Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens

The older I get, the less stuff I seem to need. 

For most of my life, I was firmly rooted in the knick-knack, bric-a-brac camp (isn’t bric-a-brac such a great phrase?). I love thrift stores, but as I get older and learn to say goodbye to my mom's things as a way of accepting her Alzheimer's, I feel like a weight is being lifted. Could it be that I'm embracing some semblance of minimalism in midlife (or a little past m...

When does self-improvement cross the line into self-flagellation? Are we using personal development and goal setting to undermine ourselves? How can self-improvement and self-acceptance co-exist in a world that increasingly wants us to choose sides?

In this episode, we'll reflect on what's working in our lives and strike a balance between self-improvement and self-acceptance by acknowledging and being mindful of our wondro...

Do you struggle to make time for artmaking, causing you not to get started?  

Do you think your art isn't worth appreciating or sharing because it's not good enough, finished, or polished? 

Sometimes these negative thoughts can be overcome when we lower the stakes around our artmaking. We may put so much pressure on ourselves, that it stifles our creative process. And that's a shame because the world needs your creativ...

Feeling overwhelmed by life’s demands? Need a buffer to preserve your optimism and sense of purpose in an increasingly stressful world? 

Then, this episode is for you! Discover how art appreciation can restore energy, inspire creativity, and deepen your connection to the world. Press play and listen to this episode as I explore: the benefits of art-making and art appreciation, especially in lessening emotional burdens and reducing s...

While writing this episode on caregiver burnout, my mom had a medical crisis that nearly killed her. I picked up my tired and weary bones and found the inner strength and energy I needed to be by her side. Along the way, I recalled how she and my support system helped bolster me during these challenges. Each time these crises happen, it reinforces how important it is for me to give to myself. 

In this episode, I outline th...

Don’t let anyone tell you (and don’t tell yourself) that your small acts of kindness are not great! Each act of connection, charity, goodwill, mentorship, and civility adds up. In a world that can feel like everything is being torn apart, we still have a well of greatness in us that doesn’t come from how smart we are, how much money we have, how beautiful we are but from how humbly and lovingly we can reach out to one another with ...

Are you holding yourself back because of fear, feelings of imposter syndrome, and self-imposed ageism? There are plenty of obstacles to achieving our goals without us adding elaborate "stories" based on "what-ifs" and fear. Let’s dispel some myths, and lean into the self-reliant power of getting older (and wiser). In this episode, I make a case for making friends with fear (with a bit of recognition and acceptan...

When can we say that we have enough, and can we turn off our craving for more to find satisfaction with ourselves and the state of our lives right in this moment? I’m exploring these questions, sparked by a Sylvia Plath quote on "enough-ness". I’ll touch on gratitude, reducing social comparison, mindfulness, and building community as powerful allies in the fight to be content in a world that seems to push us to mindlessly...

Reducing overthinking, rumination, and worry can be a beast to tackle, but consistently reorienting our minds and bodies through some creative practices can help increase awareness as we work to replace these thoughts with more inspired ones. I’m using a Khalil Gibran quote as a jumping-off point for a discussion on how to stop “choosing sorrows” through overthinking.

I’m also introducing eight strategies across four modalities that...

This guided meditation (with visualization) accompanies episode #43 on cultivating a sense of belonging (to others and yourself). To explore the ways in which you belong to others and then to yourself, I guide you through a visualization exercise where you imagine yourself talking to a partner about an object of significance to you. You’ll explore how these objects help define deeply-held beliefs, creative passions or values that y...

Self-acceptance is a prelude to belonging. It may not feel like a logical connection, but accepting yourself, flaws and all is the only way to stop the comparison and critical self-judgment that stands between you and your sense of belonging. 

This week's podcast episode is about how feeling left out and like I didn't belong in certain situations pushed me to evaluate my sense of belonging. I explore two types of belonging...

We can get so caught up in our personal growth goals, and our plans for the future, that we lose sight of the here and now. But the journey toward our future self is made in the present moment, and change takes time. As that time unfolds, our desires may evolve, morphing current goals into new ones. I'm taking you on my journey to be open to those changes and my attempts to stay present and mindful of life as it is right now. 

...

My mom's hospitalization (and the arrival of a beautiful bouquet of flowers) call attention to the way yin and yang play out in daily life. In today’s episode, we’ll explore the forces of sadness and joy, anger and compassion, and grief and gratitude. I'll explore how the Taoist principles of Yin and Yang offer a way of seeing how complementary forces can teach us that nothing is all bad or all good, but interconnected an...

As my mom’s Alzheimer’s progresses, and I’m faced with the loneliness of our visits, I’m reflecting on lessons she’s taught me about acceptance, and trying to stay present with her in these transformative moments in our lives. My mom’s love and nonjudgmental acceptance have prepared me to handle this long goodbye, and while it hurts, somewhere in the back of my mind, I know I will be alright. I am my mother’s daughter; she taught m...

Have you lost your fight, left your creative passions behind, and tried to journey forward without them? We can let the outside noise and the stress of our daily lives interfere with our creativity. This stress can push aside our creative impulses, reducing them to another item on our to-do list. But expressing our creative selves, through a multitude of pursuits, feeds our energy and gives us the fortitude to face life. 

...

This is my poetic ode to Utrecht and the Netherlands, a travelogue of sorts that offers musings, observations, and experiences from my two-week vacation. Yes, we saw the sights – the Kasteel de Haar in Utrecht, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Dom Tower, and the canals. But we also made connections with kind souls, curious passersby, and clergymen. We felt touched by this trip, and seen and heard. How many times can you say th...

Start the day with this affirmation meditation and establish a positive morning routine. We start by honoring the body and feeling present with the breath. From there, we express gratitude for the people, experiences, and things in our lives. Then, we set an intention to move on with our day by affirming positive statements that help us carry this morning's stillness and balance into our day. 

We’ll end with a visualization con...

I’ve got a wonderful way to temp down overthinking, worry, and rumination. I use stream-of-consciousness journal writing to allow my mind to feel free to express itself; just 15 minutes of this writing, a type of creative flow, can unlock new insights and reduce anxious feelings. You leave the stress of planning and plotting and give your subconscious a chance to express itself. You find insights, open a path to new ways of seeing,...

It’s taken me a while to find a path toward the Middle Way, that Buddhist principle that rests firmly on common sense and shows us how to find moderation instead of swinging between one extreme or another. The Middle Way can offer us some peace as we find a balance between the extremes of self-indulgence, busyness, and wanting, or on the other side, toward extreme self-denial or self-discipline.

The Middle Way offers a nua...