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Anna Doogan: Writing and Dancing Through Life 03

November 4, 2015 By Heather Leave a Comment

HM Podcast Art Episode 3 650

Anna Doogan is a writer, dancer, and mother of three who lives with her family in Portland, Oregon. Amazingly kind and abundantly creative, she has a private practice called SoulWakening, where she does dreamwork and teaches Chakradance. Her writing has appeared in Mutha Magazine, Hip Mama, The Literary Kitchen, and Arcadia Magazine‘s Online Sundries.

We talked about the meaning of creativity, and the many ways to be creative. Anna shared why and how she dances, how it is part of her family life, and the myriad benefits of dance. She explained what Chakradance is, and we talked about Storydance, which helps children process emotions through story and movement.

Anna shared about how she got started writing, as well as tips for making writing a regular practice and getting published. We also talked about what happiness really is, what it’s not, and how we can all be happier. It was a joy to interview Anna, and I am still feeling inspired by our conversation. I hope you will be, too!

Highlights of Our Conversation

  • What is creativity?
  • So many ways we can be creative
  • Why, where, and when she dances and how she got started in dance
  • A favorite song to get everyone moving in the morning before school
  • A key to happiness is accepting that we’re not happy all the time.
  • The importance of accepting all feelings and working through emotions through movement
  • StoryDance for children
  • Dance and music to channel emotions (even sad ones)
  • Dancing is like journaling through movement.
  • Benefits of dance
  • How to get started with dance as a personal practice
  • Chakradance: what it is, and what a typical class is like
  • “Meditation through movement”
  • How she started writing
  • Dream journals
  • Writing practice.. a little or a lot?
  • How to nurture and encourage the innate creativity of children
  • The one word that can encourage creativity and help make us all happier
  • Advice for those who want to get published
  • Ways to be happier

Links and Books Mentioned

www.SoulWakening.com, Anna’s Website

Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up by Patricia Ryan Madson

Sledgehammer Writing Contest

The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron

www.750Words.com

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If you enjoyed the podcast and want to help other mamas be happier, too, please share this post on Facebook, Twitter, email, or your favorite platform.

To help make the podcast more visible, visit iTunes and leave a rating, review, and subscribe. Thank you!

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Over to You

Do you dance or listen to music as a way to move through difficult emotions?
Is writing or dance a part of your life?
How do you encourage and support your children in their creativity?
Do you have a system for keeping track of all of your ideas?

Let me know in the comments below, or join in the discussion in the community.

Thank you so much for listening! I hope this podcast helps you be a little bit happier, and helps you go from striving, to thriving!

Filed Under: Creativity, Family, Happiness, Podcast

Elizabeth Helen Spencer: On Writing, Teaching, and Creativity 02

October 21, 2015 By Heather 1 Comment

Happiness Mama Podcast Episode 2 Elizabeth Helen Spencer

Elizabeth Helen Spencer is a mama of one, freelance writer, and English professor. We had a wonderful conversation about writing, teaching, and finding time for creativity as a busy mom.

Listen as we talk about how Elizabeth got into creative writing, what she was doing in a skeevy dive in Philadelphia and who she met there, her experience living abroad in Prague, and the family fantasies we both have in common.

Elizabeth shares some great ideas about how to make creativity a part of your life when you have a job (or two!) and a young child to take care of, and even if you’re not an early bird!

We also talked about how to deal with fear when it arises, and what NOT to do to be happier.

Highlights of Our Conversation

  • How to find time for writing
  • Dealing with transitions, such as going back to work or your child starting preschool
  • Being creative in the small things
  • How Elizabeth got into writing fiction
  • The surprising way she found her writing group and whom she met there
  • Life as an American woman in Prague
  • Writing by hand versus writing on the computer
  • Our family fantasies
  • How to overcome fears and challenging situations, such as a new school year
  • What writing and sports have in common
  • What’s so great about coaching

Links and Books Mentioned

www.Elizabeth-Helen-Spencer.com

How Toddlers Thrive: What Parents Can Do Today for Children Ages 2-5 to Plant the Seeds of Lifelong Success by Tovah P. Klein

www.happinessmama.com

Spread the Word

If you enjoyed the podcast, visit iTunes and kindly leave me a rating, review, and/or subscribe. Thank you!

Ways to Subscribe to the Happiness Mama Podcast:

  • Click here to subscribe via iTunes
  • Click here to subscribe via RSS

Stay in Touch

Get more inspiration and encouragement in your inbox!

Click here to get the Happiness Mama Newsletter and your free gift.

Thank you so much for listening! I hope this podcast helps you be a little bit happier, and helps you go from striving, to thriving.

Note: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link, which simply means that if you make a purchase after using the link, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog and podcast!

Filed Under: Coaching, Creativity, Family, Happiness, Parenting, Podcast

Iris Fritschi-Cussens: Mixed Media Art 01

October 8, 2015 By Heather 2 Comments

Happiness Mama Podcast Episode 1 Iris Fritschi-Cussens

If you’re a mom who has thought about doing mixed media art or art journaling, today’s episode is sure to inspire and encourage you. I spoke with Iris Fritschi-Cussens, mixed media artist and mom of two who lives in London with her family.

We had a wonderful conversation about how she got started with mixed media, what it means to her, and how she finds time for art while also being the mother of two young boys and working with her husband in their event filming business.

In This Episode You’ll Hear…

  • How Iris finds joy in her art
  • What art has taught her about life
  • How we art can help us deal with the tough stuff
  • The meaning of creativity
  • Finding time for creativity
  • How we can help our children to be creative
  • What Iris does when she makes a “mistake”
  • Why she prefers to paint rather than crochet
  • How to get started with art journaling
  • Why America is a great place to do art
  • How we can all be a little bit happier
  • Iris’s courses, including her awesome free Inspiration Guide

Mentioned In This Episode

Iris’s Free Inspiration Guide

NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children by Po Bronson

Connect With Iris

www.iris-impressions.com

Spread the Word

If you enjoyed the podcast and want to help other mamas be happier, too, visit iTunes and kindly leave me a rating, review, and subscribe.

If you need any help, see how to leave a review here.

Filed Under: Creativity, Happiness, Parenting, Podcast

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