Creative, Happy Life Podcast

Trigger warning: the end portion of this episode discusses loss and grief, and may be heavy for certain audiences. In episode 17, we sit down and reminisce over memories of learning various crafts and skills, from crochet and sewing, to favorite things we enjoyed seeing our mom make, our own creative experiments, and some creative things we discovered we do NOT enjoy through trying new things. We also discuss various learning styles and the current state of public education. And we end the episode discussing special and meaningful things that other people have made for us, which leads to emotional discussion of grief and healing through art and creativity.

Welcome back to the podcast! If you're new to Creative, Happy Life - we're glad you're here! This is the first episode in a new chapter, co-hosting as sisters and people with some shared life experience, as well as individual views and interests. It's the podcast I dreamed of when I started in 2019, sharing conversations, having laughs, getting into some nitty gritty topics, and geeking out over creative ideas.

In this episode, we discuss reconnecting as family and humans, how people have different styles of communication and conversation, and we ask the big question - what IS creativity?

Join us on Instagram for updates, episode quotes, and building a community where we continue these conversations.

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I was so happy to spend time chatting with Jess Parks, the designer, maker and creative heart behind MissLouMakes. We discussed her journey to becoming a full time maker, what inspires her work, using creative projects to relieve stress, and more!

Follow Jess on Instagram.com/missloumakes.

Check out her handmade jewelry shop: missloumakes.etsy.com

To continue the conversation and dive deeper into your own creative exploration, head over to my new, private Facebook group, Awakening the Creative Spirit, and connect with fellow creatives.

Want a weekly dose of creative inspiration? Join my Art Club newsletter at www.shannon-sorensen.com.

This episode of Creative, Happy Life podcast is all about practice - establishing consistency, creating understanding from the beginning of the process, and not letting the idea of "should" get in the way of starting. Join me for guidance, wisdom, inspiration each week to live a more creative, happier life. To see more of my work, visit www.shannon-sorensen.com, and subscribe to join my weekly email ART CLUB.

Are you a multi-passionate person? Have you heard that word before? I heard it for the first time a couple years ago, and things started to click together in my mind and in my heart, about my creative interests, skills, and the work I wanted to do. And surprising to absolutely no one, it meant going against the grain, shattering expectations, and ensuring I was the writer of my own story. To learn more about my work, visit www.shannon-sorensen.com and become a Patreon supporter at patreon.com/shannonsorensen.

As a working artist, working at home with two young kids during the pandemic, join me to hear more about a method of planning my days that allows me to create boundaries and balance between personal time and work time, flexibility in my day during personal time, and how I'm getting more focused and productive in my work. I came to a realization that my days felt busy, but not much was actually getting done. And the already blurred lines between my personal and professional life had become even more blended. It was time to regroup, and rethink, and re-prioritize how I spend my days. To see more of my work, visit www.shannon-sorensen.com, and consider becoming a Patreon supporter at patreon.com/shannonsorensen.

It's the first episode of 2021! In episode 11, I'm encouraging you to let go of expectations, shift your mindset, and learn to get into the flow. Whether it's creativity, resolutions and goal setting, or day to day things that you generally don't enjoy, you can learn to take steps to feel better, happier and hit your stride. I discuss things such as crafting with kids, starting a running program, cleaning, and of course, painting, to share how we all face these same limiting beliefs, and how we can start to shift them to a more positive, proactive mindset. If you want to support my work, consider becoming a subscriber at patreon.com/shannonsorensen and you can check out more of my creative work at www.shannon-sorensen.com.

In this episode, I talk about the "I Want" song, in relation to Disney princesses and Hamilton, to inspire you to listen to your creative wants, needs and desires. There's no dream to big or small that will be worth exploring. At any age, we experience times of shift and change, and maybe feel a pull to try something new or shake things up. I share my own experiences of learning to listen and trust myself as an artist, and the importance of stepping out of comfort zones.

In this episode, Meg shares her journey of falling in love with dance and theater, getting her BFA at UConn, and personal experiences of love and loss along the way. She was also the first person to answer my “wrap up” questions at the end, and trust me when I say, you’re going to want to listen to every word she says. There are just so much good, inspiring, uplifting, and important things that she shares. This episode brings up cancer, death, and spirituality, which may be a sensitive topic to some, but I hope by listening, Meg’s journey inspires you to think in new ways, find what makes you happy, and live a beautiful life.

Meg O'Brien is my guest on episode 8, and she is serving up some beautiful and important truths about the necessity of the arts in education and in humanity. We talked about silver linings during the global pandemic of Covid-19, pushing through fear, and how learning the basic tools of theater will give you skills to carry you through life. Meg talks about how the arts are keeping us sane and how everyone in the world, in some way, is touched by art. Join the Creative Happy Life Community on Facebook for more discussion and inspiration!