working on and bounce ideas off each other. I’m usually jazzed and ready to make something after a solid conversation with one of my creative friends.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I empower busy folks to reclaim their time, energy, and sense of magic through personal coaching, online courses, sacred ceremonies, and corporate workshops. As a multi-passionate lifelong learner, I love breaking down complex concepts into bite-sized pieces and weaving together scientific understanding and spiritual wisdom to create holistic programs that support all areas of my clients’ lives.
More specifically, I’m certified as a Life Coach, Shamanic Healer, Yoga and Meditation teacher (RYT200), Reiki Master Teacher, and a Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), T.I.M.E. Techniques, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), and Hypnosis Practitioner. I also have a Masters from the University of Chicago, where I focused on writing and curriculum design.
Right now, I’m most excited about my three main offerings and how I’m really wanting to highlight them more this year. They are: my signature Busyness to Magic coaching program for stressed out professionals looking to reclaim their time, energy, and power; my Modern Mystic mystery school for spiritually curious individuals looking to infuse sacred practices into their busy lives; and my live sacred ceremony Metamorphosis that serves as a catalyst for personal transformation. I’m even hosting Metamorphosis 3 times in-person in the SF Bay Area.
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?
When I started my business, I didn’t realize how valuable my technical and marketing background, experience working in the corporate world, and ability to creatively problem-solve would come in handy.
Especially as a spiritual entrepreneur, I’m unique in that I have a deep technical skillset from having worked in the tech industry as an email marketer for 8 years. I knew how to set up email automations, what a funnel was, how to read analytics, and had a lot of copywriting experience. If you don’t have a marketing or technical background, however, I recommend spending time educating yourself on core marketing skills – or if that doesn’t at all sound appealing – hire someone who can support you in those areas. A general understanding of how each part of your business works at least goes a long way to making sure you hire the right people and focus on the right parts of your business.
When I hired my first VA, I was so grateful that I had experience managing folks and seeing how different teams ran their operations. That being said, delegating and writing SOPs (standard operating procedures) is its own skill in and of itself. If you’re not familiar with a corporate or other applicable business setup, and you want to create a business that has employees or launches products, I highly recommend connecting with folks who do. Ask them questions, get a feel for how different businesses handle these types of operations, and then take what appeals to you and create your own.
So much of being an entrepreneur is being able to solve problems and think creatively – whether it’s for your audience or within your business. If you feel like you’re not great at thinking outside the box or teaching yourself a new skill, I promise you can! See if you can get in touch with your inner child. What were they like? How did they approach challenges? Early on, you had to learn how to walk and talk, and you figured it out. Tap into the energy of play and curiosity and see if you can approach whatever you’re working on from that angle. Make sure to also support yourself with stress relief practices to help you feel safe while you take risks.
How would you describe your ideal client?
When it comes to personal coaching clients, I love working with women-identifying folks who want to reclaim their time, energy, power, and sense of magic amidst the mess of modern life. They are heart-centered, eager to learn, spiritually curious, and maybe a little (or a lot) overwhelmed by all the to-dos piling up from both work and their personal lives. They’re pretty much DONE with feeling exhausted at the end of the day and crave more time for themselves. They’re curious about and maybe already exploring sacred and self-care practices and are eager to learn more. They know that the work they do for themselves will have a direct and positive impact on their loved ones and even career. As a result, they’re willing to make the changes, show up for themselves in a bigger way than they have before, and treat life like a playful adventure as we discover what aligns with them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://emilyschickli.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/emilyschickli
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/mindbodydharma
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/emilyschickli
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mindbodydharma
Image Credits
Meghan Smolka