Creative Conversations for the Soul

In this final episode of Season 1, I wanted to take 10 minutes to share with you some of my gentle aims for the year ahead.In the past, I’ve written pages and pages of resolutions for the new year with enormous tasks that left me feeling less than when they weren’t ticked off the list, so in this already high-pressure world, I’m choosing to listen and trust the power of my intuition in 2022 and get reacquainted with what fills my cup. So there will be no resolutions in this episode, no goals, but instead my aims for more connection and nourishment. Creative Conversations for the Soul will be back for a second series later this year, so if you or someone you know would like to feature then please do email me at amber@thewildwordsmith.co.ukI’ve learnt so much about myself creating this podcast so thank you for joining me on this journey, and until we speak again, stay curious, and keep searching. 

Joining me today is the utterly gorgeous Nina Elegba, founder of Recess Living, a series of multi-sensory craft workshops to help you find moments of peace, balance and joy. As an advocate for taking guilt-free time out Nina’s workshops provide space to play, and a place where we can both lose, and find ourselves in the mindful act of crafting. Through pottery, paper marbling and lino printing she helps people create for pleasure, without pressure or perfectionism getting in the way. Nina’s spirit is truly infectious, and I was so excited to chat about all things self-care, creativity and curating your daily wellbeing with her. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! You can see all of Nina’s beautiful workshops and her online wellness store at www.recessliving.com and connect with her on Instagram @recessliving

On today's solo episode, I'm sharing five of my 'go to' creative rituals. You'll hear about the processes and activities I come back to, time and time again, whenever I need a little creative boost.If you're looking for ways to enhance your own creative confidence, take a look at my Copy Confidence Coaching package.And if you enjoyed this episode, I would love it if you could give my podcast a review and maybe even subscribe. Thank you so much for your support.

 Welcome back to Creative Conversations for the Soul! Today I am speaking to a fellow wordsmith and all-round wonderful human, Dr Mehlaqa Khan.  Mehlaqa is a qualified nutritionist, founder of The Gum Guide and writer of stunning food stories. In this conversation, we’re talking all about the joy of eating and the role that food plays in our memories, our culture and our creativity.  Mehlaqa and I share a real passion for food, its power to bring people together, and all it represents with recipes and memories of meals providing a source of inspiration in Mehlaqa’s beautiful writing.  So join us for this delicious conversation as look at how food can nourish our creativity. You can find Mehlaqa’s delicious recipes and writing @drmehlaqa on Instagram and on her website www.drmehlaqa.com and The Gum Guide.

On today's solo episode, I'm talking about a topic that is very close to my heart - sobriety. At the start of 2021, I made the decision to go alcohol free; and I've never looked back. In this natter (which is totally unscripted) I'm sharing my own path into sobriety and how it has impacted my creativity, focus and general wellbeing.In this episode, I mention the brilliant 'Sober Girl Society Handbook' my Millie Gooch. I am not exaggerating when I say it changed my life.As always, you can find me on my website, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest.And if you have a spare moment, I'd love it if you could leave the podcast a review and hit 'subscribe'!

Vulnerability, compassion and creative blocks are certainly three areas where I need to spend a bit of time reflecting at the moment, and joining me to do this is the incredible Michaela Thomas, a clinical psychologist, couples therapist, speaker and author. As a compassion-focused therapist, Michaela has a special interest in perfectionism with the matra “balance over burnout”. She helps busy, stressed people let go of the pressure of perfection so they can follow their ambition, without drowning in it. In this episode, Michaela walks me through how to practise giving and receiving compassion, how movement can get creativity flowing, as well as her advice and motivations for writing and creating your own inner mentor. This conversation was exactly what I needed - this really is the good stuff! So I hope you can take a lot from it too. You can find more of Michaela’s genius at www.thethomasconnection.co.uk connect with her on Instagram @the_thomas_connection as well as on her podcast Pause, Purpose, Play with Michaela Thomas. 

On today's solo episode, I'm unpacking the idea of 'wellness' and my fear that it has become a commodity. Is it more about a thousand dollar retreat in Bali than genuine inner peace and happiness? And where does wellbeing sit on the spectrum... Are they two very different things?In this episode, I mention the brilliant 'How do we know we're doing it right?' by Pandora Sykes. If the topic strikes something up for you, I'd really recommend giving the book a read.As always, you can find me on my website, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest.And if you have a spare moment, I'd love it if you could leave the podcast a review and hit 'subscribe'!

Today I’m speaking to the incredible Lydia Reeves, a female body cast artist on a mission to help women celebrate their incredible bodies, and eradicate any shame, embarrassment or negative thoughts they’ve encountered in their lives. After creating casts of her own body helped Lydia move towards self-acceptance, she wanted to help others with their healing process to feel comfortable and empowered by their bodies. Her beautiful artwork breaks down taboos and gives a platform to celebrate our uniqueness and individuality.  In this episode, we share our personal experiences with body image & self-love and Lydia shares how her experiences have bought such a strong sense of purpose to her work and creativity. This conversation really meant a lot to me, so I hope you can take a lot from it too, it’s pretty special! You can find Lydia’s amazing work at www.lydiareeves.com where you can also preorder a copy of her book The Vulva Diversity and connect with her on Instagram @lydiareeves_artist