Some artists are born knowing exactly who they are — and then spend a lifetime being told not to trust it. In this deeply honest and soul-forward episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with bestselling mystery author and writing coach Liz Mugavero (also known as Cate Conte) for a conversation that moves far beyond publishing credits and into the raw terrain of identity, faith, trauma, and creative survival.  Liz is the author of multiple successful mystery series published by Kensington Books and St. Martin’s Press, including the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries, Cat Café Mysteries, and Full Moon Mysteries. But behind the accolades is a story shaped by silence, religious control, codependency, emotional abuse, and the quiet resilience it takes to keep creating anyway. Raised in a strict Catholic environment that never quite aligned with her intuitive truth, Liz knew early on that something didn’t add up.  Storytelling — inspired in part by her grandfather, a former detective — became both a calling and a way out.

In this episode, Liz opens up about:

~Growing up deeply creative in an environment that discouraged questioning

~The subtle, often invisible realities of emotional and psychological abuse

~How codependency can quietly derail creativity~Losing — and then reclaiming — her artistic voice

~Writing her first novel as a graduate thesis while navigating a collapsing marriage

~Why real-life experiences (funeral homes, animal shelters, journalism) fuel authentic fiction

~The courage it takes to trust your voice when no one else does

Together, Rich and Liz explore the intersection of creativity and survival, unpacking how artists often learn to self-abandon before they learn to self-express.

This conversation is for writers, artists, and creatives who:

~Grew up feeling misunderstood or spiritually disconnected

~Have been told to “be realistic” about their dreams

~Have lost momentum due to relationships, fear, or control

~Are rebuilding trust in their own intuition

~Believe creativity isn’t just a career — it’s a lifeline

Liz’s story is a reminder that recovery isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about remembering who you were before the world told you to be smaller.

Connect with Liz:

https://cateconte.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizmugavero

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.liz.mugavero

Substack: https://lizmugavero.substack.com

#creativeRecovery, #writingThroughTrauma, #emotionalAbuseSurvivor, #codependencyHealing, #artistIdentity, #spiritualCreativity, #richwrightartist #richwrightunltd #richwrightunlimited #recoveringCatholic, #womenWriters, #mysteryAuthor, #creativityAndHealing, #reclaimYourVoice, #artistResilience, #writingAsHealing, #creativeIntuition, #traumaInformed, #artistrecoverypodcast , #TheArtistsWay, #storytelling #podmatchguest ⁠ ⁨@PodMatch_com⁩ ⁠

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Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright

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