Writing Your Resilience: Building Resilience, Embracing Trauma and Healing Through Writing

Send us a textDo you struggle to see yourself as creative? Or have you ever wondered where your creativity comes from, and how to maximize it? This week, I’m joined by Jacob Nordby, founder of A Writing Room Collective and author of Blessed are the Weird: A Manifesto for Creatives, and The Creative Cure, a powerful guide to reconnecting with your creative self. In this week’s episode, Jacob and I dive deep into the healing power of creativity, trauma, and the inner wisdom we all carry within us. Grab your pen, open your heart, and join us as we discuss how to nurture your creative intuition, overcome the obstacles of comparison and fear, and how creativity can be the bridge back to feeling truly alive.Episode Highlights1:27: The Authentic Work of Creativity6:51: The Trifecta of Rejection, Trauma, and Socialization10:33 Polyvagal Theory and the Creative Process12:50 The Role of Intuition in Creativity15:29 The Secret to Guiding Yourself19:37: Connecting with Your Body’s Wisdom21:49 Recovering Our Connection to Our True Nature35:00 Connecting with JacobResources Mentioned During this Episode: The Creative Cure book page: www.creativecurebook.comBonus multimedia journaling program gift: www.creativeselfjournal.comThe ACES TestPolyvagal Theory and the Ventral Vagal StateThe Seven ChakrasHuman DesignWriting Rituals with Natalie Buster Writing Down Your Soul by Janet ConnerSeeking Wisdom by Julia CameronJacob’s Bio: Jacob Nordby is a co-founder of A Writing Room Collective, Heal + Create, The Institute for Creative Living Foundation 501(c)3,  and the author of several books, including Blessed Are the Weird – A Manifesto for Creatives and The Creative Cure. He previously worked as the marketing director for a traditional publishing house and oversaw the launch of many bestselling books. A working author and creative guide, he has a passion for helping writers solve their challenges and enjoy the satisfaction of sharing their work with the world.Connect with Jacob: Website: https://www.jacobnordby.com/The Creative Cure book page: www.creativecurebook.comFacebConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textHave you ever been told what you’re writing is too dark, too sad, or that it needs more levity? Have you wondered how a story of tragedy can grow into something more than the sum of its parts?Join me and my client, Casey Mulligan Walsh as we discuss her revision process, what it took to embrace both the heartbreaking and beautiful aspects of her life, and how she’s become a small press author whose book debuted at number two in Amazon’s Grief and Loss category, just behind Mary Frances O’Connor. Grab your pen, open your heart, and get ready to learn about how revision can change you and where literary citizenship can take you on this week’s episode of the Writing Your Resilience podcast.Episode Highlights2:35: Crafting a Book That’s More Than Loss4:10: The Lessons of Revision12:41: The Power of Context15:15: The Importance of Trusted Critique Partners21:40: Building Your Creative Intuition24:35: Navigating the False Victory26:38: Using Your Author Platform to Build a Launch Team36:15: The Impact of Illness on Your ResilienceResources for this Episode: In a Flash Literary Magazine (seeking submissions now!)“How to Know If Your Memoir is Boring” by Allison K. Williams Love Warrior by Glennon DoyleThe Situation and The Story by Vivian GornickCasey’s Bio: Casey Mulligan Walsh is the author of The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared. She writes about life at the intersection of grief and joy, embracing uncertainty, and the nature of true belonging. She has written for The New York Times, HuffPost, Next Avenue, Modern Loss, Hippocampus, Barren Magazine, and numerous other literary journals and anthologies. Her essay, “Still,” published in Split Lip, was nominated for Best of the Net. She is a founding editor of In a Flash literary magazine and serves as an ambassador and Board member for the Family Heart Foundation. Casey lives in upstate New York with her husband, Kevin, a chatty orange tabby, and too many books to count. When not traveling, they enjoy visits from their four children and ten grandchildren—the very definition of “the full catastrophe.”Connect with Casey:Website: www.caseymulliganwalsh.comBook Website: https://embracingthefullcatastrophe.substack.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casey.m.walsh.1/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caseymulliganwalshwriter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caseymulliganwalsh/Connect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textJoin me for a conversation with Sarah Chauncey, a veteran writer, developmental editor, and the author of P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna, as we dive into the inner and outer work of editing, the power of allowing rather than forcing, and why true creative flow often comes from stepping away from the keyboard. Episode Highlights3:03 The Role of the Unconscious in Writing 6:28 The Power of Not Pushing 9:16 The Sunk Cost Fallacy and Your Writing  Projects10:15 Your Book Is Not Your Identity 12:27 The Counterintuitive Guide to Life21:30 Writing in Imperfect Circumstances22:28 The Inner Work of Editing28:49 Negotiating with Your Inner Critic32:96 Exercises to Navigate the Outer Work of EditingResources for this Episode: “In Search of Lost Memories: How Nature Can Help Memoirists Remember” by Sarah Chauncey, published in the July/August 2024 issue of Writer’s Digest. “ Everyday Wonder: How to Mine Awe from the Mundane” by Sarah Chauncey, published in the September/October 2024 issue of Writer’s Digest“Beyond BICHOK: How, When and Why Getting Your Butt Out of the Chair Can Make You a Better Writer” by Sarah ChaunceyPS: I Love You More Than Tuna by Sarah ChaunceyThe Situation and the Story by Vivian GornickThe Off the Grid Podcast: Leaving Social Media without Losing All Your Clients Sarah’s Bio: Sarah Chauncey is a veteran writer and developmental editor, as well as the author of P.S. I Love You More Than Tuna, the first gift book for adults grieving the loss of a pet. In the early part of her career, she wrote for VH1, Comedy Central, MuchMusic and Alliance-Atlantis, along with entertainment websites and music magazines. Later, she pivoted to storytelling for organizations including NASA, McAfee and Intel. After a lifetime of mental health issues, in 2010, Sarah had a profound spiritual experience; she spent the next seven years mostly in silence and solitude, listening to life and taking notes. She writes the Substack The Counterintuitive Guide to Life, which helps readers develop mental health resilience by developing self-awareness. She also writes Resonant Storytelling, a newsletter for writers. Recently, she’s written for Tiny Buddha, Lion’s Roar, Modern Loss, Eckhart Tolle’s website, Jane Friedman’s blog and the Brevity blog.Connect with Sarah: Website: www.sarahchauncey.comSubstacks:  https://sarahchauncey.substack.com/Connect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textThis week, I’m thrilled to introduce you to a powerful voice in memoir, Hannah Sward, author of Strip. In today’s conversation, Hannah takes us behind the scenes of her writing process—how she wrote her first draft by hand, in one long, unfiltered sentence; how she found the courage to put her full truth on the page; and how she distilled years of experience into a memoir that moves with incredible precision and power. You’ll also learn transcription tricks, sex scene-writing tips, the unexpected doors publishing your book can open, and some somatic techniques for navigating your vulnerability.Episode Highlights4:46 Hannah’s memoir writing process10:16 Transcription tips17:47 Somatic strategies for writing vulnerable scenes, including sex scenes23:35: Placing insights into your book24:37 Tricks for writing concisely 28:57 The post-publication life of your book 34:39 Writing what’s next Resources for this Episode: “My life after meth: Learning to open and close the curtains” by Hannah Sward“The Sharp Edge of A Shell” by Hannah Sward“Making Even The Smallest Mistake Filled Me With Terror. Then 2 Little Words Changed My Life.” by Lisa Cooper EllisonHannah’s Bio: Hannah Sward, daughter of the late poet Robert Sward, is the IPPY Gold winning author of Strip: A Memoir. For the past 25 years, Sward’s work has been widely published in literary journals in the US, Canada, and the UK. Her most recent work can be read in the LA Times, HuffPost, The NY Times (Tiny Love Stories) and The Rumpus (Voices on Addiction). Sward is on the board at Right to Write Press, a nonprofit that supports emerging incarcerated writers. She believes strongly in good literary citizenship and is actively involved in the literary community. She lives in Los Angeles where she is working on her next book. Learn more at hannahsward.comConnect with Hannah: Website: hannahsward.comIG: @hannahswardauthorThreads: @hannahswardauthorBlueSky: summerjar.bsky.socialConnect with your host, Lisa:Connect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textEvery writer wants to be successful, but sometimes we just get stuck or feel uninspired. Even when things are going well, we can be baffled when our big wins don’t feel more successful. This week, I’ll explore these struggles alongside my guest, Akashic Records master teacher, Amy Robeson. Join us as we bust some of the myths around success, talk about the secrets to raising your vibration, and explore some out-of-the-box ways you can awaken the powerful writing voice within you. Episode Highlights1:46: Definitions of Awakening 7:32: The Dark Side of Positive Psychology12:32: The Challenge of Feeling Successful 15:48: The Chasing Happiness Litmus Test19:41: Working with the Akashic Records30:57: Setting Yourself Up for Success in 2025Resources Mentioned During this Episode: Energy Alignment: How to Raise Your Vibration For More AbundanceAmy’s Soul Evolution Master ClassFinding My Voice: What Peter Brady and Emotional Healing Taught Me About ChangeWhen Someone Tries to Call Me on My Very Convincing Trauma Response by Rythea Lee Amy’s Bio: Amy Robeson, Akashic Record Master Teacher/Healer, and founder of Sacred Awakening, empowers individuals through her powerful Akashic Records program, to tap into their inner potential for transformation by cultivating curiosity to live their best lives. Amy speaks Light Codes and Light Language, plus she shows you how to be courageous enough to walk your divine path.Connect with Amy:Website: https://theamyrobeson.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awakeninglifecoachingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.robeson/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@amyrobesonTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amy.robesonConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textHow do you write about really tough, or even traumatic, life events, in a way that connects with your audience and the truth, without losing yourself? It’s a question so many writers ask me. This week, I’ll answer it with the help of my guest, the multi-talented Natalie Buster—a certified trauma-informed yoga therapist, actress, and writer. Together, we explore how grounding techniques, breathwork, and mindful rituals can help writers and creatives stay connected to their truth, heal through their craft, and navigate vulnerability. Episode Highlights2:28 What Is a Trauma-Informed Yoga Instructor? 7:18 Opening the Shop Step One: Grounding 12:07 Opening the Shop Step Two: Breathwork16:27 Opening the Shop Step Three: Moving Your Body 21:43 The Importance of Play 25:42 Opening the Shop Step Four: The Power of Affirmations 29:11 What Death Teaches Us About Storytelling 35:42 Natalie’s Best Writing Advice37:10 Closing the ShopResources for this Episode: Our Year at ABODEBefore You Go Bonus Episode: Opening and Closing the Shop Natalie’s CostumeHow to Locate, Reclaim and Strengthen Your Writing VoiceNatalie’s Bio: Natalie is a yoga therapist, an end-of-life navigator, a certified death doula, a grief reliever, an actor, a podcaster, a writer, and a mentor with a deep desire to help people. As a professional actor in New York City, Natalie first discovered yoga as a way to practice self-care in an incredibly demanding profession. After dealing with personal loss, Natalie found comfort in the world of yoga therapy and has since made it her life's mission to help people find relief and love. Natalie specializes in working with people at the end of life, people experiencing grief, and loss, and performers looking to practice self-care.Connect with NatalieWebsites: https://nataliebuster.wixsite.com/groundedactorhttps://www.nataliebuster.com/yogaforendoflifehttps://www.nataliebuster.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliebusteryoga/https://www.instagram.com/groundedactorproject/Connect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textHave you ever dismissed your feelings, discounted your writing wins, or told yourself you should feel differently about your writing projects? If so, you might be gaslighting writing practice. Join me as I discuss what gaslighting is, how it shows up in our writing lives, and most importantly, how you can stop doing it.Episode Highlights: 2:12: Defining Gaslighting 5:42: Reasons Writers Gaslight Their  Writing Practice 10:05: Ways We Discount Our Creative Intuition14:46 The Impact of Change on Our Writing Practice23:50: Tools to Gaslight-Proof Your Writing Practice31:37: The Poison of Comparison Resources Mentioned In This Episode: It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People with Dr. Ramani Durvasula “What Is the Fawning Trauma Response” by Ingrid Clayton, Ph.DGet your copy of Write More Fretless: A Toolkit for Gaslight-Proofing Your Writing PracticeLisa’s Bio: Lisa Cooper Ellison is a writer and trauma-informed writing coach who hosts Writing Your Resilience, a podcast at the intersection of storytelling and healing where she interviews bestselling authors and experts in psychology and mental health. In addition to her storytelling expertise, Lisa has an Ed.S in clinical mental health counseling and a background in mindfulness. Clients have been published with small presses and Big-Five houses, including several who’ve become New York Times instant bestsellers. Her essays and stories have appeared on Risk! and in The New York Times, HuffPost, and Kenyon Review Online, among others.Connect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textWhen you get negative feedback from an agent on your writing you can do two things: adapt and improve your writing, or quit. In this episode, I am speaking with Jessica Yen, a Camp Structure graduate, about the recent challenges she faced while dealing with discouraging feedback from a literary agent. Join us as we explore how agents think, what the market may–or may not–be looking for, and how to regain your power when difficult feedback knocks you down.Episode Highlights5:41:  The Agent Mindset10:55: Are We Ready for COVID Stories? 13:12: The Demand for Parenting Books15:10: Finding Your Book’s Essential Question24:10: Taking Your Power Back27:15: A New Take on Writer’s BlockResources for this Episode: Categorically So by Jessica YenBeauty by Jessica Yen (nominated for a Pushcart Prize)How I Went From “Big 5 or Die!” to Ecstatic Self-Published Author by Denise MassarNinety-Nine Fire Hoops by Allison Hong-MerrillWhat My Bones Know by Stephanie FooBetween the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi CoatesThe True Meaning of Success and The Multiple Paths to Publish Your Book with Courtney MaumRecovering from Cults and Religious Trauma Through Writing with Tia LevingsHow to Stop Gaslighting Yourself with Ingrid ClaytonJessica’s Bio: Jessica Yen is a Chinese American author who explores the intersection of memory, family, culture, language, identity, and history. Her work has been supported by an Oregon Literary Fellowship, Regional Arts and Culture Council, Caldera Arts, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center, and Voices of Our Nations Arts. She is a twice-Pushcart Prize nominated essayist whose work has appeared or is forthcoming in Fourth Genre, The Masters Review, Oregon Humanities, and Best American Travel Writing, among others. She is currently working on a memoir. By day, she writes grants and edits academic manuscripts for non-profits, university departments and scholars, and clinics who seek to address health inequities. You can find her online at www.jessicayen.com.Connect with Jessica:Website: www.jessicayen.comConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textWhat’s holding you hostage or keeping you stuck? In Jessica Buchanan’s case, it initially seemed like the Somali pirates who held her hostage for ninety-three were her biggest problem. But as she completed a powerful exercise during her captivity, she realized the issues she faced were far deeper and ultimately more common than the kidnapping she endured. Join me and author, TedX speaker, book coach, and founder of Soul Speak Press, Jessica Buchanan, as we discuss the ways we dismiss our inner knowing, how to reclaim your voice, and how to write your truth as you discover the mountaintops in your emotional deserts.                                                                                                                                                               Episode Highlights6:00: Finding Words for What Lives Inside Us11:50: Mining Your Resilience14:42: The Ways We Discount Our Voices23:34: An Exercise to Reconcile Your Experiences30:00: The Power of Supporting Other Writers 38:59: Deserts to Mountaintops Volume 342:39: Jessica’s Best Writing Advice                                                              Resources for this Episode:Jessica’s TEDx TalkMaking Even The Smallest Mistake Filled Me With Terror. Then 2 Little Words Changed My LifePorches RetreatJessica’s Bio: In her NYT Bestselling memoir Impossible Odds: The Kidnapping of Jessica Buchanan and Her Dramatic Rescue by SEAL Team Six, Jessica details her experience as she was abducted at gunpoint and held for ransom by a group of Somali pirates for 93 days. Jessica is now a highly sought-after inspirational speaker, TEDx Speaker, and the founder of Soul Speak Press. Her upcoming book is an anthology titled Deserts to Mountaintops: The Pilgrimage of Motherhood.Connect with JessicaWebsite: https://www.jessbuchanan.com/Publishing Website: https://www.soulspeakpress.com/In Her Words Collection: https://www.soulspeakpress.com/powerwithinDeserts to Mountaintops: https://www.desertstomountaintops.com/To Learn More About Her Anthologies, Email: info@soulspeakpress.comConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

In this engaging discussion, Amy Lin, author of the micro memoir "Here After," delves into the intricacies of grief and storytelling. She highlights the unique power of micro memoirs to express universal experiences. Amy critiques traditional views on grief, revealing the often ignored complexities and non-linear nature of healing. They also explore how writing can serve as a transformative tool for self-discovery and connection, emphasizing the importance of authenticity in storytelling. Plus, tips for balancing book launches with self-care make this conversation a treasure for writers.