I’ve noticed a trend towards sameness, as if keeping things the same will eliminate any risk of change- that if we only ask ourselves the same questions, we won’t have to be faced with the big questions. But the time I’ve spent out in nature, I am always getting pulled to see perspectives that perplex me- like coming across glow worms and bioluminescence and experiencing time warping from flowstate. Sometimes being open to different ways of seeing things is daunting, but I spoke with mural and fine artist Jack Rowland about the importance of opening your perspective and how that can change your reality.

An experience with psychedelics shifted Jack’s world- even his grey and dark paintings turned vibrant and colourful. From this experience, he started to see the world from a new perspective, one where everything became a bit more precious, connected and inviting. What I took away from this was:1. How little we truly see- as humans, we only see a small spectrum of light and what we do see is influenced by our own biases 2. How important it is to step back into the natural world3. How art is a powerful way to access and explore ideas that open your perspectiveWhat came up was this:Motivation isn’t about willpower but alignment- Jack is driven and has no problems working late nights in the studio or long hours on the wall but during Uni, he was just scraping by. It made me see motivation doesn’t come from willpower; it comes from fulfilling these innate needs: 1: Autonomy When you have autonomy, your actions reflect your genuine interests rather than expectations and obligations 2: CompetencyWhen you feel competent, you feel able to interact with the world around you successfully 3: Relatedness Relatedness is the need to feel close to, involved with, and genuinely cared for by others.Jack and other guests have intentionally changed their environment so that what they’re chasing fulfils these; the outcome- having the motivation to keep at it.

“If you can surprise yourself of what you thought you couldn’t do then, I think that’s a great thing to give yourself ”

We delve into this and so much more. Listen to the full episode on Substack, Spotify or wherever you listen! Find Jacks artworks on his website, socials and his podcast here.

Conversations like this are why I started Explore Your Core.

I’m interested in what happens when people follow the signals most of us ignore — curiosity, intuition and environment and consciously construct the life around them to pursue what they love.If you’re someone who’s curious, follow the podcast on Instagram, Spotify and subscribe to keep up with new episodes.

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Until next episode,-Explore Your Core

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