Every day I hear from women who feel stuck. As a coach, my job is to help them release what’s holding them back, and get them moving forward. This conversation altered my perspective on "stuck." A word that our culture patholgizes. “Quick, let’s fix the problem!" This conversation reframes growth, suggesting there’s a lot to celebrate in the fallow, neutral space of a woman’s life, when a metamorphosis is happening out of view. And yet this liminal, in-between phase can be terrifying, especially if we’re prone to overachieving the heck out of life, tackling one ambitious goal after another, like the guest of my program did for most of her 56-years.

About Melissa Unger:

Melissa Unger is a Brooklyn-based, Franco-American author, artist and creative director. In 2011, she founded Seymour Projects, a collaborative initiative devoted to nurturing human consciousness in a world increasingly dominated by technology. Over the course of her 30+ year career, she’s worked with many renowned organizations including Tribeca Productions, The Ad Council, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, artnet, and the Creative Growth Art Center. Early in her career she was also the personal assistant to Robert De Niro and Daniel Day Lewis! Melissa and her projects have been featured in The Huffington Post, Die Zeit, ELLE Magazine, Le Monde, El Pais, and New York Magazine. Her visual art has been exhibited in various art spaces, as well as featured on a variety of products. She’s a member of the Intentional Spaces/NeuroArts, Kinnernet and DLD communities and a participant in evolutionary behavioral scientist Tamás Dávid-Barrett’s discussion group Human Beast. 

Highlights of of conversation include:

• Why our society pathologizes inertia

• Why the in-bewteen feels so icky when you’re in it

• Moving from mind over to body driven intentions 

• How capiltalism perpetuates the feeling of “not enough” 

• Identity shifts after moving home after a decade in France

• Why fallow is a fertile phase of invisible growth

• Embracing all emotions, like a full color palette

• How art and creativity impact personal growth

• The power of intentional spaces and neuroaesthetics

• The importance of feeling heard and understood when you’re wired differently 

Links:

Melissa's IG

Website

Gag

Credits: Artwork Jessie Kanelos Weiner; Editing Matthew Jordan; Music © Fabrice Fortin

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