Dawn and Ruth check in mid-Lent about rotating Wednesday pastorates, quirky church history discoveries, and children's theater outings before sitting down with Kim Knowle Zeller, ELCA pastor and writer from rural central Missouri.

Kim's got two books under her belt: The Beauty of Motherhood: Grace-Filled Devotions for the Early Years (co-authored) and her new release Small Steps: Blessings to Lift Your Soul on the Pilgrimage of Life. But here's what makes her story compelling—the new book was born from her Camino de Santiago pilgrimage and a "100 Day Project" where she wrote one blessing daily.

That practice changed everything. Kim learned to notice God's presence in small, ordinary moments instead of waiting for the big spiritual revelations. She reads "A Blessing for When the World Is on Fire" during the conversation, and honestly? It's the kind of blessing we all need right now.

Kim shares her traditional publishing journey, marketing strategies, writing rhythms, and the truth about what blessings actually do. Spoiler: They don't guarantee safety or fix everything. But they do something maybe more important—they accompany people into a hard world so they're not alone.

This conversation is for anyone who's ever wondered if the small, everyday moments of faith actually matter, or who needs permission to find the sacred in the ordinary instead of waiting for lightning bolts from heaven. Because sometimes the biggest hope comes from the smallest steps.

If you love the work we do at Created Creative Podcast we invite you to become a patron! For just $10 a month you can be part of our Created Creative Conversations and get the support you need as you start your own next creative project! patreon.com/u11072417

Kimberly Knowle-Zeller is a writer, pastor, wife, mother of two, and the co-author of The Beauty of Motherhood: Grace-Filled Devotions for the Early Years, and the upcoming book of blessings, Small Steps: Blessings to Lift Your Soul on the Pilgrimage of Life. She lives with her family in Cole Camp, Missouri. She loves to walk around her town of 1,000 and enjoy the many festivals and events, as well as attend her monthly book club and trivia night.

IG: @kknowlezeller

Substack: https://kimberlyknowlezeller.substack.com

Website: kimberlyknowlezeller.com

00:00 Blessing Not Bubblewrap

00:21 Lent Check In

00:36 Country Church Tales

04:28 Marionettes In Central Park

06:18 Meet Kim Knowle Zeller

08:24 Beauty Of Motherhood Book

11:00 Small Steps New Blessings

12:13 Hundred Day Blessing Habit

15:05 Structuring The Pilgrimage Lens

16:33 Finding An Agent Publisher

18:54 Landing a Publisher

19:21 Marketing Through Connection

20:22 Local Media and Events

21:02 Substack Over Instagram

21:48 Writing Rhythm and Routine

23:47 Favorite Devotionals and Reads

25:38 Reading a Blessing Aloud

27:27 Coaching for Motivation

29:57 Simple Reels and Tech Help

32:52 Blessings as Creative Faith

34:04 Final Thanks and Sendoff

Matt Smith is a fellow yogi from rural Minnesota who makes the rest of us feel like we've been living in bubble wrap our whole lives. He grew up seasonal farm style: spring morel and Chicken of the Woods mushroom foraging, summer Boundary Waters canoeing, winter camping at 38-below (because apparently that's a thing people do for fun), and winter beaver trapping and fur handling. You know, typical Tuesday activities.

But wait, there's more. Matt worked wildland firefighting, became a paramedic, and then decided to build his own log house over eight years without taking out any loans. Just learned as he went, recounting close calls with falling trees and a horse accident that probably should've ended differently.

Oh, and in his spare time? He built a glamping retreat from scratch. Road, platforms, bathhouse, septic—the whole operation. It's earned over 100 five-star reviews because of course it has.

Matt also talks about yoga, self-work, faith, community service, and how he's encouraging his kids to overcome fear and learn actual skills. You know, the kind of skills that matter when the power goes out or you need to, I don't know, survive in the actual world.

This conversation is for anyone who's ever wondered what it looks like to live completely outside society's safety nets and create something entirely from your own hands and knowledge. Because some people really do know how to build a life from the ground up. Literally.

LINKS:

Join our patreon to support this podcast and to join Created Creative Conversations in April! patreon.com/u11072417

00:00 Backcountry Beginnings

00:17 Welcome and Boxes

01:27 Meet Matt the Builder

02:45 Farm Life Seasons

03:18 Mushroom Foraging 101

05:15 Chicken of the Woods

07:43 Farming and Work Ethic

08:45 Boundary Waters Adventures

10:04 Wildland Fire to Paramedic

10:40 Building a Log Home

12:09 Close Calls and Mustangs

13:37 Trapping and Fur Craft

16:46 Glamping Retreat Origins

18:22 Zillow Hobby Hunting

18:37 Buying Land For Family

19:08 Building The Glamping Retreat

20:41 Community Know A Guy

22:01 Reviews And Retreat Ideas

22:48 Yoga And Self Work

25:02 Kids Farm Freedom

26:33 Fixing A Calf Leg

29:00 You Are The Project

31:45 Mindset And Failure

33:28 Campfire Cooking Stories

34:50 Documentary And Farewell

Some songs are too dangerous for the songbook—and that's exactly why we need them. Richard Bruxvoort Colligan joins Dawn and Ruth from Rochester, MN fresh from selling his Iowa home and diving into his first book: “Dangerous Songs: The Psalms in a Gloriously Disrupted Life,” dropping April 21 with a music-focused kickoff event.

Here's what makes this conversation so compelling: Richard's not talking about the pretty, comforting Psalms you hear in worship. He's diving into the extreme songs—the ones about thriving, desolation, and unknowing. The violent ones. The frightening ones. The ones that make you go "wait, this is in the Bible?"

He shares what he learned about ego through the editing process, his writing journey, and how the Psalms aren't just ancient poetry but raw, honest expressions of what it means to be human when life gets gloriously disrupted. Plus, he's got future book ideas brewing and runs "psalmimmersion" on Instagram.

This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered why we sanitize the Bible's most honest moments, or who needs permission to bring their whole messy, complicated, disrupted life to their faith.

LINKS:

Support this podcast by becoming a patron patreon.com/u11072417

Richard's music: https://www.worldmaking.net/

Follow him @psalmimmersion on instagram

Find Dawn's coaching at bigpicturebigpurpose.com

Happy mail for ministers at consecrate.cratejoy.com

00:00 Finding Yourself in Psalms

00:26 NYC Snowstorm Survival

02:06 Taxes That Actually Help

05:20 School Closures and Meals

05:57 Microwaves and Power Problems

07:05 Space Heaters and Cold Venues

09:21 Psalm for Conference Lament

00:18 Meet Richard and New House

11:30 Cat Talk and Holy Week Jokes

12:24 Book Origin Story

13:29 Dangerous Songs Book Launch

13:53 Writing Process and Ego

14:49 Author Editor Tension

15:14 Daily Writing Routine

16:43 Book Structure Explained

18:21 Thriving Desolation Unknowing

20:19 Devotional Use Today

21:22 Launch Events Singing Psalms

22:59 Beatles Meets Psalms

23:50 Hard Psalms Canon Questions

25:39 Future Books Promotion

28:11 Personal Faith Takeaways

29:44 Ancient Text Modern Shock

31:22 Publisher Credits Wrap

32:42 Where To Find Richard

33:11 Final Thanks Call To Create

Dawn and Ruth start this one with Ash Wednesday updates and a wild circus reinvention Dawn attended (no animals, robotic performers, no ringmaster, just pure light-show magic). The circus becomes the perfect metaphor for what happens when you throw out the old playbook and create something entirely new.

Enter MaryAnne McKibben Dana: Presbyterian pastor in Northern Virginia, writer, leadership coach, and author whose fourth book Better Than Normal drops April 14, 2026. MaryAnne's been living the "yes, and" improv principle for years (she literally wrote a book called God, Improv, and the Art of Living), and now she's taking it to the next level.

Here's her thesis: What if most of our struggles aren't internal deficits but external cultural mismatches? What if "norm culture" is the problem? MaryAnne knows this from raising three neurodivergent kids through mental health challenges and watching how the world tries to squeeze them into boxes that don't fit.

Better Than Normal argues for discarding the idea of a default human standard altogether. We're talking neurodivergence, race, immigration status, LGBTQ identity: all the ways humans actually exist versus how we pretend they should. The book's six chapters walk through shifts like moving from certainty to curiosity, from rigid categories to expansive possibilities.

MaryAnne imagines a world where we question everything: the 40-hour work week, traditional schooling, all of it. Dawn coaches MaryAnne through her discomfort with self-promotion, reframing publicity as stewardship of an idea that can reduce suffering. Because this book? It's arriving at exactly the right cultural moment.

LINKS: Find out more about MaryAnne McKibben Dana's work: https://www.maryannmckibbendana.net/

Join our Patreon now and gain access to monthly group conversations and Q & A about creativity (starting in April) - patreon.com/u11072417

00:00 Throwing Out “Normal”: Making Room for the Full Human Spectrum

00:23 February Check-In: Lent, Ash Wednesday, and New York Stories

01:07 Ashes on the Sidewalk: Church at a Busy Intersection

01:47 Ash Thursday at the Circus: The Reinvented Big Top (No Animals!)

03:45 From Acrobats to Expectations: Setting Up the “Living Outside the Norm” Theme

04:48 Meet Maryanne McKibben Dana: Pastor, Writer, Coach, Runner

06:58 Improv as Spiritual Practice: “Yes, And” for Real Life

09:22 Introducing the New Book: From Hope During COVID to Better Than Normal

11:15 What “Better Than Normal” Argues: Ditching Defaults, Choosing Curiosity

13:42 If the Book Changed the World: Rethinking School, Work, and Assumptions

15:07 Creativity on the Run: Capturing Ideas Mid-Workout

16:22 Running vs. Yoga: Different Paths to a Creative Mind

17:07 Finding a Writing Rhythm in the Margins of Life

18:16 Writing Retreats: Making Space for Deep Work

19:04 Virtual Co-Working & Pomodoro: The ‘Writing Table’ Method

20:43 Creative Mentors & Inspiration (Substack, Austin Kleon, Carrie Newcomer)

22:59 Where Creativity Meets Spirituality: Writing as a Journey

25:11 Pastor + Writer: Boundaries, Authenticity, and Being ‘More Than One Thing’

27:54 Coaching on Book Promotion: From Self-Promo to Stewardship

30:43 Sincerity vs. Cynicism: Getting the Idea Into the World

33:12 Release Details, Pre-Orders, and Final Send-Off

Dawn and Ruth are unpacking a lot this episode, and honestly? It's some of their most honest conversation yet. Things get real when they talk about Dawn's recent eye scare: floaters and peripheral flashes that sent her straight to urgent retina care. This leads to reflecting on Ruth's Guillain-Barré experience a year ago, her recovery, and how health scares change everything about how you show up for people. Because there are people who disappear when things get scary, and people who show up. Guess which ones matter?

From there, they dive into The Other Significant Others, a book about lifelong, non-romantic partnerships and chosen family. Think: power of attorney, co-parenting arrangements, end-of-life decisions made by people who aren't legally married. Society gives all the benefits to romantic partnerships—tax breaks, bereavement leave, legal recognition—while other deep relationships get zero validation.

They're exploring alternative family structures, cultural attitudes toward single adults, and how community-building works differently in Minnesota versus New York City. Plus, they're questioning inherited beliefs about friendship and why we act like romantic love is the only kind that really counts. This episode is for anyone who's ever felt like their most important relationships don't fit the template society expects.

LINKS:

We'd love your support! Join our patreon: patreon.com/u11072417

00:00 Why One Person Can’t Meet All Your Needs (Friendship vs. Marriage)

00:18 Meet Dawn & Ruth + The Suzuki Conservatory Info Night

01:06 How Suzuki Works: Commitment, Interviews & Letting Kids Choose Instruments

03:29 City Life Updates: Late Nights, Ash Wednesday & The Circus Next Door

04:14 Eye Scare & Dr. Google: Floaters, Retina Fears, and Getting Checked

06:37 A Year After Guillain-Barr: Recovery, Gratitude, and New Perspective on Illness

08:11 “Just Show Up”: Visiting the Sick, Funerals, and Who Really Comes Through

08:54 Your Support Network in Action + Introducing ‘The Other Significant Other’

10:13 Redefining Life Partners: Legal Rights, Co-Parenting, and Chosen Family

12:39 Society Built Around Romance: The Village Model and Making Space for Deep Friendships

13:20 Friendships as ‘Real’ Family: Being Seen Beyond Marriage

14:02 When the System Doesn’t Recognize Your People (Deathbeds & Bereavement)

15:53 Nontraditional Paths to Parenthood: Co-Parenting, Donors, Surrogacy & IVF

17:50 The Stigma of Being Unpartnered (and the ‘Not a Real Adult’ Moment)

19:12 Money, Taxes, and Why Culture Pushes Unhappy Partnerships

20:06 Place, Belonging, and Chosen Family: Minnesota vs. New York

23:23 Discussion Guide: Learning to Say ‘I Love You’ to Friends

25:17 History of Friendship Commitments: Sworn Brotherhoods & Romantic Pedestals

26:03 Closing: Emergency Contacts, Legal Recognition, and Final Takeaways

The Little Heart Project is going to wreck you in the best way. Kathleen Jensen, the founder, crochets small hearts, attaches notes of encouragement, and leaves them in public places for strangers to find. Simple, right? Except these tiny hearts are reducing stigma around mental illness and preventing suicides. These little acts of kindness are literally saving lives.

Kathleen shares the story behind the project, including her own personal journey with mental health (because you don't start something like this without knowing the darkness firsthand). She's talking about how the project has grown from a local effort to a global movement—people all over the world are crocheting hearts and leaving them for strangers who need hope.

But we’re not just talking about the impact on the people who find the hearts. We’re talking about what it does for the people who make them. The community that's formed around this. The volunteers who've found purpose and healing through creating something for someone else.

Kathleen also gets real about the challenges of managing a nonprofit, the logistics of spreading kindness at scale, and how creativity can become a tool for mental health advocacy and suicide prevention. This episode is a reminder that you don't need a massive platform or a huge budget to change lives. Sometimes all it takes is a tiny crocheted heart and a note that says "you matter.”

LINKS:

Check out Dawn's coaching at bigpicturebigpurpose.com

Show your love for a favorite minister: consecrate.cratejoy.com and consecratebox.com

Help support our work on Created Creative Podcast by becoming a patron: patreon.com/u11072417

00:00 Welcome to Created Creative

00:47 Personal Stories and Reflections

06:24 The Little Heart Project: An Introduction

07:13 Spreading Kindness and Mental Health Awareness

10:53 The Origins of The Little Heart Project

13:29 Impact and Growth of The Little Heart Project

15:26 Personal Struggles and Motivation

15:41 Community Support and Outreach

16:32 Surprising Connections and Growth

17:48 Impact on 9-1-1 Dispatchers

19:01 Youth Involvement and University Partnerships

20:15 Challenges and Coaching

21:32 Nonprofit Management and Funding

24:32 Advocacy and Recognition

27:55 Educational Efforts and Mental Health Awareness

29:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Ruth's raw, unfiltered voice memos from her solo journey through New Zealand make up most of this episode, and honestly? It's one of the most truthful, vulnerable things we've ever put out there. Ruth's walking you through the whole thing: The initial excitement of departure (that "holy buckets, I'm really doing this" energy), the physical challenges that make you question everything, the moments of reflection when you're alone with your thoughts in the wilderness, and all the interactions with locals and travelers that remind you why humans need each other.

But here's what makes this special: You're hearing Ruth navigate the emotional highs and lows in real time. Not polished. Not edited into neat takeaways. Just the messy, beautiful truth of what it's like to push yourself beyond what you thought you could do.

By the end, Ruth's gained profound insights and a sense of accomplishment that only comes from finishing something audacious. And when she gets home? She reflects on how the whole experience transformed her. This episode is for anyone who's ever wondered what it actually feels like to do the thing that scares you. Not the Instagram version. The real version. So grab your coffee (or your hiking boots) and settle in. Ruth's taking you to New Zealand—and it's going to change how you think about what you're capable of.

LINKS:

Check out Dawn Trautman's coaching: bigpicturebigpurpose.com

Need a gift for your favorite minister? consecrate.cratejoy.com

00:00 Introduction to Ruth's Journey

00:57 Ruth's Pre-Departure Thoughts

00:57 Travel Hiccups and Delays

02:53 Arrival in New Zealand

04:21 First Days on the Trail

05:48 Challenges and Small Victories

06:56 Reflections on Home and the World

08:45 Unexpected Encounters and Decisions

10:38 Reaching Queenstown and Final Thoughts

18:09 Returning Home and Processing the Journey

21:04 Reflecting on the Journey

21:18 Challenges and Adaptations

22:20 Survival Strategies

23:22 Facing Loneliness

23:38 The Value of Community

26:45 Unsupervised Adventures

30:03 Packing Essentials

31:14 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

When we welcomed back Meta Herrick Carlson in December to discuss her children's book called We Remember Your Baptism, we never knew how much more timely her words would become by January.

Meta is a Minnesota pastor helping children understand and cherish their baptismal stories, which sounds simple until you realize how many of us have NO idea what our baptism even meant or why it matters. She worked with her illustrator Clara to create something that helps families hold onto these sacred moments in ways that actually stick.

But here's where the conversation gets deeper: We talked about what baptism means for community. What it means for her Minneapolis neighborhood right now. With ICE presence and everything else happening, the question isn't just "do you remember your baptism?" It's “Do you remember whose you are? And who's got you?"

Meta shares her unique pastoral experiences with baptism (and trust us, pastors have STORIES), and we dive into the importance of mutual aid, showing up for each other, and what it actually looks like to live into your baptismal promises when the world feels heavy.

This episode is about memory, yes. But it's also about belonging, community support, and the power of knowing you're claimed by God and by your people.

PREORDER META’S BOOK: https://www.beamingbooks.com/store/product/9798889836490/We-Remember-Your-Baptism

00:02 Meet the Guest: Meta Herrick Carlson

01:57 Meta’s New Book: We Remember Your Baptism

03:07 The Creative Process Behind the Book

05:48 Choosing the Right Illustrator

08:42 Personal Reflections on Baptism

13:13 The Power of Storytelling in Faith

15:17 Hope for the Book's Impact

15:38 Personal Reflections on Children's Books

16:55 Baptism Rituals and Traditions

18:32 Book Release and Promotions

20:53 Community and Social Justice

22:48 ICE Presence and Community Response

25:36 Faith and Social Responsibility

27:44 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo is basically the Created Creative podcast in book form. There's so much overlap it's wild.

Dawn and Ruth get real about how family beliefs shaped their creative journeys (spoiler: Dawn got cast in a professional show as a kid and wasn't allowed to do it—ouch), what limiting beliefs are still holding them back (like "I don't wanna bother people" when marketing), and the whole messy tension between building a personal brand and maintaining humility in ministry. Because yeah, that's a thing.

They're also talking about the difference between holy persistence and unhealthy striving (when do you keep going and when do you let go?), and how to integrate all the different pieces of your life—ministry, business, creativity—without losing your mind. Dawn calls it "being a jazz musician" with her schedule, and honestly, that tracks.

Naomi Arnold is a journalist, author, and the kind of person who decided to walk the entire length of New Zealand on the Te Araroa Trail. Because why not, right?

Naomi's sharing with Dawn and Ruth the whole messy, beautiful story: the trail conditions (spoiler: not always great), the personal fears she had to face, the environmental challenges that nearly broke her, and what it actually takes to put one foot in front of the other for months on end. All of this became her book Northbound, which is basically a masterclass in resilience and determination.

But here's what makes this conversation so good: They're not just talking about hiking. They're talking about the writing process, the life lessons that only show up when you're alone in the wilderness with your thoughts, and what happens when you commit to something audacious and then actually do it.

This episode is packed with practical advice for future hikers (Ruth's actually in New Zealand hiking right now) and aspiring writers who need to hear that finishing the thing—whether it's a trail or a book—requires the same kind of stubborn persistence.

So if you've ever wondered what it takes to walk across an entire country or write about it afterward, Naomi's got answers. And honestly? Her story might just inspire you to do that audacious thing you've been putting off.

LINKS: Are you dreaming about starting something new? Check out Dawn's coaching groups: https://bigpicturebigpurpose.lpages.co/discern-by-doing-for-business/

Have you heard about ConseCrate? It is happy mail for ministers! consecrate.cratejoy.com

00:19 Planning the New Zealand Trail Adventure

02:07 Interview with Naomi Arnold

02:47 Naomi's Trail Experience and Challenges

06:24 Navigating the Trail and Unexpected Obstacles

14:03 Final Thoughts and Advice for Future Hikers

19:10 Struggles on 90 Mile Beach

19:58 A Painful Journey to the End

21:22 Unexpected Kindness and Recovery

22:29 Post-Trail Reflections and Social Anxiety

22:59 The Impact of COVID-19

24:46 Book Success and Reader Reactions

25:39 The Journey of Writing and Publishing

28:03 Future Projects and Ideas

29:18 Creative Challenges and Accountability