Are you a creative person or an analytical one? Ok, it's a trick question! Because I truly believe that we are all both. 

Where have you excluded yourself from certain spaces because you have believed you are only one thing--analytic or creative? A "numbers" person or a "words" person? And why have you believed these labels in the first place?

In this episode, we'll not only take a look at how curiosity, the great equalizer, can serve us in breaking down the silos we put ourselves and others in, but we'll also walk through a couple tools to let curiosity guide us towards permission to be everything that we are without the labels and restrictions.

And if you want to link to the resources I've share in the episode, I've written about them on my blog at www.monasticmamas.com.

I also reference my upcoming Memoir-in-Progress writing course, happening July 30th. If you want to register, you can sign up here: https://monasticmamas.ck.page/9cafc9271d

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"Barns burnt down, now I can see the moon" -Mizuta Masahide 

Grab a cuppa and come listen to this beautiful conversation with author Deana Casella.  After a tragic accident threw her young family's world upside down, Deana and her husband Anthony had to find a new normal. Armed with a contagious attitude of gratitude and her spirit of adventure, Deana and her family weathered some really hard seasons. And almost 30 years later, when Anthony is wrestling through a dark season, Deana has a crazy idea. What if they take some time to reconnect in one of their favorite ways: travel! 

The story of their adventures on a 4-month world cruise will inspire you to take your next adventurous next steps and chase the moon! 

Here's the book's description:  "What if when at the age of 50 you had a chance to take a “gap year.”? A year off to do anything you wanted, a chance to live the life of your wildest dreams and take a trip around the world? 33,000 miles, 26 countries in 115 days This is that story. Chasing the Moon is a powerful, intimate and honest memoir about love, loss, miracles and lots of magic. About living life to the fullest and the transformative power of travel. Author Deana Casella shares her story and her travel journals from this extraordinary journey circumnavigating the world. Chasing the Moon is a collection of stories about favorite places visited, the incredible people she met along the way and the stories that were shared. But nothing is quite so simple as that. Taking this chance did not come without difficult lessons learned early in life. Lessons that taught her not to take one moment of this precious life for granted. To say yes to every opportunity. To say yes to adventure. To chase the moon." 

There's even a surprise drop-in by her husband, Anthony, in the episode!

You can grab a copy of her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Moon-Travel-miracles-magic-ebook/dp/B09LG63RVW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9JA9OR5D88KM&keywords=chasing+the+moon+travel&qid=1657052147&sprefix=chasing+the+moon+travel+%2Caps%2C292&sr=8-1

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Where do you, as an artist, find your largest source of validation? Does it come from others? Or does it come from yourself and your own sense of joy in doing your work? In this episode, we look at two industrial complexes: the educational industrial complex and the social media industrial complex. We see how these systems have trained us to look for external validation and how that undermines our creative flow. And we talk about some ways that we can reclaim our sense of worth!

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Have you ever felt simply un-inspired? The old tricks to find your creative wind aren't working and you are wondering if maybe you've just lost your creative mojo altogether. Fear not! We all have dark nights of the creative soul; seasons where we feel bereft of energy and inspiration to create. In this episode, we look at what the word "inspire" really means and talk about some quick wins you can have to get some of that God-breathed creative energy back. 

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“We strive to be good, to be nice, to be helpful, to be unselfish. Afraid to appear selfish, we lose our self.” -Julia Cameron. In this episode, we’ll take a look at the virtue trap and how we use it to block ourselves from actually getting our creative work done. I’ll also talk about how I have used this block and how I have moved past it.

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How can the Old Testament idea of Samach, or rejoicing, help us as artists to be creatively and defiantly joyful in the face of grief and pain? I've personally walked through this in a deep way. Go take a listen to the "I'm a Survivor" episode in Season 1. I'm acquainted with pain. But in that pain, I've also seen God show up in incredible ways. I have to tell the truth about both. The darkness and the light. And you, as an artist, are invited to do the same. 

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Why is story so important? As important evolutionarily as things like food and sex. And therefore, why does your art and the story you’re telling with it matter? In this episode, Jaime uses the framework of Lisa Cron’s book “Wired for Story” to talk about how we can use story to get behind the lives of the people our work serves.

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In this episode, Ronda Barney and I sit for a chat about her new book "Dear Susan: Letters of Comfort, Hope and Peace for Women Facing a Life-Changing Illness."   

This beautiful book invites those who have faced life-changing illness to look closely at their experience with both grit and grace. No stone is left unturned as Ronda gives language to both the hurt and hope into which anyone who has experienced deep grief has been invited. And for those of us caring for friends, family members and loved ones facing a life-changing illness, "Dear Susan" gives us the tools to help walk beside them as they process, grieve and ultimately, find glimmers of hope. 

In our conversation, Ronda discusses her own journey with debilitating illness and how that gave her a lens into helping others. As well, she talks about the amazing (and I mean, it's amazing) story of how she came to write the book and how God took it from letters written to a faceless "Susan" to a very pointed book written to and for (as well as shaped by) the actual Susan.  I invite you to listen to this episode with a box of tissue and an open heart. And then, be sure to go check out Ronda's work at the links below!  

FB: Ronda Barney LLC   https://www.facebook.com/rondabarneyllc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronda_barney_/ Website: rondabarney.com/membership/ email:[email protected]  

Here is the "Dear Susan" bio to give you a sneak peak into this beautiful book! "Are you or someone you know facing a life-changing illness? When we experience the shock, the losses, and the harsh demands of pain and endless recovery, often devastation is all we see. Locked in a prison of unknowns, our hearts cry out, but the deep anguish goes unspoken as though it is our secret to bear alone. As hope dissipates, we wonder how to get through another day. Ronda Barney is intimately acquainted with devastation, hopelessness, and the haunting unknowns of illness. Forged out of her own healing journey, she was led to write letters of hope to a fictitious Susan. But, for two years, the letters laid quietly in Ronda’s journal. Then, miraculously, and right on time, she met a woman named Susan who was facing a terminal illness. Ronda began sending these letters to her new friend, opening a pathway of comfort, hope, and peace amid her suffering. Ronda is inviting you on the same journey. These letters will address the complexity of your anguish and loss while providing a bridge to finding • New joy, unconditional love and meaning • Strength to give voice to your pain • Freedom to be fully alive You can do more than just get through today. You can experience life fully alive! Come. Goodness and beauty await you, even now."

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It’s been one year since our family sold our house and began traveling full-time. Yes, it was creative risk. But creative risk doesn’t always have to look so grandiose. It can be one small step towards trusting that there’s something else for you. That your creative voice matters. That showing up is important for you and for the world. I mention two authors in this episode. The first is Richard Rohr and his book “Falling Upward.” At the end of the episode, I also read a short piece by Anne Lamott. If you are a writer and have not yet read her book “Bird by Bird,” I highly recommend it.

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Eva Butzkies is a costume designer and embroidery artist. Besides creating costumes for opera, dance and theatre productions, she supports women on their way to discover and celebrate their uniqueness through creative practices. She works in different cities in Europe and is based in Basle, Switzerland. Her brand Keine wie Du can be found @keine_wie_du on Instagram and the website for her costume work is www.evabutzkies.com. In this episode, we deep dive into the joys, challenges and multifaceted layers of Eva’s creative work. We also talk about the beautiful parallels between our creative and spiritual lives. Eva is a deep well of creative insight, inspiration and joy! Grab a cup of coffee and come be inspired.

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