Being a creative person is tough.
We want to make cool things, but then life hits us with insecurity, rejection, schedules, etc. How do we push past all the noise and make the things that light us up?
Welcome, Dear Listener, to a space where it's okay to ask questions and dive deep into the world of fear, creativity, and the roadblocks that get in the way of us busting forth with creativity energy. We're a couple of weirdos who want to talk about the hard things with you, so welcome to our living room--pull up a chair, cover up with a cozy blanket, and let's get started.
Honestly, Dear Listener is a weekly podcast hosted by Emily Hatch and Carrie Schaeffer.
Being a creative person is tough.
We want to make cool things, but then life hits us with insecurity, rejection, schedules, etc. How do we push past all the noise and make the things that light us up?
Welcome, Dear Listener, to a space where it's okay to ask questions and dive deep into the world of fear, creativity, and the roadblocks that get in the way of us busting forth with creativity energy. We're a couple of weirdos who want to talk about the hard things with you, so welcome to our living room--pull up a chair, cover up with a cozy blanket, and let's get started.
Honestly, Dear Listener is a weekly podcast hosted by Emily Hatch and Carrie Schaeffer.
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 we once clung to dissolves, and how grief, disorientation, and memory show up in our art.
From “cry nights” and purity culture to unexpected dreams and desert metaphors, we explore the tension between old beliefs and creative freedom.
Ultimately, we ask: what if not knowing is a perfectly good reason to make something?
Melissa’s Bio:
Singer, Songwriter, and Bilingual Voice and Performance Coach Melissa V. Cartwright is the founder of MVC Performance and the host of Passionate Performer PODCAST (in fact, Emily was a guest on her show—and we’ve the episode below). With over 25 years of experience in TV, radio, studio work, and musical theatre, she helps artists step on stage with confidence—whether it’s their very first open mic or a headlining show.
Where to find Melissa:
Website: www.mvcperformance.com
Instagram: @mvcperformance
TikTok: @mvcperformance
Passionate Performer Podcast: on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube
References:
“Shiny, Happy People”, Season 2: A Teenage Holy War - TV series on Amazon Prime
Faith after Doubt: What Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do about It - book by Brian D. McLaren
Teen Mania Ministries - a now-defunct, Evangelical Christian youth organization spreading the Western evangelical, Christian faith with charismatic youth events (Acquire the Fire) and missions trips (Global Expeditions), founded and spearheaded by Ron Luce - the primary organization highlighted in Season 2 of the Amazon Prime documentary “Shiny, Happy People: A Teenage Holy War”
Saved! - 2004 American independent satirical black comedy film directed by Brian Dannelly and starring Mandy Moore
Focus on the Family - an American, Evangelical organization founded in 1977 by James Dobson that primarily lobbies against LGBT and pro-choice rights
Easy A - 2010 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Will Gluck and starring Emma Stone and Amanda Bynes
Columbine High School massacre - school shooting and attempted bombing in Columbine, CO on April 20, 1999 that killed 13 students (including Cassie Bernal) and 1 teacher
The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, book by Julia Cameron
TIMECODES
0:00 - Intro
1:25 - As evangelicals, how do we enjoy making things now?
3:53 - Allowing ourselves to grieve
10:40 - Uncertainty and the unknown
13:59 - “I don’t know” breeds humility
17:17 - “Compassion led me away from the church.”
19:46 - What made Carrie start questioning - the Teen Mania missions trip story
24:34 - Christians are mean
26:56 - Aquire the Fire
29:49 - “Cry Night”
33:44 - Cry Night - an explanation for those who didn’t grow up weird like we did
37:32 - Expendable bodies in an evangelical war machine
41:11 - Numbness
42:36 - Brain versus body & artists
44:05 - Artists need space and freedom to create
