Redefine Your Self-Image: Celebrating One Year of The ARTwork of YOU through Growth, Consistency, and Letting Go of Perfection

It’s a special day at The Artwork of You! In this milestone episode, host Lori Gouhin celebrates one transformative year of redefining self-image and shares lessons from her personal journey as a podcaster. Get ready for strategies that challenge outdated beliefs, unleash your inner artist, and make your self-image a masterpiece in progress. This episode is packed with personal anecdotes and practical exercises.

Episode Highlights:

Celebrating One Year of Podcasting: Cue the confetti! Lori takes a moment to celebrate The Artwork of You’s first birthday. She reflects on the highs, the lessons, and the brave action that made this year unforgettable. 

The Power of Self-Image: Lori dives into why self-image is the key to personal transformation. Your self-perception is like the frame of your life’s portrait, you can change it, and help shape the life you desire to be. 

Identifying and Rewriting Your Story: What stories are you telling yourself? Lori breaks down how to spot those outdated narratives that no longer serve you. Then, she guides you in rewriting your life script.

Uncovering Invisible Narratives: Did you know your subconscious is constantly narrating your life? Lori explains how to unearth these outdated messages and shape ones for a soundtrack of self-belief and possibility.

Imaginary Success and Visualization: Visualization is a powerful tool for shaping your reality. Lori teaches you how to use your imagination to create a mental highlight reel of your future wins. 

Creative Experimentation: Lori explores how experimentation can help you step outside your comfort zone. Pro tip: It’s okay if your first try feels more awkward than perfect.

The Artist’s Approach to Self-Image: Lori encourages you to think of your self-image as a work-in-progress rather than a fixed portrait. 

Overcoming Perfectionism: Lori shares how embracing imperfection can actually speed up your growth. Because perfectionism is holding you back and is taking up so much of your energy.

Tune in, take notes, and get ready to redefine your self-image with Lori Gouhin. This episode will inspire you to see yourself as a true work of art, beautiful, and uniquely yours.

Thank you for sharing your time with me and remember to show up in your life like the masterpiece you are because YOU are the ARTwork!!!

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Have a fabulous day!

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Transcript

Lori Gouhin: [00:00:00] Welcome to the artwork of you, the podcast, where your life is the canvas and you are the masterpiece. I'm your host, Lori Gowen, and together we'll explore creativity, self awareness, mindset, goal strategy, and the importance of accountability so that you can paint your life's portrait. With confidence and ease.

Remember in the gallery of life, you're not just a spectator. You are the art. So let's grab our brushes and start creating the masterpiece. That is you. Hello, my friends. I am so glad that you are here with me today because today's episode is special. It's special because it marks one year since I started this podcast, a year of showing up, sharing ideas.

And honestly, stepping into an entirely new version of myself as a podcaster. When I launched this podcast, I really had no idea what kind of a journey I was starting. My self image back then, let's just say it wasn't fully formed yet. And I absolutely thought things like, who am I to host a podcast? Will anyone even listen?

But week by week, as I kept showing up, I began to see myself differently. And that's the power of taking action, of deciding to see yourself not just as who you've been, but as who you are capable of becoming. And that's what today's episode is all about. Redefining your self image. Because if there's one thing that I've learned for sure over the past year, it's this.

Your self image is the foundation of everything you do. And the good news is you can change it. And so I want you to think about this. Your life reflects the story, I would say, [00:01:39] that you tell yourself about who you are. But what if that story is outdated? So let me ask you, who do you believe that you are?

And I don't mean the labels that you've been given, not the job title, not the roles that you play. The deep down story you tell yourself about who you are and what's possible for you. Because that story shapes everything. But also, as I said, that story can be changed. At any time, just like I had to rewrite my story to step into the role of podcaster, you can rewrite your story to step into the person that you're meant to be.

So in this episode, I'm going to share how you can start re imagining your self image, and not with the same old advice, but with some creative and actionable strategies that actually work. And I also will share some of the lessons that I've learned over the past year, because evolving your self image is an ongoing process.

And so whether you've been with me from the start, or if this is your first episode, I want to thank you for being part of my podcasting journey. It's been a year of growth, of learning and transformation for me. And I hope for you too. So let's start with the idea that might help you change the way that you're thinking about yourself.

And that is that your self image is like an operating system. So in other words, it's running quietly in the background, shaping how you think, how you feel and act. And it influences every decision that you make, every goal you pursue, and even how you handle challenges. But here's the thing. Most of us are running on an outdated version of that operating system.

It's built on beliefs, experiences, and feedback. And just like a computer or a phone that hasn't been updated, [00:03:18] it starts to limit what you can do. When I started this podcast a year ago, I would say my self image as a podcaster didn't even exist. I thought of myself as a coach and as an artist, but not someone who could sit behind a microphone necessarily and share my ideas with the world.

And because of that, I had to rewrite my mental script. To update my operating system to include quote unquote podcaster as part of who I am. And let me tell you, that shift did not happen overnight. And the first step that I did to updating it was becoming aware of the version that I was currently running.

So I want you to pause for a moment and I want you to ask yourself, what beliefs do I hold about who I am? And now if you're in a place where you can grab a piece of paper, I'd love for you to do that. And if not, if you're driving or whatever, just reflect on the things that I'm going to say. And I want you to ask yourself the following questions.

Number one, what's one label or role that I've carried for years that no longer fits? Number two, what's something that I've avoided because I've told myself I'm quote unquote not that kind of person. And finally, number three, what's a new role or identity I want to step into, but I've been holding myself back.

Again, write these down if you can because awareness is the first step in this process. You cannot rewrite a script that you haven't read. I know that sounds cliche, but really you can't. And so when I did this exercise for myself as a new podcaster, I realized how much I had been holding onto ideas like I'm not tech savvy enough or I don't have the right voice for this.

And these thoughts weren't facts. [00:04:57] They were just old programming, but they were running on my operating system. And because of that, they were influencing my actions. And again, the exciting part is that once you identify those outdated beliefs, you can actually begin to rewrite them. And also keep in mind that updating your self image, it's not about becoming someone else necessarily.

It's really about just shedding the stories that are holding you back so that you can make room for the truth. of who you already are and who you are capable of becoming. So here's what I want you to know. Your self image is not your destiny. It's your starting point. And just like any operating system, it can be upgraded with intention, creativity, and action.

So how do you know what your hidden programming is? that keeps running in the background. These are what I would like to call invisible narratives. They're the stories that you tell yourself so often that you stop questioning them. They're like background noise. They're easy to ignore, but they're always influencing you.

And here's the tricky part. Most of these narratives, they didn't come from you. They were shaped by your upbringing, by your experiences, and by the reactions of others. Say someone called you shy when you were eight, now you believe you're bad at speaking up. Maybe a teacher criticized your creativity, now you avoid taking risks.

The narratives are subtle, but they do control entire areas of your life. When I started this podcast, one of my invisible narratives was, I'm not an expert on this platform. It was a story that I didn't even realize I was telling myself, but it did shape my actions. I hesitated to record episodes, I second guessed my ideas, and [00:06:36] I even questioned whether I had anything valuable to say.

And it wasn't until I uncovered that narrative that I could actually challenge it. And part of rewriting it was giving myself permission to not have to do it all myself. And so I hired an editor and someone to help me through the initial tech stuff. And just as an aside, she is an excellent editor. I highly recommend her.

Her name is Christine Santos. So anyway, here's a practical exercise that can help you uncover your own invisible narratives. I call it the shadow interview. So again, not if you're driving, but if you're in a place where you're taking notes, I want you to close your eyes and imagine a version of yourself, your shadow self that embodies all of the limiting beliefs that you carry.

Picture this person, this version of you sitting across from you. And then I want you to ask the shadow self these three questions. What story are you telling me about who I am? What are you afraid will happen if I stop believing this story? What do you need to feel safe enough to let go? And I want you to truly listen to those answers and write them down, even if they surprise you.

It might feel uncomfortable, but it really is powerful because often these narratives are rooted in fear of failure, rejection, or the unknown. But once you bring them to light You really do take away their power. And when I did this exercise, my narrative was about being not enough. My shadow self was afraid that if I failed, it would confirm my deepest fears about my worth.

But here's the thing, once I named that fear, [00:08:15] I could challenge it. And I realized that failure does not define me, it's just part of the process. And here's what I want you to take away. These invisible narratives, they don't make you weak or flawed, they're just outdated stories that were trying to protect you at one point in your life, but they are not serving you anymore.

And now I want to talk about one of the most fascinating and empowering aspects of transforming your self image, and that's the science of imaginary success. This idea is that your brain doesn't know the difference between vividly imagined experiences and real ones. And think about that for a second.

What you vividly imagine can feel just as real to your nervous system as anything that's actually happened. And this means that you don't have to wait for external success to start rewiring your self image. You can really create these moments internally and let your brain start to believe them. This is who I am now.

That's what your brain will be thinking. And it works because your nervous system is designed to respond to the mental images and stories that you feed it. And so if you replay moments of failure or rejection, your brain reinforces the belief that you're not capable or worthy. But if you intentionally imagine moments of success, Experiencing them in vivid detail, you start building a mental archive of confidence and capability.

I'll share a quick story from my own experience. When I first started this podcast, I used to imagine what it would feel like to record confidently, to hear from listeners who found value in my episodes and to celebrate milestones like the one we're marking [00:09:54] today, one year of my podcasting. And at the time, none of those things had happened yet, but by vividly imagining them, I felt more motivated and capable to take the next step.

And here we are. And so here's another exercise I want you to try. This is called success time travel. I don't remember if I made that up or if I heard that somewhere. Anyway, the first thing I want you to do is close your eyes and imagine yourself. Five years from now, you've achieved a major goal. One that really excites you just by thinking about it.

Maybe it's launching a business or completing a creative project or building the life that you've always wanted. It doesn't matter. Just something that really excites you. And I want you to picture the scene in vivid detail. Where are you? What are you doing? Who's with you? How does it feel to know that you have accomplished this?

And now, start reverse engineering. What steps did your future self take to get there? What beliefs did they need to adopt? What risks did they take? Write it down as if it's a memory, not a dream. Let me say that again. Write it down as if it's a memory. Not a dream. And the clearer the image, the more powerful it becomes.

And the power of this exercise, it's not in just imagining, it's in acting as if that success is already yours. And for me, that meant showing up as a confident podcaster, even when I wasn't sure of what I was doing. It meant adopting the mindset of this is who I am long before I had any proof to back it up.

And again, that's the key. You don't need to [00:11:33] wait for external validation to believe in your success. You can create the belief first, and the actions and the result will follow. So here's a challenge for you. Spend five minutes each day this week imagining A future success, make it vivid, emotional, and detailed, and then take one small action each day that aligns with that vision.

It does not have to be huge. Just one thing your future self would do. And I guarantee you, your confidence will begin to shift. This is where transformation begins. Not by waiting for success to find you, but by imagining it, feeling it, and stepping into it. Now I want to introduce you to the idea of reclaiming your power through creative experimentation, because transformation doesn't have to feel heavy or overwhelming.

And in fact, the most profound changes often happen when you treat life and your self image Like an experiment. Creativity truly does invite freedom and curiosity and possibility. And when you approach your self image with this mindset, you give yourself permission to explore new ways of being without the pressure to quote, get it right.

And when we experiment, we bypass. The fear of failure in a way, because there's no expectation to succeed, just a willingness to try something new. And that can be incredibly liberating because when it comes to redefining your self image, it allows you to step into roles or identities that you've avoided without overthinking.

For me, stepping into the role of a podcaster was at first an experiment, really. I thought, what would happen if I tried this? What if I approached it [00:13:12] As something fun instead of something I had to perfect. And that shift made really a lot of difference. It turned the process into something exciting rather than something intimidating.

And now that's not to say that on some level I wasn't still intimidated because I was, but I was. Better able to move past that and not stay stuck. So to make this more tangible, one of my favorite ways to experiment with self image is to create an alter ego, a temporary persona that will allow you to explore new behaviors and attitudes and goals.

Start by designing your alter ego by thinking about an area of your life where you feel stuck or limited. And then imagine a version of you who is completely confident and capable of in that space, in that area, and give that version a name, give it a look, and even give it a backstory. What's their signature style?

How do they carry themselves? And if you have trouble, you can always look to a fictitious character for inspiration. And then the next time that you're in a challenging situation, whether it's a meeting, a creative project you're working on, or even really just a conversation with someone, ask yourself, how would my alter ego handle this?

Then act as if you are that person. And afterward, reflect on how it felt. Did you notice any shift in your confidence or your energy? What surprised you about stepping into this new version of yourself? One of the most powerful aspects of creative experimentation is that it reframes failure. Because in an experiment, there's no such thing as failure.

It's just feedback. So every time you try something new, you're gathering data. about what works and what doesn't. And that's not failure. That's progress. Here's [00:14:51] another example to try. Create a self portrait, but not as you see yourself today. You can create a visual or a written representation of your future self, the person you're becoming.

If you're artistic, this could be a drawing or a collage. If you're more verbal, you can write a detailed description or even a short story about this version of yo. But also, make sure that you include something unexpected, something that feels really bold, aspirational, or even maybe a little bit scary.

And this exercise will help you to see yourself in a new light and open up possibilities that you might not have considered before. Creative experimentation It's not just about trying new things. It's really about taking back control of your story. When you approach your life with curiosity and creativity, you stop waiting for permission to grow.

You give yourself the freedom to evolve in ways that feel authentic and exciting. And now I want to share a perspective that's obviously close to my heart, and that's the artist's approach to self image. So whether you see yourself as an artist or not doesn't matter. I want you to think of your self image as a work of art.

It's not static, it's dynamic, it's evolving, and it's layered. And just like any masterpiece, it takes time, intention, and a willingness to embrace your imperfections. Think about how art is made. Rarely does a painting or sculpture or even a great piece of music emerge fully formed. It starts with an idea.

A sketch, or even a messy first draft. Then, layer by layer, it's refined, it's shaped, and it's brought to life. And your self image works the same way. [00:16:30] When I began this podcast, my self image as a podcaster, in a way, felt like a blank canvas. I had no real idea how it would look, or even if I was qualified to create it.

But instead of waiting for the perfect picture to appear, I just started painting. Some strokes worked, Others didn't, but as I kept adding the layers and experimenting and learning and showing up, it soon began to take shape. And the lesson here is, you don't have to have it all figured out before you start.

Your self image will evolve through action, experimentation, and yes, even mistakes. So here's a way to take this idea of your self image as a work of art and turn it into something like a self image mood board. So just grab some magazines or print out some pictures or use an online tool like Canva or Pinterest and think about the person you're becoming.

What qualities define them? What goals have they achieved? How do they show up in the world? And then collect images and words and colors or anything that represents this version of you. It doesn't have to be perfect. Again, just let it flow. And as you put that mood board together, notice if there's a part of your current self image that doesn't quite align with this vision.

What beliefs or habits do you need to let go of to step into this new version of yourself? Transcribed This isn't just a creative exercise, it's really a visual way to connect with your future self and make your self image feel more real and more tangible. As an artist, I have learned that the imperfections are often what makes a piece of art stand out.

Because they add texture, character, and [00:18:09] depth really. The same is true for your self image. You don't need to erase every flaw or have all the answers to be worthy or successful. In fact, it's the unfinished parts of you that do leave room for the growth and possibility. When I think back to my first podcast episode, it wasn't polished and I didn't have the confidence that I have now, but those early episodes were necessary.

They were the foundation for everything that came after and embracing that process, imperfections and all is what has allowed me to grow into the podcaster that I am today. And the beauty, I think, of the artist's approach is that it's never about perfection. It's about staying curious and embracing the process and seeing every experience, every success, and every misstep as a brushstroke that contributes to the bigger picture.

In other words, your self image isn't something you fix. It's something you create. And that leads me to something that sneaks into almost every part of our lives and that's perfectionism. Perfectionism is one of the biggest barriers to reshaping your self image because it keeps you stuck in a cycle of overthinking and self doubt.

It's like trying to paint the perfect picture, but you're too afraid to make the first brushstroke. And I hate to tell you, but perfectionism Perfectionism is not a badge of honor. It's a defense mechanism. It tells you that if you can just be flawless, you'll avoid failure, judgment, and rejection. And that couldn't be any further from the truth.

The problem is perfectionism doesn't actually protect you. It just keeps you [00:19:48] from growing. And when it comes to transforming your self image, growth is the goal, not perfection. Perfectionism is the Enemy of progress, in my opinion. My podcast is not perfect. My coaching business is not perfect. My art is not perfect, but it doesn't matter because despite that, it all still connects with people.

It's authentic and it's real. And I've learned that just by showing up authentically, that will matter much more than showing up perfectly. And so here's a strategy that I use to help myself and my clients break free from perfectionism. And maybe it will help you too. I want you to think of something that you've been putting off because you're waiting for the quote unquote perfect time, or because it feels a little bit too overwhelming.

And I want you to commit to completing it at some point. 70 percent effort, not a hundred percent, just 70 percent effort, not perfect, not polished, just good enough to move forward. And then I want you to notice how it feels to let go of the need to make it flawless, because more often than not, you'll find that 70% is way more than enough to make progress.

And this works because it removes the pressure to be perfect and it shifts the focus to taking action and to really just experimenting like we talked about earlier. And let's be honest, often the hardest part is just getting started. And when you stop holding yourself to an impossible standard, something amazing happens.

You free up a lot of mental energy and you will feel more light, more creative. You'll be more willing to take risks. Now keep in mind that letting go of [00:21:27] perfectionism isn't about lowering your standards. That's not what I mean. It's really just about redefining what success looks like. And for me, success as a podcaster is not about creating a flawless episode every week.

It's about showing up consistently, sharing ideas that matter and connecting with you, my listeners. That's what keeps me going, even when things don't go perfectly. So here's another challenge for you this week. Just pick one area of your life where perfectionism is holding you back and apply the 70 percent rule.

Take messy action and just see what happens because you might surprise yourself. And so as we wrap up and celebrate one year of the artwork of you, I can't believe it. I want to leave you with this. Your self image, it's not set in stone. It's a living, breathing part of you that evolves as you do. And just like a masterpiece, it's shaped by the layers that you add and the risks that you take and even the imperfections that you embrace.

Over the past year, I have experienced this firsthand. When I started, my self image was shaky at best, but week by week, episode by episode, I stepped into this role, not because I was perfect at it, but because I was willing to keep showing up. And that is what I want for you too. So here's what I want you to do.

Just pick one thing from this episode that resonated with you, whether it's confronting an invisible narrative, creating an alter ego, trying the 70 percent rule, it doesn't matter whatever it is. Take action on it this week, because change doesn't happen by thinking. Thinking it happens by doing. And if [00:23:06] you've been with me on this podcast journey for the past year, I truly want to thank you.

Thank you for listening, for sharing your time with me and for being part of this incredible experience. Your growth inspires my growth. And I am so grateful for this community that we're building together. That's a wrap for today. My friends, thank you for sharing your time with me and remember to show up in your life, like the masterpiece you are, because you are the artwork.

Please subscribe and leave a five star review. Have a fabulous day.