channeling your emotional intensity into artistic expression

Explicit content warning

03/28/22 • 57 min

Alessia Camoirano Bruges is an Italian-Colombian artist based in London. Her unique “fluid art” is inspired by its ever-changing nature – just like humans and our emotions. She combines her passion for color psychology, color therapy, fluidity, and her emotional intensity into her artwork. She sees each piece as a cathartic experience in which she can connect to her inner child and relaxed into fully embodied presence & mindfulness. In this episode, we discuss Alessia's battle with her eating disorder and her struggle with emotional dysregulation & chronic pain that led her to her personal rock bottom moment where she realized *she* was the common denominator in her chaotic life. We also discuss how she bravely decided reach out for help and found healing through DBT and EMDR and how this allowed her to begin channeling her big emotions into creative projects, which resulted in her artwork being published in massive publications and getting hired as a documentary filmmaker for Vice.

Questions answered and topics discussed in this episode:

■ Alessia’s experience growing up as an “emotionally intense” child (often being told she was “too much”)

■ How to learn to embrace your emotional intensity as an inherent strength and creative tool

■ Mollie & Alessia discuss their shared struggled with oversharing

■ Getting “the ick” (the sudden desire to rid ourselves of romantic partners or friendships)

■ Alessia’s experience trying to repress her eating disorder/depression with extreme fandom

■ Suffering in silence with “high-functioning” mental health issues (eating disorders, depression, BPD)

■ Alessia’s personal battle with chronic pain

■ How Alessia finally found a therapist that was a good match for her who took a holistic approach to treatment (treated her as person, not a disorder)

■ Alessia’s struggles with emotional flashbacks (and how EMDR therapy helped her with this)

■ How painting has become her most effective therapeutic method

■ Alessia’s early childhood intuitive relationship with color that grew into a passion for color psychology

■ Alessia’s struggle with imposter syndrome even after the critical acclaim and success of her artwork

■ Her experience getting hired to work for Vice and creating documentaries

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The information contained in this podcast episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment or consultation with a licensed mental health professional.

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Questions answered and topics discussed in this episode:

■ Alessia’s experience growing up as an “emotionally intense” child (often being told she was “too much”)

■ How to learn to embrace your emotional intensity as an inherent strength and creative tool

■ Mollie & Alessia discuss their shared struggled with oversharing

■ Getting “the ick” (the sudden desire to rid ourselves of romantic partners or friendships)

■ Alessia’s experience trying to repress her eating disorder/depression with extreme fandom

■ Suffering in silence with “high-functioning” mental health issues (eating disorders, depression, BPD)

■ Alessia’s personal battle with chronic pain

■ How Alessia finally found a therapist that was a good match for her who took a holistic approach to treatment (treated her as person, not a disorder)

■ Alessia’s struggles with emotional flashbacks (and how EMDR therapy helped her with this)

■ How painting has become her most effective therapeutic method

■ Alessia’s early childhood intuitive relationship with color that grew into a passion for color psychology

■ Alessia’s struggle with imposter syndrome even after the critical acclaim and success of her artwork

■ Her experience getting hired to work for Vice and creating documentaries

acast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/back-from-the-borderline.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

when your body isn't your own: what abusive relationships and grooming taught me about love

Reflecting on the Euphoria character "Cassie," Evan Rachel Wood's new documentary "Phoenix Rising" (about her alleged struggle with domestic violence, grooming, and sexual assault at the hands of singer Marilyn Manson), and recent events with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West inspired me to sit down and reflect on my own chaotic experiences with grooming, domestic violence and sexual assault throughout my teens and twenties. I realized that the thread that connected all of the chaos was an underlying disconnection from my intuition or "gut feeling." In this episode, we discuss how to reconnect to our sense of inner knowing and how to move forward and heal from toxic connections that we previously thought were love but weren't.

Questions answered and topics discussed in this episode:

■ Warning signs you've lost touch with your intuition (and how this often happens in childhood)

■ How I learned to overcome my obsession with seeking male validation

■ Sexual grooming (recognizing the signs and my personal experiences)

■ How I learned that rape isn’t black and white

■ Rebound relationships & domestic violence (rushing into things too soon before knowing the person)

■ My experience meeting my current partner and understanding that true love is “friendship first” (finally finding safety in a relationship)

■ Strategies on tapping into our intuition when we’ve lost a connection with it (practical exercises from Martha Beck)

Recommended resources:

Phoenix Rising Documentary with Evan Rachel Wood

The Gathering Room Podcast

5 Steps for Tapping Into Your Intuition (Article by Martha Beck)

“Trip Down Intuitive Memory Lane” Exercise (Lesson 3)

Intuitive Scoring (Lesson 4)

Intuition Conversation with Non Dominant Hand (Lesson 5)

acast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/back-from-the-borderline.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

finding natural relief from PMS and PMDD with menstrual cycle awareness

If you experience intense mood swings, anxiety, or depression around your period, you’re not alone. In this episode, we’re diving deep into the effects of PMS, PMDD, and hormonal birth control on our mental and emotional health, exploring how these cycles shape our mood and well-being. Recently, I discovered the practice of Menstrual Cycle Awareness (MCA) through the work of Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, founders of RedSchool. This framework, which sees the menstrual cycle as a series of inner “seasons,” has been a game-changer in helping me navigate emotional waves and manage severe premenstrual symptoms—including those intense enough to qualify for PMDD.

Together, we’ll unpack how period stigma has shaped our understanding of menstrual health, often leaving out crucial insights that can help us reclaim a sense of control. You’ll learn about the four distinct phases of the menstrual cycle and how becoming attuned to these natural rhythms can support emotional regulation. We’ll also explore the impact of hormonal birth control on mood, examining how it can sometimes exacerbate symptoms of emotional dysregulation.

Additional topics include:

The difference between PMS and PMDD, and whether premenstrual symptoms should be considered a mental disorder
Cultural attitudes and rites around menstruation from around the world
Practical steps to begin practicing MCA for improved mental health and well-being
The potential benefits of seed cycling for managing mood swings tied to the menstrual cycle

This episode is a guide to understanding the power of the menstrual cycle—a power many of our mothers and grandmothers didn’t have the chance to share with us. Whether you’re struggling with intense symptoms or simply curious about a new approach to emotional regulation, this conversation offers valuable insights for reconnecting with your body and finding greater balance.

Recommended resources:

■ Flo Period Tracking app (I use the free version)

■ Think Dirty Shop Clean App

■ Wild Power (book that explains MCA and the inner seasons)

■ Blog article by Rising Woman that breaks down the inner seasons one by one

acast+ https://plus.acast.com/s/back-from-the-borderline.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.