Mackey writes both prose and poetry and has published many novels, including her historical fiction of Neolithic times, and many highly acclaimed books of poetry. She reveals her writing and creative process and how each kinds of writing requires a different approach. She describes her process of “creative trance” that…

Mark Nepo has discovered that writing and other forms of expression can be especially effective in assisting our spiritual growth. Nepo tells of his experience, how he loosens the knot of his limiting mind when it is swirling with assumptions and conclusions. “When I am stuck in my mind, when…

In this interview Vecchione, writer and teacher of poetry,  shares stories of her work with immigrant children and poems. Many of the struggles faced by young immigrants are the same all youth face: isolation, self-doubt and confusion. Vecchione discusses the healing power of poetry and puts a personal face on…

Here Houston takes us through the life journey that led her to buy a piece of ranch land in the southwest corner of Colorado. She knew nothing about ranching but with the help of many people and animals her wandering life became tethered to the land. She describes the pivotal…

Meredith Heller writes: “Writing has saved my life and woven me back into belonging more times than I can tell you.” She encourages and inspires us to experience the power of writing as a lifeline and companion to personal discovery. She says it’s an alchemical process that takes the raw…

In life we all basically want the same things. We want care, understanding, empathy, and appreciation. One avenue that will take us there is to become master communicators. Most of us have had little to no training in how best to communicate in ways that foster deep trust and intimacy.…

There was a time in human history when a matristic culture dominated the social structure. When asked to describe the difference between patriarchal and matristic cultures, Mackey responded, “Patriarchy is men in charge, matriarchy would be women in charge . . . Matristic is a more collaborative, partnership, a communal…

This program may stir up many memories of encounters with the wild neighbors in your own backyard. Renkl suggests stepping out of our small world of computer screens, smart phones, and TVs to step into the larger natural world, which is everywhere, just outside our front door. She helps us…

Creativity is a journey with lots of ups and downs, twists and turns. To be creative, one cannot watch from the sidelines. Cathy Wild suggests that there is no set formula for the creative process; there are no steps 1, 2, 3, or A, B, C that guarantee a successful…

Most of us have discovered that life is never a straight line. It actually resembles a series of zig-zags. We zig in order to strengthen our creative gifts. We zag in order to provide a roof over our head and food on the table. This conversation looks at the life…