The Fierce Guidance of Anxiety

I know this is going to sound crazy, but I think anxiety is a beautiful thing to behold—messy at times, yes, BUT a beautiful sister or one and the same to intuition.

In my experience, there are many different shades of anxiety and she is an ever-evolving, untamable creature. Just like we spoke about in the last blog post, “The Fierce Journey of Expression,” anxiety does not live in black and white. She lives in expressive color. A beautiful thing to behold, but only IF we take the time to learn to hear her voice, communicate with her, and take lessons from why she is showing up.

I truly believe that not being in tune with knowing our anxiety can lead to harmful, volatile expression, or even dangerous interactions. It’s when we feel boxed in or pressured to show up in a way that is not true to who we are that anxiety increases her suffocating hold to get us to stop and listen. This can be an all-encompassing, debilitating call to wake up.

In evolutionary psychology, researchers talk about the "Smoke Detector Principle"—the idea that our brains evolved anxiety as a hyper-sensitive threat-detection system.

She is built to sound an alarm at the slightest hint of danger because, in the wild, a false alarm costs a little peace, but missing a real threat costs everything. 

When we feel boxed in or untrue to ourselves, that ancient alarm system blares to force us to wake up and pay attention. It is terrifying in the moment, but that terror is often the alarm system forcing us to reclaim ourselves.

So often this world casts negative labels on us that stop us from living. This blog post on anxiety is a call for you—if, like me, you struggle with anxiety—to start looking at her in a different light. Maybe as a kind, loving, fierce friend who is watching out for us.

I know deep in my bones and experiences that we as women have lost our ability to listen to our internal compass, our intuition, our sister anxiety in all her revelations.

A part of us, so integral to connecting to ourselves fully and without shame, that she comes out as anxiety—a direct call to listen.

The Cage & The Box

For years, I let myself get trapped in the narrative of "I just have anxiety, this is who I am, and I am stuck."

We live in a world that so easily casts negative labels on us, trying to define who we are before we even get a chance to speak. Throughout my life, I've had many labels placed on me—and so often, the people in our lives try to keep us inside those neat, comfortable boxes. Sometimes it’s out of their own comfort, but more often, we keep ourselves trapped there out of a deeply rooted fear. We fear letting them down, we fear failing, and we fear the uncomfortable disruption that comes when we finally dare to break free and live a life true to who we actually are.

It took the support of my wonderful husband and my beautiful besties, who encouraged me to stop letting those external expectations and labels dictate my life and foreshadow who I would become, to realize the ultimate truth: we always have a choice. We hold the mindsets, decisions, and directions for our lives—whether for good or bad. 

Staying quiet, pleasing others, or forcing ourselves into a box just to keep the peace only turns anxiety into an internal pressure cooker, demanding that we break out. 

The moment we stop fighting our own truth and start choosing ourselves, the terror shifts into immense liberation. 

We truly are magic when we refuse to let these labels, cages, or fears of disappointing others take hold—even the ones inside our own minds—and instead will our minds forward toward the life we actually want.

Anxiety As the Wild Woman’s Compass

When we stop running from her, anxiety reveals herself as an untamed teacher pointing directly toward where we need to heal, expand, or speak up. She is our instinctual compass.

Depth psychology and Jungian analysis describe the "Wild Woman" archetype—the raw, instinctual essence within us. When we suppress our boundaries or force ourselves into pleasing others, psychologists note that the psyche rebels. 

Anxiety is the wild soul’s demand for individuation—the psychological call urging us to stop conforming and step into our authentic power.

Learning to listen to her requires standing directly in uncomfortable, scary moments. So often, those exact moments of discomfort are what allow us to grow in our core beliefs, refine who we are, find a sureness in our steps, and plant deep roots into who we truly want to be.

I’ve never been particularly great at visualizing who I want to be far into the future, but I have become damn good at sitting right in the middle of my anxiety. She has helped me sort through the pain, anger, and discomfort from trauma in a way that allowed me to genuinely heal for myself, step into who I always wanted to be, and push forward toward my goals. I’ve learned to gain true guidance from her—allowing that feeling to challenge me, fuel my perseverance, and ignite a deep joy in the woman I am becoming.

To highlight the positive impacts of anxiety in my current space and time, I am attending my very first market as a metal artist at the 9th & 9th Street Festival here in Salt Lake City. Looking back, I am so proud of the relentless work I’ve put in to get here—especially this past year, and through these last 5.5 months recovering from double broken ankles with still one more surgery waiting for me next week. Through all the physical pain, unknown territory, and uncharted experiences, my anxiety didn't destroy me; she kept me grounded while pushing me through. She helped me continuously will who I want to be into existence: a wild woman, standing tall, deep in her bones.

Symbolism in the Studio: Bring the Roots

This journey of growth, adaptation, and deep-rooted resilience is the soul behind our Tree of Life Collection.

A tree cannot weather harsh storms or reach toward the sky without roots that dive deep into the earth. In this metaphor, anxiety acts as those subterranean roots—sensing the shifting soil, cautioning against danger, and anchoring you firmly in your truth so you can expand without falling over. 

The winding branches represent the untamed, unpredictable paths we walk as we adapt and grow through life's seasons.

Wearing the stainless steel Tree of Life pendant or earrings isn't just about wearing a piece of jewelry; it is holding a physical anchor—a daily talisman reminding you that your anxiety is not a life sentence or a weakness. She is the living, breathing root system of your wisdom, holding you steady as you grow. Take it one day at a time, and know you are all you need to become who you want to be.

What is your internal compass asking you to stop ignoring today? Where is anxiety calling you to plant roots and grow? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Thank you for being here. See you on the beloved path.

Read Along With Me

I am still slowly chewing my way through Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Progress has been a bit slower lately as all my energy has been poured into prepping for my upcoming market, but I’m perfectly okay with taking it one page at a time.

Every time I open this book alongside my own reflections on anxiety and instinct, passages like this hit deep in my bones:

"The way to preserve the feral is not to protect yourself from fear, but to face it, to walk right into the middle of it, to let it teach you what it knows."

— Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés

If you’d like to pick up a copy and journey through these untamed waters with me, you can find it here:

About the Artist

Bre is the metal artisan behind Via Amata Designs. Her true craft was forged through the fire of resilience, navigating heavy life chapters—from surviving childhood abuse to standing 12 years breast cancer-free and managing osteoporosis by lifting heavy.

 Working alongside her husband as a maker family and inspired by her circle of strong women, she transforms industrial metals into intentional, hand-finished jewelry. Her work is rooted in sacred geometry and ancient symbols, built to serve as enduring talismans for your own beloved path.