LightSong School of 21st-Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine Talking Stick Podcast The Wounds and the Gifts: Reclaiming Your Creativity and Power What if the parts of yourself you learned to doubt were never missing at all? In this episode of LightSong Talking Stick, Jan Engels-Smith and Micah Schwader explore creativity, imagination, self-worth, and the beliefs that can separate us from our natural sense of who we are. We enter life as creative beings, filled with curiosity, imagination, and possibility. Yet somewhere along the way, many of us receive messages that tell us we aren't talented enough, worthy enough, creative enough, or important enough. We learn to question our instincts, compare ourselves to others, and look outside ourselves for validation. Jan shares teachings from decades of shamanic work about the innate value of the human spirit and why imagination is one of our greatest creative powers. She describes how experiences such as bullying, rejection, and childhood wounds can shape an identity based on unworthiness—but also how those very wounds can point us toward gifts we developed because of them. As Jan puts it, the wounds and the gifts aren't on opposite sides of the coin. They're on the same side. Micah connects this idea to creativity and writing, exploring how beliefs about who we are can shut down creative expression. Whether through writing, painting, designing a home, inventing something new, imagining a different future, or simply creating the life we want to live, creativity is not reserved for people who call themselves artists. We are all creators. The conversation also explores the idea of writing your own creation story: not simply describing the beliefs you've inherited but consciously imagining what you choose to believe about yourself, Spirit, Source, and the life you are creating. Jan and Micah discuss how childhood dreams and visions can reveal something deeper about our nature, why children often arrive with distinct personalities and gifts already visible, and what might change if we learned to recognize those gifts rather than shaping everyone according to the same expectations. Along the way, they share stories about soul retrieval, art and inspiration, childhood dreams, twins with remarkably different personalities, an unexpected message from a newborn baby, and the mysterious ways our identities sometimes reveal themselves. Ultimately, this episode offers an invitation: Look back at the places where you were wounded, diminished, or taught to doubt yourself—and then look again. What strength did you develop? What gift emerged? Where have you already created something extraordinary despite believing you couldn't? And what becomes possible when you begin seeing yourself not through the limitations you've accumulated, but through the innate value, creativity, and possibility that were there all along? Your imagination matters. Your gifts matter. Your life has an impact. And perhaps reclaiming your power begins by remembering that. About Jan Engels-Smith Jan Engels-Smith is a shamanic practitioner, teacher, author, and founder of LightSong School of 21st Century Shamanism and Energy Medicine. For more than four decades, Jan has explored consciousness, healing, personal transformation, and humanity's relationship with the unseen realms. She has performed thousands of soul retrievals and trained students around the world in shamanic practices designed to help people reconnect with their innate wisdom and spiritual nature. Jan is the author of Becoming Yourself: The Journey from Head to Heart and Through the Rabbit Hole: Explore and Experience the Shamanic Journey and Energy Medicine. Learn more about Jan, LightSong, classes, and shamanic training at LightSong.net. About Micah Schwader Micah Schwader is a transformational writing coach, editor, publisher, author, and shamanic practitioner who has spent more than 30 years helping people discover and express the stories that matter most. His work explores the intersection of writing, creativity, discernment, inner guidance, and personal transformation, helping writers move beyond formulas and external expectations to uncover what is authentically their own. Micah is the author of Stumbling Into Grace: The Adventures of a Transgender Shaman and works with writers, authors, leaders, and creators to use writing as a means of exploration, discovery, and authentic expression. Learn more about Micah and his work in Life Coaching at ShamanSezz.com. For information about Micah's Writing Coaching, editing, and publishing work, visit inspiredlifepublications.com,