Hello and welcome to the last Couragemakers episode of September! I don’t know about you, but for me, September is a real back to school kind of month and I love planning and putting things in motion. Behind the scenes I’ve been working on The Epic Shit Sessions: a series of four stand alone coaching and mentoring sessions for creatives and multi-passionates. They’re designed to help you put the work only you can do in the world, and to help you along every stage of the creative journey. I’ll be sharing more about them next week, but just wanted to share what I’ve been up to! What about you? What have you been working on this September? Email me: meg@thathummingbirdlife.com and let me know!
Now, onto this week’s episode! This week, I’m chatting with the lovely Kaite Welsh. Kaite is an author, critic and journalist. Her work has appeared in various publications from The Times Literary Supplement to Cosmopolitan and she covers LGBT issues for the Daily Telegraph. She is also Books Editor of DIVA. Her short fiction, featuring roller derby, Greek myths and ghosts, has been published in several anthologies and she guest lectures on Creative Writing at universities around the UK.
Kaite lives in Edinburgh with her wife, three cats and a lot of books. Kaite is a a devoted aunt, would-be mother, amateur gardener and someone who is trying to define herself by things other than her job and her bylines.
In this episode we’re diving into how Kaite created her own multi-strand multipassionate career, the process of writing her debut novel and lots and lots of practical things you can do right now to help make decisions, get organised and chase your dreams.
We have great conversations about future tripping, the value of self reflection and the friction between who you want to be versus who you actually are. We also chat about spoon theory, mental health, the creative process and arranging your priorities when you have a multi-passionate career.
This episode as Kaite would say, is the perfect combination of strategy and woo and I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to really get behind the scenes with someone who has intentionally designed a multi-passionate career that fulfils and sustains her.
If you’re a multi-passionate person who dreams of finding a way to combine your loves to create a life you love, this is the perfect episode for you.
Here’s to multi-strand careers, relieving the pressure of needing to be a shinier version of ourselves and getting clear on what success means to you!
About Kaite
Kaite Welsh is an author, critic and journalist. Her work has appeared in various publications from The Times Literary Supplement to Cosmopolitan and she covers LGBT issues for the Daily Telegraph. She is also Books Editor of DIVA. Her short fiction, featuring roller derby, Greek myths and ghosts, has been published in several anthologies and she guest lectures on Creative Writing at universities around the UK.
Kaite lives in Edinburgh with her wife, three cats and a lot of books. Kaite is a a devoted aunt, would-be mother, amateur gardener and someone who is trying to define herself by things other than her job and her bylines.
Website | The Wages of Sin | Twitter | | Facebook
Things We Talked About
Not needing or feeling you need to be a shiny polished version of yourself
Mentioned
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 emails to fellow couragemakers 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 multipassionates 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!
Hello Couragemakers and welcome to episode 69 of The Couragemakers Podcast!
It is so good to be back to our weekly rhythm, and I have so many wonderful episodes I can't wait to share with you!
This week I’m delighted to share with you my wonderful conversation with Zoë Dearborn.
Zoë is a creativity teacher, art coach, expressive arts therapist, writer, performer & artist. She holds a Master's in Counseling Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy and her life’s work is developing and teaching her Life As Art philosophy and methodology through her classroom laboratories, writing, songs, drawing, dance, video & design. She is deeply committed to helping humans awaken to their deepest potential and highest purpose and inspiring artists to make their most meaningful and authentic work. Brooklyn born and bred, she now lives off the grid in a homemade desert homestead in Baja, Mexico with her husband and 8 year old son.
Zoë's greatest loves include: quirky art rock, dance of all varieties, comedy, improvisation, social practice art, fashion & graphic design, true deep stories, sad songs, mythology & Jungian psychology, children’s books, Fisher Price toys, tarot, embracing duality, inspiring documentaries, the open sky, wildflowers, hugs, creative collaborations and elegant theories that connect everything in the universe.
In this week’s episode, Zoë is sharing her many stories, from growing up wanting to be an actress, starting a rock band, living off the grid and a really important Excel spreadsheet that brought everything full circle.
We’re talking all about having grit and using rejection as fuel to keep going, how dream chasing happens in cycles and how our dreams grow, develop and change over time, and the importance of connecting to yourself.
We’re also diving into the power of pursuing secret dreams, replacing passive habits with creative actions and the different phases of creativity.
Zoë is a great storyteller, and her open-ness to talk about every stage of her journey is so refreshing and inspiring.
This is a great episode to encourage you on your own dream chasing journey, to help you remember your own values and who you are, and to remind you that you get to define yourself as who you want and you don’t have to put yourself in a box that society dictates.
Enjoy the show!
About Zoë
Zoë Dearborn is a creativity teacher, art coach, expressive arts therapist, writer, performer & artist. She holds a Master’s in Counseling Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy and her life’s work is developing and teaching her Life As Art philosophy and methodology through her classroom laboratories, writing, songs, drawing, dance, video & design. She is deeply committed to helping humans awaken to their deepest potential and highest purpose and inspiring artists to make their most meaningful and authentic work. Brooklyn born and bred, she now lives off the grid in a homemade desert homestead in Baja, Mexico with her husband and 8 year old son.
Zoë’s greatest loves include: quirky art rock, dance of all varieties, comedy, improvisation, social practice art, fashion & graphic design, true deep stories, sad songs, mythology & Jungian psychology, children’s books, Fisher Price toys, tarot, embracing duality, inspiring documentaries, the open sky, wildflowers, hugs, creative collaborations and elegant theories that connect everything in the universe.
Website | Online Creative Intensive – October | Instagram | Twitter |
Things We Talked About
Remembering our own values and who we are
The tools of our arts is about communication of human expression
Why we need to have an ego - a way of negotiating with the world
Being all of ourselves and not cramming ourselves into one identity
Resources Mentioned
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 emails to fellow couragemakers 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 multipassionates 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!
Hello Couragemakers and welcome back to The Couragemakers Podcast! It’s so good to be back after a summer break! If you’ve missed Couragemakers during the break, rest assured that the podcast is back and I’ll be bringing you ridiculously honest conversations with couragemakers all over the world every Monday. And if you’re new here – welcome! If you want a good dose of encouragement and rebel-rousing, real conversations with real people and you want to spend some time in the company of bullshit-free women and great storytelling, you’re in the right place!
This week I’m so excited to be sharing my conversation with Lea Rice.
Lea Rice is the siren-haired, stiletto-clad lady behind Lea Rice Communications. Based in London, Lea is a Digital Marketing Specialist dedicated to changing lives in big and small ways through digital media. Lea does this through working with organisations and individuals to unleash their offerings and find their voice online. Lea spends her time mostly working at her business but also planning how to make her way back into burlesque dancing, wandering around Hampstead in a daydream and watching endless episodes of only Fools and Horses.
In this episode, we really getting into the nitty gritty of the hard choices we have to make when chasing our dreams and looking after ourselves and the importance of the stories we don’t hear about all the time.
Lea shares her journey, from working in a youth charity, co-founding an online magazine and podcast, Unsorry, with an editorial team of thirty women, performing burlesque and starting her own digital marketing business.
During our conversation, we’re really diving into the trenches and opening the discussion of workplace bullying, and the real behind the scenes of making really difficult decisions.
We discuss the pain of having to make a leap in order to save your own life, learning to trust the process, and the importance of sharing the hard bits. We also dive into the importance of seemingly crazy ideas, we flip the normal self care narrative and how ultimately sometimes it takes the hardest days of your life to get to the best ones.
When I first discovered podcasts, I was feeling really stuck. I listened on my way to work, and gradually by surrounding myself with people who were living life on their own terms, I came to see that there was more to life and I had options. In all honesty, I wish I’d had this episode when I was going through some shit, to see that you have more power than you know, and life can really change.
This episode is going to be food for your soul if you’re stuck in a situation that is sucking the soul out of you and you want to know you’re not alone.
Heads up that in this episode there is a passing reference to suicidal thoughts and assault, so look after yourself.
My wish is that this episode gives you hope and helps you to start taking those seemingly batshit ideas and pipe dreams seriously.
Enjoy the show!
About Lea
Lea is a Digital Marketing Specialist dedicated to changing lives in big and small ways through digital media. Lea does this through working with organisations and individuals to unleash their offerings and find their voice online. Lea spends her time mostly working at her business but also planning how to make her way back into burlesque dancing, wandering around Hampstead in a daydream and watching endless episodes of only Fools and Horses.
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook
Things We Talked About
The long term impacts of being in a bad workplace environment
We’re really diving into the trenches and opening the discussion of workplace bullying, and the real behind the scenes of making really difficult decisions.
Resources Mentioned
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 emails to fellow couragemakers 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 multipassionates 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!