interiority (self-care) as sacred

" ... as though somehow looking within was a selfish/narcissitic thing to do ... but there is a version of interiority/inquiry that to me is a precursor to transcending the ego ... the ego needs to be developed in a self-knowledge way ... the more we know ourselves ... and art is an incredible way to get to know ourselves and to define what we care about, what we value, what we hate, what we enjoy, what we move away from, what we notice ... you know, artists are the sensitives of the culture, we're the priests and priestesses, the shamans ... so, the self-definition process ... to see it as a sacred process ... and the precursor to the eventual transcension of the self ...  it's really a sacred act to define yourself publicly." ~ Alanis Morissette

and from yoga goddess, Elena Brower: "When you are in the space of caring for yourself, fear and blame cannot thrive there. You are sacred, and caring for yourself is sacred action. And it’s the action that will teach the world how to treat you, and will remind you of your presence, and will help you stay close to the ground when it’s time to pray and when it’s time to forgive."