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 links to these tools on the podcast show notes page at: www.nicolanewman.com/podcast/technology-tools-ai
Nicola Newman: www.nicolanewman.com
Beth Cregan: www.writeawaywithme.com
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Share your favourite technology and tools with us on Instagram at @write.away.with.me and @nicolanewman_
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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. We emphasize the importance of setting boundaries and prioritising the creative process. We also discuss the significance of remaining flexible and adaptive, and how sideways movement can be an integral part of the process, with challenges overcome often leading to substantial periods of rapid progress. Other aspects covered are the importance of self-compassion, embracing a sense of safety, understanding life circumstances, celebrating small wins, and wisely investing in skills and supplies that make the process easier.
We are also thrilled and excited to announce "The Art of Creative Living" podcast has been selected by Feedspot as one of the Top 20 Australia Creativity Podcasts on the web.
https://blog.feedspot.com/australia_creativity_podcasts/
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 - from confronting the omnipresent fear of failure to navigating uncertainty without a roadmap!
Yet, amidst these challenges, we discover that staying connected to ourselves and our work fosters self-trust, stamina and authenticity. This discussion is a compassionate guide for creatives facing the challenges that arise in the creative process.
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 becomes a supportive companion in their creative processes from morning pages to evening reflections.
This episode goes deep into the significance of values and core desires, serving as the guiding compass that shapes and evolves your creative journey over time.
We'll also dive into mindfulness practices in action – from gardening to sketching, along with Nic's 'Intuitive Pause', designed to ground you in the present moment. Anticipate a delightful blend of laughter, inspiration, and practical tips to elevate your creative living adventures.
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 from her latest solo writing sojourn. (Spoiler alert – it didn’t go exactly to plan!) Beth shares her honest experience of dealing with fear, her inner critic and creative resistance as well as tips for how to plan your own solo retreat. Nicola, with her pulse on the communal spirit of creative gatherings, provides a fascinating glimpse into the dynamics of hosting retreats—fostering joy, connection, collaboration, and the magic that happens when creative minds converge.
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 shared passion for creative expression.
From the genesis of our individual creative journeys to the moments of inspiration that fuel our work, we invite you to join us in celebrating the joy and complexity of the creative process.
Whether you're an artist, writer, or simply someone interested in the joys of creative living, this episode sets the stage for a series of insightful conversations that will inspire, enlighten, and perhaps even spark your own creative flame.
Find the Show Notes at
http://www.nicolanewman.com/podcast
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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 moments to listen to this meditation and explore how it can support you in caring for yourself as a creative.
CONNECT WITH NICOLA NEWMAN
I am a business and life coach for creatives. My approach combines self-care, playfulness, and mindfulness to support sensitive, values-driven creatives to navigate self-doubt and cultivate deep self-trust so they can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together their body of work, make money doing what they love and leave a creative legacy they’re proud of.As an award-winning artist and creative mentor, my free resources, online courses, coaching programs, and retreats support Creative Hearts to embrace their passions, prioritise their creative expression, and build loving relationships with themselves.
Visit my website: www.nicolanewman.com
Join my Creative Hearts Community: www.nicolanewman.com/community
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 personal development, I was introduced to the fascinating world of somatic therapy, neuroplasticity, nervous system regulation, the vagus nerve, and acceptance and commitment therapy. These fields of study provided me with valuable insights into how the human brain and body respond to adversity and how we can reshape our thinking and behaviour to overcome obstacles.
Learning about these concepts has not only transformed my own approach to facing setbacks in my creative work but has also deeply enriched my coaching practice. By integrating the principles of neuroplasticity, nervous system regulation, and acceptance and commitment therapy into my coaching, I've been able to develop new ways of supporting my clients and community as they confront their own challenges.
CONNECT WITH NICOLA NEWMAN
I am a business and life coach for creatives. My approach combines self-care, playfulness, and mindfulness to support sensitive, values-driven creatives to navigate self-doubt and cultivate deep self-trust so they can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together their body of work, make money doing what they love and leave a creative legacy they’re proud of.As an award-winning artist and creative mentor, my free resources, online courses, coaching programs, and retreats support Creative Hearts to embrace their passions, prioritise their creative expression, and build loving relationships with themselves.
Visit my website: www.nicolanewman.com
Join my Creative Hearts Community: www.nicolanewman.com/community
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 to this meditation and explore how it can support you in sharing your unique gifts with the world.
CONNECT WITH NICOLA NEWMAN
I am a business and life coach for creatives. My approach combines self-care, playfulness, and mindfulness to support sensitive, values-driven creatives to navigate self-doubt and cultivate deep self-trust so they can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together their body of work, make money doing what they love and leave a creative legacy they’re proud of.As an award-winning artist and creative mentor, my free resources, online courses, coaching programs, and retreats support Creative Hearts to embrace their passions, prioritise their creative expression, and build loving relationships with themselves.
Visit my website: www.nicolanewman.com
Join my Creative Hearts Community: www.nicolanewman.com/community
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 syndrome!
CONNECT WITH NICOLA NEWMAN
I am a business and life coach for creatives. My approach combines self-care, playfulness, and mindfulness to support sensitive, values-driven creatives to navigate self-doubt and cultivate deep self-trust so they can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together their body of work, make money doing what they love and leave a creative legacy they’re proud of.As an award-winning artist and creative mentor, my free resources, online courses, coaching programs, and retreats support Creative Hearts to embrace their passions, prioritise their creative expression, and build loving relationships with themselves.
Visit my website: www.nicolanewman.com
Join my Creative Hearts Community: www.nicolanewman.com/community
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 creative life. "After healing from the effects of Burnout, I knew I would have to create a different kind of work-life balance that didn't leave me depleted, but one that fed my soul, fuelled my energy and uplifted my spirit.
I've learned I need to make sure I have balance in my work and personal life. I no longer feel the need to keep up with the fast-paced, hustle culture. I don't want to be constantly chasing and pushing myself to work harder."
About Dawn Gibson-Winder
Dawn is an experienced certified coach specialising in self-care. She has used her experience of recovering from Burnout to set up DawnedUpon, a Coaching and Mindful Lifestyle company. Dawn supports others who need to slow down and learn how to prioritise self-care, so they can break free of the fatigue and overwhelm of modern-day life.
She is a qualified Yoga Nidra meditation facilitator and has created a series of simple guided meditations that offer a way to deeply relax and achieve inner balance.
Website: https://dawneduponcalm.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dawneduponcalm
CONNECT WITH NICOLA NEWMAN
As a business and life coach for creatives, my approach combines self-care, playfulness, and mindfulness to support sensitive, values-driven creatives to navigate self-doubt and cultivate deep self-trust so they can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together their body of work, make money doing what they love and leave a creative legacy they’re proud of. As an award-winning artist and creative mentor, my free resources, online courses, coaching programs, and retreats support Creative Hearts to embrace their passions, prioritise their creative expression, and build loving relationships with themselves.
Website: https://www.nicolanewman.com
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 yourself to feel in flow and energised in a gentle way. You will also connect with your inner wisdom, your values, passions, and dreams, and embrace your creativity with love and compassion.
I invite you to find a comfortable seated position and allow yourself to fully immerse in this practice. You deserve to fully express yourself and connect with your inner strength. Trust in the unique and beautiful expression that emerges from within you.
Take care and enjoy the practice,
Nicola
CONNECT WITH NICOLA NEWMAN
I am a business and life coach for creatives. My approach combines self-care, playfulness, and mindfulness to support sensitive, values-driven creatives to navigate self-doubt and cultivate deep self-trust so they can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together their body of work, make money doing what they love and leave a creative legacy they’re proud of.As an award-winning artist and creative mentor, my free resources, online courses, coaching programs, and retreats support Creative Hearts to embrace their passions, prioritise their creative expression, and build loving relationships with themselves.
Visit my website: www.nicolanewman.com
Join my Creative Hearts Community: www.nicolanewman.com/community
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 can use to build a nurturing creative community for your own creative life.
Let's get started!
CONNECT WITH NICOLA NEWMAN
I am a business and life coach for creatives. My approach combines self-care, playfulness, and mindfulness to support sensitive, values-driven creatives to navigate self-doubt and cultivate deep self-trust so they can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together their body of work, make money doing what they love and leave a creative legacy they’re proud of.As an award-winning artist and creative mentor, my free resources, online courses, coaching programs, and retreats support Creative Hearts to embrace their passions, prioritise their creative expression, and build loving relationships with themselves.
Visit my website: www.nicolanewman.com
Join my Creative Hearts Community: www.nicolanewman.com/community
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 from within you.
I invite you to take a few moments to listen to this meditation and explore how it can support you in caring for yourself as a creative.
CONNECT WITH NICOLA NEWMAN
I am a business and life coach for creatives. My approach combines self-care, playfulness, and mindfulness to support sensitive, values-driven creatives to navigate self-doubt and cultivate deep self-trust so they can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together their body of work, make money doing what they love and leave a creative legacy they’re proud of.As an award-winning artist and creative mentor, my free resources, online courses, coaching programs, and retreats support Creative Hearts to embrace their passions, prioritise their creative expression, and build loving relationships with themselves.
Visit my website: https://www.nicolanewman.com
Join my Creative Hearts Community: https://www.nicolanewman.com/community
"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, connecting to the natural world and seeing it through my paintbrush. I walk in my home county of Derbyshire and travel the country exploring our incredible landscapes and seascapes; you will see inspiration from all these places in my work. I find such joy in my art, it connects me to my flow and to nature in a way nothing else does. Painting allows me to dream a more positive and optimistic dream for the world, which is more important now than it has ever been. Beauty and connection breeds love and when we love something we treasure it and protect it."
You can see Kelly's paintings and learn more about her courses, workshops and retreats here: https://www.kellyherrick.com/
CONNECT WITH NICOLA NEWMAN
I am a business and life coach for creatives. My approach combines self-care, playfulness, and mindfulness to support sensitive, values-driven creatives to navigate self-doubt and cultivate deep self-trust so they can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together their body of work, make money doing what they love and leave a creative legacy they’re proud of.As an award-winning artist and creative mentor, my free resources, online courses, coaching programs, and retreats support Creative Hearts to embrace their passions, prioritise their creative expression, and build loving relationships with themselves.
Visit my website: www.nicolanewman.com
Join my Creative Hearts Community: www.nicolanewman.com/community
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 many forms, including lack of inspiration, self-doubt, perfectionism, or burnout. It's helpful to recognize that creative blocks are a normal part of the creative process, and facing them doesn't make you any less of a Creative. The key is to approach these obstacles with gentleness, self-care, and mindfulness.
I’ve put together a list of ways to overcome creative blocks and I'm delighted to share them in this episode. Let's dive in!
CONNECT WITH NICOLA NEWMAN
I am a business and life coach for creatives. My approach combines self-care, playfulness, and mindfulness to support sensitive, values-driven creatives to navigate self-doubt and cultivate deep self-trust so they can truly enjoy the creative process, bring together their body of work, make money doing what they love and leave a creative legacy they’re proud of.
As an award-winning artist and creative mentor, my free resources, online courses, coaching programs, and retreats support Creative Hearts to embrace their passions, prioritise their creative expression, and build loving relationships with themselves.
Visit my website: https://www.nicolanewman.com
Join my Creative Hearts Community: https://www.nicolanewman.com/community
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, implement boundaries that support us and shape a creative life that is always shifting, changing and growing.
This "Creative Convo" episode is perfect for you if you are looking for processes to explore in your journaling practice to help you listen to yourself, hear your own inner wisdom, process emotions and build a loving, compassionate relationship with yourself through your journalling practice.
I hope you love it!
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 feels authentic and fulfilling for you, hang your show in the gallery, send out invitations and more.
This episode was a live event inside my Creative Hearts Community and I'm excited to share the recording with you here on the podcast.
I hope enjoy the episode! Jennifer is so lovely, inspiring and dedicated to her creative life. I think you'll find it very informative and inspiring!
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Get Nicola's FREE Art of Creative Living Mini-Course - https://www.nicolanewman.com/flourishwithpainting
Visit Nicola Newman's website -- https://www.nicolanewman.com/
Join Flourish: The Art of Creative Living - https://www.nicolanewman.com/flourish
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 approval of others. Now, I know following your heart and your curiosities can feel uncomfortable because we may have become so accustomed to doing things for everybody else. Unfortunately, if something feels too enjoyable or fun, we can view it as frivolous or even worse selfish.
In this episode, we explore how being true and authentic to ourselves is where true fulfillment lies. And how we can cultivate a sustainable creative practice. By nestling in close to our own hearts, listening to ourselves, trusting our intuition and doing what we love, we find an endless well of inspiration and momentum for our creative lives.
If you are feeling inspired to deepen your own relationship to creative living, including nurturing your creative expression and being kind to yourself, you can receive direct support, guidance and tools from me inside Flourish: The Art of Creative Living.
It's a program that weaves together supportive practices for creative hearts from all walks of life - whether you're an aspiring creative, a creative professional, or a creative entrepreneur - into one complete tapestry. Along the way, you'll meet an incredible, encouraging community of fellow Creative Hearts, who you can both receive support from and offer support to in return while you explore painting, journaling, photography, writing, mindfulness, and other creative practices to help your craft a life that is deeply fulfilling, meaningful, and true to you.
Registration for Flourish: The art of creative living is now open. You can find out more about it at http://www.nicolanewman.com/flourish. You're also invited to receive my free seven-day Art of Creative Living introductory course, which is a wonderful overview of my approach and gives you tools and practices you can implement right away, giving you a taste of what you'll experience inside the full program. You can find that free mini-course here https://www.nicolanewman.com/flourishwithpainting
I hope you enjoy this episode!
With my warmest wishes,
Nicola
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 of your own enjoyment and learning.
In this episode, we explore the value of being aware of our own great expectations and how we can set ourselves up for greater enjoyment when we embrace where we are in the creative process.
If you are feeling inspired to deepen your own relationship to creative living, including nurturing your creative expression and being kind to yourself, you can receive direct support, guidance and tools from me inside Flourish: The Art of Creative Living.
It's a program that weaves together supportive practices for creative hearts from all walks of life - whether you're an aspiring creative, a creative professional, or a creative entrepreneur - into one complete tapestry. Along the way, you'll meet an incredible, encouraging community of fellow Creative Hearts, who you can both receive support from and offer support to in return while you explore painting, journaling, photography, writing, mindfulness, and other creative practices to help your craft a life that is deeply fulfilling, meaningful, and true to you.
Registration for Flourish: The art of creative living is now open. You can find out more about it at http://www.nicolanewman.com/flourish. You're also invited to receive my free seven-day Art of Creative Living introductory course, which is a wonderful overview of my approach and gives you tools and practices you can implement right away, giving you a taste of what you'll experience inside the full program. You can find that free mini-course here https://www.nicolanewman.com/flourishwithpainting
I hope you enjoy this episode!
