Made To Create

In this shorter (and very silly) episode, I interview one of the most creative people I know - my 10 year old son, Hunter. Amidst some very silly bloopers Hunter shares some helpful insights on what it means to be creative. At the very least you'll get some giggles out of this episode.  Hunter can not be found anywhere because he is a 10 year old boy with no social media. 

In this episode I chat with serial entrepreneur and dreamer CJ Andrews. CJ is the founder of Avocado Bliss Retreat, an all inclusive sanctuary for anyone wanting to connect back with themselves, with nature, or the community. Listen in to hear how this incredible visionary took a farm house fixer upper and created a space like no other. Connect with CJ and Avocado Bliss Retreat: Instagram: @avocad...

In this episode I chat with my very good friend Justine Andreu Darling. She and I have been through morning sickness, pumping milk in hotel rooms, and rediscovering our creativity together. While there was a time when she thought she wasn't creative at all, Justine has come to discover that creativity just looks different for her and how to quite those critical voices that try and tell her ot...

In this episode I chat with my friend (and next door neighbor) Brittany Oaks Portis about her start as a dancer, musician, and actress. Brittany shares how all of life - motherhood, dreams, aspirations, and career - have shifted and grown over time into what she is doing now. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @portisfamily Check out her work on IMDb: Brittany Oaks

This episode was such a treat! I chat with Amanda Morrow, Co-Owner of The Flower Pot Cafe and Bakery and Three Legs Coffee Roasters in La Jolla, California.  Amanda shares all about her crazy journey starting out as Owner of the Pannikin, La Jolla - until they unexpectedly lost their lease. Through lots of community support, they were able to open up their current cafe, a beautiful space that is a...

God can use everything we do, even that which feels mundane and unimportant. In this episode I chat with Sarah Hausser, Author, Speaker, and food blogger about the intersection between faith, food, community...and of course creativity. Gathering together can seem so normal and insignificant but there is such sacredness between gathering at the table. Sarah details in such beautiful imagery the sig...

Sometimes when we begin feeling uninspired or your creative outlet has lost its luster it can be very tempting to throw in the towel. However, maybe we don't need to do that. Maybe all we need is to make a small change. 

In this episode we have a full house. Cody and I are both joined by Zach and Kristen LaValley in this "creative couples" episode. Our conversation is full of plenty silly banter as well as deep conversation around the intersection of faith, family, community, and creativity, and parenthood. Zach and Kristen are parents to 5 kids and had so much wisdom to share about living faithfully and...

In this episode I chat with Coral Goetze, artist and Founder of My Illustrated Family. Coral shares her story of how she got started as an artist and about her recent journey with vision loss. She opens up about all the ways it has impacted her life as a mom, visual artist, and person of faith. Coral's story is so inspiring and she has so much wisdom to share for anyone going through a season...

Presenting the first of many, monthly bonus episodes. In this solo episode I share my latest thoughts on the connection between failing forward, perseverance and the creative journey. 

In this episode I totally geek out with Gary Ware, Founder of Breakthrough Play. Gary shares how he went from working the corporate rat race to now inspiring others to bring more playfulness in their lives, whether they are the CEO or a stay -at-home mom. Gary's work is backed by research and his own personal testimony of feeling run down and burnt out until he discovered the wonderful world...

In this episode I chat with Musician and Founder of the Table Art Society, Haley Dall   (or Haley Montgomery - the name under which some of her music can be found). Haley absolutely BRINGS it in this conversation as we talk about the intersection of faith, community, and creativity. She calls out all the ways in which many artists and creatives have felt broken, alone and longing for a place to br...

In this episode, I chat with Ashlee Gadd, Founder of Coffee + Crumbs—a beautiful online space where motherhood and storytelling intersect.  We discuss her newest book, Create Anyway: The Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood. In her book and our conversation, Ashlee gives us permission to pursue our creative gifts alongside motherhood and shares her thoughts on the question every...

In this episode I chat with Rheanna Downey and Molly Jenson of the band, Shhhhh. Don't worry they're not trying to shush you, that's just their name. We cover a lot of ground in our conversation but central to it all is the idea of trusting yourself and the creative process. Whether that be, believing you are never too old to pursue what you love or just trusting that the next song,...

What on earth could chemistry, music and comic books have in common? Quite a bit as it turns out! In this episode I chat with Dr. Colleen Kelley, Founder of Kids Chemical Solutions. Colleen found herself captivated by the question, “Why do my students think chemistry is SO hard?” After a great deal of research, Colleen decided to do something to make the subject of chemistry accessible and fun for...

In this episode I got the pleasure to chat with Bass Player, Jeremy Radio.  We chat about his long career in music and what it is like to dream big dreams. Then see them come true, while also maintaining a great love and appreciation for the work. Jeremy shares what life on the road has been like, what it is that makes music last and how spirituality and individuality play a part in the music he c...

In this episode I chat with Justin Wilson, a Tattoo Artist, Navy Veteran, Painter, Writer and more. Justin shares how he developed his passion for art and tattooing. We also discuss how identity plays a critical role in how we see ourselves and our abilities. Justine has tattooed all over the world and is currently residing and working in San Diego, California. To follow and learn more about Justi...

In this episode I chat with Heather Penny - Coach, Speaker, and Author. Heather works with clients both privately and in the corporate world to identify the false beliefs holding them back and replace them with true beliefs. We discuss the challenges that come along with cultural and societal expectations to constantly burn the candle at both ends and how detrimental it can be both personally in a...

In this episode I chat with Melissa Heinemann and Lisa Bencivenga of Gigi's Getaway - an outdoor preschool dedicated to teaching through play. We chat about how play and nature can be tools for learning and how (in the words of Maria Montessori) play is the work of children. Melissa and Lisa share about the things they've learned from their students, how they've had to be flexible i...

We got to chat with our friends Jenna and John Moore. Jenna runs a creative vending movement called WonderboxSD , which features local makers, merchants and artisans. Her husband John has a mobile book store and booth in Liberty Station both under the banner of Gentleman John Books . We talked about their creative and entrepreneurial journeys and what it is like to pivot and shift with your ideas....

I don’t know about you but I definitely remember seeing comments on my report cards that read, “spends too much time daydreaming”. But is daydreaming really a bad thing? And how does daydreaming relate to creativity?  We talk about this and more in this episode with Paula Intravaia from The Cloud Club Collective. Connect with Paula www.mycloudclub.org www.instagram.com/cloud_club_collective

In this episode with Jess at Raisingslow we talk about making the choice to slow down and the impact it can have on us, our kids and our creativity. Jess shares with us how she was forced to reevaluate her pace of life and how minimizing the mental and physical clutter has helped them to live a fuller and more creative life. Connect and get some free resources from Jess at  raisingslow.com Follow...

Made to Create welcomes back Laura Haver to talk about her journey as a writer and aspiring author. We talk about how comparison can be the "thief" of our creativity. Laura is also the founder of Author Moms, a group dedicated to providing space for moms to develop their writing skills, share ideas, and work towards authorship. Follow Laura on Instagram @lauramhaver Find out more about A...

Hello Creators! I just wrapped up 30 Days of Creativity, where I committed to sharing something creative that I did, observed, or was inspired by every day for a month. In this episode my husband, Cody and I talk about the surprising lessons we both learned along the way. We also dove into what's been going on with our creative journeys since our last season. See all my posts from my 30 Days...

Hello Creators! We're back with conversations about creativity and debunking the myth that creativity looks like one specific thing... Creativity can look like 1000 different things and everyone is creative in some way! As we get back into the swing, I'd love to just let you know what's been going on in our lives and give you a teaser about what's coming. Thanks for being here!...