Courageous Wordsmith

Molly Elizabeth, the artist and imagination champion behind The Darling Revolution, talks about finding healing through art, first with postpartum depression (and since then, other chaotic events).

This conversation surprised us both when it led us into Molly's former religious ties, how she chose to trust herself over church teachings, and how she chooses to face challenges since then.

As a creative mentor and podcaster, Molly dedicates herself to building safe spaces where people can imagine better ways to create and trust themselves. A self-proclaimed process-based artist, she is passionate about using color and creativity to express the beautiful mess that makes up all our lives.

Molly's Website

Molly's Instagram

Molly's Facebook

Podcast: The Darling Revolution on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats.

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Courageous Wordsmith Podcast is back with a new name and new image, but the same spirit. In a similar way, Katie Krauska was a dedicated, high performing sailor who shifted her attention (and passion) to cycling. When she suffered a major setback, she had to rethink her approach not only to athletic performance, but every aspect of her life. Her story of resilience offers a fitting reintroduction to Courageous Wordsmith Podcast.

A former Spanish student of mine, Katie is a cyclist competing in gravel, road, and mountain bike races. She's also an undergrad at UW-Madison studying biochemistry and computer science. She likes taking on hard things (like a 100 mi race) and solving the puzzles of how to get to the finish line.

Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats.

Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks

Courageous Wordsmith presents conversation with Real-Life Creatives. Author, Certified Master Coach, and Story Mentor Amy Hallberg poses this question: How do we find and (give ourselves permission to) follow our Creative callings.

Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats.

Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks

In this two-part season finale, Ray DePaola and I discuss ancestral lineage as a path to healing, his through a treasured family story, mine through a strong resistance to tracing my family tree.

After these final two episodes, I'm taking Frau Amy's World on hiatus until September, giving myself permission to dig deeper into my second book, Where the Other Me Lives. But what perfect conversations to go out on. Ray always gives me something to ponder. He's a Life Guide, a Peaceful Dude, and Nature’s Wingman. Some folks (like me!) call him Gandalf, so be forewarned. We venture into unusual spaces.

In my book, I'm exploring my complex relationship with my Family Tree. (Don't we all have family patterns to heal?) When Ray shared his own story about Ancestral Healing, I was curious. And when he started talking about our personal responsibility within that lineage, I knew we had something to talk about. Did we ever!

During the upcoming hiatus, if you haven't listened to the rest of my first season, please check out episodes 1-20. (Here's episode 9, with Ray)! And if Ray speaks to you, consider reaching out for yourself.

Conversations can include thought work and inquiry, dream analysis, mind-body connection, energy awareness, animal messengers, Spirit Guides, and Oracle cards. They ALWAYS hold peace, compassion, and non-judgment.

Ray's Website

Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats.

Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks

In this two-part season finale, Ray DePaola and I discuss ancestral lineage as a path to healing, his through a treasured family story, mine through a strong resistance to tracing my family tree.

After these final two episodes, I'm taking Frau Amy's World on hiatus until September, giving myself permission to dig deeper into my second book, Where the Other Me Lives. But what perfect conversations to go out on. Ray always gives me something to ponder. He's a Life Guide, a Peaceful Dude, and Nature’s Wingman. Some folks (like me!) call him Gandalf, so be forewarned. We venture into unusual spaces.

In my book, I'm exploring my complex relationship with my Family Tree. (Don't we all have family patterns to heal?) When Ray shared his own story about Ancestral Healing, I was curious. And when he started talking about our personal responsibility within that lineage, I knew we had something to talk about. Did we ever!

During the upcoming hiatus, if you haven't listened to the rest of my first season, please check out episodes 1-20. (Here's episode 9, with Ray)! And if Ray speaks to you, consider reaching out for yourself.

Conversations can include thought work and inquiry, dream analysis, mind-body connection, energy awareness, animal messengers, Spirit Guides, and Oracle cards. They ALWAYS hold peace, compassion, and non-judgment.

Ray's Website

Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats.

Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks

Barbara Deese couldn't not write. After a tragic loss with painful repercussions, writing became the source of healing that worked. After a while, that writing evolved into something much more, an entire mystery series centered on powerfully authentic women (members of a fictional book club), who investigate murder mysteries set in the Minnesota landscape where Barbara lives (for real).

Barbara is author of the No Ordinary Women Mysteries Series, including the book we discuss in this episode, Murder at Spirit Falls. Her short story "Release" appeared in Festivals of Crime and "Twisted" appeared in Dark Side of the Loon.

Barbara's website

Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats.

Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks

Writers will tell you that moving into old stories can open old wounds, especially around loss.

That energy resides deep in our bodies, and it comes in waves. The trick is to let ourselves mourn, whenever that happens. Recently, Amy experienced this while working on her next book and reached out on Facebook for support. Fortunately, fellow Master Coach Jennifer Bauer answered the call. They reflect a few days later.

Plus Jenn's written a gorgeous new book of prompts for healing through writing.

Jenn's Website

Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats.

Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks

Jillian Rae does well as a up-and-coming rockstar. She plays plenty of concerts. Minnesota Public Radio's music station The Current often features her music. And now she's about to release a long-awaited LP album. Jillian gives us a backstage look at how the album came together.

Jillian's Website

Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats.

Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks

Ten days and counting until Katherine Quie releases Raising Will: Surviving the Brilliance and Blues of ADHD. But she was never in this alone. Behind the book, there's Will and his life, his ADHD, his mom, and his music. Last summer, before leaving for college, Will sat down to talk about that.

Will's 2012 MN State Fair Performance

Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats.

Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks

Writing a book is like parenting. We think we'll write a book, but really the book also writes us -- and changes us in fundamental ways. Amy and Katherine talk about how that happens.

By her own (skewed) estimation, Katherine Quie has been writing her memoir for five billion years, but now here she stands, on the verge of launching Raising Will: Surviving the Brilliance and Blues of ADHD. At this milestone for her book (intimately tied to her parenting journey), Katherine and Amy reflect on all the ways she's progressed so far, and Katherine's hopes for this work going forward -- not just a book anymore, but a mission.

Katherine's Website

Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats.

Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks