Nourishing Creativity with Chef Carla Contreras (formerly Show Up Fully‪)‬ Chef Carla Contreras

This week’s episode is about empowering you to share who you uniquely are in your creative process. I’m joined by Meagan Williamson, a Pinterest marketing expert, certified business coach, trained psychologist, and mom based in Canada. 
Get the Full Show Notes & Transcript here. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform while you cook, clean, or create.
What’s in This Episode:
This episode will leave you inspired to embrace how you create based on the season of life (and business) you are in. In our conversation, Meagan shares her approach to coaching and working with creative blocks by looking beyond the surface level of why you may not be sharing on social media.
Meagan shares that she can’t force herself to be creative. When she does have the energy she does massive brain dumps. She looks across what’s trending in other industries and brainstorms about her unique take on ideas, a tutorial that might help someone, and or answer a question she is getting asked by her community.
Meagan leaves us with advice: To not fall for viral get-rich-quick tactics using Pinterest but instead to focus on slow and consistent growth. She talks about this in terms of focusing on eating greens like steamed broccoli vs. cheese pizza. It’s not sexy but she will help you with sustainable growth and long term results.
Topics Covered:
Meagan’s experience with a leadership exercise in high school and how that shaped her view of creative thinking.
What it’s like to be creative in other areas of your life such as how you dress, work, and define the world. Meagan enjoys creative hobbies like gardening and being in nature. 
Stop trying to be other people on social media, be yourself, she calls it, “Meaganizing.”
What it’s like to honor your energy and the phases of your life and business. She talks about rest and not working.
Meagan talks about her background as a trained psychologist, and how creative blocks are often not about creation but other things in your life like trauma or fear of failure.
We can’t wait to hear your thoughts, leave a comment below!
Eat Well,
xo Chef Carla
PS: Interested in Pinterest as part of your strategy? Join the Pinterest Growth Challenge
Note: I am an affiliate of Meagan’s programs. I have been in her Pin Potential Membership since the beginning. I support her work 100%. Ask me any questions via email or DM me on Instagram @chefcarlacontreras
Join My Community:
* Website
* Pinterest
* Instagram
* Substack


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This week’s episode is about being a multi-passionate creative, being open to what you enjoy vs. putting yourself in a box. I am joined by Juanina Kocher, a health coach, yoga teacher, and consultant, who primarily supports mothers.
Get the Full Show Notes & Transcript here Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform while you cook, clean, or create.
What’s in This Episode:
This episode is filled with a lot of laughs and personal shares! Juanina and I start with our love of the Italian Chopped Salad with Basil Swirls from Sakara Life. We are both ambassadors for the brand. We also both have backgrounds in the restaurant and hospitality world.
Juanina shares how she navigates modern motherhood and how she weaves in creativity throughout her busy day-to-day life. Juanina’s definition of creativity encompasses anything that excites you, which is so freeing!
In our conversation, she explains how excitement often becomes inspiration and weaves itself into problem-solving and uncovering new creative outlets. Juanina talks about creating room for creativity. And what a difference having space and quiet time makes for her creativity.
Topics Covered:
* Modern parenting and what that means to Juanina
* What it’s like to eat different meals or at different times than young children
* How Juanina defines creativity and its connection to problem solving
* Creating a bucket list for creative pursuits like pottery or cooking classes
* Feeding your creative juices through cooking for pleasure and making new recipes
* Wellness tools that don’t take an hour, a five minute meditation, 10-minute moment practice, or taking a walk
* Moving through creative blocks by giving yourself space, having quiet time
PS: Join Melissa Hoffman for a live free Nourishing Creativity Hypnosis workshop this Saturday April 20th at 1:00 pm EST
Join My Community:
* Website
* Pinterest
* Instagram
* Substack
Note: Some of these are affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the sales. I appreciate your support of my small Latinè & women owned business. Please see my shop + Juanina’s Instagram for more codes + discounts.


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This week’s episode is about finding pleasure in creative expression and the ability to pivot into purpose. I am joined by Melissa Hoffmann, an Intuitive Life, Mindset Coach, and Hypnotherapist for women who know they’re meant for more.
Get the Full Show Notes & Transcript here Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform.
What’s in This Episode:
Melissa shares her pivot from makeup artist to coach and how she has infused creativity in each step of her journey. We chat about making art simply for pleasure and to nourish yourself instead of seeking external validation.
She also talks about how to find balance when creativity is a big part of your work. We then discuss the creation of her newest offer, Soul Portraits, and how it builds on her other project, the Pivot Into Your Purpose podcast. 
Melissa then highlights how creativity to come back to their path. Don’t miss Melissa sharing her favorite ways to use oracle cards and tools like EFT, hypnosis, and subliminals to move through creative blocks!
Topics Covered:
* Melissa shares that she finds nourishment in reading fiction and doing watercolor painting.
* The difference between creating for pleasure versus creating for work, with Melissa explaining that creating for oneself is more fulfilling and less pressured.
* How Melissa created her Soul Portraits offering: Being photographed is a powerful way to express your soul and feel empowered about being visible and being fully seen.
* Melissa mentions that creativity plays a role in her coaching, as she helps her clients explore creative activities for their own pleasure and fulfillment.
* Pivots and how to know when it’s time to make a change.
* Melissa also shares her love for oracle cards and how they spark her creativity.
* Melissa discusses the use of EFT, hypnosis, and subliminals in the creative process.
Resources Mentioned:
* Join Melissa + me for a live Nourishing Creativity Hypnosis workshop on Saturday April 20th at 1:00 pm EST
Join My Community:
* Website
* Pinterest
* Instagram
* Substack


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Welcome to this week’s episode of Show Up Fully! I have been building and learning from Show Up Fully alongside you since 2020.
This journey has been a soul-shaking challenging process. But it’s exactly what I needed (and many of you) to grow and evolve as I discovered what showing up fully meant in my life.
It’s been really hard to let go and say goodbye to Show Up Fully. But today, I am officially turning the page on the podcast chapter and I am welcoming in the transition of this podcast into the Nourishing Creativity.
Get the Full Show Notes & Transcript here
Why Nourishing Creativity? For me, as a professional content creator: Food stylist, recipe developer, and podcast host, creation is life. My intention behind transitioning the podcast into Nourishing Creativity is to provide the space, resources, and inspiration for you (and me) to guide yourself to nourish your creativity, where you’re at right now.
As I’m moving into a deeper state of nourishing my own creativity, I’m also exploring new areas of slowing down and taking the time to deeply nourish myself. It’s interesting to me to live the principles of Show Up Fully: Res, Deep Nourishment, Movement, Mindfulness, and Water through a softer lens. If this interests you too, I invite you to do Show Up Fully Challenge
Topics Covered:
* A heartfelt goodbye to Show Up Fully and the journey of this podcast over the last four years.
* What is Nourishing Creativity? Hint: It’s about making it your own and it is definitely not about perfection
* Revisiting the five day Show Up Fully Challenge and how it’s supportive to do if you want to refresh how you nourish yourself.
* BTS of how I am nourishing myself right now which includes going to bed at 8:00pm with my kids.
Resources Mentioned:
* Listen to Show Up Fully Challenge Day One: Finding Your Moment of Rest here
* Listen to Show Up Fully Challenge Day Two: Deep Nourishment & Finding Pleasure in Food here
* Listen to Show Up Fully Challenge Day Three: Move your Body, in Whatever Way Feels Good! here
* Listen to Show Up Fully Challenge Day Four: Mindfulness & Using a Simple Breathing Practice to Ground Yourself here
* Listen to Show Up Fully Challenge Day Five & Wrap Up: Water + The Episode Where I Talk About Poop here
* Listen to my Pilates Mat journey here
xo Chef Carla
PS: Paid Substack subscribers join the, Spring Clean Your Website Workshop on Saturday 4/6 from 12:00 to 1:30 EST. The link to join is under Paid Resources and Events.
Join My Community:
* Website
* Pinterest
* Instagram
* Substack



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Welcome to this week’s episode of Show Up Fully! I’m joined by Gretchen Holt, co-founder and executive director of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, an organization that raises money for pediatric cancer. Pediatric cancer is the number one disease killer of children in the U.S. and yet receives the smallest amount of public and private funding. 
Get the Full Show Notes & Transcript here Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform.
What’s in This Episode:
After receiving her son Liam’s cancer diagnosis when he was 2 and a half, Gretchen took action in the form of cookies, baking 96,000, in fact, to raise money for cancer research and support. Liam and her loved to bake together!
Cookies bring out a beautiful creativity and passion in everyone. Cookies are also an easy entry point for people to get involved with Cookies For Kids’ Cancer, whether that is holding a bake sale, donating your birthday, buying cookies, or attending one of their larger events. 
For Gretchen, her creativity flows from love for her children, awareness that time with them is finite, and the drive to do anything for them. Stay tuned til the end to hear how Gretchen overcomes her creative blocks!
Topics Covered:
* Gretchen’s work with pediatric cancer and supporting her son Liam through his cancer journey
* How people can get involved with the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer
* Gretchen’s definition of creativity
* Cookies as a joy and a creative spark
* What underlines Gretchen’s creative determination
* Knowing yourself to know how to overcome creative blocks
Resources Mentioned:
* Donate to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer my daughter, Ella’s Birthday Donation page is LIVE! 100% of proceeds go to pediatric cancer research.
xo Chef Carla
PS: If you loved this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform. I really appreciate your support!
PPS: Join us this Saturday 3/2 12:00-1:30 PM EST for Nourish & Create: Drop-In Studio Hours. This is your dedicated space to work on your creative projects and connect with yourself for 90-minutes each month. | Head to the Paid Subscribers Tab to sign up.


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Welcome to this episode of Show Up Fully where Grief Coach and Death Doula, Tammy Faulds, and I are back for our annual chat! This week’s episode is about the rich interconnectedness between creativity and grief. “Emotions are energy in motion.”
Get the Full Show Notes & Transcript here
What’s in This Episode:
* Tammy’s definition for grief is “the end of or change in a familiar pattern of behavior.” Grief encompasses so much more than death — which is why Tammy’s mission is to change the narrative around both grief and death. We learn how being forced into creativity allowed Tammy to reimagine rituals around transition. Curiosity lets us navigate the world from a different perspective. 
* Like any other emotion, grief wants to be honored. I share a recent loss within my family and the challenge of navigating both the creative and grieving process. Tammy helps us understand when we use creativity, curiosity, and bravery, grief can become a portal to a new way of doing things. And tears are the natural, healing response.  
* Tammy and I also discuss creative blocks from the entrepreneur + solopreneur lens and the power of naming grief’s presence. Grief shows up whenever it wants — so how do we make space for it to both exist and exit? Join me as Tammy teaches us how to acknowledge grief and death as part of the cycle while noticing the unique ways it interacts with each of us. Learning the emotion allows us to move forward.  
Topics Covered:
* Welcome back to the podcast, Tammy! 
* The connection between creativity and grief
* Navigating grief to be able to nourish creativity
* Intangible loss vs. ambiguous loss
* Tears as a healing psychological response 
* Multiple cycles occurring simultaneously 
Resources Mentioned:
* Listen to Show Up Fully: Episode #77 with Tammy Faulds
xo Chef Carla
PS: If you loved this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform. I really appreciate your support!


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