Dr. Celeste Vega: As a writer, you know the power of a single, perfect word. But what if the most important story you'll ever write is the one you're telling yourself every single day? What if your internal monologue isn't just commentary, but the very blueprint for your reality?

54k9w846jc: That’s a provocative thought. We spend so much time crafting external narratives, we forget the internal one is running 24/7.

Dr. Celeste Vega: Exactly. And we often think of emotions as messy, unpredictable forces that get in the way of our creative work. But what if that's wrong? What if that feeling of self-doubt, that creative block, that pang of imposter syndrome... what if that's not an obstacle, but a doorway?

54k9w846jc: A doorway to what, though? It usually feels like a doorway to a brick wall.

Dr. Celeste Vega: I hear that. But that's the provocative idea at the heart of Sarah Prout's book, "Be the Love," and we're going to explore it today with our guest, 54k9w846jc, a writer and artist who is perfectly positioned to dissect these ideas. Today we'll dive deep into this from two perspectives. First, we'll explore the 'Feel, Heal, Reveal' philosophy as a powerful operating system for navigating creative challenges.

54k9w846jc: I'm intrigued by the term 'operating system.' It suggests something functional, not just philosophical.

Dr. Celeste Vega: Precisely. And then, we'll discuss a concept that’s right in your wheelhouse: 'Your Word Is Your Wand,' looking at how intentional language can shape our reality. So, welcome, 54k9w846jc. I’m so glad you’re here to explore this with me.

54k9w846jc: Thanks for having me, Celeste. This already feels like it’s going to challenge some long-held assumptions about the creative process. I'm ready.

Dr. Celeste Vega: Great. So, let's start with this core framework Prout calls 'Feel, Heal, Reveal.' It sounds a bit like a mantra, but she presents it as a very practical process for dealing with difficult emotions. The first step, 'Feel,' is about simply allowing yourself to acknowledge what you're feeling without judgment, which is harder than it sounds.

54k9w846jc: Especially when the feeling is shame or anger. The instinct is to push it down, to 'be professional' and get on with the work.

Dr. Celeste Vega: Exactly. And Prout argues that suppressed energy is what creates those brick walls you mentioned. To illustrate this, she shares a deeply vulnerable story from her own life. At a time when she and her husband, Sean, were under immense financial and business pressure, the stress just boiled over one night.

54k9w846jc: I can imagine. That kind of pressure can crack anyone.

Dr. Celeste Vega: It did. She describes a moment of completely losing control—physically pushing him, screaming at him to leave, and then in the next breath, pleading with him to stay. It's this raw, chaotic, painful moment of pure, unprocessed emotion. That's the 'Feel' part, in its most extreme and destructive form.

54k9w846jc: Wow. That’s incredibly raw to share in a book.

Dr. Celeste Vega: It is. And she's not proud of it; she's deeply ashamed. But in the aftermath, as Sean packs a bag to leave for the night to de-escalate, she has this moment of devastating clarity. This outburst, this rock-bottom moment, becomes what she calls a 'deal-breaker.' She realizes she cannot continue living this way. This is where the 'Heal' part begins—it starts with taking ownership.

54k9w846jc: So the healing isn't about someone else fixing it, but her own realization.

Dr. Celeste Vega: Yes. She recognizes her own pain is causing her to hurt others. She stops blaming the circumstances or him and looks inward. And that decision to change is what 'Reveals' a new path forward. It becomes clear to her that she must heal her own trauma, own her emotions, and break the cycle.

54k9w846jc: That's a powerful and, frankly, uncomfortable story. It makes me think about the creative process. We're often told to 'write what you know,' which can mean writing from a place of pain. But there's a difference between exploiting pain for a story and actually processing it.

Dr. Celeste Vega: Tell me more about that distinction.

54k9w846jc: Well, Prout's 'Heal' step seems crucial. It’s the difference between an artist who is just bleeding on the page for shock value, versus one who has transformed that blood into ink. The first is just a wound, the second is a scar with a story. It has meaning. But there's a danger there, right? How does she suggest one actually 'heals' without getting stuck wallowing in it?

Dr. Celeste Vega: That's a fantastic question. She talks about it as taking radical responsibility. It’s about asking, "What is my part in this?" and then using tools like journaling, or even just self-soothing—pausing before reacting. It's about treating the emotion as a messenger. Instead of shooting the messenger, you listen to its message. The message might be 'you're burnt out,' or 'this boundary has been crossed,' or 'you're afraid of failure.'

54k9w846jc: So 'Heal' is less about a magical cure and more about active listening to your own internal state. It's an analytical process, in a way.

Dr. Celeste Vega: Exactly. It's emotional data collection. And once you have that data, your intuition—the 'Reveal' part—has a much clearer signal to guide your next move, whether that's in your life or on your blank page.

Dr. Celeste Vega: And that idea of listening and choosing your next move leads perfectly into our second idea: the power of the language we use in that healing process. Prout calls this 'Your Word Is Your Wand.' It’s the idea that the words we choose, especially in our internal dialogue, actively create our experience.

54k9w846jc: As a writer, I'm both thrilled and terrified by that concept. The idea that my own words have that much power over me is… a lot.

Dr. Celeste Vega: It is! But here's the nuance that I think you, as a writer, will really appreciate. This isn't about 'toxic positivity' or just plastering over problems with happy words. She tells another great story about this. In 2009, she was a single mom living on welfare, drowning in credit card debt. Banks were calling constantly.

54k9w846jc: A very tangible, stressful reality.

Dr. Celeste Vega: Extremely. Her first instinct, having been in the personal development world, was to use the affirmation "I AM NOW DEBT-FREE!" She would say it over and over. But it felt like a lie. Her body, her empty bank account, her entire reality was screaming, "No, you're not!" So the affirmation just created more internal conflict and didn't work.

54k9w846jc: I can relate to that. It’s like telling yourself "I'm not nervous" right before going on stage. It almost makes it worse because you're fighting reality.

Dr. Celeste Vega: Precisely. The shift came when she stopped focusing on the —the debt—and started focusing on the she wanted to cultivate. She chose one word: "abundance." She would just repeat that word to herself. She stopped talking to friends about her money problems and started immersing her mind in the of abundance. She even started watching TV shows about rich people and looking at expensive cars, not with envy, but as a way to absorb the energetic frequency of prosperity.

54k9w846jc: I love that distinction. It's the difference between writing a line of dialogue that says 'He was happy' and writing a scene that happiness in the reader. The first is telling, the second is showing—or in this case,. The word 'abundance' isn't a statement of fact; it's an incantation. It's a direction for your focus.

Dr. Celeste Vega: An incantation! That's the perfect word for it. You're not trying to trick yourself. You're guiding your attention.

54k9w846jc: It makes me wonder about the words we use to define ourselves as artists. If I repeatedly tell myself, 'I'm a struggling writer,' am I just describing a temporary state, or am I casting a spell that keeps me there? That identity, 'struggling writer,' is almost romanticized in our culture, but maybe it's a trap.

Dr. Celeste Vega: Prout would say it's absolutely a trap. You're programming your own reality. 'Struggling writer' becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because you look for evidence to support that identity. What if you shifted the language? What if the internal monologue was, 'I am a writer dedicated to my craft' or 'I am a creative exploring my voice'? The words change, and so does the energy you bring to your work.

54k9w846jc: And it changes the actions you take. A 'struggling writer' might procrastinate out of fear. A 'writer dedicated to their craft' sits down and writes, even when it's hard, because that's what a dedicated craftsman does. It reframes the entire narrative of your daily habits.

Dr. Celeste Vega: You've just connected it to your interest in habits. That's the link. The story you tell yourself dictates the habits you form.

Dr. Celeste Vega: This has been such a rich discussion. So, to bring it all together, we have these two powerful, interconnected ideas from "Be the Love." First, a practical framework—Feel, Heal, Reveal—to process the inevitable emotional challenges of life and creativity, turning them from obstacles into fuel.

54k9w846jc: An operating system for emotional alchemy, really.

Dr. Celeste Vega: I love that. And second, we have the tool of intentional language—Your Word Is Your Wand—to consciously direct our energy and, as you said, write our own story from the inside out.

54k9w846jc: It really comes down to being a more conscious creator, both on the page and in our own lives. It’s about realizing we are the narrator of our own experience, and we can choose our words more carefully.

Dr. Celeste Vega: Beautifully put. So, as we wrap up, what's a final thought or a practical takeaway you'd leave for our listeners, especially those in creative fields?

54k9w846jc: I think it can feel overwhelming to try and change your entire mindset at once. So, I’d offer a small, concrete challenge. For anyone listening, especially fellow creatives, here’s a thought to take with you: What is the one word or phrase you repeat most often in your internal monologue about your work or yourself? Is it 'struggling,' 'blocked,' 'not good enough'?

Dr. Celeste Vega: That's a brave question to ask.

54k9w846jc: It is. But just ask it. And then ask: Is that word building the reality you want, or is it holding you in a story you'd rather not be living in? You don't have to have the perfect new word right away. Just noticing the old one is the first, and most powerful, step to changing it.

Dr. Celeste Vega: Just notice the word. That’s a perfect, actionable place to start. 54k9w846jc, thank you so much for bringing your insight to this. It’s been a fantastic conversation.

54k9w846jc: The pleasure was all mine, Celeste. Thank you.