Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Barbara Howlin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Barbara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I love a good play on words. With my first name, people have called me ‘B’ and with my last name being ‘Howlin’ – the bee and the wolf have always been in mind. It was feeling into the way I wanted to make a creative, healing community and the community those animals/insects make together. While still having individuality. So, The Howling Hive is a creative space to feel the universal buzz connecting us all and to uncover your individual howl.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

For the last decade I’ve been guiding creative people on how to release limiting stories so you can lead with ease, dive in with more kiddo play and embrace your personal flow to reclaim an abundant life. It should be fun. And yes, it can be easier. I help us to dive in to trust our intuition and our own unique path.

So what does that entail and how did I get here? Well, I was one shy kid, constantly in flight-or-freeze mode, that didn’t fully blossom and stayed in people-pleasing, co-dependency for… a long time. Yep, I was swallowing a lot of bitter pills. Still, I followed my dream of acting and along that path I first found The Artists Way process of healing. This 12 step artistic recovery book is for *everyone* and I believe we’re all meant to be creative in life. For me, it’s all about doing it in a supportive (humorous) community so we savor the process – of everything in life – again. Next, for me and my embodiment came Reiki shifts. We can tap back in to listen to our body, the energy in and around us, to heal and shift our own flow. And it feels… phenomenal.

Then came the Human Design awareness. Like *boom* it all clicked into place. This energy blueprint of what makes you uniquely you, let me release guilt & old stories to trust my flow. I lit up. With these three things we’re opening mind, body and spirit. Slowly but surely, these all led me back to the core of what were always my superpowers. The very things I’d judged, or been made fun of for, as ‘weird.’ With all these modalities, I help clients unblock to get back to their inherent, creative superpowers.

My highly intuitive self wants to aid in finding the delight and flow in your life. I want it all to feel authentically you. And I’m loyal to the belief that we do already have the answers inside of ourselves. But we all need a little loving support to bloom on repeat. Guiding creatives in healing and using the tools of Artist’s Way, Reiki & Human Design leave me with a deep, relaxed breath into my ‘Hell yes.’ If you want to find your Yes, I’d love to meet you.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the concept that hard work was the only virtuous thing. I would white knuckle everything, be the perfectionist and perceive that if it came easily to me, it was too good to be true. After using the tools I now share with others, I trust my intuition and know that that’s the most important thing. Not external factors or how I am perceived. I follow it, one trust at a time, and collaborate or receive help in many ways now.

Have you ever had to pivot?

What a fantastic question. Because I tell people to pivot – often. I had such a grip on my acting, writing, artistry and life. It was only in affirming it was okay to take a break that I let go of the militaristic discipline with it and broke out of tunnel vision. Most times the pivot was a big synchronicity or bright neon flashing sign the Universe was trying to send me. And until I embraced this way of living, I ignored or didn’t trust them.

I feel we’re all non-linear and especially creatives. Now, I may pivot weekly or take another break from something and give myself more grace. I know that if I’m using these tools and keeping my life conscious, my intuition always brings me back to the paths I may have hopped off of, if they’re aligned with me. Then I can actually savor them and stay in my enthusiasm with creating & living.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thehowlinghive.org/
• Instagram: @thehowlinghive

Image Credits

Becca Murray