Restorative Reading and Writing for Wellness

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we are bridging the mystical with science-based research to explore a new topic together: how to raise your vibration through writing.  You already know I love morning pages and you already know how I’ve grappled with their purpose and function over the years. Today, I’ll share my latest round of learning and experimentation into this important daily...

On this podcast, we believe in the power of reading and writing to make life better.  But before it can make life better, we have to say YES to ourselves and truly believe that we deserve this special form of self-care so that we can show up in our lives the way we want to. Today’s guest is Wendy Harrop and she is here to help us say YES to ourselves in this summer season of life. She’s the host o...

One of my favorite things to do is to match books to the right reader. There’s just something so special about really listening to a person and then selecting a book that’s perfectly matched to them.  Today, I am talking all about my Snail Mail Book Project, a project I started during the holidays of 2023 to personally recommend a book to others by sending an old-fashioned postcard to them in the...

This might just be the most fun I’ve had on the Get Lit(erate). Podcast! Today, I’m chatting with Dupe Witherick of Thrive Alcohol Free. She is an alcohol free wellbeing and transformational coach, the author of A Cocktail of Clarity and host of the Thrive Alcohol Free podcast. Today, we are mixing mocktails with books. Dupe shares her top three favorite mocktail recipes and I pair each with a per...

On the very last day of every month, I share a bonus episode of what I’ve been reading, writing, learning and loving throughout the last month. Today, I’m sharing the highlights of my literate life in June and there are some exciting nuggets in here. I’ve got six books to share (perfect summer beach reads), three fun notebook prompts, one VERY exciting surprise that I’m learning about and a few fi...

If you have a dream in your heart to write a children’s book, or any book really, then this episode is for you.  Today, I’m talking with Victoria J. Coe and Cheryl Lawton Malone, children’s literature authors with books we know and love.  Together, they have written two books designed to launch your writing dreams and fast-track your progress…and I can say from experience that their method WORKS....

Over the last couple of weeks here on the podcast, we’ve celebrated the power, potential and joy of the summer reading season.  But what about summer notebooking? In this episode, I’m sharing the five different ways that you can show up to your notebook in a way that works for YOU. No matter what your days look like, I promise there’s a way to notebook that will speak to you today and remember….ju...

Books and reading can make our lives better in so many ways and we’ve explored a lot of them on this podcast: how to find more time to read, how to choose books to help us grow through what we go through, how to enhance the reading experience with the five senses and writing and much, much more.  But today, I’m talking about something I’ve never mentioned on the podcast before: how fictional chara...

Many of us hope to have a beautiful, relaxing summer full of reading books that are perfect for us.  But that takes planning. =) Come listen as I share the ten things you need to do TODAY to have the best summer reading season ever starting TOMORROW.  These small, actionable steps will yield big results and will only take a few moments of your time.  You’ll find the show notes for the episode with...

On the very last day of every month, I share a bonus episode of what I’ve been reading, writing, learning and loving throughout the last month. Today, I’m sharing the highlights on my literate life in May and exploring some DEEP questions, too. I’ll describe the only three adult books that I read this month, provide an update on my magical combination of morning reading and writing, offer a POWERF...

It’s time to gear up for summer reading season! Everywhere I look, I’m seeing summer reading lists, checklists and challenges and I typically DON’T enjoy them because they don’t always connect to the kind of reading life I want to have. So, I decided to create a summer reading challenge that I CAN get behind because it's the kind of reading that will help us create the kind of summer we want t...

I’ve stumbled upon a magical combination of reading and writing in the wee hours of the morning that makes me feel so good and sets my day up for success.  What is it? It’s the combination of reading small doses of personal development books and then heading to my notebook to see what comes out on the page. Come listen as I talk about the how and why behind this magical practice, share three kinds...

Reading and writing can make life better ONLY is you first make the time to read and write. =) In this episode, I’m tackling a problem I uncovered in my own reading life that stalled my reading and I have a feeling it could be one your grappling with, too: trouble with my TBR (To Be Read list). Come listen as I give you the backstory on how I uncovered this issue, the 5 steps I’m taking to do some...

We know that books and reading and notebooks and writing have the power to make life better.  But what about an honest conversation with a stranger that results in encouragement elixir in the form of a printed letter to help you get re-enchanted with yourself and your life? Yes, please.  Charissa Steyn is here to talk about the power that writing can have to connect with others and move you forwar...

On the very last day of every month, I share a bonus episode of what I’ve been reading, writing, learning and loving throughout the last month. Today, I’m sharing the highlights on my literate life in April: three books that I could not put down, a writing life that was ON FIRE, interesting nuggets from my meditation journey and a new sound I cannot stop listening to. You’ll find the show notes fo...

We’ve talked about a lot of things in the over 100 episodes we’ve shared together from why we read and titles we might love to how to read best and how to use reading to make life better.  But today, we are talking about something I’ve only recently been exploring: the power of reading with furry, four-legged friends.  Dr. Barb Vokatis, a reading therapy dog handler, is here to explore this idea w...

April is National Letter Writing month and Leah from Tiny and Snail is here to help me celebrate! Tiny and Snail produces incredibly beautiful note cards to send in snail mail, something I adore doing. They have an incredible story and are working to share their mission to make mail more beautiful, fun and easy. Plus, did you know that sending cards can raise the level of feel-good chemicals in ou...

Every week, I send a bit of bookish snail mail into the world to a fellow reader. Recently, a reader requested a book around adult friendship and it took me down a rabbit hole of books and notebooking in the most wonderful way.  On this episode, I’ll share a bit about adult friendship statistics, offer a list of books I’ve already mentioned previously on the podcast that embrace adult friendships...

Today, I’m revealing a literate experiment I’ve been working on for a while. Yes, it was inspired by a book and yes, I think you should start experimenting, too. =) Come listen as I talk about the project and walk you through the 6 steps it takes to make it your own.  You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here.  Love this podcast an...

On the very last day of every month, I share a bonus episode of what I’ve been reading, writing, learning and loving throughout the last month. Today, I’m sharing the highlights on my literate life in March: three VERY different books, the power of affirmations, learning about an accidental icon and loving my new, beautiful notecards. You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of...

Today, we are exploring the power of reading and writing to make life feel better through Up Lit.  Up Lit is a particular genre of reading that makes us feel good. The stories are hopeful and inspiring, even if the characters are going through hard things.  Today, I’ll take a deep dive into this micro-genre, quickly mention a list of books you’re likely already familiar with that characterize this...

Books make me happy.  Notebooks make me happy.  That’s why guided journals make me VERY happy: they contain the very best elements of both. =) Today, I’m talking with Carol Pearson, author of 10 Little Rules for a Blissy Life, a guided journal to help you reflect on the real or imagined rules you’ve set for your life and decide if they’re keeping you from profound happiness.  Carol and I talked ab...

It has been said that we are the average of the five people we surround ourselves with. But what if I said you were the average of the last 5 books you read? What would your book stack say about you if it could talk? Today, I’m sharing a collection of books that would say you LOVE to read books about books, bookstores, libraries, authors and bookish people. It’s perfect timing to celebrate Nationa...

March is National Reading month and we are kicking off the month with a special guest who has a rather radical reading agenda: Amanda Spencer. Amanda is a Get Lit(erate). listener who is reading to change the way she thinks about the world and is inviting all of us along with her to do the same.  Today, she talks about her reading life, her radical agenda, both figuratively and literally, and reco...

Happy Leap Day! On the very last day of every month, I share a bonus episode of what I’ve been reading, writing, learning and loving throughout the last 30 or so days…or 29 for this special month. Today, I’m spelling the beans on my literate life in February. I read THIRTEEN BOOKS (most of this was children’s literature), failed miserably in the writing department, learned A LOT about yoga for our...