How do we navigate grief and process it? Most significantly, how do we handle emotional triggers when they seem to reinvigorate past grief? Podcast Host CJMiller sits down with Reverand Lora Brandis, a Unitarian Universalist Minister with experience as a congregational minister, hospital chaplain, and spiritual director.

Lora shares her personal experience navigating grief after the loss of her daughter, stepdaughter, ex-husband, and college friend in the space of only two years. It's essential to talk about our grief and death. We are afraid of the sadness we see in others. When Lora tells her story, she recognizes that it does stop the conversation.

There's something about acknowledging death; it gives us space to understand that we are all dying. It's going to be sad, and people will miss us. Denial of death runs through religion and our society.

Lora continues to serve as an on-call hospital chaplain, providing spiritual support for those in hospital emergency rooms as a witness to their experience. She shares a recent experience that triggered her memory of the loss of her ex-husband, including a situation with an emergency vehicle, the ride to the hospital, and the final realization that nothing could be done to save the patient.

She introduces the term "metabolize grief." Lora lost her daughter only months before COVID-19, and she found herself isolated in grief. She shares how something would trigger her, and she would stop midstride and sob. It's essential to give your whole self time to process the loss.

Lora lists several practices to walk through her sadness, including journaling, meditation, prayer, reading, painting, and gardening. Her spiritual practice includes journaling, and she consciously decided to write down every detail from the day of her daughter's death. A way to save it but not keep it active in her mind. However, she cautions against getting stuck in your story. It's crucial to monitor ourselves if we feel caught in grief and retelling our story repeatedly.

Sometimes, we don't have as much choice as we think when our emotions are triggered; we have to surrender to them. She suggests finding your squad of several close friends to walk you through the process with good boundaries.

Lora reminds us that we are meaning-making creatures. We make meaning from our experiences. The question to ask about a trigger is, "How am I making meaning now in this moment?" We can change the meaning of triggers if we let them, and we can change how we make meaning of our lives.

The conversation references Megan Devine's "It's OK That You're Not OK" and Eckhart Tolles's "The Power of Now." She also recommended www.refugeingrief.com. For more information on Lora's spiritual coaching or to book her as a speaker, visit www.lorabrandis.com. For more information on CJMiller's book, speaking, and spiritual art retreats, visit www.spiritualartisttoday.com.

Podcast host CJMiller chats with artist and author Sharon J. Burton about affirmations and her upcoming book release, "Creative Sparks: 21 Affirmations and Inspiration for Creativity at Midlife."

Sharon believes that many people from her generation have been suppressed from being creative, and when they arrive at midlife, they often have time and money to be creative but encounter blocks. Sharon shares her story of rediscovering her art side and describes her book as a love letter to others, saying, "You can do this."

Each chapter shares her personal story and presents a starting affirmation. The reader can adopt that affirmation or create one more specific to their needs. An affirmation should be written in the present tense. She encourages artists to pivot negative beliefs into positive language that begins a new thought pattern.

The author shares how she selects a new affirmation each day based on her intentions for that day. Before she journals, she writes an affirmation seven times. This ritual puts her in the right frame of mind before beginning the creative process. She also suggests putting your affirmations where you see them in your studio throughout the day. CJ places his affirmation on his mirror to read every morning.

Each chapter deals with issues often faced by artists. CJ and Sharon discuss an issue artists deal with imposter syndrome. Sharon asks the listener to locate where the feeling came from; did someone say something, or was it a voice in your head? Then, write the opposite in an affirmative statement. Write who you truly are.

She cautions that affirmations are a good tool but not a magic pill. Sometimes, we encounter blocks that require professional help. Affirmations are just tools that are part of your arsenal for being a creative person.

The artist concludes the podcast by encouraging everyone to celebrate and embrace their creativity.

Sharon J. Burton is an artist, art curator, poet, teaching artist, yoga nidra guide, certified creativity coach, and founder of Spark Your Creative based in the Washington, DC, area.

She is also the host of Spark Your Creative Podcast, which features artists and other creatives using their unique talents to create more mindful communities and a safer world.

She is the author of Creative Sparks: 21 Affirmations and Inspiration for Creativity at Midlife, published by Swiner Publishing Company, which will be released on May 14, 2024.

• The book launches on May 14 with a sale on the ebook Kindle version (let's not share the price)
• A Virtual Launch Party will start at 7 pm ET on the Spark Your Creative Facebook and YouTube page. There will be book and swag giveaways, a reading from the book by me, and interviews with two artists who contributed to the book.
• To learn more about the book, people can visit https://www.sparkyourcreative.com/book.html.

More information about CJ, can be found at https//www.spiritualartisttoday.com

Podcast Host CJMiller sits down with SUNY Old Westbury Assistant Professor and Mixed Media Artist Fred Fleisher to discuss symbolism in art.

Fred talks about creating art that deals with duality issues and the perceived separateness of each other. The imaginative artist shares his process and expanding practice in maintaining presence and flow when creating his 2-dimensional paintings and sculptural installations. Fred incorporates humor, cynicism, and satire into his work by combining symbolistic elements from our everyday social fabric. In essence, the artist uses humor in art to "get through the day" and deal with society's current challenges.

His process includes surrounding himself with a studio full of iconic "parts," entering a flow state and combining different elements to express himself. He discovers an idea for something, works it out, and then allows some freewheeling while sketching the image.

Fred uses his phone and iPad to set up his rough composition. From there, he goes to his canvas, where the idea progresses and emerges. "I allow energy to unfold and see what happens when I put disparate things together," he said.

His creations include assemblage art as well as 2-dimensional surfaces. Fred sources " Spiritual Moderns: Twentieth-Century American Artists and Religion" by Erica Doss and "The Spiritual Artist" by Christopher J. Miller as inspired sources.

In conversation, Fred ponders whether symbolism can stop us from spiritually communicating something more significant, while CJ ponders the opposite. As CJ prepares for an upcoming show, he struggles with not adding symbolic elements.

CJ shares how many of us try to qualify our spiritual worth by whether our art is successful. We are not trying to validate our worth when we create art. Both agree that we shouldn't let our perceived identities stop us from connecting to Spirit.

CJ and Fred also discussed the writing process. CJ encourages writers to get their thoughts down quickly and edit later. Fred references "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield.

According to Fred, creating art is a way to stop the mind chatter, the thoughts of duality, and practice presence. The podcast concludes with Fred sharing how communication, both verbally and through art, is the key to personal growth. For more information and samples of Fred's work, visit https://www.fredfleisher.net.

Fred Fleisher is originally from Pennsylvania and has lived in the New York metropolitan area for over twenty-five years. After enlisting in the Army, he earned an MFA from Queens College, CUNY, a BFA in Painting & Drawing, and a BS in Art Education from Penn State University. Both nationally and internationally, Galleries have represented his work, and he has had recent solo exhibitions in Brooklyn and New York City. He has been included in several exhibitions and numerous group exhibitions while working with curators in the art world. He also organizes and curates exhibitions and is an Assistant Professor at SUNY Old Westbury.

For more information on CJ and his art retreats, visit www.spiritualartisttoday.com. His book, "The Spiritual Artist," is available on Amazon.

In this episode, host CJ Miller questions Peace and Human Rights Activist Hadi Jawad on ways each of us can promote peace in our communities. How does someone promote Human rights and Peace on an individual scale? Hadi encourages the listener to familiarize themselves with the 30 principles of the Univeral Declaration of Human Rights and begin looking at news articles through the Human Rights lens.

Podcast Host CJMiller met Hadi Jawad while serving on an Interfaith Panel with a diverse group of Christians, Muslims, and Jews and quickly became friends. According to Hadi, it is ingrained in the human spirit to love and be kind to each other.

Hadi is a Dallas peace, justice, and human rights activist. He is a follower of the principles of non-violent resistance, as exemplified by the Reverend Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, and he opposes militarism and war. He served on the board of the Dallas Peace Center as an organizer from 1997 to 2015, chairing their Middle East Peace Committee and media spokesperson. He led efforts to organize protests against the US invasion of Iraq that culminated in the largest anti-war demonstration in Dallas history on February 15, 2003.

Hadi comes from a culture steeped in oral tradition and values the importance of storytelling and shares a story from his youth playing in his neighborhood. A wandering Sufi walked by and engaged him. The Sufi was dressed in traditional clothes and holding a begging bowl. At the end of the conversation, the Sufi stabs the dirt with his stick and picks something up. He motions for Hadi to put it in his mouth. In his memory, Hadi tasted the sweetest candy that he had ever had in the whole world and recognized the mysticism of the world.

The future activist was always gravitating to finding the good and miraculous in relationships. While Hadi was passionate about mathematics, he didn't want to enter the arms industry as an engineer, and instead, he pursued managing and owning a forklift business. Only years later did he listen to his true calling and decide to be an advocate for Peace and nonviolence.

According to Hadi, Judaism is the root of a tree, the trunk and the branches are Christianity, and Islam/Sufism is the foliage. Hadi explains some principles of Sufism. Sufis believe that anything material and non-material is one being, regardless of the question: Love is the answer. He defines this as the unity of being.

How do you stay in the centeredness of Peace:

1. When you're heart is being pierced, feel the pain and stay true to yourself. We are connected through our suffering.
2. Reach out to others.
3. Express gratitude for being alive.

Hadi is drawn to helping the underserved. He tends to look for opportunities to help those who have fallen through the cracks, and he believes that comes from his mystical side. He's drawn to mysticism and mystical thought and believes that love is mysticism.

According to Hadi, mystics understand that many of our desires are counterfeit coins and that mystics know where to find the real gold. Hadi shares a story about a villager who demands a diamond from a mystic. The diamond is represented as a rock, and the villager returns it the next day and says, "Give me the wealth that made it so easy for you to give the largest diamond in the world away."

Hadi believes that mystics know where the wealth is. It's not in your car. It's not in your relationships. It's not in a mansion. It's in our hearts. It's in love.

Hadi is working with Rick Halpern, Director of the Human Rights Program at SMU, to make the City of Dallas a Human Rights City that supports the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document is uploaded to the Spiritual Artist Today website and can be found in the practice guides section.

He concludes the inter

CJ interviews Dan about his current one-person show, "Pollinator / Not Pollinator (But mostly Bees)," at the Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park until April 28, and about the challenges of a solo show. Dan shares how he considered many different aspects when theming his show:

• The Texas Discovery Gardens location
• His attraction to drawing insects
• His environmental consciousness
• His poetry
• A bit of humor

He explains how producing a solo show differs significantly from submitting to a group show. It forces you to focus on your message, quality, and intent. A solo show expresses a unique aspect of you; who are you?

Environmental awareness is a strong message for Dan's show. Art has a responsibility to express the existential issues that we face today. You cannot find a place on the earth that doesn't have evidence of human beings.

Dan's show features paintings of insects and animals, all represented in a square format. Dan chose to present each creature abstractly to make an environmental statement. Additionally, he wanted to challenge himself compositionally by working within the confines of a small square. This exhibition showcases Dan's unique artistic style and his commitment to environmental awareness.

Dan uses writing and fine art separately as well as together. CJ and Dan discuss how he included poetry in his show and agree that artists don't have to "stay in our lane." We can mix different artistic disciplines.

Dan Collins, the local Dallas artist and poet, has maintained an artistic practice his entire life, participating recently in group shows such as Fresh Faces 2 x 2 at the White Rock Bath House and community art events such as the White Rock Studio Tour. He is co-owner of Tree House Studio with his wife, Rebecca, where they offer classes and workshops. His poetry has been published in various print journals and online. He is a commercial printer by profession. Now that he is closing in on retirement, he is looking forward to devoting all his time to visual and literary creative pursuits. He has contributed to and participated in the local literary scene in various capacities for over a decade.

For more information on CJ, visit www.spiritualartisttoday.com.
Instagram: cjmillerart, thespiritualartistpodcast
TikTok: spiritualartist123
YouTube: spiritualartist123
Facebook: @thespiritualartistpodcast

Podcast Host CJ Miller sits down with writer, artist, and podcaster Sally Jean Fox to discuss her new book, "Meeting the Muse After Midlife, a memoir about finding hope and meaning after 50"– mainly through creative expression.

Sally's journey includes releasing limiting beliefs, tapping into her intuition, and listening to the guidance of two muses, Isabel and Marco. She explains that aging is not all doom and gloom, nor a bed of roses, but the ideal place to take creative risks. We keep our imagination and creative power throughout our entire lives.

CJ opens the podcast by asking Sally to unpack one chapter of her book, “Finding the Girl in Madras." Sally explains how the "girl in Madras" is her own younger self and shares how two boys teased and humiliated her in fourth grade. She carried the shame of the experience for many years. As she began her muse-led journey, she released the pain caused by their comments and accepted herself.

Part of her healing included drawing faces and realizing that there are no ugly faces for an artist. Ultimately, it became a healing journey. CJ encourages listeners to find a childhood photo, re-examine it with fresh eyes, and send love to their youthful selves. Sally recommends drawing the photo, writing about it in your journal, or even singing a song about it.

Sally originally hesitated to share the concept of her muses, subtle personified presence that came into her life for guidance. Her first muse, Isabel, was gentle and maternal. Her second Muse, Marco, had a stronger, encouraging voice. While she wrestled with the question of their source, she decided it didn't matter; her muses rebuffed her inner critic and provided a counterweight. Approval is seductive, she emphasizes, but ultimately, we should enjoy the freedom to be ourselves.

Sally refers to some of Father Richard Rohr's teachings: the first half of our life is about building infrastructure, ego, and financial gain; the second half is an opportunity to embrace our spirituality.

Ultimately, she encourages the listener by issuing this challenge, "Do you help people in life? Do you forgive? Do you seek joy? Do you want to eliminate suffering in the world? Those are the things that speak to me."

The writer holds an MBA and PhD from Fielding Graduate University and lives with her horse and husband on an island near Seattle. For more information, visit her site, www.engagingpresence.com, and follow her Engaging Presence blog, or listen to her podcast, "Vital Presence."

For more information on CJ's book, podcast, or Spiritual Artist Retreats, visit www.spiritualartisttoday.com. His book, "The Spiritual Artist," can be found on Amazon.

How do we use our perceived disabilities and turn them into assets? In this episode, Host CJ Miller interviews Photo Realism Artist and Art Educator Leonard Buscemi (Lenny) on a unique gridding system that has propelled his students to win state and national awards.

Born with ADD and dyslexia, Lenny was raised in a "disability-aware" household and forced to discover fresh ways to navigate his artistic skills. He's developed a precise method of gridding to create stunning works of photorealism, leading to a life-long passion for helping those with mental handicaps and disabilities.

While waiting for his father during a sales call, Lenny found a book with an art activity where you draw as you look at a grid overlay on an original image. Later, he read about Johannes Vermeer and the use of a camera obscura. A camera obscura is a box, tent, or room with a small hole in one side or the top. Light from an external scene passes through the hole. The artist used a projector to trace the image. Lenny was experimenting with these techniques when his teacher emphasized the imp

His art mentor often said, "It doesn't matter how you get to the result with artwork. It's the result that matters. You don't walk around a museum and say, "How did they do that."

Lenny discusses how to make a grid for painting to help his students with their process. He found a way to use the system without leaving marks on the art and recommends starting with black-and-white projects before moving on to color. Lenny references the book by Betty Edwards, "Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain," as good reference material. He recommends breaking the art process down into bite-sized pieces.

CJ and Lenny discuss the importance of honoring art students by displaying their work at home and in schools to encourage creativity. He believes in positive reinforcement. Lenny says, "Inspiration is for amateurs. It's about doing the work."

Lenny paraphrases Romans 8:28, "All things work together for those who love the Lord."

According to the art educator, "We can experience bad things and say they destroyed us, or we could say that they created character in us so we can assist others."

In this podcast, CJ Miller explores and unpacks the effects of trauma and creativity with psychotherapist Dr. Don St. John.

Dr. Don has spent a lifetime exploring healing modalities after being raised by a physically and verbally abusive mother and an "almost non-existent" father. His recently revised book, "Healing the Wounds of Childhood and Culture," is available on Amazon. He has been engaging the four pillars of wholeness for almost 60 years: the Somatic, the Psycho-emotional, the Relational, and the Spiritual," and has taught and presented to the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Brazil.

CJ shares how he often asks his art students to reflect on their lives and see how their artwork was received as a child. He has found that moving past these situations can release new levels of creativity.

Dr. Don explains that his first response to the abuse was to freeze and live in a fantasy world. It wasn't until his early twenties that he recognized a need for healing. "Trauma affects your entire being, even your very tissues," said Dr. Don. "It affects our ability to relate to each other and our capacity for love." There is a creative aspect in turning those wounds into gold.

The interview includes the importance of listening to ourselves and others, addressing stored trauma in the body through the Continuum Consciousness movement, reexamining cultural belief systems, expressing gratitude, and listening to that internal voice for guidance.

Dr. Don reminds us to view trauma resolution as an "adventure of a lifetime" and recognize that you're having this moment because of everything that came before.

Dr. Don is certified as a Continuum Consciousness Teacher and believes in releasing trauma through the body. Trauma keeps us from living in the present because we are trying to protect ourselves from the wounds of the past. He assists people in fluid movement explorations to release trauma and resistance.

Continuum is an approach to exploring how we live in and move through our bodies. Continuum is a portal to a deeper awareness of, and connection to, embodiment, movement, learning, growth, well-being, and creativity. Attention to internal experience through breath, sound, meditative awareness, and fluid movement expands our experience of embodiment. Listeners can find local teachers for this modality by visiting www.continuumteachers.com.

In conclusion, Dr. Don encourages listeners to embark on their healing journey and become lifelong learners. He encourages everyone to be aware of the benefits of therapy and concludes the interview by asking, "Can you let love in? Can you increase your capacity for love?"

For more information on Dr. Don St. John, visit https://pathsofconnection.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/don.s.john.90
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/don-st-john-36636a55
For more information on CJ Miller, visit https://spiritualartisttoday.com