Shows
Courageous WordsmithBecoming a Courageous Change LeaderFrom Amy:Anyone who has been in my world even briefly knows that my work is about books... and yes, I do love a well-written book... and my work is about supporting real-life authors and working creatives... and / but / also there's this affective healing side I'm always paying attention to. This understanding leads people I know to make introductions of people they think I should meet. Kris Jennings was one of those people. What interested me about Kris, and why I wanted to talk with her on my podcast, is that she managed to accomplish b...
2025-10-2034 min
Courageous WordsmithLife as a SongwriterFrom Amy:I am not a fangirl. I'm not that person who waits at the stage door to talk with famous people after a concert or someone who would approach a famous person at a restaurant to ask for an autograph. I'd rather go home and sleep than attend a loud afterparty where I have to engage in group small talk. Better still, I love to connect one on one, in a quieter setting, uninterrupted, around the stories behind the performance.Which is why this podcast episode is both surprising and not. Because it's all...
2025-07-1431 min
Courageous WordsmithPermission to UpspiralFrom Amy:Cara Pacific Campbell was the first person who took me up on my offer of a 1:1 Book Writing Mentorship and put her trust in me. I was grateful that someone so vibrant felt drawn to working with me, but looking back, it makes perfect sense. When we are paying attention, we're drawn to our people. Cara and I are both high-performing women who worked way too hard and paid a steep price with our health. As in, our bodies made us quit our careers when our minds thought that we could—had to—power...
2025-06-0930 min
Courageous WordsmithWriting for Our LivesFrom Amy:When Keri and I recorded this episode in late 2022, I was still editing my second memoir for publication and she was drafting a book that's also now nearing publication. The podcast never got produced at that time, but I happened onto the recording this past winter and it caught my attention. Keri and I are still writing today. I'm starting new books and she's preparing to deliver a TED-x Talk this summer.And this conversation feels like a divinely timed gift from our former selves, and a personal invitation to you if you...
2025-05-2735 min
Courageous WordsmithTiny but Powerful ArtFrom Amy:I am so ridiculously proud of my latest podcast episode with Corinne Bauer of Tiny Art Maui.And I really hope you will listen to it. Everything about this conversation and how it came to be is unexpected. I met Corinne at an art show in a Hawaiian hotel lobby. But when I talk about Shiny Objects and allowing myself to play freely in their presence, this is what I’m talking about.On the surface I was drawn to Corinne’s delightful Tiny Art Maui display because, as she herself says...
2025-05-0536 min
Courageous WordsmithSalvaged by Writing MemoirFrom Amy:I always knew that I loved writing. But I'm not sure I understood—until I went through a major transition, and not by my own choice—that writing is healing. At first it's writing just for me, raw and unwieldy and terrifying, but I always have the sense that this writing is something that, when I'm ready, is meant to be shared. Because stories tell us we're not alone. And they help people find us so that we can be there for each other.Meanwhile, I let myself stay in that first stage of b...
2025-04-2130 min
Courageous WordsmithHow to Build a Healing Writing PracticeFrom Amy:As long as I've known Sara Taylor, I've thought of her as a gifted writer who—when she gained momentum—would write volumes I want to read. Which is how she was an early participant in what has become my Circle for Real-Life Writers; I've been an up-close witness. Sara's subject matter and how she frames it fascinates me. If I'm interested in the inner working of stories around generational trauma and healing, Sara's a healing practitioner who delves deep into underlying patterns behind stories AND fearlessly applies these lessons in her own life.He...
2025-04-0832 min
Courageous WordsmithRevisiting Our TownFrom Amy:My junior year in high school, we read Thornton Wilder's play Our Town in English class. My senior year, that same English teacher, Carol Ottoson, directed the play and cast me as the Stage Manager. That role, which spends so much time reflecting on details in life and their meaning, had a huge influence on how I see the world, and I'm certain that's rubbed off on me as a writer of creative nonfiction: how I make sense of small details, the things that matter, the people around me, and how they all connect to...
2025-03-2437 min
Courageous WordsmithWriting is Scary. Write Anyway.From Amy:When Cara Pacific Campbell first inquired about working with me as a 1:1 Book Writing Mentor, she was reluctant, but not because she was my first book writing client per se. She was reluctant because she'd never written a book, especially about such tender topics, but she was determined to write her book because it wouldn't leave her alone. As in, she was still living the experience she was writing about. A lot of people who end up working with me are like that. They have something to say, and it's tender and personal and ongoing...
2025-01-1429 min
Courageous WordsmithStorycraft: Under ConstructionFrom Amy:I met Nicole Diaz in the life-coaching world around the time that I was first envisioning my online community for real-life writers. She demonstrated a brilliant understanding of the creative process, and I had this idea of hosting Idea Parties as the centerpiece of my work with writing groups, with Parker Palmer's work as my model. Nicole was a Parker Palmer fan too. So for a few years, we collaborated to host once-a-month calls on Saturday mornings where we let beautiful words draw us into our writing.Afterwards, people spoke their voices into...
2024-12-2123 min
Courageous WordsmithStorycraft: ResistanceFrom Amy:I met Nicole Diaz in the life-coaching world around the time that I was first envisioning my online community for real-life writers. She demonstrated a brilliant understanding of the creative process, and I had this idea of hosting Idea Parties as the centerpiece of my work with writing groups, with Parker Palmer's work as my model. Nicole was a Parker Palmer fan too. So for a few years, we collaborated to host once-a-month calls on Saturday mornings where we let beautiful words draw us into our writing.Afterwards, people spoke their voices into...
2024-12-2115 min
Courageous WordsmithStorycraft: Writing in LayersFrom Amy:I met Nicole Diaz in the life-coaching world around the time that I was first envisioning my online community for real-life writers. She demonstrated a brilliant understanding of the creative process, and I had this idea of hosting Idea Parties as the centerpiece of my work with writing groups, with Parker Palmer's work as my model. Nicole was a Parker Palmer fan too. So for a few years, we collaborated to host once-a-month calls on Saturday mornings where we let beautiful words draw us into our writing.Afterwards, people spoke their voices into...
2024-12-2109 min
Courageous WordsmithMake Space for Your ArtFrom Amy:In the early days of my podcast, I hired Molly Darling and her now husband, Christian Rivera, to help me understand what it was to be a working creative with a business (as opposed to a dedicated real-life creative). I thought I was hiring them to help make my Instagram design more visually appealing, but I ended up rethinking my Courageous Wordsmith brand in significant ways. This includes renaming my podcast from Frau Amy's World to today's Courageous Wordsmith. (Good name for a business, equally good name for a podcast. Frau Amy was the remnants...
2024-12-1632 min
Courageous WordsmithAbout the AudiobookFrom Amy:From the beginning of my work as a "real" writer (which I had tried to be on my own for a very long time, but I couldn't move past the journaling stage... no matter how "gifted" anyone said I was at wordsmithing...) I have found that I cannot succeed without the support of collaborative partners whose gifts and vision complement mine. That's true of this podcast, and it's definitely true of an audiobook. So when my long-time podcast editor moved on to brighter things (he's a gifted musician who graduated from college and spends his...
2024-12-1235 min
Courageous WordsmithThe Origin of My Second BookFrom Amy:We were originally hoping for a November 22 release of my Tiny Altars audiobook on Audible, but that date came and went while it awaited its turn in Quality Assurance for over two weeks. Now it's December 3, and the audiobook has arrived, which reminds me that books, like children, arrive in their own time and way, no matter how we try to control it.Fun fact: From my first callings to write my personal narrative, I kept seeing the number 123 in association with my writing. This book always knew and was telling me what...
2024-12-0227 min
Courageous WordsmithWhat Tiny Altars Helped Me SeeFrom Amy: I had hopes of my audiobook being one thing, and instead it's another. It's my memoir on coming to deeper awareness of the role I play in my homeland, inside institutions, and how I couldn't stay there, and how I let myself wander and grieve. Anyway, I've said it before and I'll say it again. A book comes into the world in exactly the timing it wants to. The paperback came out on April 21, 2023.This audiobook wanted to come into the world on November 22, 2024.Listening to it in this light, I've thanked my...
2024-11-2025 min
Courageous WordsmithPoetry to Heal UsFrom Amy: I have been a fan of Linda's gorgeous imagery ever since I met her in an online writing forum. At the time, we were both publishing our books with birds on the cover. The thing about poetry is, sometimes, especially at a moment like now—one week out from pivotal presidential elections in the United States—where the rhetoric has gotten QUITE LOUD, and it's already been a LOUD nearly-decade, our nervous systems need a break. We need soothing words that speak to our humanity. And so this episode is intentionally timed for right now... Beyond that, I lo...
2024-10-2933 min
Courageous WordsmithVoice First: A Writer's ManifestoFrom Amy: I met Sonya at a Minneapolis bookstore, where she was reading from her latest collection of essays. Her writing voice is engaging. But it's the multiplicity of roles she occupies as a writer that fascinates me: from established professor of creative writing and published author, to her embrace of various voices still waiting to be released. For the people in my audience who long to write but feel constricted by "what's permitted," this conversation just may feel freeing.We end with three promising writing prompts to try for yourself.Sonya Huber is the...
2024-10-2335 min
Courageous WordsmithReturning the BonesFrom Amy: Gin Hammond is a friend of a friend, and when I heard about Returning the Bones, Gin's fictionalized account of her beloved Aunt Bebe, I very much wanted to talk with her. Gin had one request: that we release it before elections because this book's themes are so timely. Twenty days out from Election Day, that's what I'm doing. I highly recommend the audiobook.1946. Bebe Hammond, a shy bookworm with a wild imagination yearns to find her own voice in the world, but is held captive by the expectations of her family and the realities...
2024-10-1633 min
Courageous WordsmithTroublesome Themes Close to HomeFrom Amy: Terry Newby and I met in the spring of 2023 and found resonance between our writing that led us to trade books. We wanted to explore what it was to write about real people related to us, Terry in historical fiction and plays, me in creative nonfiction, specifically memoir. This is the third and final episode that resulted from that conversation. While Terry and I write different genres, the fact remains that we're writing around similar troublesome themes in American history, a history that is very much still playing out in modern-day patterns. We simply come to our...
2024-09-2633 min
Courageous WordsmithWriting About People You KnowFrom Amy: Terry Newby and I met in the spring of 2023 and found resonance between our writing that led us to trade books. We wanted to explore what it was to write about real people related to us, Terry in historical fiction and plays, me in creative nonfiction, specifically memoir. This is the second of three episodes that resulted from that conversation. While Terry writes about real people using fiction to convey larger truths, he wondered what it's like when the people I write about are real people, and my contract with a reader of creative nonfiction says that...
2024-09-2127 min
Courageous WordsmithDangerfield's PromiseFrom Amy: Terry Newby and I met in the spring of 2023 and found resonance between our writing that led us to trade books. We wanted to explore what it was to write about real people related to us, Terry in historical fiction and plays, me in creative nonfiction, specifically memoir. This is the first of three episodes that resulted from that conversation. In Terry's case, the relative was Dangerfield Newby, a newly-emancipated black Virginian determined to buy his wife and children out of slavery, and the first of John Brown's men to be killed in the ill-fated raid on...
2024-09-1243 min
Courageous WordsmithThe Veil Grows ThinA note from Amy about this excerpt from Tiny Altars: A Midlife RevivalEvery book, like every child, seems to arrive in its own divine timing and have its own significant birthday, and this is especially true for this memoir of history witnessed in real time. Because I had abruptly ended my teaching career midyear, I was available to be an up-close observer of a remarkable period in America, as a longtime student of 20th century German literature and film.And that's just a taste of my curriculum vitae.I always intended to...
2024-08-2121 min
Courageous WordsmithEmbodied Writing is HealingAmy chats with Erica Jones about embodied writing. They discuss the healing process through writing, and how their collaboration brings together their unique expertise in writing and somatic nervous system work. In particular, Erica shares her journey of processing trauma through storytelling.NOTE from Amy: In this episode, Erica and I talk about a book and an upcoming writing retreat. We originally thought the retreat might happen this fall, but if you listen to the episode, it's clear that our bodies know this timeline is fluid. We'll keep you posted.Erica Jones is a Transformational C...
2024-08-1430 min
Courageous WordsmithA Look Backstage at Courageous WordsmithIn this episode of Courageous Wordsmith, author and story coach Amy Hallberg reflects on her personal and professional journey over the past year, marked by the decision to re-center her business and hire a virtual assistant, Brooke Roy.Amy discusses the importance of finding collaborative partners, learning from missteps, and understanding her own creative and working style through the lens of Human Design. The episode features a candid conversation with Brooke about her life-changing trip to Egypt and its metaphoric significance in their working relationship and creative process.The episode underscores the necessity of support...
2024-07-1728 min
Courageous WordsmithAn Exercise from Amy's ArchivesThis is an old recording I found (or that found me) while I was working with audio files, and it seemed like the perfect timing to give you a sense of what it's like to work with me in a group writing session... which I offer regularly in my Circle for Real-Life Writers and when I facilitate writing retreats. Even if you don't want to write, the first part of the recording talks about some of the push and pull between different parts of your mind that make it hard to get traction with writing. In case you were w...
2024-07-0318 min
Courageous WordsmithTiny Altars BackstoryAmy Hallberg is the award-winning author of German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is a podcaster, story coach, book writing mentor, and the founder of Courageous Wordsmith. A lifelong Minnesotan, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats.https://amyhallberg.comhttps://write.courageouswordsmith.comYou can read more about Tiny Altars here.You can buy Tiny Altars here. Emma Magenta is a feminist Life Coach who helps people-pleasers, overachievers, and perfectionists stop being so hard on themselves, and start feeling a...
2023-04-2747 min
Courageous WordsmithMoving Past Barriers to HealingSara Taylor is an existential life coach for people with tendencies toward anxiety, depression, and ADHD. She collaborates with clients to facilitate generational and self healing so they can find more meaning and satisfaction in life, whether it’s in parenting, in profession, or other creative endeavors.Websitehttps://sarabtaylor.com/Instagram@sarabtaylorphdFacebook@sarabtaylorphd
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of...
2023-01-1239 min
Courageous WordsmithPreparing to Share Your Great Big StoryAllyson Scammell is a master intuitive business coach, psychic medium, and expert energy healer. Her mission is to help soul-guided leaders, influencers and entrepreneurs with big soul missions to earn more, serve more, and grow spiritually along the way.Websitehttps://allysonscammell.com/The Story of My Near Death Experience:https://allysonscammell.com/episode35/https://allysonscammell.com/episode36/https://allysonscammell.com/episode37/
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the...
2022-12-1823 min
Courageous WordsmithTelling Ghost StoriesMichelle Wolff teaches, podcasts, and coaches using story, humor, and some salty language. She holds a Master's degree in Education, has 25 years of experience working with people, and loves to help multi-passionate people stop procrastinating, focus up, and get stuff done. She’s been a therapist specializing in trauma, mental health, and addictions. She’s now an author, trauma-informed coach, Human Design Specialist, and the creator of Forest Reiki™ energy healing. She uses laser-sharp intuition, channeled information, and at times communications from those who’ve crossed over, to guide people from confusion to clarity and from resistance to inspired action.
2022-12-1327 min
Courageous WordsmithHow to Talk About Tender Topics (or not)Katherine Quie is the author of Raising Will: Surviving the Brilliance and Blues of ADHD and hosts The Brilliance and Blues of ADHD Podcast. As a licensed child psychologist who has specialized in ADHD for the last 20 years, Katherine founded ADHDandU because she believes that every child deserves the support to thrive. Currently, we're falling short as a nation in understanding ADHD. This is so sad because kids with ADHD are some of the sweetest, smartest, most creative human beings she knows! Her mission is to cultivate the brilliance in every ADHD child.Katherine is also Amy's...
2022-12-0230 min
Courageous WordsmithReclaiming our GiftsBev Barnes is a Soul’s Calling® Coach, Instructor & Life Coach Mentor. She coaches Life Coaches, healers, creatives, and meaning seekers, to outwit their fear and self-doubt so that they can shine their light and do the work that they were meant for.Bev holds a master’s degree in the Human Behavior Sciences, a graduate diploma in Brief & Strategic therapy, graduate training in Career Counseling, and Master Life Coach certification. She’s the creator of the Soul’s Calling® Method and is known as a highly intuitive yet grounded Facilitator & Coach.Website:https://ww...
2022-11-1332 min
Courageous WordsmithWelcome the Wild WomanKeri Mangis is an author, speaker and owner of Curiosa Publishing, LLC. Her work has appeared in Spirituality and Health magazine, Star Tribune, Elephant Journal, Addicted to Success, and many others. Embodying Soul: A Return to Wholeness—A Memoir of New Beginnings, won several awards, including the 2020 IPA award for Mind, Body & Spirit. Book her to speak at your next event! And check out Embodying Soul, now available as an audiobook.Websitehttp://www.kerimangis.com/Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/kerimangiswriterTwitterhttps://twitter.com/KeriMangis...
2022-10-3134 min
Courageous WordsmithWe Need to RestRebecca Shisler Marshall, PhD, believes in holistic wellness that combines the wisdom of the body, mind, emotions, energy, and spirit. As a recovering stress addict, she found (again and again) that holistic rest, shamanic work, and wellness has profound ripple effects on both herself and her clients. The Centered Wellness Framework she developed helps women overcome exhaustion and have more energy. You can experience powerful shamanic and energetic rest in her community, A Place to Rest.www.centeredyou.com https://www.centeredyou.com/a-place-to-rest/https://www.facebook.com/yogiprofhttps://www.i...
2022-10-1532 min
Courageous WordsmithWriting a Taboo MemoirKatherine North is a writer and executive coach, helping high achieving, secretly sensitive women declare dominion over their demanding lives. She is the author of Holy Heathen: A Spiritual Memoir, a story of her metamorphosis from a scared missionary kid growing up in Japan to a thriving heathen mystic. She and her husband Nick North made an award-winning documentary, Just Another Beautiful Family, and recently appeared on Discovery Plus show Life Under Renovation. Their blended “rainbow” family of seven lives off the coast of Canada.http://declaredominion.comhttps://instagram.com/declaredominion https://www.f...
2022-09-1134 min
Courageous WordsmithFacing Past TraumaAbout Robin Richards:Robin Richards, M.A., Ed.S., is pioneering empowered healing with education, inspiration and support through complementary therapies, teaching and coaching at Robin's WellNest. Robin has worked tirelessly to transform her childhood and adult trauma into triumph while inspiring and supporting others along the way. Website: www.robinswellnest.com An Offer from Amy:Dear Writer,Want to collaborate with me?I can help you be the author you're meant to be so that you can write beautiful stories and publish cre...
2022-03-0630 min
Courageous WordsmithRecovery from AddictionAbout Robin Richards:Robin Richards, M.A., Ed.S., is pioneering empowered healing with education, inspiration and support through complementary therapies, teaching and coaching at Robin's WellNest. Robin has worked tirelessly to transform her childhood and adult trauma into triumph while inspiring and supporting others along the way. Website: www.robinswellnest.com An Offer from Amy:Dear Writer,Want to collaborate with me?I can help you be the author you're meant to be so that you can write beautiful stories and publish cre...
2022-02-2328 min
Courageous WordsmithProgressive ChristianityI haven't talked a lot about my religious foundations, which come straight out of the American Colonial period, because... well, it's complicated, right? So grateful to Nina Jonson for joining me to talk about Christianity in 2022 and how the church reconciles its role in racism, xenophobia, and colonialism with "loving everyone."Nina Jonson is the Director of Children and Youth Ministry at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis, the church her family has attended for generations. There is little she loves more than supporting children and young people, and all her employment history—from bee educator at an ap...
2022-01-2532 min
Courageous WordsmithSeed MomentsRebecca Shisler Marshall, PhD helps women who have tried everything, to get unstuck, feel better, and have more energy. She is an expert in integrative wellness, certified life coach and yoga instructor, mindfulness teacher/researcher, and nutrition nut. She is the founder of Centered Living and has been an Associate Professor for over 20 years. The Centered Wellness Framework is the basis for her podcast, individual sessions, the Whole Body Upgrade course, and the Centered Wellness certification program for healers.Website:www.CenteredYou.comPodcast:https://bit.ly/WBUpodcastRebecca...
2022-01-1328 min
Courageous WordsmithWhere the Deer DreamSarah Bamford Seidelmann M.D.was a fourth-generation physician living a nature-starved, hectic lifestyle until a walrus entered her life and changed everything. She’s a Shamanic Mentor and the author of several popular books including her memoir Swimming with Elephants, The Book of Beasties, and a daily devotional How Good Are You Willing to Let It Get? Critics are saying her new novel, Where the Deer Dream, is “Enchanting!”Website:followyourfeelgood.comFacebook:facebook.com/FollowYourFeelGoodInstagram:instagram.com/sarahseidelmannWhere the Deer Dream:B...
2021-12-1526 min
Courageous WordsmithCreativity and MourningSarah Bamford Seidelmann M.D.was a fourth-generation physician living a nature-starved, hectic lifestyle until a walrus entered her life and changed everything. She’s a Shamanic Mentor and the author of several popular books including her memoir Swimming with Elephants and a daily devotional How Good Are You Willing to Let It Get? Critics are saying her new novel, Where the Deer Dream, is “Enchanting!”Website:followyourfeelgood.comFacebook:facebook.com/FollowYourFeelGoodInstagram:instagram.com/sarahseidelmannWhere the Deer Dream:Buy Sarah's new bo...
2021-12-0936 min
Courageous WordsmithIt's Time to Do BetterWhite backlash against Racial equity work has gotten BIG. I refuse to believe that all of us white people think it's acceptable. Still, our silence speaks volumes. I believe we avoid talking about it because it's so BIG, that we don't know how to counteract it, so big it's swinging elections and fueling book banning. And it's so TINY, in acts of microaggression that happen in a moment but carry deep significance. How do we get all that nuance right? Dana Smith, my cousin by marriage, has been kind enough help me understand her perspective as a Black Minnesotan...
2021-11-0933 min
Courageous WordsmithTell a Different StoryNatalie Miller is a boldly feminist coach who helps evolutionary leaders and creatives live well and do good. She works with people who achieve themselves into golden cages: work, relationships, and everyday lives that look lovely but feel way too small. Coaching with Natalie, they free themselves to walk their talk, live generously, and get as BIG as they know they're meant to be. Acquaint yourself with more of Natalie's magic on her weekly podcast, Mind Witchery.Websitenataliekmiller.comFacebookfacebook.com/nataliekmillerInstagraminstagram.com...
2021-10-1327 min
Courageous WordsmithSeason 3 TrailerAmy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German
Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous
Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for
Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers
through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works,
specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of
grown twins, Amy lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats.
Get Amy's Books and Audiobooks
2021-10-1101 min
Courageous WordsmithWhen Writing Challenges UsKatie Sanders is a sensory designer and HSP (highly sensitive person) coach who supports those with anxiety, sensitivities, adhd, autism, and chronic illnesses through their surroundings, senses and personalized systems. She helps them work with their natural gifts to create studio spaces they not only love, but where they can thrive.Websitehttps://createmysanctuary.comInstagramhttps://instagram.com/createmysanctuaryFacebookFB: https://facebook.com/createmysanctuary
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American...
2021-09-2834 min
Courageous WordsmithReconnecting to NatureLynn Trotta is a nature-based mentor and certified life-coach who guides empaths and sensitive souls out of the overwhelm of distraction culture and into peace and belonging, through a rooted and sacred relationship with nature.Since 2005 she’s been helping people fall madly in love with the wild… both inside and out, by sharing easy-to-follow connection practices fostering mindfulness, purpose, and greater intuition.Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/611928405943312Websitewww.lynntrotta.com
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and Germa...
2021-09-1431 min
Courageous WordsmithA Return to Live TheaterRough Magic Performance Company is a professional theater company focused on supporting women artists, audiences, and stories; we strive to embrace the complexities and diversity of women’s experiences from classics to contemporary work while promoting artistic excellence and community engagement. Co-Artistic Directors Alayne Hopkins and Catherine Justice founded Rough Magic to empower women artists to take ownership of the process of creating and telling the stories they perform. Their collaborations include a podcast and live theater productions in the Twin Cities.https://www.roughmagicperformance.orgBuy tickets for Norma Jeane Baker of Troy, July 1-1...
2021-06-0925 min
Courageous WordsmithAuthor MythsRoseanne Cheng is an author, writing coach, ghostwriter, and book marketing consultant. She's the co-founder of Evergreen Authors, an online school teaching creatives how to get their work out into the world.www.evergreenauthors.com—Amy's e-Book, Shiny Objects 101: Eleven key tools to access muses, face Inner Trolls & Find Powerful Stories so that you can write & publish books your audience (& you) will loveAmy's FREE Narrative Masterclass on May 18, 2021
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. Sh...
2021-05-1332 min
Courageous WordsmithGifts from the Other SideFormerly a Teach for America teacher and IBM tech writer, Kiki Kelley went on to become Google's first editor ever, rose to senior editor, and helped the company IPO. Kiki's surprise miracle daughter, Madeleine, has seen her mother start a charitable foundation, study Jungian psychoanalysis, and make history as USA Wrestling's first woman team leader for Men's Greco-Roman wrestling. This led to Kiki being the first woman to enter any sports arena in Iran since 1979. Following interviews for media outlets such as the BBC, Kiki was featured at the Olympics museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, and in The Inspirational Woman...
2021-05-0424 min
Courageous WordsmithThoughts about ThoughtworkRay DePaola is Owner, Creator & Wizard of Sunrise Journeys Life Coaching | Master Wayfinder & Coach | Co-conspirator | Life Guide | SpiritWalker | DreamCatcher | Experimenting in living a life of purpose, sustained through play, satisfaction, and joywww.sunrisejourneys.comhttps://www.facebook.com/SunriseJourneysLifeCoachinghttps://www.instagram.com/sunrisejourneys/—Amy's Shiny Objects 101—Eleven key tools to access muses, face Inner Trolls & Find Powerful Stories so that you can write & publish books your audience (& you) will love
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tale...
2021-04-0727 min
Courageous WordsmithA Journalist's Healing StoryRebecca Tolin is a mind-body coach who helps people heal from chronic fatigue, pain, headaches, anxiety and other stress-related symptoms. Rebecca recovered from 13-years of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome through the groundbreaking work of Dr. John Sarno, who coined the term TMS, and other pioneers in mind-body healing. Her classes blend neuroscience, somatic and emotional work, affirmations and behavioral changes. Rebecca loves helping others recover their wellbeing and spirit. Her next course How We Heal Chronic Pain & Fatigue begins May 4, 2021. You can learn more here:https://www.rebeccatolin.com/how-we-healhttps://www.rebeccatolin.com...
2021-03-2529 min
Courageous WordsmithLetting Creative Plans ChangeStephanie L Walton has come to understand that success is failure reengineered. In her own life, she has seem massive failures reengineered into glorious successes. Stephanie has been a leader in several Fortune 500 companies over the last 20 years. Her commitment to courageous leadership, self-awareness, and vulnerability, has successfully allowed her to coach business owners and leaders for nearly a decade. Her motivation is something she learned in her faith, "you make your dreams come true, when you help others achieve theirs." Stephanie is the author of Succeeding with Passion.Stephanie's Website: https://succeedingwithpassion.com
2021-03-0432 min
Courageous WordsmithBlack and White TranslationFrom Amy:This is a tender and important topic for me. As a white woman, I'm afraid of getting it wrong. At the same time I'm so proud of this episode.More importantly, I thank Stephanie Walton for engaging in this exchange. There's something so damaging when white culture denies the truths of Black people, and has for generations. And yet, here we are.I strongly suspect—and Stephanie affirms—I've been missing some good stuff at the intersections of our two cultures by not digging deeper. So I'm educating myself—and som...
2021-02-1731 min
Courageous WordsmithPandemic HumorFrom Amy: This episode, recorded shortly after elections, was originally intended for the morning of January 6, but was mercifully delayed. One week later, as the horrors of that day come to light and we impeach the outgoing president a second time, it's the only episode I feel OK airing. Cory Busse provides comic relief without looking away from the people. I'm going to let him explain.Cory's take on it: When my parents died, I unwillingly inherited their off-brand Christmas village. This is how I get back at my siblings for making me take it....
2021-01-1329 min
Courageous WordsmithTruth hurts. So now what?Azna Amira was the first Black woman reporter for the Wall Street Journal. She's lived in Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Northfield, Minnesota—the town where we both attended Carleton College.I met Azna in Northfield, where she returned to live following a reunion. She was among the first Black students, graduating the year I was born, and first to challenge prevailing white perspectives. Eighteen years later, Carleton was where I first had my white mindset challenged. So it felt like coming full circle to sort through this year's landmark events with her.In Azna's words:...
2020-12-3029 min
Courageous WordsmithWriting as a Path to Healing, Part TwoBradley Bodeker is a Minnesota Maori storyteller and multimedia artist who likes to play guitar and sing at local bars with his band Snow White and the Brown Man. He also creates mosaic portraits of music legends using their lyrics to make up the image. On Facebook, he enjoys sharing Coffee with Friends on Sunday mornings and hosting live readings on holidays. Bradley's books include a poetry collection—The Broken Mirror Reflected; horror fiction–Midnight Snacks, Nyctophobia, and Zechariah 14:12; and a book aptly titled Bar Napkin Rants. Bradley is currently working on two projects, The Ballad of Broke...
2020-12-2424 min
Courageous WordsmithWriting as a Path to Healing, Part OneBradley Bodeker is a Minnesota Maori storyteller and multimedia artist who likes to play guitar and sing at local bars with his band Snow White and the Brown Man. He also creates mosaic portraits of music legends using their lyrics to make up the image. On Facebook, he enjoys sharing Coffee with Friends on Sunday mornings and hosting live readings on holidays. Bradley's books include a poetry collection—The Broken Mirror Reflected; horror fiction–Midnight Snacks, Nyctophobia, and Zechariah 14:12; and a book aptly titled Bar Napkin Rants. Bradley is currently working on two projects, The Ballad of Broke...
2020-12-1623 min
Courageous WordsmithStaging Studio SpaceKatie Sanders is a Digital/UX Designer turned Sensory Designer who helps kids and adults create sanctuaries in their homes. She discovered late in life that she has auditory processing disorder and dyslexia which allows her to understand her son’s similar needs with autism and sensory processing. Using 20 years experience in how people use technology and why, combined with color theory and practical design, she transitioned to helping families create brilliant routines and renewing spaces. She lives in Seattle with her husband and son. Please visit her website, where you can download "Elements of a Sensory Sanctuary."...
2020-12-0926 min
Courageous WordsmithOpening MinnyRow MarketDana and Peter Smith are owners of MinnyRow Market (MRM), a boutique grocer that specializes in locally sourced and ethically produced foods. Their goal is to create a community around the local food and products they carry, reflecting a blend of their two backgrounds.Dana’s passion is customer service. She graduated from the University of Saint Thomas, majoring in journalism. Prior to meeting Peter, Dana worked as an educator at lululemon and then helped open Nordstrom Ridgedale as a denim specialist. Peter knows food. He graduated from Le Cordon Bleu and held various kitchen jobs, most no...
2020-11-1820 min
Courageous WordsmithSystems Support for CreativesShellie Miller is a coffee-loving, systems-master, no-BS, magic-loving business coach for ambitious and creative entrepreneurs and business builders.Gathering your business team and tools as an entrepreneur can be tricky. Shellie provides solutions to these creative nomads in their journey. Through collaborative conversation and a supportive arena, Shellie has cultivated a garden that can feed the work of clients as they navigate the landscape of their business. (And yes, note from Amy, those garden and coffee metaphors helped me make sense of a whole lot of abstraction.)Business Building Workshop:https://4atribe.com...
2020-10-0626 min
Courageous WordsmithPerfectly Imperfect Paradigm ShiftsEmily P.G. Erickson is a mental health researcher and psychotherapist turned writer. She began practicing mindfulness meditation in 2007, while living in Thailand and hasn’t stopped learning about mindfulness since. Her writing about culture, mental health, mindfulness, and motherhood has been featured in various publications, including Scary Mommy, Motherly, and Motherwell. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and children. Emily's Website: https://emilypgerickson.com/Emily's Medium Article: https://medium.com/@emilypgerickson/how-perfectionism-and-white-supremacy-culture-are-connected-a0e47da6f8c5Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmilyPGEricksonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilypgericksonIns...
2020-09-1022 min
Courageous WordsmithWelcoming Black Voices in the SuburbsDr. Nneka Sederstrom was Director of the Center for Ethics and Director of the Spiritual Care Department at Medstar Washington Hospital Center in Washington DC before coming to Children's Minnesota as Director of the Clinical Ethics Department. She earned her PhD in Medical Sociology, MPH in Global Health Management, and MA in Philosophy. She is widely published in Clinical Ethics and speaks regularly at national and international meetings.Dr. Sederstrom loves to read (especially long epic fantasy series), dance, knit, and engage in all things crafty. She is the first African American woman bakery owner to use...
2020-09-0231 min
Courageous WordsmithSelf Care in Unprecedented TimesRebecca Shisler Marshall, PhD (CCC-SLP) is the founder of Centered Living and an Associate Professor at the University of Georgia. She completed her master’s and PhD in Experimental Cognitive Psychology at the University of South Carolina concurrently with a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, which inspired her research examining attention post-stroke, especially in individuals with aphasia (a language disorder).After two master’s degrees and a PhD, Rebecca describes herself as a recovering stress addict, turned intuitive healer and spiritual teacher. She incorporates work as a certified yoga instructor and life coach, shamanic practitioner, Reiki master...
2020-08-2429 min
Courageous WordsmithHolding Space to Talk about RaceLisa Harris is an author, storyteller, poet, narrative coach and the CEO and founder of Fashion Meets Poetry. Before entrepreneurship, Lisa spent 18+ years in executive leadership roles working for and with Fortune 100 companies and nationally recognized brands. In 2016, Lisa published her first book, Unveiled Beauty: Handwritten Stories From a Poetic Heart which inspired an entire personal development and storytelling platform. This year marks her 4th year producing Unveiled Beauty storytelling events, coaching and speaking. Today, Lisa successfully helps women unveiled their stories and reclaim their personal power through storytelling. Lisa believes storytelling has the power to heal the world...
2020-08-1033 min
Courageous WordsmithLiving Your Super Secret VisionRay DePaola is Owner, Creator & Wizard of Sunrise Journeys Life Coaching | Master Wayfinder & Coach | Co-conspirator | Life Guide | SpiritWalker | DreamCatcher | Experimenting in living a life of purpose, sustained through play, satisfaction, and joyRay's Website: www.sunrisejourneys.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunriseJourneysLifeCoachingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunrisejourneys/
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing...
2020-07-2736 min
Courageous WordsmithCreativity Heals the HeartJennifer Bauer is a Master Wayfinder Coach, Breathwork Meditation Healer, Reiki Practitioner, Author, and Public Speaker.Website: www.jennbauerhealing.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.bauer.54772IG: https://www.instagram.com/elationexplorer/This was the quote from David Elliott's Healing:"The higher dimensional beings, call them God, angels, deities, spirits, masters, or light are choosing to get our attention now. They are calling forth the contracts signed long ago; for many the time of amnesia is over. If you know you are a messenger with a message to...
2020-07-1428 min
Courageous WordsmithRecovering from a Dream JobSasha Mobley is an executive coach, author of The Strong Woman Trap: A Feminist Guide for Getting Your Life Back, and Master Facilitator of Navigating Challenging Dialogue. When she isn't writing or working with clients, Sasha enjoys studying Japanese art and culture, paddleboarding, and spending time with her wife, Keri. If you want to learn more about Sasha's writing you can visit her at Sashamobley.com or to work with her go to NCDsolution.com.
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is...
2020-03-1128 min
Courageous WordsmithLife as Human Embodying SoulOn the surface, Keri Mangis comes across as a gentle, if candid, introvert. Peel back a layer and you’ll uncover an inquisitive explorer of inner and outer realms. Peel back another and you'll see a brave visionary pioneering her own brand of spiritual revolution. She's taught or studied yoga, Ayurveda, herbal medicine, energy work, aromatherapy, Buddhism, Hinduism, Tantra, and Christianity.A Minneapolis-based writer and speaker, Keri's work has appeared in Elephant Journal, Urban Howl, The Sunlight Press, Grown and Flown, Rebelle Society, The Good Men Project, Stitch, and Literary Mama. Embodying Soul is her first book.
2020-02-1929 min
Courageous WordsmithA Beautiful DistillationThis is the second of two episodes celebrating four years this month since I started life coach training and met my friend Kaliopi Nikitas, who is completely and honestly one-of-a-kind.Kaliopi says this about herself:Nature lover. Scientist. Introvert. Artist.Perpetual seeker of awe & inspiration.Living with a chronic illness for over 8 years has forced me to dramatically alter my way of life. Whether I've wanted to or not, I've had to slow down and live in alignment with my body's needs.Fun Facts:I have a toy...
2020-02-0412 min
Courageous WordsmithHomebound Avian ArtistRecorded last summer (when the name of this podcast was still the original Frau Amy's World), this is the first of two episodes celebrating four years this month since I started life coach training and met my friend Kaliopi Nikitas, who is completely and honestly one-of-a-kind.Kaliopi says this about herself:Nature lover. Scientist. Introvert. Artist.Perpetual seeker of awe & inspiration.Living with a chronic illness for over 8 years has forced me to dramatically alter my way of life. Whether I've wanted to or not, I've had to slow down and...
2020-01-2221 min
Courageous WordsmithWill Ray Decide to Write a Book?If you've listened to my conversations with Ray DePaola before, it won't surprise you that I've always seen a book on his horizons. But! While he never says no outright, there's great resistance, by his own admission. He suggested I coach him around that, and I know I say this every time, but this is one of my absolute favorite episodes so far.If Ray speaks to you, consider reaching out.Conversations can include thought work and inquiry, dream analysis, mind-body connection, energy awareness, animal messengers, Spirit Guides, and Oracle cards. They ALWAYS h...
2019-12-1935 min
Courageous WordsmithTeacher to AuthorPeople often ask about my publishing experience, and mine is definitely unique. I kept running into Roseanne Cheng, a former trusted colleague who left teaching before me. Every time we crossed paths, she'd be three steps ahead of me as an author. Which made Roseanne an amazing, door-opening mentor, not just to me but many authors. You'll want to hear this.Roseanne Cheng is a teacher, an author, a mom, a book-marketer, and yogi all wrapped up into one. You can find her books at www.teachablelit.com, and get advice on marketing books at www.evergreenauthors...
2019-12-1024 min
Courageous WordsmithBridging Academia with ShamanismRebecca Shisler Marshall, PhD helps women with health challenges, who have tried everything and are ready to feel better and have more energy. This started with herself first.An associate professor for 19 years, she researches mindfulness and integrated wellness. She is also the founder of Centered Living, offering an intuitive and integrated approach to wellness. Rebecca is also a certified yoga instructor and life coach, a mindfulness instructor, shamanic practitioner, and Reiki Master.Vibrant Yoga Retreat in Mexico, January 2020InstagramFacebookYouTubeRebecca's Website
...
2019-10-2923 min
Courageous WordsmithHow Teachers Grow from Allies to AdvocatesAmy Hallberg talks with Kelly D. Holstine, a former colleague who, long before she became Minnesota Teacher of the Year, had a huge impact on helping Amy claim the role of advocate for LGBTQ youth. Kelly shares the difference between Allies and Advocates, her experience as a Lesbian educator who chose to stay out of the closet, how winning Teacher of the Year helped her dig deeper, and why equity work matters for ALL of us. This podcast is especially for all of us non- (or lesser-) marginalized folks who want to know how we can step u...
2019-10-1530 min
Courageous WordsmithHow an Artist Claims Her ResilienceMolly Elizabeth, the artist and imagination champion behind The Darling Revolution, talks about finding healing through art, first with postpartum depression (and since then, other chaotic events).This conversation surprised us both when it led us into Molly's former religious ties, how she chose to trust herself over church teachings, and how she chooses to face challenges since then.As a creative mentor and podcaster, Molly dedicates herself to building safe spaces where people can imagine better ways to create and trust themselves. A self-proclaimed process-based artist, she is passionate about using color and creativity...
2019-10-0134 min
Courageous WordsmithWhen an Athlete Has to Rethink Her PlansCourageous Wordsmith Podcast is back with a new name and new image, but the same spirit. In a similar way, Katie Krauska was a dedicated, high performing sailor who shifted her attention (and passion) to cycling. When she suffered a major setback, she had to rethink her approach not only to athletic performance, but every aspect of her life. Her story of resilience offers a fitting reintroduction to Courageous Wordsmith Podcast.A former Spanish student of mine, Katie is a cyclist competing in gravel, road, and mountain bike races. She's also an undergrad at UW-Madison studying biochemistry...
2019-09-2426 min
Courageous WordsmithCourageous Wordsmith Podcast PreviewCourageous Wordsmith presents conversation with Real-Life Creatives. Author, Certified Master Coach, and Story Mentor Amy Hallberg poses this question: How do we find and (give ourselves permission to) follow our Creative callings.
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mother of gr...
2019-08-2501 min
Courageous WordsmithHealing (with) Your Lineage, Part TwoIn this two-part season finale, Ray DePaola and I discuss ancestral lineage as a path to healing, his through a treasured family story, mine through a strong resistance to tracing my family tree.
After these final two episodes, I'm taking Frau Amy's World on hiatus until September, giving myself permission to dig deeper into my second book, Where the Other Me Lives. But what perfect conversations to go out on. Ray always gives me something to ponder. He's a Life Guide, a Peaceful Dude, and Nature’s Wingman. Some folks (like me!) call him Gandalf, so be fo...
2019-07-2931 min
Courageous WordsmithHealing (with) Your Lineage, Part OneIn this two-part season finale, Ray DePaola and I discuss ancestral lineage as a path to healing, his through a treasured family story, mine through a strong resistance to tracing my family tree.
After these final two episodes, I'm taking Frau Amy's World on hiatus until September, giving myself permission to dig deeper into my second book, Where the Other Me Lives. But what perfect conversations to go out on. Ray always gives me something to ponder. He's a Life Guide, a Peaceful Dude, and Nature’s Wingman. Some folks (like me!) call him Gandalf, so be fo...
2019-07-2230 min
Courageous WordsmithLife-Inspired MysteriesBarbara Deese couldn't not write. After a tragic loss with painful repercussions, writing became the source of healing that worked. After a while, that writing evolved into something much more, an entire mystery series centered on powerfully authentic women (members of a fictional book club), who investigate murder mysteries set in the Minnesota landscape where Barbara lives (for real).
Barbara is author of the No Ordinary Women Mysteries Series, including the book we discuss in this episode, Murder at Spirit Falls. Her short story "Release" appeared in Festivals of Crime and "Twisted" appeared in Dark Side of...
2019-06-2419 min
Courageous WordsmithHow Long Does Healing Take?Writers will tell you that moving into old stories can open old wounds, especially around loss.
That energy resides deep in our bodies, and it comes in waves. The trick is to let ourselves mourn, whenever that happens. Recently, Amy experienced this while working on her next book and reached out on Facebook for support. Fortunately, fellow Master Coach Jennifer Bauer answered the call. They reflect a few days later.
Plus Jenn's written a gorgeous new book of prompts for healing through writing.
Jenn's Website
Jenn's Instagram
Amy Hallberg...
2019-06-1829 min
Courageous WordsmithI Can't Be the One You Want Me to BeJillian Rae does well as a up-and-coming rockstar. She plays plenty of concerts. Minnesota Public Radio's music station The Current often features her music. And now she's about to release a long-awaited LP album. Jillian gives us a backstage look at how the album came together.
Jillian's Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube
Listen to the new album here
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous...
2019-05-2829 min
Courageous WordsmithWhen Your Mom Writes a Book About YouTen days and counting until Katherine Quie releases Raising Will: Surviving the Brilliance and Blues of ADHD. But she was never in this alone. Behind the book, there's Will and his life, his ADHD, his mom, and his music. Last summer, before leaving for college, Will sat down to talk about that.
Will's 2012 MN State Fair Performance
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As...
2019-05-2125 min
Courageous WordsmithKQ Releases Her BookWriting a book is like parenting. We think we'll write a book, but really the book also writes us -- and changes us in fundamental ways. Amy and Katherine talk about how that happens.
By her own (skewed) estimation, Katherine Quie has been writing her memoir for five billion years, but now here she stands, on the verge of launching Raising Will: Surviving the Brilliance and Blues of ADHD. At this milestone for her book (intimately tied to her parenting journey), Katherine and Amy reflect on all the ways she's progressed so far, and Katherine's hopes for...
2019-05-1417 min
Courageous WordsmithTapping into Core GiftsAllyson Scammell spent years in shadow careers that led her to learn about Core Gifts. First she tapped into her own, and now she helps soul-guided women entrepreneurs tap into theirs. A dreamer of big dreams, Allyson is a master coach, EFT practitioner, and intuitive consultant who dreams of one day owning a buffalo farm.
Allyson's Website (Act Quick for her May Offer!)
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous...
2019-05-0828 min
Courageous WordsmithThe Paths that Lead Us HomeLiz Olds was one of the first writing peers I met when I began taking classes in Creative Nonfiction. She was unapologetically herself, both in dress -- she has a banjo tattooed on her arm -- and in sharing her life's stories -- including trips through shadowlands. And through her example, I gained courage to begin sharing my stories. Over the years, I have come to know Liz's storied life well, and she is not only a survivor -- she is a mentor to so many others.
Here she reads her story of hitting rock bottom (five...
2019-05-0118 min
Courageous WordsmithSay Yes & Be BraveAmy Bernier left teaching in debilitating pain. Her body was telling her what her people-pleasing mind refused to admit: She was killing herself by trying to fit in. Since then, she's made radical changes. Amy shares her thoughts on how she chooses herself, and how that helps her be present for others.
Being Brave Podcast Facebook Page
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As...
2019-04-2427 min
Courageous WordsmithStaying True to Our StoriesKeri Mangis and Amy reflect on a particular challenge of memoir. How do we stay true to our stories, honor the people around us, and navigate the space between the two? Especially when the book is about your spiritual journey, this question matters.
Plus, a glimpse into the mind of a first-time author approaching the launch of her book. Embodying Soul: A Return to Wholeness comes out in October.
Keri's Website
Curiosa Publishing
Keri's Instagram
Keri's Facebook
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and...
2019-04-1519 min
Courageous WordsmithKQ Interviews AmyAmy Hallberg's writing partner Katherine Quie interviews Amy on her path from small town teacher's kid visiting the Berlin Wall to published author of German Awakening: Tales from an American Life.
Buy Amy's Book Here
Readers' & Writers' Guide
KQ's Website
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful wo...
2019-04-0921 min
Courageous WordsmithWrestling with Life's QuestionsWhen her traditionally successful life fell apart at midlife, Kiki Kelley saw two choices before her: go down a destructive path, or inspire her daughter and explore her creative side. Kiki chose art. In this episode, she walks us through her creative process and the unconventional results.
See Kiki's Work on My Website
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing...
2019-04-0228 min
Courageous WordsmithOK with Not Being OKDid you ever notice that when people ask how we are, we often answer, "I'm OK," even when we're clearly not? Even when we feel the opposite of OK, we tend to hide it.
Master Certified Life Coach and Nature's Wingman Ray DePaola helps people find their footing and navigate change, especially with men who want to face and heal painful patterns. Ray shares his own experiences with finding courage despite not being fully OK, and how he connects with the Divine, in himself and fellow humans.
Sunrise Journeys Coaching
Ray's Instagram
FB...
2019-03-1931 min
Courageous WordsmithLocate Yourself in the LandscapeThree voices converge to shape your true-life story:
Practice, Platform, Persona.
Amy talks about how she works this process, with examples from her telling of German Awakening: Tales from an American Life... and from the talk itself. Originally prepared as a talk for Author's Studio at Edina Art Center, Amy recorded this podcast episode due to a Minnesota Winter delay. Why this location matters? Although not mentioned in the book, the city of Edina had a huge impact on Amy's life, and it was speaking to her. (Twin Cities Folks, mark your calendar. New, original talk...
2019-03-1923 min
Courageous WordsmithTurtles & Other TalesJenn Bauer was a casual photographer who developed a deeper passion on an African trip. Now nature imagery occupies a central place in her life coaching practice. She believes nature's clues can open us up to healing and transformation. And the one animal seldom in her photos?
Turtles. She loves them so much she forgets to take pictures. Learn how you can travel with her to see them for yourself.
About Jenn's Turtle Retreats
Jenn's Instagram
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales...
2019-03-1915 min
Courageous WordsmithMy Friend, the Millennial RockstarRockstars are portrayed as larger than life. But how does a real-life person survive -- and thrive -- longterm as a working musician? Amy riffs with Jillian Rae, violinist, vocalist, and songwriter.
Jillian's Website
Jillian's Instagram
Jillian's First Album
Jillian's YouTube
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from in...
2019-02-2609 min
Courageous WordsmithSharing Origin StoriesWe often look at other people's stories and make our own meaning from there. But what's uniquely ours? And how do others inform us? How releasing the Readers' & Writers' Guide for German Awakening: Tales from an American Life helped Amy Hallberg gain fresh perspective on her book's origin story.
Get the FREE Readers' & Writers' Guide here.
Buy the signed book at Bookclub Prices here.
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and...
2019-02-1909 min
Courageous WordsmithWhen ADHD in Theory becomes Real LifeWhat does a Neuropsychologist who counsels others on ADHD do when ADHD comes home to her? If you're Katherine Quie, you adjust to this new normal, and then you write a book, the forthcoming Raising Will: Surviving ADHD's Brilliance and Blues. Meet my writing partner, KQ.
Will Quie's MN State Fair Performance
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor...
2019-01-2820 min
Courageous WordsmithOn Werewolves, Healthcare & Being CreativeCory Busse talks about resisting the title of Artist and how he gave himself permission to create. And not only does he create, but he's written an honest-to-goodness novel about "foolish" things, namely Werewolves.
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A lifelong Minnesotan and mo...
2019-01-2227 min
Courageous WordsmithAmy on Puzzles & WallsAmy unpacks scenes from her true-life novel, German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. Here, at a distance of 30 years, she reflects on her graduation speech about the Berlin Wall.
Buy the signed book here at Bookclub Pricing.
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts an...
2019-01-1514 min
Courageous WordsmithAn MD finds her MagicSarah Bamford Seidelmann was a Board-Certified Pathologist who longed for something more. Think golden handcuffs, combined with an irresistible urge to wander in nature. She details that journey and where it's led her in Born to Freak: A Salty Primer, Swimming with Elephants, and most recently The Book of Beasties. In this Conversation with Real-Life Creatives, Sarah shares how she connected with Beasties and why this matters.
Learn more about Sarah here.
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the...
2019-01-0826 min
Courageous WordsmithA Preview of Frau Amy's WorldFrau Amy's World (precursor to Courageous Wordsmith Podcast) presents conversations with Real-Life Creatives. Author, Certified Master Coach, and Story Mentor Amy Hallberg poses this question: How do we find and (give ourselves permission to) follow our Creative callings?
Amy Hallberg is the author of Tiny Altars: A Midlife Revival and German Awakening: Tales from an American Life. She is the host of Courageous Wordsmith Podcast and founder of Courageous Wordsmith Circle for Real-Life Writers. As an editor and writing mentor, Amy guides writers through their narrative journeys—from inklings to beautiful works, specifically podcasts and books. A...
2018-12-2901 min