This is a time of year that seems to move at lightning speed. it can feel like, if we don’t also move at lightning speed, we’ll fall behind and miss something truly important. What if moving fast isn’t the flex you’ve been told it is?

It might seem like FAST is the way to get more out of life. Think of all the magic we can experience and things we can accomplish if we move at the fastest possible pace! 

But what if we’re wrong about that?

In this weeks episode I want to give you permission to move much more slowly than is culturally normal this time of year, and maybe even more slowly than you’re used to moving. Fast might be “normal” for you but take a minute and ask if it feels gentle or even good in your system. 

What if you could move more slowly and actually get MORE (rather than less) out of your life?

Today, I suggest exactly that. It’s a little benediction for you as you move through the busiest time of year. 

 

Host: Ally Fallon // @allyfallon // allisonfallon.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you missed last week’s episode – go back and listen before you jump into this one! We talked about what it looks like to get into the ease and flow of creativity. 

This week, I want to address the role of restriction, boundaries, rules and borders as it relates to flow. Boundaries and flow might seem diametrically opposed but these two seeming “opposites” actually play together quite nicely and are necessary for true expansion.

If “restriction” sounds like a bummer to you, or conjures up memories of going without, listen to this episode. 

If “restriction” was used against you in the past, as a way to limit pleasure or generate suffering, listen to this episode. 

If you yourself sometimes use “restriction” as a form of self-punishment or because you feel undeserving, listen to this episode. 

It’s time to reclaim the value of restriction for our creativity and our well-being. 

What is getting in the way of your flow? 

Host: Ally Fallon // @allyfallon // allisonfallon.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are two ways we can approach our creative life — that is, anything we want to make or create in this world. 

The first is to fight for what we think we want. 

The second is to open and receive what has always been rightfully ours. 

I have used both ways in my life and both ways work, to one extent or another. Neither is bad or wrong. On today’s episode, I’ll talk about why I moved from approach #1 to approach #2 and what has surprised me about the second option.  

Fun side note: listen in real time to what happens when I do this as I’m recording this episode! I came with an intention for what I wanted to say, and something totally different unfolded. 

What if creativity is happening for you and you don’t have to force it forward? 

What would it take for you to open to what is trying to happen for you? 

Here’s the book I mention several times in the episode: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Host: Ally Fallon // @allyfallon // allisonfallon.com

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If creativity doesn’t always yield the expected results, how do we measure “success”? 

In today’s episode, I explore the idea of focusing more on how the creative process feels than on how it looks. It doesn’t matter if you’re growing a business or falling in love or making a piece of art. The question I want you to ask yourself is: how does it make you feel? 

This isn’t how we’re trained in religion or in many family dynamics and it certainly isn’t how we’re indoctrinated by broader culture.

But is it possible that leaning into what feels good — over what looks good — gets us closer to our desired outcome? 

Here’s the book I mentioned in today’s episode: Breathing Under Water by Richard Rohr.

Host: Ally Fallon // @allyfallon // allisonfallon.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Control is toxic to creativity. So what’s the alternative? Do we have to take what life hands us or do we get any say in the matter? In today’s episode I explore the concepts of agency and control and talk about the distinct differences between the two. 

This conversation is with an aspiring author and my new friend Meredith, who is a former CIA agent and expert on the idea of using your own personal agency to create a sense of safety, even in an environment that by all standards would be considered unsafe. 

 

If the world feels chaotic to you right now…

If you struggle with anxiety…

If you have a hard time feeling safe (even when you are actually safe)...

If you have felt at times like you have to “take what life handed you”...

If you’d like to experience the feeling of being settled inside your own skin…

If you want more access to your power and intuition…

 

Don’t miss this powerful episode. 

Host: Ally Fallon // @allyfallon // allisonfallon.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is actually happening when you write / paint / sing / create? Are you simply dreaming up something in your brain and making it material? 

Or are you reaching beyond the mind to something harder to explain or understand?   

In this week’s episode of the Write Your Story podcast, I share a story that I’ve only told to about three people before today. And the reason I’m sharing the story is to demonstrate the power of a tool like writing—or really any creative practice. I’ve said a thousand times that writing is about more than just publishing but I don’t think I have accurately articulated what it actually is about.  

A few weeks ago, something happened that illuminated the “why” behind writing for me and I felt an urgent need to share it with you. 

What if your writing isn’t just about finishing a book or getting published?

What if writing isn’t only about expressing your thoughts or feelings?

What if writing is a way to get in touch with wisdom beyond yourself?

Host: Ally Fallon // @allyfallon // allisonfallon.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi there. I’m popping in your feed with a special bonus episode because I have some things on my heart I want to share. 

It’s been a big week in the USA with the election of Donald Trump for another term of presidency. No matter how you voted, this is a complicated and heavy time, so I wanted to talk about how we move forward from here. 

How do we keep going when the material world doesn’t align with the ideals, values and beliefs of our spiritual world? 

I share in the episode who I voted for and why — but this topic is so much bigger than a political candidate. Listen to hear why this benediction of sorts is for you, even if you’re celebrating Trump’s victory. 

I pray these next four years are rich with clarity, awakening, connection and truth.

Host: Ally Fallon // @allyfallon // allisonfallon.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In honor of election day, I want to take a break from our regularly scheduled programming and talk about why and how we get drawn in by powerful (and sometimes dangerous) narcissistic leaders. This is something I’ve been thinking about since leaving an abusive relationship many years ago and, as I discuss in the episode, this topic matters for far more than just politics. Our power and our communities and our creativity are also at stake.

Regardless of who you vote / voted for, take a moment to ask yourself a few important questions: 

- Are you drawn in by powerful, overly confident leaders? 

- Are you constantly looking outside of yourself for solutions, direction and affirmation?

- Do you question if you have personal power to affect your surroundings and circumstances? 

- Do you feel “backed against the wall” or “held under water” as if nothing you do matters? 

Perhaps consider how shifting your perspective could open you up to more collaborative relationships, more personal power and to a deeper creativity than you’ve ever known.

The article I mention in the episode is linked HERE.

Host: Ally Fallon // @allyfallon // allisonfallon.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We think we know what it means to “be creative” but do we really? Or have we been subtly indoctrinated by a culture that so worships productivity and achievement that we have missed what creativity actually is, what it means, and why it matters? In this season of the podcast, I’ll ask those questions and more. I’ll find some answers, I’m sure, and leave others to a mystery I may never fully understand. I hope you’ll come along with me for the ride.

Two weeks ago, I lost my dad very suddenly to a heart attack (thank you for your grace as I skipped an episode). He was a therapist and an amazing man who taught me so much. This week, I want to share what I’m learning from him even after his death. 

Are you an artist or a coach? 

How can you feed your inner artist? 

 

Host: Ally Fallon // @allyfallon // allisonfallon.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We think we know what it means to “be creative” but do we really? Or have we been subtly indoctrinated by a culture that so worships productivity and achievement that we have missed what creativity actually is, what it means, and why it matters? In this season of the podcast, I’ll ask those questions and more. I’ll find some answers, I’m sure, and leave others to a mystery I may never fully understand. I hope you’ll come along with me for the ride.

In this week’s episode, I share two different approaches for getting unstuck and the second one might surprise you. If you’re feeling in the “muck” or like you could use a breakthrough, don’t miss this episode.

Also, here’s a link to the whole poem I share in this episode: Aristotle by Billy Collins

Host: Ally Fallon // @allyfallon // allisonfallon.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.