Creative Impact Podcast

My sweet friend Melissa Livingston joins me for episode 23! Melissa and I met as dance majors at Belhaven University, and have enjoyed cheering each other on in life ever since. Melissa and her husband Jeremy are passionate about ministry and discipleship, and are also health coaches to help encourage others towards optimal and holistic health.

We start by sharing our love for all things Fall and reminiscing a bit about our college years. Melissa shares about her journey as a dancer, from beginning as a young girl to the God story of how she ended up pursuing her BFA in Dance. For Melissa, connecting faith to her life as a dancer was a challenge. She shares how a seriously low point in college allowed her to grow closer to God and even integrate her faith more deeply into her art form. 

After college, Melissa continued to develop a love for teaching, and spent five years teaching ballet for the pre-professional students at The Link School of the Arts. We chat about where Melissa’s love for teaching began and the power and beauty of mentorship.

Over time, Melissa felt new dreams awakening, and she began transitioning into ministry. Her passion for teaching has taken new shape as she and Jeremy continue to teach and disciple others through ministry in the local church. May Melissa’s journey encourage you to remember that your identity is not about what you do, but who God says you are.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Melissa's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

Get ready to be encouraged through this conversation with Lindsey Carlson! Lindsey is a pastor’s wife, a mother of 5, and an author. She published her first book, “Growing in Godliness: A Teen Girl’s Guide to Maturing in Christ” with Crossway in 2019 and is currently writing a book on biblical encouragement for women with an expected release in 2022.

Lindsey shares about her early pursuits in the arts and how that led her into a love for communications. After starting a family, her path shifted towards motherhood and dabbling in multiple areas such as photography, music, and theater. After attending a women’s conference where they shared about speaking and writing, Lindsey’s eyes were opened to the opportunity of writing as a way to serve God.

During this time, Lindsey and her husband Kyle moved from Houston, Texas, to Baltimore, Maryland, to plant Imprint Community Church. We chat about how her passion for writing developed from blog posts to writing articles for The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, and a variety of other contributor sites. From there, she began to pursue publishing a book. She describes how writing is a “long-haul thing” and how valuable community is in the process. We talk about the joys along the publishing journey and the challenges, including the trap of comparison and the reality of rejection.

Lindsey’s heart for teaching the Bible and discipling women through her writing and public speaking is evident throughout our conversation. I believe everyone will come away from this conversation encouraged to look to God and depend on His strength as we walk out our faith journey.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Lindsey's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

Episode 21 is a beautiful conversation with Amanda Browning that is sure to leave you feeling inspired! Amanda is a professional dancer, fitness coach, wife, and mother of four. She is currently dancing with Phoenix Rising Dance Company based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

We chat about Amanda’s journey with dance including her time at Belhaven University, her experiences dancing in multiple professional companies, and what it has looked like balancing her passion for dance with motherhood.

After having her second child, Amanda found herself at a low point as she struggled with serious postpartum depression and a sense of her identity as a dancer being stripped away. It was during this season that Amanda fell in love with fitness. Through developing the habit of daily movement, she felt more clarity, more confidence, and reduced stress. She eventually learned about fitness coaching and decided the only thing holding her back from becoming a coach herself was fear.

Amanda decided to step out in courage and start her own virtual health and fitness business from home so she could help other women who may be walking through similar seasons. Through her story, you will find encouragement and practical advice on what it looks like to invest in the season you are in and live in line with your values

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Amanda's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

My guest for episode 20 is Nathan Clarkson. Nathan is an actor, author, filmmaker, podcast host, and all around creative person. He has a deep love for stories, which is the root of his creative endeavors. Growing up with learning disabilities and mental illness, Nathan shares how his mom, author Sally Clarkson, helped him lean into his areas of strength and encouraged his passion for stories. Together, Sally and Nathan co-authored the book “Different: The Story of an Outside-the-Box Kid and the Mom Who Loved Him.”

After receiving formal training in acting through the New York Film Academy, Nathan moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. He gained experience in tv shows and films in Hollywood, and eventually started his own film company. We talk about the challenges and highlights of working in the film industry, the creative process, and what it takes to produce a film. Nathan encourages artists to do what you can with what you have and know that you have to start somewhere. While we so often strive for perfection, Nathan reminds us that the beauty is in the process.

Nathan recently published his first solo book, “Good Man: An Honest Journey into Discovering Who Men Were Actually Created to Be.” You’ll hear how Nathan’s time in Hollywood prompted him to write this book.  There are so many great words of wisdom in this conversation! May you be inspired to move forward with courage in your calling!

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Nathan's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

It was so wonderful connecting with Shannon Benton! Shannon is a professional dancer who has performed with companies such as Ad Deum Dance Company, HoustonMET, Open Sky Arts Collective, and Zion Dance Project. She recently completed Youth with a Mission’s Arts in Movement Discipleship Training School and earned her certification in Progressing Ballet Technique. Shannon currently lives in the Kansas City area where she is dancing with Störling Dance Theater and is a faculty member for Störling Conservatory.
 
I am so grateful for Shannon’s heart for racial reconciliation and the wisdom she shares. As artists, we can play a role in the process of racial reconciliation through storytelling, connection, and valuing the beauty in our differences. We chat about how empathy is so crucial and how listening with the intent to understand creates the space for deeper relationships. Since recording this episode, she became the first staff member of Unite KC, a faith-based, grassroots organization committed to taking action toward racial reconciliation in Kansas City.

Identity is another key topic of our conversation. Shannon explains that if we listen to the world’s ideas for identity, we will have a hard time finding a “place to stand,” but if we look to our Creator, our identity is built on a solid foundation. May you be encouraged by Shannon’s words to be faithful as you walk in your calling as an artist.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Shannon's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

My guest for episode 18 is the beautiful Jaleesa McCreary! Jaleesa has been a worship leader at The Austin Stone Community Church for the past 7 years. In addition to leading worship weekly, Jaleesa spends much of her time investing in the development of female worship leaders and teaching worship ministry philosophy at The Austin Stone.

Jaleesa shares her incredible testimony of walking through the loss of her voice and experiencing what felt like the death of a dream. Without singing, Jaleesa’s life felt empty, but God remained faithful through it all. You are sure to be inspired by her journey. I love Jaleesa’s heart for people to encounter God personally in worship and take that encounter with God outside of Sundays.

As a young, biracial woman, Jaleesa shares about the challenges and insecurities she faced becoming one of the first female worship leaders in a predominately white church. We chat about what it means to “go scared” and step out in courage rather than being held back by fear. She helps encourage other women to take similar steps of faith and understand that they are called to so much more as worship leaders than merely singing.

Many of us have felt a sense that our identity as an artist is being stripped during this season of uncertainty and isolation. I love Jaleesa’s encouragement to lean into that process and allow God to shape our identity and purpose.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Jaleesa's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

I’m excited to introduce you to my friend Gabriel Speiller for episode 17! Gabriel is a native New Yorker raised in Queens and is married to his lovely wife Dara who dances with Texas Ballet Theater. He received a BFA in dance from Belhaven University and currently dances with Bruce Wood Dance in Dallas, Texas. He has also danced with Paul Taylor 2, Ad Deum Dance Company, and many project companies.

In our conversation, we talk about Gabriel’s journey from discovering dance in high school to the God-story of how he ended up majoring in dance and eventually dancing professionally in his current role with Bruce Wood Dance. We also chat about Gabriel’s experiences teaching and choreographing throughout the United States.

Gabriel shares about learning to slow down and listen to God. We explore what it looks like to allow God to influence our creative work.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Gabriel's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

It was such a joy to talk with Libby John, host of the Art & Faith Conversations Podcast! Libby and I happen to both be Nines on the Enneagram and share a similar passion to highlight artists of faith. Libby hopes to use the podcast to encourage artists in their search for deeper meaning in their creative identity. We talk about how common it is for artists to feel on the fringes of their faith community and why connecting to community is so important. 

In addition to creating and hosting the podcast, Libby is a dancer, teacher, and singer/songwriter. We chat about her early journey with music and dance, leading her to pursue dance in college. Libby relates her wisdom from over 15 years of teaching. She explains how movement has power to heal us and connect us deeper in our faith.

Libby shares about a challenging season where she felt wounded by the church and how it prompted her to explore songwriting. I love her reminder, “don’t let your low point be your end point.” Since 2017, Libby has released two albums of original music. Through her story, I was reminded of how art can bring order to chaos and bring healing for our souls.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Libby's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

Friends, get ready for a super fun episode full of laughter, fun stories, and inspiring conversation. Episode 15 is our first ever couple’s interview with Michael and Brianna Cash. You may recognize the name Michael Cash because he is the creator and producer of the music for the podcast!

From the Enneagram to Buc-ee’s, you are going to love getting to know Michael and Brianna. They have been married for 12 years and have 2 incredible kiddos. Brianna is a dental hygienist, a homeschool mom, and a big part of everything that happens at Sugar Land Family Church, where Michael is on staff as a pastor.

Together they lead worship at SLFC. In our conversation, you’ll get to hear what got Michael and Brianna into music and leading worship. They share about their story as a couple and what it looks like getting to work together in ministry. We chat about some of the challenges they’ve faced and the beauty of walking through those challenges together.

Their passion for worship and their love for people is evident. I loved hearing their thoughts about marriage, parenting, and the power of music to impact lives. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy this life-giving conversation.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Michael and Brianna's biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!

For episode 14 of the podcast, I have the joy of introducing you to Shizu Yasuda! Shizu is currently the Artistic Director of Ad Deum II Dance Company. She began her professional career as a freelance dancer in New York City, after which she performed nationally and internationally as a principal dancer with Ad Deum Dance Company.

Shizu grew up in Japan where she developed a passion for dance. She decided to pursue dance by moving to New York City, where she happened to witness the first Project Dance event taking place in Times Square. Through a series of events, or “God moments” as I like to call them, she auditioned for Ad Deum Dance Company and started a new adventure in Houston, Texas.

In our conversation, Shizu and I talk about some of her favorite experiences as a professional dancer as well as a director and choreographer. We talk about the power of art and the value of finding your voice as an artist. Shizu shares her faith journey through the challenges of life including illness, injury, and spiritual emptiness. She describes going from an atheistic worldview, to a season as a devout Buddhist, and most recently, her search for truth brought her to faith in Jesus. I am so thankful that Shizu and I have had the opportunity to work together and be in community together through Ad Deum.

Check out our website http://creativeimpactpodcast.com for the full show notes that include Shizu's full biography and links mentioned in this episode. You can be sure not to miss a Creative Impact conversation by subscribing through your favorite podcast app.  We are so grateful to have you as a part of the Creative Impact community and would love it if you would share the show with your friends!