Follow, Listen, Rate & Review (thank you!)  in Apple Podcasts Subscribe & Listen in SpotifySubscribe & Watch clips on YoutubeOR listen in your favourite podcast app  Episode Summary: In this LISTENER LAB episode, host Kate Shepherd engages in a profound conversation with longtime Creative Genius Podcast listener Cami Smith. Cami is a former fiber artist turned painter and community builder. Cami shares her artistic journey, influenced by her mother's creative pursuits, and discusses the challenges and rewards of embracing one's unique path in the art world. The discussion delves into the importance of community among artists, the transformative power of creative expression, and strategies to overcome inner critics. They also reflect on insights from Jane Dunnewold's teachings, emphasizing curiosity, confidence, and the deep connection between creativity and...

This week, I found myself deeply unsettled. Several neighbours and friends - people I trust and care about - expressed their support for Pierre Poilievre while we were having neighbourly conversations about the state of the world. These are thoughtful, well-meaning people who genuinely want the best for Canada. As I listened, I felt frustrated and dismayed - how could anyone who cares about goodness support him? But then I caught myself. That kind of division - the impulse to write people off, to quietly disdain them and to then dismiss them as ignorant or misguided - is exactly how the USA got to where they are today.  So instead of sitting in my anger, I turned to curiosity. And I...

In extraordinary times, it can feel like darkness is winning. Fear, uncertainty, and despair creep in, convincing us that all hope is lost. But is that really the truth? In this special bonus episode, I open my heart and share a deeply personal reflection on the battle between light and dark—both in the world and within us.

I never thought we’d be living through times like this. As a civilization, we’ve come so far in so many ways, and yet, in others, we remain deeply primal, even barbaric. Throughout history, there has always been this tension between light and dark, good and evil—opposing forces shaping our experiences. And in between, we live. All the great sages and spiritual teachers—Jesus, Buddha, the mystics and wisdom keepers—point to the same thing: that while darkness exists, the universe is stacked in favour of the light. Love and goodness are always stronger. That doesn’t mean the darkness isn’t real or that it doesn’t sometimes feel unbearable. The Battle Within Is the Battle Outside For years, I’ve explored the limiting beliefs that...

Because when we stay connected to nature, we stay connected to ourselves. And when we do that, we become the steady places the world needs