The Ugly Podcast Lauren Alexander

In today's episode, I talk with Sarah Henn Hayward about her experience writing Giving Up God, a memoir about leaving religion. We talk about how she didn't feel very creative before writing her memoir, but the process of writing it awoke her creativity and led her to continue writing children's books and fiction.

Long story short, if you say yes to your ideas and get started, you might find that you have way more up in your brain than you ever thought possible!

Check out Sarah's website to learn more about her work! https://sarahhennhayward.com/

References
FFTs: F*****g First Time by Brené Brown [https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-on-ffts/]

Heather Buchanan is back! In this episode, we talk about Heather's new book, Blame the Stars [https://bookshop.org/p/books/blame-the-stars-a-very-good-totally-accurate-collection-of-astrological-advice-heather-buchanan/20598813?ean=9781797226392], based on her totally accurate and divinely channeled IG page Horror Scoops [https://www.instagram.com/horror.scoops/], and the intense process she went through to bring this incredibly goofy book to her readers. We discuss working with the inner critic and being willing to draw the goofy things that pop into your brain--like beans!--and saying yes even when your inner critic is telling you no.

You can buy Heather's book anywhere books are sold, and we highly recommend going to your local bookstore! Follow along for weekly horror scoops on IG @horror.scoops and check out more of Heather's work at heatherbuchanan.ca [https://www.heatherbuchanan.ca/]

References:
Manhunt [https://bookshop.org/p/books/manhunt-gretchen-felker-martin/17086522?ean=9781250794642]by Gretchen Felker-Martin
Tara Brach RAIN method
The Artist's Way [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-artist-s-way-30th-anniversary-edition-julia-cameron/6665657?ean=9780143129257] by Julia Cameron

In this episode, I'm joined by Kaighla Rises, Pushcart Prize Nominee and award-winning author of Evryn, The Light [https://bookshop.org/p/books/evryn-the-light-kaighla-rises/19964668?ean=9798218167462], to talk about returning home to ourselves through creativity. 

There is no one path to healing, but connecting with creativity, getting help for mental health, listening to our inner child, and leaving harmful religious structures and relationships have all brought Kaighla and I closer to ourselves. Get to know Kaighla's work at kaighlarises.com

References:
The Artist's Way [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-artist-s-way-30th-anniversary-edition-julia-cameron/6665657?ean=9780143129257] by Julia Cameron
Things That Shatter [https://www.amazon.com/Things-That-Shatter-Kaighla-Dayo/dp/1796406333] by Kaighla Rises
Wellspring [https://www.amazon.com/wellspring-kaighla-rises-ebook/dp/B091V6GMHT/ref=sr_1_4?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UNhojSwSPpMahRqBcNJnzLbZQL3MtuyK0vwJMhUZh043Ly15VvCIfArfCM5oaGhn.1JJ3URfkL-YWR2rWFCXMzpALs8cn2C_SG5IwgCdAM7Y&dib_tag=se&qid=1710860072&refinements=p_27%3AKaighla+Rises&s=digital-text&sr=1-4&text=Kaighla+Rises]by Kaighla Rises
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality [https://bookshop.org/p/books/emotionally-healthy-spirituality-it-s-impossible-to-be-spiritually-mature-while-remaining-emotionally-immature-peter-scazzero/9985431?ean=9780310348498] by Peter Scazzero

[Image description: Photo of a woman in her mid-thirties with short pink hair, green eyes, wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf around her neck against a black background. She's smiling warmly and looking directly into the camera.]

My guest this week is Toni Nagy, stand-up comedian, content creator and interpretative dancer extraordinaire. Toni shares her unexpected path to accepting the "ugly" in her life and how this led her to embrace her own style of dancing, the importance of finding that deeper motivation to be creative, and embracing cringey feelings as fertile ground for transformation. We also chat about one of my favorite topics–art as a tool for liberation! Specifically, strengthening our imaginations and deepening the connection we have with ourselves, the earth, and each other.

This episode marks the first installment of a new segment, listener questions! Today's question focuses on how to show up when making anything feels overwhelming. If you have a question you'd like to hear on the podcast, email me at lauren@scribeandsunshine.com. 

For more laughs and existential dance-musings, follow Toni on Instagram @toninagy [https://www.instagram.com/toninagy/]and check out her link tree [https://linktr.ee/toninagy] for shows, her Patreon, and more goodies!

References:
The book I forgot the name of: Perfectionist's Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler [https://www.perfectionistsguide.com/]

Today's guest, April Fitzpatrick (she/her), aka "The Pineapple Lady," is an art therapist whose work centers art as a process that allows people, particularly those who've experienced racial trauma, to reclaim agency over their personal narratives.

April and I talk about the impressive symbolism of the pineapple for both the therapy process and the human development process, and a broad overview of what happens from a neuroscience perspective when we engage in creative acts. We also discuss the benefits of prioritizing the healing and creative processes rather than chasing after unrealistic performance culture standards.

In the midst of so much global grief and ongoing trauma, one thing I know for sure is the importance of having an inclusive mental health framework to help us all work toward healing.

You can learn more about April's work at pineappleswithpurpose.com [https://www.pineappleswithpurpose.com/meet-april] or on Instagram at @pineappleswithpurpose [https://www.instagram.com/pineappleswithpurpose/]. You can see some of her work featured in Tallahassee Democrat, Tallahassee International Airport, Canvas Rebel, Artful Infrastructure, Black Superwoman Chronicles, ArtPlace America, Black Minds Mag, Art Seen: The Curator's Salon Magazine, and ART4EQUALITY x LIFE, LIBERTY, PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS Exhibition Catalog. 

In this episode, I talk with fellow editor and book coach, Sabrina Estudillo Butler, about standing in our values and saying the quiet part loud. We discuss how it feels in our bodies when we step out of our comfort zones and speak up about injustice and the inner criticism that inevitably pops up when we are new or feel like an imposter. We touch on the issues in publishing as a white, cis, straight, able-body-centered industry, and why it's so important to speak about these topics to effectuate change.

Whenever we dare to say something important and lean into our values, I firmly believe we make the world a little better. And it's scary to do that! Which is why I wanted to have this conversation with Sabrina to talk about doing the scary thing anyway and how it feels in the moment, amid the transformation.

You can learn more about Sabrina's work on her website unpolishedwords.com [https://www.unpolishedwords.com/] and follow her on social media for more: @unpolishedwords [https://www.instagram.com/unpolished.words/] on Instagram and Sabrina Estudillo Butler [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrinaestudillobutler/] on LinkedIn.

References:
Juno Creative [https://junocreative.studio/]
PEN America Report: Reading Between the Lines [https://pen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Reading-Between-the-Lines.pdf]
Open Letter Criticising PEN America's Stance on Israel-Gaza War Reaches 500 Signatures [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/12/open-letter-criticising-pen-americas-stance-on-israel-gaza-war-reaches-500-signatories]