Art as a way to fully express yourself and live a fulfilled life

Hi Melanie, thanks for joining me today. For those who don’t know Melanie, she is a Psychosomatic Therapist, an artist, and EQ Business Specialist. However, she is mostly known as The Face Reader.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself and how did you decide to incorporate emotional intelligence and playfulness into your client work and retreats?

In my quest for inner answers to let go of what I can now see was huge anxiety, 11 or 12 years ago I discovered Psychosomatic Therapy. The sessions shifted my world so much that 10 years ago I trained and became a qualified Psychosomatic Therapist. At first to help myself and now to help others. Psychosomatics is the study of the mind-body connection – that ultimately reveals one’s emotional intelligence. I do this via reading the body – Face Reading in particular.

Ironically around the same time, it was shared with me by a Shaman that I would teach about emotions. I totally rebelled against this! I rolled my eyes and thought ‘You have got to be kidding?!’… as I was in the midst of enduring so much accumulated emotional overwhelm that to look at any of it felt so dark, deep, and painful. But I did the inner work.

Initially, I didn’t use the term ‘Emotional Intelligence’ because quite frankly I wasn’t there yet. Part of what I teach is to walk your talk, and I never teach, share, or present myself in any way that I’m not. And that’s not to say I don’t have my bad days… in fact, the reason I asked to postpone this interview is that I’ve been going through a ‘dark night of the soul’ over the past few weeks.

When you’re in it, it sucks, but I always laugh on the other side – as these moments mean I’m walking my truth, and continuing to do my own inner work.

As for playfulness – I can’t take life too seriously… I’ve tried many times – but it never works! And I have no desire to be serious… I’m a 3/5 Human Design – rebirth, rebelling, and playing the fool is my way 🙂

What was the most significant turning point in your life?

I’ve had many. The first was when I went on a student exchange to Sweden for a year when I was 16… that definitely changed my life trajectory.

The second was waking up to my love and sex addiction when I was 28.

Part of what I teach is to walk your talk, and I never teach, share, or present myself in any way that I’m not.

What’s one of the biggest challenges you had to face while building your personal brand?

Finding the sweet spot between spiritual and ‘corporate’ language for lack of a better word. And being judged by both worlds about the body of work I’ve created.

Outside of that would be having the resources to make the vision in my head real – I’ve had to be patient and simply build it step by step with where I was.

What’s the most dangerous myth you have encountered in your career?

”You’ll never be able to do that…”

How did you find your voice and your purpose?

I truly found my voice when I spoke on stage to a room of around 200 people back in 2015. I shared vulnerably on stage, saw its impact on the audience, and felt a new level of empowerment within myself.

I found my purpose by following my nose! In my Psychosomatic Training, specifically the Face Reading component, a light switched on inside of me and said – the world needs you to share this.

What success looks like for you?

When clients and students share with me the shifts they’ve had in their life because of their new awareness. And also now that I play with life a lot more, rather than trying to figure it out – success for me is having the ability to experiment and knowing I can do anything my way.

There is no secret formula.

What character traits do you most respect in other people?

Honesty.

What’s your spirit animal?

Hmm… I feel strongly connected to nature – and don’t have just one. The Tiger comes up in my dreams often.

But most recently the Grasshopper has been appearing in my world.