The Art of Creative Living

In this episode, writer Beth Cregan and I dive deep into the various tools and technology we use to support our creative lives. From good old-fashioned analog tools like planners, notebooks, and index cards to cutting-edge digital apps, software, and AI assistants, we cover a wide array of resources that help us organise, plan, create, and track our creative projects. Find all the details and link...

Let's delve into the 'messy middle' of creative projects! Join Beth and me (Nicola) as we discuss our personal experiences and strategies to push forward. We delve into self-awareness including understanding one's own personality traits and energies which helps in personalising the creative process. Beth explains how having a clear vision of the final outcome can keep you motivated...

Join Nicola Newman & Beth Cregan for a meaningful conversation about the nature and importance of solitude, loneliness, and the creative process. Through the lens of Nic's sailing life, we explore the intricate balance between solitude and the potential for loneliness that creatives often encounter with their work. We delve into some of the struggles that are integral to our creative lives...

Welcome to another episode of "Nic and Beth’s Creative Chats" with your hosts, Nicola Newman and Beth Cregan! Today, we're on a journey to uncover ways to nurture a deep and meaningful relationship with your creative self. Nicola and Beth open up about their personal reflective practices, anchors, and the daily rituals that keep their creativity flowing. They share how journaling bec...

Join your hosts Nicola Newman and Beth Cregan as they unravel the transformative experiences of creative retreats. Beth, fresh from her solo writing retreat, and Nicola, having just hosted her second group creative retreat, delve into the rich tapestry of insights gained from both personal and group immersive escapes. In this episode, discover the power of solitude as Beth shares the revelations f...

Welcome to the inaugural episode of a new series on The Art of Creative Living Podcast, "Nic & Beth's Chats about Creative Living." Join us, your hosts Nicola Newman, an artist and creative mentor, and Beth Cregan, a writer and educator, as we dive headfirst into the world of creative living. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on our unique friendship forged through a shar...

This meditation is designed to help you offer yourself self-compassion and cultivate a kind, nurturing relationship with yourself. By imagining yourself surrounded by a supportive community of fellow Creative Hearts, and wrapping your arms around yourself in a warm embrace, you can practice self-compassion and offer yourself words of validation, reassurance, and support. I invite you to take a few...

Throughout my own creative journey, I've faced numerous setbacks and failures that have tested my resilience and determination. There have been moments when the pain of these experiences seemed insurmountable, making it difficult to see a way forward. However, in the midst of these challenges, I found an opportunity for growth and transformation. As I navigated the difficult terrain of my own...

This meditation is designed to help you overcome self-doubt and embrace the journey of sharing your work with the world. By connecting with your inner wisdom, and imagining yourself surrounded by a supportive community of fellow Creative Hearts, you can cultivate the courage and confidence to take the next step towards sharing your work with the world. I invite you to take a few moments to listen...

You know that nagging feeling that you're not really as talented or successful as people think you are, and that you're just one step away from being exposed as a fraud? Well, that's imposter syndrome, and in this episode I'm excited to shed some light on this topic and help you manage it so you can flourish in your creative life. So, let's explore how to overcome imposter synd...

Join Dawn Gibson-Winder and Nicola Newman for a wonderful, inspiring conversation filled with practical tips to help us carve out ways to care for our nervous systems and listen to ourselves, so we can intentionally create a life that fits us and honours our personal needs. A Journey from Chaos to Calm  Dawn shares her personal story and tools she's found to help her find more calm in her busy...

I wanted to share with you this meditation for Creative Hearts who want to feel in flow and connected to their creative expression. If you're looking to fully embrace your creativity and let go of any doubts or fears that may be holding you back, this practice is perfect for you. In this meditation, you will imagine yourself standing beside a beautiful stream in a rainforest, and allow yoursel...

Nurturing your creative community and building connections with fellow creatives is so valuable, it can make your creative life more sustainable, enjoyable and fulfilling in so many ways. I'll be sharing examples from my own life and how important building a creative community has been in my own development, satisfaction, and fulfillment. I'll also share tips and ideas of strategies you ca...

This meditation is designed to help you identify and use the resources you already have within you to care for yourself when you need it most. By asking yourself five simple questions and reflecting on your physical, mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs, you can cultivate a kinder, more nurturing relationship with yourself and trust in the unique and beautiful expression that emerges...

"I’ve always been happiest in bright, colourful environments. From my childhood living on the fair, I was immersed in motion, sound, colour and energy. We travelled from place to place all summer and I know that’s where I get my free spirit from and why I love to roam. This unique upbringing has given me a style all of my own," shares Kelly Herrick. "I am happiest outdoors, connecti...

Whether you're an artist, writer, or entrepreneur, it's natural to encounter obstacles in your creative journey. In this episode, we'll explore gentle techniques for moving through these barriers and reigniting your creative spark. Drawing from my personal experiences and using a nurturing, mindful approach, we'll help you reconnect with your creativity. Creative blocks can take ma...

For this episode I'm sharing a guest teacher session from Flourish: The Art of Creative Living, all about "Shaping Your Life Through Journalling & Self-Enquiry," with Vienda Maria. This session is full of Vienda’s, and some of my own, personal stories and experiences with journaling, and how we have used it to process our emotions, listen to our intuition, clear creative and emotional blocks,...

Have you ever dreamed of hosting a solo exhibition of your creative work? Wondered what it takes, how to go about it and where to start? Join artist Jennifer Carlson as she shares her experiences preparing for and hosting her first solo exhibition of paintings. Learn tips and strategies to manage your energy during the preparation stage, gather inspiration for a body of work, find a style that fee...

As you move through this journey of exploring your creativity and finding what's possible for your creative life, remember to tune into your heart and do what is authentic to you. Not to impress anyone else. Being authentic to you, is about allowing yourself to follow your curiosities and investigate what lights you up. That is what will sustain you in your creative life. Not trying to win the app...

Years ago, I went to a yoga class and found I couldn't bend or be as flexible as the other participants there. And it triggered a moment of shame for me. I had to remind myself that if you are beginning a new creative process or project, you are beginning - and that's exactly where you should be! If you compare yourself with others and allow that to stop you from continuing on, it will cheat you o...

We all have inbuilt ideas about what makes something "good". Whether we have picked up tastes and values from our parents, society, or even scrolling social media, it's easy to believe that one form of creative expression is good and another is substandard. One form is valuable and another is not, but there's always a context that goes along with any creation. Join me as we explore how challenging...

Often when we begin a new creative project, we have a vague, or sometimes very upfront, fear of failure attached. We don't want to "get it wrong". We don't want to look like a fool or be embarrassed by what we create. We want people to be impressed! And we want to have the reassurance that it will all work out.  However, what I've found after years of making things, whether it's been producin...

Once we get past our thoughts and our resulting reluctance to begin a new project or creative process, we can embrace mindsets to support us in moving forward and making things happen. And when we do, we can be amazed by what we can create! In this new podcast episode, I share one of my favourite ways to deal with common obstacles we all face when living a creative life. You'll also hear the story...

You can use this beautiful heart-based meditation to gently bring an intention into your heart and infuse it with more clarity, peace and inspiration. Perhaps you want to carve out more time for yourself amongst the demands of daily life, or you're feeling a craving to be able to express your creativity more freely and joyfully.  Listen to this calming meditation when you want to bring your d...

I’m joined by Annie Gichuru, who is the founder of Uplifting Studios, a platform dedicated to supporting migrant women of colour. As a life coach and the producer and host of Uplifting Studios TV, Annie teaches how to unshackle self-limiting beliefs. Born in Kenya, Australia is her home where she lives with her husband and two young children. In this conversation we explore the topic of Creative L...