Podcast

Have you ever had a spiritual awakening that opened your eyes to a new or deeper creative practice?

My friend Kim Roberts did. Her long-time yoga practice opened her eyes to the deeper dimensions of life, eventually leading her to Paris, where she started painting.

Kim is multifaceted, sharing her gifts as a yoga practitioner and instructor, psychotherapist, coach, artist, and writer with the world.

She joins me on Stumbling Toward Genius today to share how her many daily practices feed into one another, as well as:

• Her art-making process and how she opens herself up to express what’s inside
• From Paris to the San Luis Valley, how place inspires her work
• The one thing that holds her back and how she is facing her fears

Plus, we talk about her book, Toward a Secret Sky: Creating Your Own Modern Pilgrimage, and she shares a glimpse into her new online program that offers women the practical tools to navigate any life transition with confidence, courage, and grace.

Did you enjoy hearing about Kim’s artist origin story in Paris? I really believe many people find their creativity in Paris.

My creative life continues to be sculpted by this amazing city and I would love to share that with you.

If you have wanted to connect with your creative self for a long time or believe you are being called to a deeper level of writing, join me for Write Your Heart Out in Paris.  There are only three spots left!

How do you know when it is the right time to write and publish your book? And then, how do you find the courage to step back from a project that you’ve poured your heart into so you can create a larger body of work?

Today, you’ll hear a conversation with my friend, Heather Stimmler about the highly acclaimed Secrets of Paris website and newsletter. A labor of love, Secrets of Paris has been a trusted reference for alternative news, original feature stories, useful sightseeing advice, reviews and recommendations. She has been sharing insider information about Paris for visitors and residents for over twenty years.

Now Heather is sinking her teeth into her next challenge—writing the book about Paris tourism that has long been in her heart. She’ll share why she’s finding writing her book to be such a challenge and, and how she’s finding her way.

Listen in to hear:

• How Heather’s writing dreams have changed over the years and how she has taken the invitations from the universe and made them hers.
• Her step out of her writing comfort zone that went viral and how that’s helped push her forward
• How the Secrets of Paris has evolved and why she still has so much to say about the City of Lights after ‌all these years
• How she’s learning to let ‌go and make room for the new

Plus the small steps action plan that’s helping her move forward.

Want more of Paris?

I’ve been leading workshops in Paris since 2005. My Paris historical novel and many of my writing projects have been inspired by my time there.

Now, I bring my writer and writer’s coach out to lead an inimitable and life-changing writing workshop.

WRITE YOUR HEART OUT IN PARIS is designed for writers who want more for and from their writing. Find out more HERE.

Also this autumn in Paris is the fun and delightful Paris Sketchbook. I’ve invited four of my favorite sketchbook keepers to lead an inimitable creative adventure. All the details are here. 

Sometimes we get stuck thinking that someone else’s way should work for us, then we get frustrated when it doesn’t.

Today, on Stumbling Toward Genius, I talk with my friend Cory Huff about how he is navigating his creativity his way.

Cory Huff is Chief Marketing Officer at Productive Flourishing, founder at The Abundant Artist, and serial fiction writer. His background also includes acting in classical theater and narrative storytelling. He’s been existing at the intersection of business and creativity for 15 years.

In this episode, we talk with Cory about his own creative pursuits like acting and novel-writing. He also shares why he is passionate about helping artists recognize and elevate their potential through The Abundant Artist. You’ll also hear:

• How an anonymous benefactor set him on the path to where he is today
• What success means for an artist
• Why Cory decided to publish his fiction without expectations
• How he balances his business with his creative work
• How to be successful in your creative life on your terms

Plus, we will talk about his ADHD diagnosis. Cory walks us through strategies he uses to maintain his productivity so he can publish novels, short stories, and other writing while also maintaining his business.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

The Abundant Artist

Productive Flourishing

How to Sell Your Art Online

An Argument of Fairies

The Abundant Artist on Instagram

The Abundant Artist on Facebook

How to ADHD

The Smart but Scattered Guide to Success: How to Use Your Brain’s Executive Skills to Keep Up, Stay Calm, and Get Organized at Work and at Home

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work

Pippen

Do you have an unfinished project you’ve been working on for months, years, or maybe even decades? You know, the one you keep putting on the back burner for “some” day. But that day never seems to come?

Today, we’re talking with Charlie Gilkey, author of the book Start Finishing about what happens to us when we don’t finish the projects we start, and how we can “start finishing.”

Charlie Gilkey helps people start finishing the stuff that matters. He’s the founder of Productive Flourishing, author of the book Start Finishing (2019) and The Small Business Lifecycle (2012), and host of the Productive Flourishing podcast. Before starting Productive Flourishing, Charlie worked as a Joint Force Military Logistics Coordinator while simultaneously pursuing a PhD in Philosophy. He lives with his wife, Angela, in Portland, Oregon.

I’m excited to share our conversation with you. Charlie has been a tremendous influence in my life and on my creativity. Listen to hear the insight Charlie shared with me a few years ago that challenged me to think differently about the days of the week and dare to try something new.

Charlie says, “It’s really hard to go and look at this other thing that no one is asking for except your inner self and prioritize it.”

And yet, through his planners, books, and coming Momentum app (coming soon) he’s found a way to help people finish the projects that matter most.

Listen as he shares:

• Why we’re all asking the wrong questions when it comes to our projects and how to ask the right ones
• The secret to planning your creative time to get the best energy
• The value of focusing on fewer things—how hustle culture, grinding, and head trash are keeping us from finishing and how to align your (limited) time, energy, and attention towards the things that matter most.
• Why not everything is meant to be finished

Plus he’ll tell us more about the Momentum app and his new book, Workways coming in 2023.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Productive Flourishing

Momentum App — Coming in June

Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done

Have you ever heard someone say something that felt like a dart to your heart?

My guest on the show today, Krissy Shields, had just such an experience when she heard Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams speak about racism at Camp Good Life Project a few years ago. That moment became a catalyst for change in her and led her to host a peer group called Brave Circle.

Krissy Shields is a wellness expert and the founder of Maha Mama, empowering families with accessible yoga, nutrition and mindfulness. She has taught in yoga trainings all around the US plus in homeless shelters, prisons and public schools, weaving in her passion for social justice, advocating for maternal health and anti-racism. She lives in NY on the unceded land of the Munsee Lenape with her family.

Our conversation inspired me, and I can’t wait to share this episode with you so you can learn more about Krissy, the Brave Circle peer groups, as well as:

• What being in relationship really means and how to find new ways to better support people from different cultural backgrounds
• The difference between a safe space and a brave space and how to initiate daring intimacy
• What she’s learned from her stumbles — she’ll take us behind the curtain to share how she remains curious, creative, and committed

Plus, she’ll introduce us to her new yearlong gardening program GROW! At The Good Place, a year long program on her farm to teach city kids about the process of seed to sprout to nourishment, where they can gain an appreciation of food and the wilds of nature.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Maha Mama

GLP – Camp GLP

The Sum of Us

Rev. angel Kyodo Williams

12 Years A Slave

Me and White Supremacy: How to Recognise Your Privilege, Combat Racism and Change the World

The Lost words

Aviva ROM