Creative Courage

Alanna O'Neil. What a powerhouse. But a gentle, softly-spoken, unassuming powerhouse. She speaks the kind of language I understand the most, of images and pictures and this episode is so utterly life-giving.

We talked about:

* leaving paths that look successful on paper

* the danger of outsourcing your self-worth to algorithms (no thanks)

* sharing creative work as a highly sensitive person

* living in tune to our own seasons

* and finding (or creating) our own path.

And so much more.

I think you’ll love this one.

Keeley 🤍

Find Alanna online:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | PODCAST

Mentioned in the episode

Lucy Laucht Photography

The Service Berry

The Hidden Life of Trees

Hello, if we haven’t met yet I’m Keeley and I write to share hope, inspiration and bits of joy. Would love to see you ‘round. Hit the subscribe button below to stay and hang.

Good things come to those who subscribe🤍🪩

My friend! What have you been up to lately?

In possibly the most exciting to answer to that question, four humans went on a mission to fly around the moon and realised that actually the best place to be in this galaxy is right here.

This big, blue and green ball is beautiful and full of whimsy and wonder.

This is where it’s at.

But it’s hard to remember these things when scrolls are dooming and the clocks are looming. In private chats Caroline Donahue and I have been sharing both our distress over certain events, while also feeling a fire to keep creating and to keep leaning in to the little, whimsical things that feel unnecessary now.

Are we being selfish? Are we putting our head in the sand by creating while “all of this” (gestures wildly) is happening? Or are we using the power we have to fight the best way we can?

We decided to bring the conversation out into the open and invite you into it as well because we felt it was just so important.

Talk soon,

Keeley

‘Twas a wonderful day when Charlene Storey waltzed into my digital sphere with her magical storytelling, encouragement and stellar knack for sending me hilarious instagram reels right when I need them.

Charlene is one of the loveliest, funniest, most talented people I know, and today, we get to chat with her.

But! Before we do, big news to let you in on here, because I’ve just launched…

The Creative Courage Club ~ A live, 8-week small group mentorship designed to help you finally move your creative projects forward.

Choose your focus (your Substack, podcast, online course, sales page… or that thing gathering dust in your Google Docs) and bring it to life with feedback, encouragement, and accountability through voice notes, looms and live calls.

We start Monday, October 13th (enrolments close the night before). Spots are limited so everyone gets plenty of individual attention.

Join us in our secret digital hideaway (no algorithms, no noisy feeds, hooray!) Find out more about it and join at creativecourageclub.com

Now, back to the episode!

Today I’m sharing a conversation with Charlene Storey.

Charlene is a writer and photographer who has a unique way of noticing and then sharing, in both words and images, a moment that others might overlook. She sees magic in tiny moments and captures shadows and light in the most beautiful way. She is particularly passionate about women’s stories and has the most profound insights, she says so many things that really stuck with me.

Her online world makes you feel seen and inspired and she is genuinely one of the loveliest finds on the internet.

Substack | Instagram |

Some of Charlene’s beautiful images

There are so many amazing takeaways from this conversation, we speak about not becoming a lost story, choosing yourself, sharing imperfectly and how “There’s a difference between doing something that feels comfortable and doing something because you don’t think you deserve more…” plus my personal favourite: “The idea of wearing jeans that are too tight, is frankly, abhorrent.”

Although, she says all these things with her gorgeous Scottish accent so it’s really worth hearing for yourself.

On that note, I’ll let her do the talking! Enjoy the episode and make sure you find Charlene on both Substack at Haver & Sparrow and on instagram. Links below.

PS: Here’s an example of some of the medieval art we talk about. You’re welcome/I’m sorry.

Remember to check out creativecourageclub.com if you’ve got a project waiting for some momentum and this feels like your season to create. I’d love to see you inside! 🤍 Any questions feel free to email me at [email protected]

Meet Sarah Rushbrooke. (And Abbey the Greyhound.)

Sarah is about to brighten up your day. Honestly, just between you and me, I got emotional a couple of times just hearing her speak. She shares her passion for flowers and how she made the leap from from her “boring career in marketing” to pursue a life as a florist. We chat about living life “as a bit of a scaredy-cat” but still not letting fear make the decisions and about showing up as ourselves online and in our work.

Her business and creativity flows from a foundation of joy and coming home to herself. Her work is truly glorious and she’s inspired by the Dutch Masters, bringing the gorgeous deep and moody tones and pairing them with the frothy, fairy-lightness she adores. I love how she brings both the light and dark together so beautifully, creating something vibrant and abundant and with a sense of depth to it. And her extravagant floral crowns look like they belong on the cover of Vogue.

She was an absolute delight to talk to and am more determined than ever to find my way to Scotland one day just so I can have a cuppa with her in person. Hopefully near a castle.

Have a listen, enjoy and then get lost in the world of Sarah Rushbrooke.

PS: as this is being published, Sarah’s greyhound, Abbey, who we speak about in this episode is at the vet at the moment causing all kinds of worry. Maybe send extra love Sarah’s way as it might just bring a spark of lightness in an otherwise difficult time.

Substack | Instagram | Podcast | Website |

A little glimpse of Sarah’s gorgeous work

Mentioned in the episode:

Sarah’s e-book Flower Arranging At Home

A Floral Tribue (Sarah’s published story) And the beautiful comic version

Experimenting with tulips

FLOWERS exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery post

Flower Fairies

The Substack Soirée is back & starting next week but there’s still time to join. This class is a 6-week, supportive group programme for anyone looking to start, grow or expand their Substack. We’d love you to join us!

Read more here.

When I first started ballet about 8 years ago now I never expected to be getting life lessons as well as corrections at the barre. Ballet has taught me so much more than just how to plié. It’s created a never ending conversation with myself about resilience and doing the hard thing even if you look stupid or fail.

This episode is about showing up and trying again even when things don’t go the way we hoped.

Whether you’re a dreamer, a maker, an artist, someone starting something new or a business owner trying to make your way through the mess of it all, this one’s for you.

"You might have missed 99% of the steps…but you’re doing it. So finish it well."

Win a 1:1 Creative Session

What better way to kick off a brand new podcast (or a revamped one) than with a giveaway. Hurrah. I’m offering a free 1:1 45 min “Creative Chuppa” session over zoom. (Chat + cuppa = chuppa). In this dedicated time we can chat about whatever creative work you have on the go right now. We can look at the copy on your landing page or about page or we can look at the branding/overall art direction or perhaps you just want to soundboard a new idea and need an idea buddy. The 45 mins is yours and it’s amazing what can flow out of a session.

How to enter:

* Follow the podcast on your favourite app

* Leave a rating & review. (Ideally a positive one, would be great. If you’re not sure what to say feel free to just add 3-4 words you’d use to describe the podcast and click those stars.)

* Screenshot the review and email to: [email protected]

Get in touch

That email address is also how you can contact me if you just want to reach out and say hello, request a topic, or let me know if you’d like to be considered as a guest, I’d love to hear from you.

Substack Soirée is back!

The class I’m co-hosting with Sara Tasker starts Monday, May 5th. Six weeks of writing and community magic. If you want to build something beautiful this year, we’d love to have you. Check it out here. (Previous Soirée guests: Yes! You are invited! Please do join us this round! We’ll be sending something to your inbox soon with more details.)

Secret Gardens blog on Substack

A cozy corner for grown-up dreamers rediscovering their magic. Stories, poems, paper art and chasing tiny-big dreams.

Welcome to Creative Courage, a podcast where we (funnily enough) explore how creativity and courage shape our lives.

I wanted to get to know each other a bit seeing as though we’ll be hanging out here together. So in this episode I’m introducing myself a bit, sharing pieces of my own journey and why I believe the arts aren't just fun or lovely, but essential. I really want these episodes to feel like late night chats with a friend, so I’d also love to hear from you. Leave a comment to let me know where you’re listening from and what you’re working on at the moment. It helps me know who I’m hanging out with as I record.

This podcast will be a part love letter to the arts as well as what I hope will be an encouragement to anyone who is creating things, I know it takes a lot of nerve and courage and mess and chaos. Thank you for putting in the work and doing the scary thing and sharing it.

We need art. We need stories. And we need each other.

“…Sometimes the only way to reach it…is through art. Creativity. The aesthetics. The things that transcend logic and language.”

Win a 1:1 Creative Session

What better way to kick off a brand new podcast (or a revamped one) than with a giveaway. Hurrah. I’m offering a free 1:1 45 min “Creative Chuppa” session over zoom. (Chat + cuppa = chuppa). In this dedicated time we can chat about whatever creative work you have on the go right now. We can look at the copy on your landing page or about page or we can look at the branding/overall art direction or perhaps you just want to soundboard a new idea and need an idea buddy. The 45 mins is yours and it’s amazing what can flow out of a session.

How to enter:

* Follow the podcast on your favourite app

* Leave a rating & review. (Ideally a positive one, would be great. If you’re not sure what to say feel free to just add 3-4 words you’d use to describe the podcast and click those stars.)

* Screenshot the review and email to: [email protected]

Get in touch

That email address is also how you can contact me if you just want to reach out and say hello, request a topic, or let me know if you’d like to be considered as a guest, I’d love to hear from you.

Substack Soirée is back!

The class I’m co-hosting with Sara Tasker starts Monday, May 5th. Six weeks of writing and community magic. If you want to build something beautiful this year, we’d love to have you. Check it out here. (Previous Soirée guests: Yes! You are invited! Please do join us this round! We’ll be sending something to your inbox soon with more details.)

Also mentioned in this episodeMy latest custom website design for The Barbell Ballerina.

Offers opening up soon for custom websites and a template shop on its way! When the shop opens I’ll be offering a limited number of bespoke websites at a special introductory price so if you’re interested, get in touch now so you don’t miss out. Best way to reach out is [email protected]

Secret Gardens blog on Substack

A cozy corner for grown-up dreamers rediscovering their magic. Stories, poems, paper art and chasing tiny-big dreams.

Hello! High-five me because this is exciting. I’m revamping the podcast. Huzzah.

Introducing: The Creative Courage podcast. Launching soon. (Vague, I know.)

This new version of the podcast is less about the strategic stuff of showing up online, less about the copywriting and marketing tips. Not because that stuff isn’t important—(obviously, it is)—but I wanted to have more conversations about the creative journey itself. I’ll share more about my vision for it in the first episode but for now I wanted to offer a glimpse of what’s in the works.

The arts hold so much power. Our creativity is one of the most potent forces we can access this side of heaven and I’m obsessed with pursuing it as much as possible. Not just in and through my own work, but the work of others.

It won’t just be me sharing here, I’ll be chatting with some amazing creative people. So far I have interviews booked or recorded with a writer, an interior designer, a florist, an illustrator and a professional dancer.

I’ll launch a few binge-ready episodes in one go obviously because that’s how we do things around here.

Plus, there’s rumours of a giveaway. More details when the podcast goes live.

And yes, we were podcast-bombed by a cockatoo. Because they hate me.

Anyway, enjoy! Links etc mentioned below.

K

email: [email protected]

blog: Secret Gardens on Substack

PS: Obligatory pic of Holly, who briefly joined us in this episode.

We are made of stories.

…we leave

…for others.

Tuesday, the 9th April, 2024

I’ve recently been getting back into writing poetry and working with my hands and I wanted to find a way to capture this idea of being ‘full of stories’. This artwork is actually quite small, about 10cm wide and it’s made of tiny rolled up scrolls (representing our memories and stories) from ripped art paper. Watercolours in earthy tones have been used to paint the scrolls and give them an aged feel. Some of the threads represent the ways we’ve tried to make certain events in our lives work and hold the scrolls together, keeping it whole. The other strands represent the way our stories entwine with others. The scrolls all together with the strands and layers of paper hold a lifetime of stories and storylines, there for others to read.

Most people know testimonials are powerful and know they need them. The problem is getting them.

So, I wanted to make an episode to hopefully spark ideas on where you could go seeking out some magical words without waiting for all your wonderful clients to get back to you! The thing is, you might already have access to testimonial gold and you’re just not aware of it yet. Plus, we’ll look at a couple of new ways to use them, harness their power and organise them too.

As promised, below are the visuals and links I mention in the episode.

* Fiona Humberstone on Instagram & her program, Elevate.

* Sara' Tasker’s Instagram & Substack & her podcast with Jen Carrington: Letters From A Hopeful Creative.

And for the curious kind (I know I would be), here are the two pieces Fiona was referencing, the logo I’d designed for a fictional hotel and part of the copy included in my work for its branding.

This publication is supported by the happy knowledge that readers find it valuable and lots of coffee. Sign up for free to get all the latest posts AND warm fuzzy feelings knowing you support my work.

While social media woes are truly a first world problem, there were some real threats in the recent h*cking to my security, finances and identity. So, even though I don’t want to keep going on about it, one of the ways I thought I could create good out of this saga is to help prevent it from happening to others. So I’ve got a couple of security tips and things I learned the hard way here in this episode. Also there’s some encouragement for you, if you’re feeling a bit blah about the whole social media thing.

Oh! And something I forgot to mention in the episode is that you can actually download all of your content from both Instagram and Facebook, (it takes a few days and they will email it to you in individual folders) but it’s worth it, in case if you ever do lose access to your accounts.

Anyway. Super casual episode today. Hope it helps at least one other person.

xx

PS Last I’ll say on this topic. Back to normal lovely things from here.

For those who are interested - I've documented the endless loop of insanity Meta sends you through on my Substack account. You can check it out and the rest of the notes for this episode right here.