This episode is a co-release, originally recorded and released in August of 2025 on the podcast Intermission: Conversations with Theater People about anything but Theater, hosted by Marcus McQuirter. A previous guest on The Syncreate Podcast (Episode 73), Marcus is the Chair of the Drama Department at Austin Community College, where he teaches Voice, Acting, and Introduction to Theater. A storyteller at heart, he’s also a director, novelist, and podcaster. Our wide-ranging conversation touches on everything from the philosophy of art and arts education to religion, spirituality, and braving the creative wilderness.

Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.

If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 83: Proprioception with C. Prudence Arceneaux, Episode 73: Theatre, Storytelling, and the Labor of Creativity with Marcus McQuirter, PhD, and Episode 28: The Spirit of Collaboration with Attorney & Musician Randy Langford.

At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you’re not sure how to get it off the ground, find us at syncreate.org. Our book, also called Syncreate, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information on our website, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review! We’d love to hear your feedback as well, so drop us a line at info@syncreate.org.

Episode-specific hyperlinks:

Marcus McQuirter, PhD Austin Community College Faculty Profile

Austin Community College Drama Department Website

Intermission: Conversations with Theater People about anything but Theater

Show / permanent hyperlinks:

The Syncreate Podcast

Syncreate Website

Syncreate Instagram

Syncreate Facebook

Syncreate LinkedIn

Syncreate YouTube

Melinda Rothouse Website

Austin Writing Coach

Melinda Joy Music Website

Have you ever used your creativity to navigate a difficult situation or make an important life decision? In this episode of our Creative Spark series, Melinda and Charlotte describe how creativity can save your life, both literally and metaphorically, sharing stories from their own experience, including dislodging a boat that had run aground, to a hurricane rescue mission, to evading a water moccasin while kayaking. This episode, like the mini-episodes that preceded it, also includes insights from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities.

For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to think about a time you used your creativity to deal with a difficult situation, so the next time you find yourself in a pinch, you can use your creativity more intentionally to deal with it.

Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.

If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 84: From Surviving to Thriving, Episode 98: Creativity and Humor, and Episode 102: Creativity as a Path of Adventure.

At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you’re not sure how to get it off the ground, find us at syncreate.org. Our book, also called Syncreate, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information on our website, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review! We’d love to hear your feedback as well, so drop us a line at info@syncreate.org.

Episode-specific hyperlinks:

The Syncreate Book

Charlotte Gullick’s Website

Show / permanent hyperlinks:

The Syncreate Podcast

Syncreate Website

Syncreate Instagram

Syncreate Facebook

Syncreate LinkedIn

Syncreate YouTube

Melinda Rothouse Website

Austin Writing Coach

Melinda Joy Music Website

The experience of trauma, in whatever form, can block our creativity and hinder our full flourishing. Creativity can offer a potent pathway for healing and working through trauma. In this episode we talk with Tracy Sisk, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and PhD Candidate at Saybrook University. Tracy offers mental health counseling under the name Honor Your Way Therapy in Clearwater, Florida. She is also the founder of The Practitioner’s Place, a supportive space for emerging therapists, counselors, psychologists, and social workers to connect, consult, and navigate their professional identities. We discuss the relationships between creativity, trauma, anxiety, and self-care practices for individuals and mental health professionals.

For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage a practice of mindful breathing whenever you’re feeling stressed or anxious, as Tracy describes in the episode.

Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.

If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 10: Imagination and Creativity with Psychologist and Creativity Coach Dr. Diana Rivera, Episode 87: Dreams and Creativity with Musician, Poet & Psychotherapist Linus Streckfus, and Episode 93: Creativity and Collaboration in Internal Family Systems (IFS) Work with Alisa Carr.

At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you’re not sure how to get it off the ground, find us at syncreate.org. Our book, also called Syncreate, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching, including a monthly creativity coaching group, to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information on our website, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review! We’d love to hear your feedback as well, so drop us a line at info@syncreate.org.

Episode-specific hyperlinks:

Honor Your Way Therapy

The Practitioner’s Place

Tracy Sisk on LinkedIn

Show / permanent hyperlinks:

The Syncreate Podcast

Syncreate Website

Syncreate Instagram

Syncreate Facebook

Syncreate LinkedIn

Syncreate YouTube

Melinda Rothouse Website

Austin Writing Coach

Melinda Joy Music Website