Resisting Perfectionism with Misha Blaise

As a creator, sometimes you can be your own worst enemy! Perfectionism, negative self-talk, and fear block the creative process and keep you from doing your best work. Teresa Au speaks to writer and illustrator Misha Blaise, author of the books This Phenomenal Life and Breathe Deep, for guidance on how to keep perfectionism at bay. Misha shares how an unexpected crash course in the fundamentals of breathing helped her learn to control her nervous system and create a space for creativity. Misha’s practical advice for shifting your attitude, making room for play, and tapping into the power of your breath can help you access your most creative self.

What you’ll hear on this episode:

• Misha’s unconventional career path and the Chicago arts scene
• Who designs the wall art sold in big box stores?
• Misha’s transition to writing books and finding an agent and publisher
• A hybrid workflow, combining painting and Adobe Photoshop
• Rainn Wilson says Misha’s books are filled with wonder and curiosity
• A family health crisis leads to an unexpected deep dive on breathing
• The problem with mouth breathing and how to overcome it
• Why the breath is so fascinating
• How breathing is the key to your nervous system
• Breath as a symbol
• The connection between breathing and creativity
• How “fight or flight” mode physically affects the body
• Why it’s impossible to create and play in “fight or flight” mode 
• The importance of play for adults
• A guided breathing exercise: The Physiological Sigh
• Teresa and Misha bond over the burden of perfectionism
• “Regular” perfectionism vs. moral perfectionism
• How breath and nervous system work can help in troubling times
• Why perfectionist energy is at odds with creativity
• Redefining success in your career
• Misha is inspired by the musician Anthony Vincent
• What it felt like to go viral, and will it happen again?
• The advantages of having a smaller online following
• How Misha is experimenting with AI in her workflow
• Misha’s One Word for 2023

Misha Blaise (@mishablaise) is an author-illustrator of several books related to the theme of our interconnection with the universe. Her book This Phenomenal Life which was translated into six languages and was a bestseller in China. She served as a jury member for the 2017 Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition in

Shanghai and her work can be seen on the walls of the acclaimed Austin Central Public Library. She lives in Northwest Arkansas.

Teresa Au (@tautastic) is an executive for community engagement at Adobe. Her career spans diverse creative fields, primarily in New York’s fashion industry, as well as architecture firms, and now Silicon Valley tech companies. She has always prized working with distinctive design and the interesting people behind it–from designer Elie Tahari to start-up CEOs. 

Learn more about this podcast, and find transcripts and links, at adobe.ly/inthemaking. In the Making is brought you by Adobe Express and Adobe Creative Cloud. 

Past episodes of Wireframe can still be found in the show archive within this feed, or online on Behance. 

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