Mormon to Muse

CLICK HERE to get on the interest list for in person classes in Utah.  You'll be the first to get all the details when a class opens.   We’re told self-care is the answer — but what if it makes you feel irritated, resistant, or worse? In this episode, I talk about why I hate self-care sometimes — and why that doesn’t mean something is wrong with me. For many women, especially those raise...

Setting goals is supposed to feel empowering—but for many of us, it quietly turns into pressure, self-judgment, and nervous-system overload. In this episode, we explore why goals so often create overwhelm (especially for women who were raised in high-demand systems), and how to approach goal-setting in a way that actually supports your life instead of bracing against it. This isn’t about lowering...

Creating a better life after Mormonism doesn’t mean building the opposite life. It doesn’t mean dismantling every discomfort, rejecting everything you were taught, or proving that leaving was “worth it.” In this episode, we slow that idea way down. We talk about what a better life actually means — and how to tell the difference between: fear and preference conditioning and genuine choice work that...

What if the frustration, self-doubt, and awkwardness you feel when learning something new isn’t a sign you’re failing—but proof that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be? In this episode of Mormon to Muse, we explore The Four Stages of Learning and how this framework can help you understand your creative process, your healing journey, and your identity rebuilding after leaving a high-demand...

Get the Anxiety Soothing art prompts HERE Distraction isn’t a personal failure. It’s a symptom. In this episode of Mormon to Muse, we explore distraction not as a productivity problem—but as an attention and devotion problem. Especially for women who were raised in high-demand systems, distraction often develops as a survival strategy: a way to avoid discomfort, override intuition, and stay extern...

Leaving a high-demand system like Mormonism often leaves us with an unexpected residue — a deep, body-level sense of scarcity. Scarcity of time. Scarcity of worth. Scarcity of permission. Scarcity of possibility. In today’s episode, we explore what it means to practice abundance as an act of rebellion. We look at how Claude Monet — yes, the Monet of water lilies and gardens — refused to let grief,...

Hi friends, Get my  Anxiety Soothing Art  if you need a small ritual to bring peace.  This week on the podcast, we’re talking about rituals—the ones we inherited, the ones we outgrew, and the ones we’re allowed to create now. If you grew up in Mormonism, your life was full of ritual. Prayer, family home evening, blessings, temple ceremonies, holidays with strict meaning attached. Th...

What happens when the rules you grew up with continue running your life long after you’ve left the system that taught them? In today’s episode, we’re talking about internalized constraint—the invisible expectations, fears, obligations, and “shoulds” that live inside your nervous system and shape your choices without you even realizing it. Whether you grew up in Mormonism or any high-demand environ...

In this episode, we explore one of the most important—and misunderstood—stories in the feminine archive: Bluebeard. This tale isn’t about morbid curiosity or a woman “disobeying.” It’s about awakening. About reclaiming the instinct to know what you know. About refusing to live in a house of secrets and silence. Bluebeard is the archetype of any system—religious, cultural, or relational—that says:...

Get the free  Prompts to calm anxiety When you've spent years—or decades—being told what is right, what is true, and what is best for you, trusting yourself again can feel disorienting. Many women raised in high-demand religious systems were taught that external authority is more trustworthy than their own internal wisdom. So when they leave, they’re left asking: What do I actually believe? W...

 Get the anxiety reducing art prompts HERE When you’ve spent years under spiritual surveillance — constantly monitored for worthiness, obedience, and purity — your nervous system learns to stay on high alert. Even when you leave that system, your body doesn’t automatically feel safe. Freedom can actually feel threatening. In this episode, we explore what anxiety really is: not a moral failure...

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “It’s too late for me”? Too late to change careers, to create art, to follow that dream you tucked away years ago? In this episode, Kristin shares a deeply honest conversation about regret, renewal, and the beauty of starting over — no matter your age or stage of life. We’ll explore what it means to grieve the woman you could have been while still believing...

Get a free therapeutic art prompt delivered to your email every week. CLICK HERE to join Sunday Muse.   Have you ever noticed how scrolling, watching, or even listening to “inspiring” content can leave you feeling tired — not fulfilled? In this episode, Kristin Martineau explores the energetic difference between creating and consuming — and why creating, even in small ways, restores our sense...

Come visit me at the Energy Healing Conference! Tickets are regularly $30, but I have a limited number to give away for free! CLICK HERE to claim them before someone else does! Don't miss free the therapeutic art prompt that goes with this episode! Join Sunday Muse here. In this episode of Mormon to Muse, we’re talking about desire — that quiet pulse beneath duty, expectation, and fear. If you gre...

Get your FREE tickets to the Energy Healing Conference  October 18th in Sandy Utah.  I'll be there all day at my vendor booth and I'll be speaking also at 5 pm.  Come say hello! If you want to come to my class be sure to purchase the art kit ($10) ahead of time to guarantee your spot!  Confidence is not something you’re born with or without—it’s something you create. In this ep...

Come see me at the Energy Healing Conference Oct 18 in Sandy Utah. Get your FREE TICKET HERE!   Stress is one of those words that instantly makes our shoulders tighten. But what if not all stress is bad? In this episode, we unpack the complicated relationship we have with stress — from the kind that pushes us to grow, to the kind that wears us down — and explore how creativity can be a powerf...

What if being wrong could actually be a gift? Most of us were raised to avoid mistakes at all costs, but in this episode I want to flip that script. Being wrong has been one of the most powerful teachers in my own life—helping me grow, deepen relationships, and even discover that I am an artist (thank goodness I was wrong about that!). What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why our brains resist being...

 Have you ever noticed how leaders—religious, political, or otherwise—use “us vs. them” language to stir emotions, create loyalty, and shut down critical thinking? In this episode of Mormon to Muse , I break down how this kind of rhetoric works, why it’s so effective, and the impact it has on individuals raised inside high-demand systems. I share examples from Mormon leaders, extremist religi...

Generational pain is real. Many of us carry not only our own struggles but also the unhealed wounds of our mothers, grandmothers, and the women who came before us. They were taught to endure, to stay small, to sacrifice themselves, and often to silence their own needs. Without realizing it, we inherit those patterns. But the truth is: the suffering doesn’t have to continue through us. We have the...

Leaving or deconstructing a faith system doesn’t just change what you believe—it changes how you relate to the people you love. Whether it’s family who remain devout, a spouse who doesn’t understand your journey, or friendships that once revolved around shared beliefs, relationships can feel like the hardest part of faith transition. In this episode of Mormon to Muse, I explore why relationships a...

How to Tell the Difference Between Leaving and Deconstructing Faith |  Episode Summary: Leaving a high-demand religion and deconstructing your faith are not the same thing. In this episode of Mormon to Muse, we’ll explore the crucial difference between the two—and why understanding it matters for your healing and growth. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The difference between leaving religi...

Change is inevitable, but moving forward with grace, courage, and creativity is a skill we can all develop. In this episode of Mormon to Muse, I explore why change feels so uncomfortable, how our brains resist it, and how we can use both mindset tools and the creative process to embrace new seasons of life. You’ll learn: The biological and cultural reasons we resist change—even when we want it. Ho...

UPDATE-  In this episode I talk about the idea of creating beauty from pain.  I meant to mention that this idea comes from Susan Cain's book Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Makes Us Whole.  If you want to build a life that feels aligned, meaningful, and free—you have to be willing to feel everything. In this follow-up to Episode 11 (Why You Are Emotionally Stunted), we dive into...

Episode 11: Why You Are Emotionally Stunted  In this episode, I explore how emotional suppression—especially in high-demand systems like Mormonism and American culture—leaves many of us emotionally stunted, disconnected from ourselves, and stuck in cycles we don’t understand. We revisit the Self-Coaching Model (CTFAR) and focus on the often-overlooked middle step: feelings. You’ll learn why f...

You’re trying. You’re doing the things. So why do you still feel stuck? In this episode of Mormon to Muse, we unpack three hidden reasons you might not be making progress—and how the Self-Coaching Model can help you shift your mindset and create real change. Whether you're trying to heal after leaving Mormonism or simply reinvent your life in midlife, this episode will show you how to stop spinnin...