Meet Ryan Mcintosh | Business consultant and artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Mcintosh and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I personally don’t believe in focusing on balance. Balance is a bi product of healthy prioritization. Just like happiness is a bi product of good decisions made. I focus on what’s truly important and has the highest level of need to be done, then once that is complete I move on to the next focus of importance and priority needing my attention. Our personal and professional lives can be a beautiful melody and harmony or it can be chaotic and all over the place. Most people who say they are “stressed” usually have an issue with prioritizing their focuses and knowing what needs to have their attention first, second and third… etc.
there are 6 stages to feeling stressed.
1st- FEELING OVERWHELMED: Your plate is overflowing and it’s overwhelming you
2nd- WORRY: we begin to think negatively and that our load is too much. We then start thinking the worst and imagining the worst happening.
3rd- ANXIETY: worry leads to high anxiety levels. We actually create our anxiety by how we are operating and going about our life. Anxiety is released in us after too much worrying. All this can happen in seconds.
4th- NEGLECT: when anxiety sets in we all have a great tendency to neglect responsibility or obligations needing our attention because it becomes “too much for us to handle” in these moments. We put off important “to do’s” due to how anxiety is effecting us.
5th- GUILT: neglecting our responsibilities and areas needing our attention and focus has a consequence of guilt that can be subtle and/or extreme (depending on what it is). Guilt builds because we know we should be doing those things but we are not. This doesn’t feel good.
6th- STRESS: stress that we feel is simply a product of of guilt and all other stages listed prior. It’s the point we reach when this cycle is allowed to grow to this point. Stress is simply knowing what’s needs to be done but you know you’re not doing it.

I have balance because I prioritize properly and use the 6 stages to stress to be aware of when I’m going off course. Most of us feel “overwhelmed” and call it “stress”… but if at the moment you start feeling “overwhelmed” you take out a piece of paper or go to “notes” on your phone, and start writing down what needs to be done or is needing your attention in no specific order. Immediately your plate feels and looks more manageable. After you have it written down, then meditate on it and start prioritizing it as an “attack list”….

These two things have helped me tremendously.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m more of a jack of all trades with my art. From painting, to sculpting clay, to driftwood sculpting and carving, to music and performing, it all fills my soul and sends my spirit soaring. I’ve never had classes or professional training, but I did have family and friends of our family spend time with me at a young age to show me how to draw and create. To be completely honest with myself and you, I don’t think I would have ever picked up a crayon and paper to create anything unless I’d been shown and encouraged at a very young age. I remember when I was two or three and picking up a crayon for the first time after I’d been shown by a family friend how to draw pac man, and trying to draw it myself. I remember the feeling I had as well when I saw that I had done it. What I had seen, I had just transferred on to a separate piece of paper!! I couldn’t believe it. I remember becoming obsessed with art and wanting to create everyday. As I grew older I realized how much that creating was in all of what we do. From self expression to a pencil and paper and all else in between. It flows through us and is like breathing. We need to create to exist in thankfulness and gratitude. If we aren’t creating we go internal and tend to grow selfish and self focused. Creating brings us out of ourselves and helps us realize all that is around us much clearer.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If we were in Oregon, I’d take them to Depoe Bay Area to check out my most favorite spot in all of America. I call this spot “Heaven on Earth”… that is the name I gave it. The locals would kill me if I gave away its true name but I’ll give you a hint, it starts with an “F” and ends with a “K” lol. If we were in TN or GA or NC, I’d take them up through Blue Ridge and head though the Nantahala and end in Black Mountain NC to get a bite to eat since they have the best food in the world I think.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I don’t believe anyone on this earth is in total agreeable with their family on every matter and issue. We are all individuals with our own perspectives and thoughts on the world and others. But, having a family that encourages, believes in you, and supports you through your individual journey is so very important. If you don’t have a family that does this, create that family through the friends you keep. My mother and father have been my number one fans since I can remember. My brothers have been my ride or dies since we were born. My sister has been the second mother to us and has been nothing but a love and support machine since before I could walk. I want to sing praises to them for all they have done for me and still do.

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