141: 4. A Heart with a Mic

This week on the podcast, the Creative Archetype Series continues with Enneagram 4. Merideth chats with Lee Fields of Enneagrammatic about life as a 4. Plus, writers Kristin Vanderlip and Mara Eller, and painter Jennifer Hintz Eggers, share their insights on how to move beyond feelings and into doing and what we can all try to channel our inner Enneagram 4 to foster creative joy. 

Invitation: 

Listen to a few tracks from this album and feel your feelings.

Don't journal or try to fix anything yet. Ask yourself: "How are you feeling today?" and let the emotions come. When you are done, take whatever has come up for you and use it as creative fodder for something small-- a poem, painting, letter, card, or a meal that makes you feel comfort. Respond to whatever feelings you feel by making something. 

Mara Eller Website 

Kristin Vanderlip 

Jennifer Hintz Eggers

Burnout: Completing the Stress Cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski

David Gate Enneagram Poems

Enneagram Workshop with Artists for Joy

Buy Merideth a coffee

140: 3. The Search for Self-Worth

This week in the Creative Archetypes Series, we hear from Enneagram 3s. Merideth chats with Ashley Hall-Tighe, trumpet player and certified life coach, Nii Codjoe, product researcher and career coach, and Tombo Hite, attorney, whose biggest claim to fame is that he’s Merideth’s older brother. :)

They explore the 3’s secret weapon for getting things done, how to calm the chaos when you’re going 100 mph, plus how to find your true worthiness outside of your achievements.

Invitation:

3's Super Power—The To-do List

Before you start your day or a creative session, make a list of things that you’d like to accomplish. Imagine what you’d like to say you’ve done by the end of the day. Hold the list loosely. Check in with yourself as you work. Let the list push you forward when you are feeling uninspired or unsure of what to do next. And if you get to the end of the day and your list is unfinished, take a deep breath and try again tomorrow. Remember: you are not defined by all you get done or don’t.

Ashley Hall-Tighe, Trumpeter/Life Coach

Coachingthewholemusician IG

Nii Codjoe, Product Researcher/Career Coach

Tombo Hite, Attorney at Law

David Gate Enneagram Cards

Buy Merideth a Coffee

Enneagram Workshop with Artists for Joy

Email Merideth with a question or comment: hello@artistsforjoy.org

139: 2. The Soul of the Helper with Holly Oxhandler

Our Creative Archetypes Series continues this week with Enneagram 2’s: “The Helper.” Merideth chats with author Holly Oxhandler. Holly is the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and an Associate Professor at Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. Holly studies religion/spirituality, health and mental health, and as a studio art minor in college, she embeds creativity into every aspect of her life and work. Merideth and Holly explore how to be a helper without burning out and seeing creativity as an act of self-care and connection.

Other 2 voices in the episode: piano teacher and podcaster, Christina Whitlock, and author/spiritual growth coach, Stephanie Miller.

Invitation:

  1. Put your oxygen mask on first. Write 3 pages of longhand stream of consciousness first thing upon waking. After you finish writing, step outside of yourself, re-read your pages, and look for clues about what it is you need. What is one thing you could give to yourself today that you need? Be your own helper, mother, giver, or friend.

  2. Having taken care of yourself, look at those around you and ask the same question. What needs do I see? How can I serve them personally— with a phone call or a bouquet of fresh flowers— or creatively—with a handmade card or homecooked meal? Use your creativity to find connection and collaboration, to comfort yourself and others.

Holly’s website

Holly’s newsletter

Holly’s book

Jerome Lubbe’s teaching

Connect with Christina Whitlock: Piano Instructor, Beyond Measure Podcast

Connect with Stephanie Miller: Author, Writing Coach, Spiritual Growth Coach

David Gate Enneagram Poem Postcards

Buy Merideth a Coffee

Register for the Artists for Joy enneagram workshop

138: 1. Embracing Imperfection with Kendra Adachi

Perfectionism can keep us from starting altogether, stop us mid-art, and suck the joy out of the finished creative project. Can you relate? 

This week on the podcast, Merideth chats with Enneagram One, Kendra Adachi (aka The Lazy Genius) about holding creative goals loosely, embracing imperfection, and becoming the architecture of your creative life. 

Invitation: 

1. Kendra's advice: "Ask someone you trust what they believe you bring to the creative process."

2. Explore The Lazy Genius' Magic Question: "What can I do now to make something easier later?"

3. Kendra says she lives by Suzanne Stabile's question, "What is mine to do?" Take this question to your journal and see what comes up. 

 

Kendra Adachi’s Lazy Genius Collective

Elizabeth Joy Hooker’s IG

David Gate, poet, Enneagram Postcards

Enneagram Workshop with Artists for Joy

Enjoy the episode? Buy Merideth a coffee

137: Creative Archetypes: Intro- All Types Creative

Without further ado, our summer Enneagram series begins now! Merideth chats with enneagram coach Lee Fields (the impetus for this entire series) about how each Enneagram number's energy is needed in bringing a creative project from ideation to completion.

Invitation: read through the list and circle a few that resonate with you. If you don’t know your type yet, check out these other enneagram resources.

8’s strive to feel powerful, resist other peoples’ boundaries

9’s strive to feel peaceful, resist their own priorities

1’s strive to feel perfect, resist relaxing

2’s strive to feel connected, resist tending to their own needs

3’s strive to feel outstanding, resist slowing down

4’s strive to feel unique, resist ordinary tasks

5’s strive to feel detached, resist engaging with others

6’s strive to feel secure, resist trusting others, the process, or themselves

7’s strive to feel excited, resist stillness, savoring, or appreciating what they have

Connect with Lee

Register for the Enneagram Workshop: August 29th, 2023 @ 7:00 EST

Submit a "Sounds of Joy" video: hello@artistsforjoy.org 

Love the show? Buy Merideth a coffee.

136: Throwback: Belonging

This week, Merideth takes us back to Episode 11 in Season 1! Enjoy the throwback to a baby podcaster exploring an ever-green topic: belonging. 

Original Show notes: 

Where do you belong? This week Merideth dives into this question, reflecting on her own upbringing in small-town South Carolina. She explores how artists might find community and friendship by showing up as themselves and using their artist's eye to love others well.

Music from the podcast

Blake Chamberlain’s Artwork

Join The Artist's Way Creative Cluster

135: Meet an artist who: takes up space

Kate Shepherd is an artist, silversmith, writer, and host of the popular podcast, The Creative Genius Podcast. 

From Kate's artist's statement: “I am an artist down to the very core of my being, it is infused into every single aspect of my life. Stones, leather, textiles, eco-printing, quilting, knitting, weaving, basketry, sculpture, beadwork - something deep within me wants to, needs to experience the act of making with my heart and hands."

For 15 years her work as a professional artist has been through Morning Moon Nature Jewelry and over the past two years her love of painting has been reignited. 

Merideth and Kate chat about taking up space, creative intelligence, and, of course, some of what Kate has learned from interviewing creative greats on her successful podcast. 

Read more and support Kate.

Support Artists for Joy

134: Taking Up Creative Space

We know by now that the items we don’t need affect our creative impulse, but what about the items we do? This week on the podcast, we explore the topic of The Artist’s Altar (from Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way.”) Listen and learn some tips for taking up space in the world, sparking joy as you support your inner artist child, and relearning how to play.

Clutter episode

Rachel Bell, Powerhouse Accordion and Irresistible Tunes

Submit your music to be featured on the pod: hello@artistsforjoy.org

Buy Merideth a coffee

Worthiness episode

How to rate and review a podcast

Aaron Will Water Bottle Tweet

133: Musical Meditation: Create-in-the-Crack Hacks

This week on the podcast, a musical meditation to help you take the time you have to create with joy. Merideth walks you through three coaching questions and offers music to deepen your reflection. Grab your journal and your earbuds and get ready to be mindful. 

Self-Coaching Questions: 

  1. How much creative time is enough? Name an expectation for what, in an ideal world, you’d like to accomplish each week. What would you need to do to feel ready, productive, and creatively satisfied? Imagine a completely wide-open schedule as you do.

  2. Our lives are full. Take stock of where your days go, witness your schedule without judgment or with any intent to change it, yet.

  3. Brainstorm a few new cracks in the schedule where you can make something you care about or relish in the creative choices you already have.  What other creative things can you do that would not require you to be standing in front of a desk or an instrument? How can you take the time that you have today and be gentle with yourself as you work to believe that it is enough?

Buy Merideth a coffee

Tell us what resonates on IG

132: Creative Lies: "It's All or Nothing."

Merideth debunks a common creative conundrum this week: “it’s all or nothing.” She shares what she is learning, creating in the cracks during her own life stage, plus thoughts from listeners from all creative disciplines and experience levels. Listen for some truths to replace the all-or-nothing thinking and get inspired!

Sergio Sandí’s new Beethoven Piano Sonatas Album

How to leave an Apple Podcast Review

Leave us a review here (We need just 5 more to reach our goal!)

Tell us how you create in the cracks

Leave us a voicemail: 302-415-3407

Support the work of Artists for Joy

131: Musical Meditation: Tough Skin, Tender Heart

Self-Coaching Questions:

  1. Consider the big and small avenues in your life for rejection and reflect on what boundaries you may need to set.

  2. What painful rejection are you still holding on to after all this time? What painful words do you need to let go of, helpful or not? As you listen, imagine setting the rejection down and walking away. 

  3. What ritual might you use to tell a story of your creative work that uplifts you and helps you feel resilient and strong?

Join our email list

130: Tough and Tender: Bouncing Back from Rejection

This week on the podcast, Merideth shares what professional musician life and pending published authorship are teaching her about rejection. Late author Rachel Held Evans was said to have had a Post-it above her writing desk that said, "Tough skin, tender heart." Merideth offers 3 ways to be tough and tender, to find joy in the process of bravely living into your creative calling. 

Read Dheepa Maturi's blog

Support the work of Artists for Joy

Learn more about Merideth's speaking/performing/facilitation offerings

Join "The Artist's Joy" Launch Team

How to rate and review this podcast

129: Musical Meditation: Facing Creative Fears

This week on the podcast, some coaching questions and beautiful music for your earbuds. Explore these questions and reflect in your journal or with a friend as you listen:

  1. Reflect on how you want to grow. Imagine yourself being the person you dream of being. What is it like to be that person in your imagination?

  2. What do you need to practice? How can you break down your specific fear into smaller and smaller pieces that you can work through in your time? 

  3. In the face of fear, how can you love yourself well? What do you want your inner artist-child to know? What concrete things can you do to love yourself more today, this minute?

Want to leave a rating or review but not sure how? Click here.

Buy Merideth a coffee

127: Bonus: Finishing with Grace—Curtain Call Q's IRL + Musical Meditation

This week on the podcast, a bonus coaching conversation + musical meditation with harpist, Grace Browning of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Grace and Merideth walk through the  Curtain Call Questions from last week's episode and discuss how enjoying the process over the product makes for a more joyful creative life. Grace and flutist Rebecca Gilbert, accompanied by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, serenade us with Mozart's only piece for harp. 

Connect with Grace on IG

Read Grace's Blog

Buy your tickets to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra 

Book a creativity coach discovery call with Merideth

126: Curtain Call: How to Finish with Joy

This week on the podcast, Merideth returns with what she’s been learning while attempting to finish a manuscript. She’ll offer you a set of “Curtain Call Questions” to help you celebrate, grieve, and otherwise process all that needs to be felt when creative projects end.

Artist’s Oath Workshop April 21 + 22

Join the Fall Artist’s Way Creative Cluster with Merideth

TheGracefulHarpist IG

Join our email list for updates

Anxiety and Depression are no joke:

If you’re a new mom and are struggling, click here.

Artists: We have mental health resources compiled just for you here. You’re not alone.

125: The Artist's Oath Series: No. 6, David Westerlund

In our final episode of this round of The Artist's Oath Interview Series, Merideth chats with improvisor, facilitator, and leadership coach David Westerlund.

David delights in listening to the aspirations of leaders and helping them unlock hidden resources by facilitating meaningful engagement. This unleashes innovation and leads to resilient, supportive, joyful, and agile workplace cultures that allow organizations to have greater momentum and impact toward their mission. His work as a consultant, designer/facilitator, and coach is informed by the philosophy and practice of Liberating Structures and Applied Improvisation, both of which remind us that there is a lot of wisdom in the room and amplify our ability to tap into that and experience collective synergy.

He believes that in order to solve the complex problems we are facing, we must be collaborative and intentionally develop skills of presence, agility, relating, collaboration, and creativity.

David reads his inspiring Oath and encourages you to be present and discover joy. 

David Westerlund’s website

Artist’s Oath Workshop April 21 + 22

Join the Fall Artist’s Way Creative Cluster with Merideth

124: The Artist's Oath Series: No. 5, Karen Rege

In the penultimate installment of our interview series, Merideth chats with jazz pianist and photographer Karen Rege. Merideth and Karen discuss academia, perfectionism, and everything Karen’s been learning riding the river of creative flow. She’ll share an inspiring Artist’s Oath and reveal an amazing not-to-be-missed summer opportunity for artists of all disciplines and experience levels.

Connect with Karen on Facebook

Karen’s LinkedIn

Listen to Karen’s Music

Join the Artist’s Oath Workshop to Write Your Own

Star Arts

123: The Artist's Oath Series: No. 4, David James

This week, Merideth chats with upright and electric bassist, author, and software engineer, David James. As a multi-genre freelance musician around the Colorado Front Range, David spends most of his time performing in musical theater productions. Between sitting in small, dark orchestra pits with too many people and instruments, David resides in Broomfield, CO, with his wife, two kids, and entirely too many pets.

In this episode, David reads his Artist’s Oath and shares his story of the intentional decision to seek gigs again after some time off the instrument. He’ll inspire you to ask the right questions before you say yes to a gig and share what he is learning from viewing his creative life through a secular lens.

David James IG

The Secular Artist: An Atheist’s Companion to The Artist’s Way

The Moonlit Wild Album

Register for The Artist’s Oath Workshop

Join the email list to learn about Merideth’s book beta group launching soon

122: The Artist's Oath Series: No. 3, Joshua Long

This week, Merideth chats with a coaching client, musician Joshua Long. Josh is a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist with a passion for creating music that moves the soul and inspires change. With almost 20 years in the industry, he has honed his skills in a variety of genres, ranging from hip-hop, soul, pop, and contemporary Christian & gospel music. Josh is also a dedicated faith-based climate activist.

In this episode, Joshua reads his Artist’s Oath and shares the journey of reconciling his multiple passions to find his true calling as an artist.

Joshua’s website

Buy Josh a coffee

Register for the Artist’s Oath Workshop to write your own.  

Book Announcement Reel

Book Launch Team