Honestly, Dear Listener

A lot of us didn’t get what we needed as kids, so we adapted—squeezed ourselves into shapes that kept us safe. As adults, our nervous systems still remember those shapes. This episode is about our inner child: the part that wants to play and create, but also freaks out when life feels unsafe. Carrie shares how ACA and parts work (IFS) helped her begin reparenting herself; Emily talks survival mode...

Carrie tried smoking grass at 14. It's not what you think. It didn't go well. Today, we’re doing something a little different: Carrie is sharing a finished thing—a non-fiction short story she wrote called “The Inside Girl.” It’s about growing up in a bubble, longing to be inside of culture, and the day teenage curiosity met cattail fluff and…fire. It’s a story she needed to write to make s...

This week on the show, we talk about play and rest and how they’re kind of important parts to our creative practice. We talk about giving our minds a rest and letting our bodies take the wheel by choosing low-stakes experiments (waste the page) to loosen perfectionism. On the rest side, we talk about what it is (choice) and isn’t (doomscrolling). We’re getting a little rebellious with this one—and...

In this Rewind & Reset episode, we look back at Quarter 3—Carrie stepping into her writing and performance dreams, and Emily navigating grief while still creating music and finding her footing. We talk about what it means to stop playing small, to honor our own timing, and to carry those lessons forward into Quarter 4 with gentleness, courage, and creativity. References: Carrie’s Substack - Re...

NOTE: This is part 2 of our two-part series talking with Singer/Songwriter Melissa V. Cartwright. If you haven’t already, go back and listen to part 1 and then come back here for part 2. In this follow-up conversation with Melissa V. Cartwright, we continue unpacking the process of spiritual deconstruction—especially how it reshapes the way we create. We talk about what happens when the certainty...

Have you ever felt guilty for enjoying the spotlight? This week we talk with singer, songwriter, and voice coach Melissa V. Cartwright about what it means to grow up evangelical, wrestle with performance, and deconstruct the old programming that told us our art could only be “for God’s glory.” Together, we explore perfectionism, fear, and how to reclaim joy, play, and the freedom to be fully seen....

Hey, Dear Listener, A quick heads- up before we begin: Today's episode involves the death of a parent. If you're navigating any kind of loss--whether someone is truly gone or just no longer who they were before--take care of yourself as you listen.   _______________________________________________________ In this episode of Honestly, Dear Listener , we’re talking about what happens to all...

What happens when the work that once gave you life starts to feel like a cage? In this episode, we talk with designer, teacher, entrepreneur, (and Carrie’s former sewing program director) Trishawna Quincy, who shares the story of how she left a stable job she loved— one she built from the ground up —to launch her own sewing business. We talk about discerning when it’s time to pivot, how to say no...

This week, we were supposed to record an episode about a totally different topic—but then real life (and a weed whacker) happened. So instead, Carrie and Emily get honest about what it looks like when your beautiful, color-coded goal list gets trampled by end-of-school chaos, family birthdays, two pages of unchecked boxes, and a spontaneous deep-dive into Christian denominational history. (Yes, re...

If you’re an artist with big dreams and a limited amount of energy (hello, real life), this episode is for you. We’re joined by singer/songwriter, vocal coach, and goals-group-organizing wizard Allie Moss to talk about how to set meaningful creative goals without falling into hustle-culture burnout. We dig into: How to tell the difference between “I don’t want to do this” vs. “I’m scared to do thi...

Money—just the word can trigger a storm of guilt, shame, confusion, or scarcity. In this episode, we crack open our complicated histories with cash: growing up with little, being raised in churches that equated poverty with holiness, and internalizing a belief that joy and money should never mix. We cover: Growing up in financial lack Church culture’s weird relationship with money, guilt, and perc...

Have you ever felt like everyone around you seems to have a creative identity—but you’re just… a bunch of puzzle pieces that don’t fit into any one box? Maybe you’re multi-passionate, maybe you’ve been told to “pick a lane,” or maybe you’ve spent years trying to be a Tide Pod on a shelf—marketable, palatable, and definitely not too much. In this episode, we talk about what creative authenticity ac...

LISTEN TO PART 1 HERE (then come back and listen to part 2) You’re vibing at an art show. Then it hits you: someone else already made the thing you wish you’d made. Suddenly, your joy nose-dives into insecurity. Welcome to the complex emotional soup of envy and jealousy —especially for creatives. In this second half of this two-part series, Emily and Carrie continue with their discussion on envy a...

You’re vibing at an art show. Then it hits you: someone else already made the thing you wish you’d made. Suddenly, your joy nose-dives into insecurity. Welcome to the complex emotional soup of envy and jealousy —especially for creatives. In this first half this two-part series, Emily and Carrie crack open Brené Brown’s definitions, explore how envy often hides under admiration, and share personal...

This week on Honestly, Dear Listener , we’re talking about bodies—how we ignore them, how they yell at us when we do, and what it actually means to be embodied (especially for those of us who grew up thinking our bodies were the enemy). From panic attacks to protein charts, poop habits to dance breaks, we’re getting real about the messy, beautiful, annoying work of coming home to ourselves—one har...

📣 Big Fat Announcement! 📣 Starting Friday, April 18, Honestly, Dear Listener will be moving to a bi-weekly release schedule—that’s every other Friday instead of every single one. Why? Because as much as we love creating this podcast, we’re also navigating real human schedules, creative projects, family life, grief, growth, and all the glorious mess in between. And we’re practicing what we preach...

Today on Honestly, Dear Listener, we are unpacking what the heck “the patriarchy” even means, how it hurts artists, and what YOU can do to dismantle it. Joining us today is Carrie’s childhood friend Rachel Darden , a working actor known not only for her talent but also for her keen observations on the state of the arts. From storytelling shackled by skewed representation to the invisibility of agi...

We’re diving into our vault and pulling out episodes we want to make sure you don’t miss! Here’s a gem from October 2024 talking with our friend, Amber Mogg Cathey of Evolve Vocal Studio, about how we can motivate ourselves with kindness. It’s our first episode of Season 4! This week on Honestly, Dear Listener, we welcome vocalist, voice coach, friend, and frequent contributor to the show Amber Mo...

Ever been stuck in a tiny cubicle, staring at a fluorescent light, memorizing alternative history while yearning for human connection? Welcome to our private Christian school experience. This week, we take you back to the rigid world of goal charts, scripture memorization, and cubicle learning, where asking for help required raising tiny American and Christian flags—and asking for more wasn’t an o...

Ever feel like the world is on fire, your creative energy is on life support, and the certainty you once clung to—faith, government, the idea that adults know what they’re doing—was all an illusion? Yeah, us too. This week, we’re getting real about the existential free-fall of realizing certainty was never actually real, the shame spiral that comes with feeling too much, and the struggle to carve...

In this week’s episode of Honestly, Dear Listener , we talk about showing up in the middle of neither of us being okay. We talk about how our creative energy—heck, our energy in general—is like a coin, an “energy coin” and how we spend it on mental and emotional resources, sometimes on creativity and connection, and other times on self-criticism and fear. We discuss the struggle of self-trust, the...

Who says artists have to pick one identity and stick to it forever? Creativity is about curiosity, exploration, and—let’s be honest—trying on new looks like an unhinged fashion season. In this episode, we’re talking about reinvention—not as a brand strategy, but as an artist’s natural evolution. Your creative identity isn’t a fixed logo—it’s a closet full of possibilities. Some seasons, you’re all...

In this episode of Honestly, Dear Listener , we dive into the uncomfortable but necessary conversation about bias—the ones we know we have and the ones we don’t always notice. Carrie shares a personal story about confronting her own snap judgments in a dive bar, and we explore how biases show up in politics, social media, and everyday interactions. No matter what side of the aisle we’re on, at the...

In this episode of Honestly, Dear Listener, we sit down with Olivia K of Olivia K & the Parkers of Brooklyn, NY, to explore the power of art as resistance. We discuss how artists can be activists by using their craft as an act of rebellion and inclusion, carving out their place in the movement toward equality. Olivia shares insights on balancing artistic passion with self-care, reminding us th...

Today on Honestly, Dear Listener, we dive into a candid performance story from Emily’s gig at a renowned bar where she faced two stage disasters but managed to turn it around with a fresh mindset. Plus, Emily shares why you should always irrigate your sinuses with distilled water. Tune in for the this week's chat about performance, health, and the art of consistency—even when things don’t go as pl...