Quilter Vendulka Battais shares her healing journey from realizing that external validation (including winning awards) made her happy, but didn't bring her ultimate fulfillment, she still needed to find her own inner worth and peace. She explores how her upbringing in communist Czechoslovakia and ancestral patterns influenced her sense of self-worth and her creative approach to quilting.

• Growing up during communism in the Czech Republic shaped Vendulka's resourcefulness and creativity
• Moving to the UK at age 24 with English as her second language became an unexpected advantage in her quilting pattern instructions
• Winning quilt competitions didn't bring the fulfillment she expected, revealing her pattern of seeking external validation
• Ancestral patterns from Czech history influenced her tendency to overgive and put her worth in others' hands
• Through theta healing and meditation, she learned to find value within herself rather than from external achievements
• Understanding that we're only responsible for our own happiness helps break patterns of people-pleasing and overgiving
• Finding peace requires facing uncomfortable truths and being honest with yourself
• The healing journey is ongoing - slips back into old patterns become smaller and less frequent with practice
• Every cloud has a silver lining - learning not to immediately judge experiences as good or bad opens us to unexpected gifts

If you've enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who might benefit, leave a review on your podcast platform, and check out Vendulka's quilted jacket class:

https://www.craftymonkies.com/live-zoom-workshop-vendulka-battais-121025-fashionable-quilted-jacket-and-210326-intricate-curv

Follow Vendulka on Instagram @vendulkaoliven

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Taking a break between Season 2 and Season 3 to reflect on the journey and lessons learned throughout Breaking the Blocks. Thousands of listeners have shared how these conversations about overcoming challenges have inspired their own growth paths.

• Life inevitably brings pain, loss, and unexpected challenges – our growth comes from how we respond
• Understanding our role in our own suffering is key to breaking unhealthy patterns
• We cannot change others, only ourselves – even after 27 years of asking her husband to quit smoking
• Change requires losing old identities and sometimes relationships that reinforce negative patterns
• Finding inner peace may initially feel "dull" compared to drama but brings lasting fulfillment
• Learning patience for gradual change instead of expecting instant transformation
• Extending the same kindness to yourself that you would offer a struggling friend
• Stop arguing with people who cannot understand your perspective
• Practice gratitude for relationships where you're valued and opportunities to grow
• Let go of circumstances you cannot control and view challenges from a wider perspective

Season 3 will return in September with exciting new interviews already recorded. Thank you for listening and being part of this community of growth and transformation.

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Mackenzie Thorpe shares his extraordinary journey from a dyslexic child in working-class Middlesbrough to a globally celebrated artist whose work touches hearts worldwide.

• Born with an innate urge to draw on anything available—stones, cigarette packets, fireplace ashes
• Struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia at school, describing himself as "word blind" rather than seeing jumbled letters
• Found escape through art, developing a three-dimensional thinking ability that compensated for traditional learning challenges
• Created his iconic square sheep series after a car accident in 1990, representing his family and his role as protector
• Gained international recognition when Salvador Dali's former manager discovered his work and introduced it to global audiences
• Balances creating joyful, whimsical art that's commercially successful while privately producing darker works that express his personal struggles
• Maintains a mission to encourage others to embrace their creativity despite obstacles or discouragement
• Met Queen Elizabeth II to present a commissioned Jubilee painting depicting the Northeast's resilience and celebration
• Lives by Van Gogh's motto: "If you can't go to work, go to work"

You can follow Mackenzie on Instagram: @artistmackenzie

His website is: www.mackenziethorpe.com

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please tell a friend about it, leave a review, or reach out to Rachel at breakingtheblocks.com if you're a business interested in sponsorship.

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