Creative Journey

Kaila Allen

Creative Journey is a podcast where we explore creativity and mindfulness. We believe everyone is creative, and we want to help you discover and nurture your creativity. We also believe mindfulness is essential for the creative process, and we want to help you cultivate a more mindful approach to your work and life. Let’s grow and expand together. E-mail us at creativejourney.kc@gmail.com. Join the list serve by sending a blank e-mail to creative–journey+subscribe@googlegroups.com. To join us each week on zoom, Send an e-mail to Community@acb.org

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    The Glimmer Hunter: Discovering Micro-Moments of Safety, Play, and Laughter

    In the fourth episode of our series, “The Art of Arrival,” Coach Kaila shifts our focus from clearing the obstacles to actively populating our lives with light. We dive into the world of “Glimmers”—those micro-moments of safety and connection that signal to our nervous system that the “war” is over and we are safe to arrive. We explore the profound biology of laughter, looking at how it acts as a physical “circuit breaker” for stress by vibrating the Vagus nerve and forcing a deep, restorative exhale. Coach Kaila compares the uninhibited, 300-laughs-a-day nature of a child to the restricted “15-20 laughs” of the adult “Producer” identity, inviting us to reclaim the child’s tool of sensory play. You will learn how to “tune your internal radio” to the frequency of delight through sensory layering, titration, and the creation of a Somatic Glimmer Library. This episode is an invitation to move from being a visitor in happiness to becoming a permanent resident of your own play and peace. Weekly Homework & Action Steps: The Glimmer Log: Find three micro-glimmers every day this week. They must be small, sensory, and take less than 10 seconds to notice. When you find one, take 30 seconds to “soak” in the sensation to catalog it in your nervous system. Journaling Prompt: What is the most “child-like” or “pointless” thing I did this week, and how did my body physically feel during and after that moment of play? Affirmation: “I am a Glimmer Hunter. I am safe to play, I am worthy of laughter, and I am arriving in the light every single day.” Connect with Coach Kaila: Visit our website for more resources: Creative Guidance LLC If this episode resonated with you, consider Supporting the show: Buy Me a Coffee

    1h 23m
  2. 26 JAN

    Worthy Without Working: Uncoupling Value from Productivity

    In the third installment of our series, “The Art of Arrival,” Coach Kaila explores one of the most significant barriers to true presence: the myth of the “Human Doing.” In a world that conditions us to tie our worth to our to-do lists, many of us have lost the ability to simply exist without justification. This episode dives into the “Inner Taskmaster” and the “Efficiency Trap” that turns even our hobbies and social connections into a form of labor. We discuss the somatic cost of “earning” our rest and why we often feel a “Post-Rest Hangover” of guilt when we aren’t being productive. You will learn how to perform a “Worthy Scan” to identify where your body is bracing for work even during moments of stillness. Finally, we walk through the process of signing an “Unconditional Contract” with yourself—a somatic commitment to your inherent value that requires no output, no achievement, and no performance to remain valid. Weekly Homework & Action Steps: The Unproductive Hour: Choose one hour this week to be intentionally “unproductive.” No chores, no planning, and no fixing. Simply exist. When the urge to be “useful” arises, practice meeting it with the internal reminder that you are worthy of the space you occupy. Journaling Prompt: If your worth was already 100% pre-paid for the rest of your life, what is the one thing you would stop doing today, and what is the one thing you would start doing purely for the joy of it? Affirmation: “I am worthy without working. My value is inherent, and my rest is my right.” Connect with Coach Kaila: Visit our website for more resources: Creative Guidance LLC If this episode resonated with you, consider Supporting the show: Buy Me a Coffee

    1h 35m
  3. 19 JAN

    The Capacity for Joy: Navigating the Upper Limit Problem

    In this episode of Creative Journey, we continue our series, “The Art of Arrival: Rewiring Your Brain for Joy.” Coach Kaila dives deep into the “Upper Limit Problem”—the subconscious thermostat that often triggers anxiety, worry, or self-sabotage when our lives start going “too well.” We explore the somatic difference between the Inner Critic, who uses shame to dampen our joy, and the Inner Protector, who uses hyper-vigilance to keep us “safe” in a state of stress. You will learn practical, non-visual tools for stretching your “vessel of joy,” including Titration (taking in happiness in small drops) and Pendulation (moving between a resource and a neutral state). We also discuss how to use Ventral Vagal Anchors—like vocal toning and body anchoring—to stay centered on the Polyvagal ladder when the “voltage” of contentment feels higher than your nervous system is used to. Finally, we walk through the process of tearing up old “Upper Limit Contracts” to shift your identity from a lifelong Striver to a confident Arriver. Weekly Homework & Action Steps: The Joy Thermostat Check-In: Twice a day, stop and ask your body: “On a scale of 1-10, how much joy or peace am I allowing myself to feel right now?” If you notice you are dampening your mood, practice “titrating” your satisfaction up by just 1% for 30 seconds to stretch your somatic capacity. Journaling Prompt: “What is the old ‘Upper Limit’ contract I am ready to tear up today (e.g., ‘I must stay stressed to stay productive’), and what is the new rule I am writing in its place?” Affirmation: “I have the capacity to hold immense joy. It is safe for me to feel good, and I do not need to ‘pay’ for my happiness with stress.” Connect with Coach Kaila: Visit our website for more resources: Creative Guidance LLC Support the show: Buy Me a Coffee

    1h 22m

About

Creative Journey is a podcast where we explore creativity and mindfulness. We believe everyone is creative, and we want to help you discover and nurture your creativity. We also believe mindfulness is essential for the creative process, and we want to help you cultivate a more mindful approach to your work and life. Let’s grow and expand together. E-mail us at creativejourney.kc@gmail.com. Join the list serve by sending a blank e-mail to creative–journey+subscribe@googlegroups.com. To join us each week on zoom, Send an e-mail to Community@acb.org