How to Be Alive

Carter Umhau
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How To Be Alive explores how creativity can help us alchemize our experiences so we can be more available to ourselves, each other, and all that matters. Host Carter Umhau--a therapist, artist, and writer--sits down to interview some of her favorite artists and out-of-the-box creative thinkers about how their creative practice has helped them become themselves. This podcast is founded on the belief that creativity is inherently therapeutic and is an inroad toward embodied transformation. How to Be Alive wonders out loud about how to navigate being human, by exploring the particularity of our experiences as a way to understand ourselves as a collective. carterumhau.substack.com

Episodes

  1. Ep.05: Why Creativity is Therapeutic (An Archive of Past Selves)

    21 HR AGO

    Ep.05: Why Creativity is Therapeutic (An Archive of Past Selves)

    One night, at 1:15am, I was stuck on writing this very episode—all about why creativity is inherently healing— when I stumbled upon an episode of another podcast that I had recorded eight years ago in which I was interviewed about my own creative process and why I believe—yep—creativity is inherently healing. I was stunned to find that I had said many of the things I intended to share here—even sharing the same quote on improvisation that I'd prepared! Out of that happenstance came this off the cuff, reflective episode on the nature of being in relationship with past versions of ourselves, and how the creative process reflects key features of why therapy itself is transformative. . Also in this episode I chat about… - the main tenant of improv that reflects the nature of psychological health - how accepting loss is similar to editing an essay - the role witness plays in healing and transformation - the presumptuous nature of the “How To Be Alive” title, and how it asks just as many questions as it answers . Mentioned in the episode: - The 2016 episode of The Appetite: Bonus Episode: Poet and The Appetite Host Carter Umhau on Healing Through The Creative Process https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-episode-poet-and-the-appetite-host-carter-umhau/id1321778204?i=1000405334008 - My Artist’s Way workshop, which begins March 5th, 2026: and is all about creative recovery and deepening your relationship to yourself. There are still spots available! Register now for the Artist's Way: https://www.carterumhau.com/artists-way-course-page - Free Play by Stephen Nachmanovitch - Opal: Food + Body Wisdom, an eating disorder clinic in Seattle . . . Keep in touch and get a behind-the-scenes look at my creative process, or join me in class. Get an exclusive playlist when you subscribe to my newsletter: My newsletter: https://carterumhau.substack.com/ My website: https://www.carterumhau.com/ Sign up for my Artist's Way workshop: https://www.carterumhau.com/artists-way-course-page . . . Original music by Aaron Davidson Editing by Hans Anderson . . . DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions are my own and are not intended as mental health advice, nor are they intended as a replacement for therapy. Get full access to How to Be Alive at carterumhau.substack.com/subscribe

    20 min
  2. Ep.04: Writing to Know Your Life w/ Molly Wizenberg

    18 FEB

    Ep.04: Writing to Know Your Life w/ Molly Wizenberg

    An obsession with sand dollars, the catharsis of dance, and getting to be a student again: these are some of the things that make Molly Wizenberg feel alive. Molly--the bestselling memoirist, James Beard Award-winning essayist, and teacher of personal narrative writing--joins therapist and artist Carter Umhau to talk about how her relationship to writing has helped her become herself and allowed her to see the particularity of what it is she's been trying to say all along. Pulling from the same personal reflection, thoughtfulness, attention to detail, and cracking humor that makes her a phenomenal writer Molly shares some major wisdom about life itself as she speaks about the creative process behind her writing.Some of the things we talk about in this episode... - learning to metabolize life through writing - what it looks like to write for a witness versus just for one's self - imposter syndrome and high standards - another reason to admire David Byrne of The Talking Heads - why teaching makes both of us feel high - and, do the people you most admire know what they're doing? . . CONNECT WITH MOLLY WIZENBERG: Molly's Newsletter: I've Got A Feeling https://mollywizenberg.substack.com/ Molly's upcoming workshops: https://www.mollywizenberg.com/upcomingworkshops Find Molly on Instagram @molly.wizenberg Listen to Molly's podcast: Spilled Milk. It can be found wherever you get your podcasts! . . . CONNECT WITH CARTER: How to Be Alive is hosted and created by me, Carter Umhau—an artist, writer, and licensed therapist. Register for my signature Artist’s Way workshop to join an intimate cohort of people seeking to get closer to themselves through creativity. https://www.carterumhau.com/artists-way-course-page My website: www.carterumhau.com Subscribe to How To Be Alive, the newsletter. . . Music by Aaron Davidson. Editing by Hans Anderson. . . DISCLAIMER: While this podcast is hosted by a therapist, this episode and no other is intended to be therapy nor should it be considered a replacement for therapy. Get full access to How to Be Alive at carterumhau.substack.com/subscribe

    1 hr
  3. Ep.03: How to Get Good at Failing w/ Caroline Winkler

    10 FEB

    Ep.03: How to Get Good at Failing w/ Caroline Winkler

    Caroline Winkler is a YouTuber with over a million subscribers, the co-host of the Not for Everyone podcast, and a genuine, relationally-oriented, funny-as-hell person who says she failed so hard at her "big dream" of being an actor, that everything that has come after has felt like a second life. We're chatting about what happened when she decided to let her design-oriented YouTube channel get personal, why she wanted to celebrate a big milestone by making sure all of her loved ones felt a little pain, and how to get creative when you have to do something you hate. Carter talks about the sparkly spiritual dust that gets kicked up when she's in her flow, and wonders at how tolerating fear could make her feel more alive. . . Registration is open for my signature the Artist's Way workshop, all about unlearning perfectionism and transforming your relationship to yourself. I'd love to see you there! https://www.carterumhau.com/artists-way-course-page . CONNECT WITH CAROLINE! Caroline on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Caroline_Winkler Caroline's podcast, Not for Everyone | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-for-everyone/id1658791276 Caroline on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegoodsitter . . Hey you! Find the tombstone sketch we chatted about, links to some of my favorite videos of Caroline's, and weekly essays to accompany these episodes, subscribe to my newsletter. https://carterumhau.substack.com/ When you subscribe, you get an exclusive link to a How to Be Alive playlist full of good music. Learn more about working with me one-on-one, upcoming classes, and more on my website: https://www.carterumhau.com/ Get full access to How to Be Alive at carterumhau.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 7m
  4. Ep.02: Creative Attention and Staying Awake w/ Cody Cook-Parrott

    3 FEB

    Ep.02: Creative Attention and Staying Awake w/ Cody Cook-Parrott

    Cody Cook-Parrott—artist, writer, dancer, and teacher—sits down with Carter Umhau to talk about what compelled them to write a memoir at nine years old; how quiltmaking has taught them to shapeshift as a trans person; and how they’ve learned to politicize their creative practice while staying far away from Instagram. Cody and Carter wonder together about the difference between making art that is inadvertently therapeutic, versus approaching art-making as a form of therapy itself. Ahead of the upcoming release of Cody’s sixth book, The Practice of Attention, this conversation is an exploration of how creative practice has taught Cody to be attentive to what they need to stay awake and alive to the work they’re meant to do. (This interview took place in Fall 2025.) . . Learn more about Cody Cook-Parrott: www.codycookparrott.com Pre-order The Practice of Attention Subscribe to Monday Monday, Cody's newsletter. Listen to Common Shapes, Cody's podcast.. . Carter’s Artist’s Way workshop is back! Claim your spot! Want to work with Carter? Reach out to her at hello@carterumhau.com or https://www.carterumhau.com/appointments-2 Get a personal look at this episode and more in Carter’s newsletter. . . Editing by Abi Newhouse Music by Aaron Davidson Podcast art by Carter Umhau Photos of Cody associated with this episode by Anna Friss. Get full access to How to Be Alive at carterumhau.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 10m
  5. Ep. 01: Making the Art You Need Most, w/ Natalie Closner of JOSEPH

    27 JAN

    Ep. 01: Making the Art You Need Most, w/ Natalie Closner of JOSEPH

    How do you embrace who and where you are in life, when none of it looks like you expected it to? Natalie Closner, of the band JOSEPH, joins Carter to talk about how songwriting has helped her find the words she needed to hear, rather than what she thought people wanted from her. Natalie discusses the spiritual experience of live performance; how she stepped into a more expansive and compassionate sense of herself after loss; and she shares stories behind the lyrics from JOSEPH’s new album, Closer to Happy. Pre-save and listen to Closer to Happy, JOSEPH’s new album. See Natalie/JOSEPH on tour! JOSEPH on Instagram Listen to Natalie’s 2021 solo album, Fresh Water in an Empty Vase. . . How to Be Alive is hosted and created by me, Carter Umhau—an artist, writer, and licensed therapist. Subscribe to my newsletter. Join the waitlist for my signature Artist’s Way workshop or learn more. . . Music by Aaron Davidson. Editing by Hans Anderson. . . DISCLAIMER: While this podcast is hosted by a therapist, this episode and no other is intended to be therapy nor should it be considered a replacement for therapy. Get full access to How to Be Alive at carterumhau.substack.com/subscribe

    1 hr
  6. Welcome to How to Be Alive!

    SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Welcome to How to Be Alive!

    Welcome to How to Be Alive, a podcast that looks to the creative process as a map through figuring out how the hell to be human. Expect deep and playful conversation with folks that are about to be your new favorite artists, thinkers, and people. This podcast is for anyone that desires to be closer to themselves, anyone that has ever wondered why it’s important to listen to the creative inkling inside of you telling you there’s more to life. It’s for anyone wondering how to get through the horrors of the current news cycle with a more regulated nervous system and clarity around what they have to offer. How to Be Alive is hosted by me, Carter Umhau--an artist, writer, and licensed therapist--and I'm excited to bring you my therapeutic perspective on how creativity heals us and how it helps us become ourselves. Subscribe to my newsletter and you'll automatically be sent a playlist full of songs that make me feel more alive and more connected to myself. Hopefully you'll find at least one song on there that makes you feel the same. Join me for my signature Artist's Way workshop--a 13-week online workshop beginning later this winter. Custom podcast music is by Aaron Davidson. Today's edit is by Hans Anderson. Get full access to How to Be Alive at carterumhau.substack.com/subscribe

    3 min

Trailer

About

How To Be Alive explores how creativity can help us alchemize our experiences so we can be more available to ourselves, each other, and all that matters. Host Carter Umhau--a therapist, artist, and writer--sits down to interview some of her favorite artists and out-of-the-box creative thinkers about how their creative practice has helped them become themselves. This podcast is founded on the belief that creativity is inherently therapeutic and is an inroad toward embodied transformation. How to Be Alive wonders out loud about how to navigate being human, by exploring the particularity of our experiences as a way to understand ourselves as a collective. carterumhau.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Carter Umhau
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Carter Umhau
  • Show Website
    How to Be Alive

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