Art Creativity & Wellbeing

This is a special episode. Somewhere fairly early on my guest, amazing middle-school-teacher-turned-connection-coach Elise Knox, decides she's going to go deep. And she really does! If you want to hear how someone can transcend the roles they were born into, the expectations others had for them and instead make their own choice about who they are and what they love, you're in the right place. If you want to hear the story of someone's rise above illness and the other massive challenges they confronted, you are going to LOVE our conversation. Then stay tuned! After speaking with Elise I share about how I got well and truly lost on a hike recently. Do you remember that scene in Maverick, Top Gun 2, where he wanders all disoriented into a diner somewhere in the United States? My son and I wandered into a dollar store miles away from where we left our car (weirdly just the day after we watched that movie). I felt exactly like Maverick, so disoriented. It turns out that training to walk across the north of England isn't just physical training. It's mindset as well. Plus I've got an update for you about the upcoming virtual retreat I am cohosting on "Feeling hopeful in challenging times"! It's the weekend of October 29th and 30th, invitation coming just after this episode drops! My cohost and I along with 10 other coaches will put our heart and soul into this retreat. It's going to be awesome and very helpful if you feel in flux due to challenges in your life. There will be no cost to attend and we appreciate donations of any amount to the amazing nonprofit https://onesolutionglobal.org If this feels like your jam then make sure to mark your calendar! Here are today's links… Today's guest Elise Knox's website, http://eliseknox.com  My upcoming walk across the north of England... https://www.gofundme.com/f/from-wheelchair-to-walking-across-england  Kay Walks, the YouTube series I have recently started to share the experience of training for this walk... https://youtube.com/channel/UCqkEbmJ3mTpU2wgZIkNao4Q  My website: http://kaylockkolp.com    My writings page where you can find every 2021 issue of the We Turned Out Okay Playbook… http://kaylockkolp.com/writings  View my art at http://kaylockkolp.com/art … I am making some of my original fine art available for people to purchase : ) Visit this page for more information Connect with me, http://kaylockkolp.com/contact … Find me in Instagram, http://instagram.com/weturnedoutokay … Find me in LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/kay-lock-kolp-m-ed-018564130/ Thank you for being here! Much love to you - Kay This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Today's guest, Katherine Leamy, has been a huge inspiration for me while planning my upcoming walk across the north of England! I am thrilled to bring Katherine to you today. Her story may sound familiar, giving of herself as a wife, mom, and nurse… and realizing that she wanted to do something for herself. Realizing that in fact it's better for everybody if she does this, plus she really simply wanted to... So Katherine traveled from her home in New Zealand all the way to Croatia! And she's been on many trips since that first one back in 2017. Our conversation goes deep, way beyond the practical how-to of a solo trip (you can find lots about the practical how-to at Katherine's wonderful website, http://the5kilotraveller.com  : ) I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!  Here are today's links… Today's guest Katherine Leamy's website, http://the5kilotraveller.com  The link to my story if you'd like to read more about my upcoming walk across the north of England... https://www.gofundme.com/f/from-wheelchair-to-walking-across-england  Kay Walks, the YouTube series I have recently started to share the experience of training for this walk... https://youtube.com/channel/UCqkEbmJ3mTpU2wgZIkNao4Q  My website: http://kaylockkolp.com    My writings page where you can find every 2021 issue of the We Turned Out Okay Playbook… http://kaylockkolp.com/writings  Click the following link for my essay, Orchid Nature,if you need some hope and inspiration at the beginning of this school year… https://www.kaylockkolp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Orchid-Nature-by-Karen-Lock-Kolp.pdf  View my art at http://kaylockkolp.com/art … Connect with me, http://kaylockkolp.com/contact … Find me in Instagram, http://instagram.com/weturnedoutokay … And keep your eyes peeled for information about the upcoming virtual retreat I am cohosting on "Feeling hopeful in challenging times" It's the weekend of October 29th and 30th, so spread the word and mark your calendar! Thank you for being here! Much love to you - Kay   This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

I'm glad you are here! Here's a summary of the steps to creating the life you actually want to live: 1. Pay attention to your self-talk. You get to choose whether you believe it or not. 2. Remember that when people feel good, they do good things. If someone isn't doing a good thing it's because they feel bad. 3. Cultivate feeling good by choosing to… Not the other way around. I.e. it's not "good things happen so I feel good"… It's "when I feel good, good things happen" 4. Ask, how might you cultivate feeling good? Here's how I do it… Much love, Kay PS As of this month I am retiring my newsletter… After writing it for 7 years I'm understanding that it's not the best place for me to place my creative energy. I have a huge THANK YOU for those of you who have been a part of the newsletter! Corresponding with you is a joy in my life. I want to celebrate that in this moment. I'm celebrating you right now This link will take you to lots of options for connecting with me even after the last issue of my newsletter is published… http://kaylockkolp.com/weekly Links for today's episode: 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card The Adventure Zone My favorite tarot deck, The Gill Tarot I'm so excited to share my new website! It's hosted by dear friends of ours, people who babysat our firstborn when he was four months old. It feels so good and streamlined with why I'm building my life right now: http://kaylockkolp.com http://kaylockkolp.com/writings for essays, my book Positive Discipline Ninja Tactics, and every single 2021 issue of the We Turned Out Okay Playbook My website's art page is LIVE!! So you can see some of what I am creating : ) Thank you for being here! It means a lot! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

A few Program Notes: in the segment AFTER my conversation with David, I share about something sad that happened in our family recently: we said goodbye to our beloved pet chicken, Saphira. I wanted to let you know here in case the emotions around the loss of loved ones aren't something you'd like to engage with today.  In that case please enjoy my conversation with David Rue and skip this month's post segment. Also, I apologize for my audio quality... David sounds great, but on my end, not so much! My amazing producer, 25-time Husband of the Year Award Winner Benjamin Kolp, is working on it. Thank you for being here Once in a while in conversation, I notice something special: everything extraneous falls away, there's a beautiful sense of flow, and I literally lose time. That's what happened in this conversation with David Rue. David creates an amazing podcast for children and families, Biddy's Stories. (You can find Biddy here at David's website, or wherever you get your podcasts.) David has adopted the motto "when you go to sleep laughing, you wake up smiling." He brings wonderful stories into existence. Or as he shares in this conversation, "I let the story see where it wants to go." The stories are fun for the grown-ups as well as the kids. I can attest to this personally : ) At some point we go way beyond the usual podcast conversation stuff – and into a conversation that's both fun and profound. I hope you have as much fun listening as we did talking! Much love, Kay PS Here's the story of why I am doing my 2023 Long Walk: https://www.gofundme.com/f/from-wheelchair-to-walking-across-england My website's art page is LIVE!! This means you can see some of what I am creating : ) Or see what's new at my Redbubble page Thank you for being here! It means a lot! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

"People who feel good do good things. People who feel bad do bad things." When a friend said this to me recently, it made so much sense.  But if you're not feeling good right now – if you're experiencing feelings of anger, or sadness, or guilt, or frustration over all that's going on in the world (maybe even in your world)… I hope this episode helps you find a way forward. Much love, Kay PS Sign up for my monthly essay and art share (and training update for my 2023 Long Walk) by going to http://kaylockkolp.com/weekly My website's art page is LIVE!! So you can see some of what I am creating : ) Or see what's new at my Redbubble page Thank you for being here! It means a lot! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

If you are feeling buffeted by circumstances and kind of stuck, you are going to love this conversation. In this episode I get to speak with Micaela Levesque, the creator of a giant mural that takes up the whole side of a building in Hartford, Connecticut. At the time of our conversation it is the biggest thing Micaela's ever made, and we discuss how it came to be. Its creation included very practical things! Like getting a special license to operate a giant scissor lift, and Michaela's ability to turn her mindset to abundance and think really big : ) Find Micaela at micaelalevesque.com… Find the pictures – including the one of her beautiful mural – at my Instagram account, @weturnedoutokay… Sign up for my weekly essay and art share (and training update for my 2023 Long Walk) by going to http://kaylockkolp.com/weekly My website's art page is LIVE!! So you can see some of what I am creating : ) Or see what's new at my Redbubble page Thank you for being here! It means a lot! Much love, Kay This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

This question changed everything for me. I had never thought of my own health and wellness in such a context before! It took some deep work, but the answer that came up in me... whooee! I share about it today.    Sign up for my weekly essay and art share by going to http://kaylockkolp.com/weekly My website's art page is LIVE!! So you can see some of what I am creating : ) Or see what's new at my Redbubble page Thank you for being here! It means a lot! Much love, Kay This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Today I share the story of a recent injury my Mom sustained… and how in the aftermath the love I feel for her caused me to – very nearly – show up in her life in a tyrannical way. Not in the loving, caring way that I would wish. Two questions a friend of mine asked me to think on helped me be in the best energy both for myself, and to be helpful for my Mom. I hope this one's helpful for you! Sign up for my weekly essay and art share by going to http://kaylockkolp.com/weekly My website's art page is still under construction. So for now I invite you to see what I'm working on at Kay to the Tenth, my Redbubble page Thank you for being here! It means a lot! Much love, Kay This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Spoiler alert: my word of the year is… MAGIC What's yours? Sign up for my weekly essay and art share by going to http://kaylockkolp.com/weekly… My website's art page is still under construction. So for now I invite you to see what I'm working on at Kay to the Tenth, my Redbubble page Thank you for being here! It means a lot! Much love, Kay This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

I was so excited to bring today's guest to you that I completely fail to introduce her at the beginning of the episode! Let me do that here: Liz Powers is CEO and Chief Happiness Spreader at ArtLifting, the virtual art gallery that champions artists impacted by homelessness and disabilities. Long before Liz and her brother founded ArtLifting, she worked as an art therapist. She would meet people in the direst of situations and was routinely impressed with their resilience. If you are looking for a conversation to lift you up and remind you of all the good in the world, this is the one for you. We recorded only in audio! Something I'm going to keep doing. There's a different feeling when we are not worrying about appearance or facial expressions but instead focusing on conveying important ideas, connecting, and fun. To see Liz's book art and my first-ever amaryllis art, find me in Instagram @weturnedoutokay… Find Liz at http://artlifting.com or in all the socials @artlifting Sign up for my weekly essay and art share by going to http://kaylockkolp.com/weekly… My website's art page is still under construction. So for now I invite you to see what I'm working on at Kay to the Tenth, my redbubble page Thank you for being here! It means a lot! Kay This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe