emma freeman: on slow art, sobriety and spiritual awakening

sometimes we have to go through the darkest nights to live into the lightest days.

emma was recovering from two serious health diagnoses when covid hit. within a month she was divorced, had closed her art store, and moved back in with her parents.

thus began a spiritual awakening that led to her getting sober, becoming a poet, finding buddhism and making art from the earth.

emma is a “queer contemplative artist, poet, teacher and facilitator connecting deeply with words, textiles, slow stitching … passionate about sharing the transformative healing powers that our imaginations hold, the gifts of slowing way down and the power of vulnerability and sensitivity to change our lives and this world.”

she is like a river that becomes an ocean: a gentle force, a quiet storm. emma thinks deep, asks big and reaches wide. she is a beautiful soul and i’m honored to be able to share her wisdom with you.

some of the things we talk about in this conversation are:

• her story of getting divorced, moving home and getting sober
• how her spiritual awakening radically transformed her art
• the risk of vulnerability and how it changed her business
• how emma changed her selling from “feeding capitalism” to meditation in action
• the power of imagination as medicine for deep healing
• emma’s art process of quiet contemplation, deep listening and sacred making

you can learn more about emma here

you can listen to past episodes and join us for illumine hour here