092: Reclaiming Your Creativity & Being Yourself with Nina Hart

Hello Couragemakers! I can’t tell you how excited I am to share this week’s episode with you! 
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This week I’m talking with Nina Hart about all things creativity and I seriously could have chatted to Nina all day. Before our conversation Nina shared how finding kindred spirits is like finding a fellow lightening rod and I certainly feel like I’ve found a fellow lightening rod and I’m pretty sure you will too. 

Nina is an Asheville, NC based writer, performer, and creativity coach trained in the Kaizen-Muse method and also a certified Gateless Method writing teacher. Her first collection of surreal short fictions called “Somewhere in a Town You Never Knew Existed Somewhere” was selected as a Short Stories (Adult Fiction) category finalist in Foreword Reviews’ prestigious 2014 IndieFab Book of the Year Awards. Nina was also an original member of the experimental dance troupe Contraband, in San Francisco and, playing a purple electric bass, has recorded and performed with numerous bands. 

Nina spends her time as a right-brained, highly sensitive, creative entrepreneur. She is passionate about helping artists and writers find their voice and reclaim the hooligan kid spirit that most people have buried under an “adult” veneer. Nina considers herself to be an improvisational writer – she was a blocked writer until she rediscovered the curious part of herself who could play, experiment, and explore. Nina is the founder of a unique method of teaching writing called “Writing from the Top of your Head,” which combines group Creativity Coaching with creative writing. She offers online Writing from the Top of Your Head workshops, both live and self-study, as well intensive retreats and 1:1 coaching.  

During our conversation, we dive into Nina’s story and how she always knew she was an artist, how safety plays a huge role in creativity and the art of throwing yourself back on yourself – Nina has a wonderful definition of how this works.

We talk about real and not-shiny creativity, how vulnerability can be a strength and how life is so much richer when you say yes to your creativity. We also have a very vulnerable conversation about the loneliness that often comes with not fitting in and being an artist and how important it is that you keep going and give the world what only you have to give.

The theme of this episode is really rediscovering and reclaiming your creativity rather than finding something that wasn’t there before and my hope with this episode is that it will help you reclaim and rediscover some things that really make you feel like yourself and make you feel alive.

I found this episode seriously healing and it’s a great reminder that you’re not alone, and as creative, unconventional and multi-passionate women, we need to keep together and help keep each other’s fires lit.

​I know you’re going to absolutely love this episode, so settle in and prepare to be inspired. 

 

About Nina

 

Nina Hart is an Asheville, NC based writer, performer, and creativity coach trained in the Kaizen-Muse method. She is also a certified Gateless Method writing teacher. Her first collection of surreal short fictions called “Somewhere in a Town You Never Knew Existed Somewhere” was selected as a Short Stories (Adult Fiction) category finalist in Foreword Reviews’ prestigious 2014 IndieFab Book of the Year Awards. Nina was also an original member of the experimental dance troupe Contraband, in San Francisco and, playing a purple electric bass, has recorded and performed with numerous bands. Nina spends her time as a right-brained, highly sensitive, creative entrepreneur. She is passionate about helping artists and writers find their voice and reclaim the hooligan kid spirit that most people have buried under an “adult” veneer. Nina considers herself to be an improvisational writer – she was a blocked writer until she rediscovered the curious part of herself who could play, experiment, and explore.Nina is the founder of a unique method of teaching writing called “Writing from the Top of your Head,” which combines group Creativity Coaching with creative writing. She offers online Writing from the Top of Your Head workshops, both live and self-study, as well intensive retreats and 1:1 coaching.  To sign up for a chat, or for more information visit www.writingfromthetopofyourhead.com

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Things We Talked About

 

• How life is so much richer when you say yes to your creativity
• How we can feel connected to our aliveness
• Rediscovering and reclaiming your creativity rather than finding something that wasn’t there before
• The cult of criticism and the heartbroken artist
• The loneliness that can come with not fitting in

 

Resources Mentioned

 

• Kaizen Muse 
• Theatre of the Oppressed

 

About Meg & That Hummingbird Life

 

 

I’m Meg and I’m the host of Couragemakers and founder of That Hummingbird Life. I’m an INFJ creative and multipassionate who has a bit of a notebook and post-it note obsession, loves foot-stomping country music and likes her hot chocolate with way too much chocolate.

I started Couragemakers because I wanted to create a platform for passionate and unconventional women to have honest conversations and to share their stories, struggles and dreams. The intention behind this podcast is to inspire and encourage creative and mission-driven women to live a wholehearted life and follow the beat of their drum.

When I’m not recording episodes, writing bullshit-free, very vulnerable and encouraging Sunday pep talks to fellow couragemakers (join the party here!) or making new friends with the wonderful guests, you can find me working on all manners of magic over at That Hummingbird Life. THL is the online home for unconventional creatives and multi-passionates who want to show up unapologetically and intentionally as who they are, and really own, live and share their many stories. It’s made for couragemakers who have so much great shit to give the world and want to leave their mark but have too much self doubt standing in the way!