The Mindful Content Creator Podcast

Welcome back to our monthly content planning series focused on inspiring your content creation for the month ahead!In these episodes, I share an overall theme you can focus on in your content for the month. I outline what’s coming up in the month ahead—any holidays, astrological shifts, seasonal changes, the placement/movement of the moon, and anything else to be mindful of when creating.A full list of content prompts centered around the month's theme is available on the Substack post for this episode. There is also a link to submit anything you create based on the prompts for a possible feature/guest post on The Mindful Content Creator Substack!Each episode ends with a Tarot/Oracle card message for the month ahead to encourage us as creators.March’s theme is: Fresh Starts & new BeginningsView the prompts on Substack: https://themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com/p/inspiration-for-your-march-contentSubmit your content for a guest post: https://forms.gle/XLJ7QWg6WQNoSmzo6I invite you to join the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

Welcome to our new monthly content planning series focused on inspiring your content creation for the month ahead!In these episodes, I will share what’s coming up in the month ahead—any holidays, astrological shifts, seasonal changes, the placement/movement of the moon, world or cultural events, etc. From these, I will highlight certain themes you can explore within your content as well as what to be mindful of when creating. For each of these content planning episodes, a full list of content prompts centered around one main theme will be available as part of the episode Substack post. NEW opportunity: Share your creations for a possible feature/guest post on The Mindful Content Creator Substack! Each episode will also end with a Tarot/Oracle card message for the month ahead to encourage us as creators.February’s theme is: Nurture & Support. View the prompts on Substack: https://themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com/p/inspiration-for-your-february-contentSubmit your content for a guest post: https://forms.gle/XLJ7QWg6WQNoSmzo6I invite you to join the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

I’m kicking off the new year by highlighting a few ways that you can invest your time, money, and energy into yourself as a content creator in 2024. Investing in yourself doesn’t always have to involve spending a lot money or enrolling in expensive coaching programs or courses. There are a lot of ways you can support yourself as a content creator that don’t cost a ton of money and that show you’re serious about your own growth and expanding your impact.I also provide an update on the Mindful Content Creator Podcast and Substack in this episode, and I would love to hear your feedback.How will you invest in yourself as a creator this year? And what changes are you making to better support yourself as a creator? I invite you to share your thoughts with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com.View this post directly on Substack: https://themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com/p/6-ways-invest-in-yourself-as-a-content-creator This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

As we enter the final weeks of the year, I’m bringing season 1 of this podcast to a close and reflecting on everything I’ve learned in the process.I recently invited in some outside feedback on my Substack publications and podcasts, and I candidly share how this feedback made me feel, as well as what I intend to do with it. I also share my overall journey with content creation this year, including the best performing platforms for me, the worst performing platforms, and my favorite content creation tool.What did you learn as a content creator this year? Are there any big questions you’re working through as you plan for 2024? I invite you to share your insights with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com.Reflection Question from this episode: What will most help me enjoy and embrace all facets of myself as a content creator in 2024?View this post directly on Substack: https://themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com/p/6-lessons-i-learned-as-a-content-creator-2023 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

The holiday season is creeping up on us, and every November, it seems like most of us content creators and small business owners end up in a big rush to get out special holiday content and promotions. We see everyone else around us doing it, and so we feel the pressure to “take advantage” of this time, too, even if it doesn’t really make sense for us and our business right now.So, is it worth it for you to rush out holiday offerings and content this year? I talk about my experience with holiday content pressure and how to know if creating a holiday offering and content is right for you.Are you feeling the holiday pressure? I invite you to share your insights with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com.View this post directly on Substack: https://themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com/p/ep-19-the-pressure-of-holiday-content This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

Last week we talked about common blocks to posting our regular content, but this week I want to talk about how to know if we should create and share original content around a bigger topic. This is when something greater is happening in the world around us that impacts more than just the people in our immediate circle, community, or industry.These might be heavy or emotionally-charged topics or even controversial ones. If we do choose to create, this makes it even more crucial for us to create mindfully.In this episode, I share several self-inquiry prompts to help you assess if you want to share and how you might do so.To be clear, this episode is not meant to discourage you from speaking up on something you truly believe in. The question is more around whether you want to create original content yourself on the topic. Even if you choose not to create your own original content, you can absolutely turn your focus and attention to amplifying other voices you align with.What has helped you decide whether to share or join a bigger conversation? I invite you to share your insights with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com.View this post directly on Substack: https://themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com/p/ep-18-how-feedback-holds-you-back. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

Last week we talked about common blocks to posting our regular content, but this week I want to talk about how to know if we should create and share original content around a bigger topic. This is when something greater is happening in the world around us that impacts more than just the people in our immediate circle, community, or industry.These might be heavy or emotionally-charged topics or even controversial ones. If we do choose to create, this makes it even more crucial for us to create mindfully.In this episode, I share several self-inquiry prompts to help you assess if you want to share and how you might do so.To be clear, this episode is not meant to discourage you from speaking up on something you truly believe in. The question is more around whether you want to create original content yourself on the topic. Even if you choose not to create your own original content, you can absolutely turn your focus and attention to amplifying other voices you align with.What has helped you decide whether to share or join a bigger conversation? I invite you to share your insights with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

This week I explore 10 common reasons we don’t create and share our content, even when we want to. These are the blocks that cause us to hesitate or think twice about putting ourselves out there, and while there’s no easy solution for all of them, being able to recognize them when they come up will be a huge help.And, to balance things out, I’m also sharing 10 reasons we DO ultimately create and share our content. Lean into these when you’re feeling discouraged!What are some reasons you stop short of creating or sharing your content? Did I miss anything on this list? I invite you to share your insights with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com.Episode ReferencesEpisode 15 on RejectionEpisode 13 with CassieEpisode 12 on Decision Fatigue This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

Does playing the traditional content creator game feel a little like you’re a kid in school again, trying to break into the cool kids crowd?This week I’m talking about the feelings of rejection that sharing our content can bring up for us—especially when we are starting out and don’t have an audience yet, and especially on social media.I dive into how the system feels like a popularity contest, and how we’re all trained to follow the crowd or the most popular/successful influencer. I share a few questions we can ask ourselves before we take on any advice or strategies from those influencers, so that we can remain true to ourselves and avoid disappointment.I then explore more of the psychological side of how we can manage these feelings of rejection and, ultimately, how we can break the mold of the current system together.Do you ever struggle with feelings of rejection as a content creator? How have you managed these feelings? I invite you to share your insights with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com.Episode ReferencesEpisode 13 with CassieJen Weigel This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

Following last week’s interview episode with Cassie Uhl, I felt inspired to talk about the traditional rules of content creation, and I wanted to give us all permission to break them. A lot of times these rules were created in a corporate environment, driven by the need to make money. But as mindful content creators, we’re here to do things differently, to be driven by our own creativity and desire to connect with our communities. To do this in a way that feels fully aligned and authentic, we have to loosen our grip on the rules we were told to follow. We are not corporations, we are creators. I offer six rules that we can break (or redefine) if they are no longer serving us.Which rules do you want to break? Are there other rules you resist that I don’t list here? I invite you to share your insights with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

This week, for my first interview episode, I welcome Cassie Uhl to the podcast. Cassie Uhl is one of the first people I followed in the spiritual space, and I've been a fan of her and her content ever since. Cassie and I talk about her unique journey as a content creator and how she came to recognize that her content creation process was no longer working for her. She shares openly about her desire to stop being extractive with her content and to show up differently, something she's been working on since letting go of the need to "be consistent." We talk about what consistency really means and looks like, as well as allowing ourselves to slow down and be guided by the unseen when creating our content. Cassie's story is a great example of how we truly can shift gears so that we can do what is good for us AND our communities.About CassieCassie Uhl is a death and energy worker, magic maker, rites of passage facilitator, and author. Her work is trauma-informed and rooted in earth-based spiritual practices from her ancestral roots across Northern Europe and her local environment. She is passionate about helping folks feel spiritually grounded and resourced in all seasons of life. She resides on Indigenous Myaamiaki land in so-called Indiana in the United States with her husband and twin children. Learn more about Cassie, her work, and offerings at cassieuhl.com.Connect with CassieWebsite: cassieuhl.comInstagram: @cassieuhl ReferencesBelow are resources and people we mentioned during our discussion.Layla Saad: http://laylafsaad.com/Dr. Rosales Meza: https://www.drrosalesmeza.com/Thérèse Cator: https://theresecator.com/Leonie Dawson: https://leoniedawson.com/Rebecca Campbell: https://rebeccacampbell.me/Have any reflections to share on this episode? How do you feel about “consistency” when it comes to content creation? I invite you to share your insights with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

The term "structured creativity" might sound like you're forcing something that should flow naturally, but hear me out! Putting some restraints on your creative process could help you move beyond an overwhelming list of ideas and decision fatigue.I recently learned about the term "decision fatigue," and I realized a lot of content creators, myself included, currently have or have had this problem. And the solution may very well be to put clear parameters and structure around our creative time (but in a way that is fully supportive of us, of course.)Join me as I explore this concept and what it looks like for me in this episode.I mention a few people who inspired what I mention in this episode, and I encourage you to check them out!Amy McNee on Instagram: @inspiredtowriteKatie Dalebout's podcast, Let It Out: https://letitouttt.com/And I also mention the upcoming interview episode that I recorded with Cassie Uhl, and you can learn more about her ahead of our next episode on her website: https://shop.cassieuhl.com/Have any reflections on decision fatigue? What do you do when you have too many ideas? I invite you to share your insights with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

In this episode, I focus on who we’re talking to with our content, including the concept of our “ideal client,” and why that ideal client might actually be a past version of ourselves. I explore the benefit of creating with this past version of ourselves in mind, versus with an outside persona we invented. Have any reflections on this episode? Have you ever created with a past version of yourself in mind? I invite you to share your insights with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

This week I’m diving into a common content hook, which is identifying a “problem” a member of your community might have and how you solve it. I’m talking about the kind of posts we’ve all seen (or fell victim to) that are focused purely on selling versus helping. They paint a picture of a real or exaggerated problem you might be facing right now, getting you worked up or frustrated and wanting a solution ASAP, and then the solution they give you is to download or buy something from them, usually an expensive product, service, or course. If you don’t have any interest in buying, you leave that post still worked up, with no solution.I talk about this problem-solving approach, how it likely made its way into our content, and how the energy behind it isn’t helpful. I offer a solution as to what we can focus on instead when talking to our community members about a common problem, issue, or challenge.Have any reflections on this episode and the problem-solving content hook? I invite you to share your insights with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

This week’s episode is an extension of last week, but I’m diving more specifically into the content plan or strategy. A lot of us are used to following other formulas and outlines for these, and that can make them feel rather stale. I explore how you can create a content plan through a mindful lens, and create a plan that works for you. And no, it does not have to be written out in a pretty slide deck or PDF! Have any reflections on this episode or one your experience with creating content plans or strategies? I invite you to share your insights with me and the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

I’ve spent a lot of time in my career working on content calendars, mostly for companies and clients. I’m sharing my experience with content calendars in this episode and whether I really think everyone needs one. I also offer suggestions on how to make a content calendar or schedule work for you and your creation style.Have any reflections on this episode or want to share how you’ve used (or not used) content calendars in the past? I invite you to join the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

Even if we love to create, getting inspired to create can be the hardest part of the process. In this episode, I explore 10 possible sources of inspiration to help get you unstuck and get the ideas flowing so you can create mindfully (instead of just following the trends).Have any reflections on this episode or have other sources of inspiration that work well for you? Or want to sign up for FREE weekly content creation prompts? I invite you to join the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com.I also mention my other podcast in this episode. If you want even more free weekly journal prompts, head to souljournalingsessions.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

What is your content creation style? In this week’s episode, we’ll explore what makes up your content creation style by breaking down the who, what, where, when, why, and how. Your style will be unique to you and is the best process for you to create mindfully.Have any reflections on this episode or on your style? Or want to sign up to receive weekly content creation prompts? I invite you to join the community over on Substack. Head to themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

This week is all about intention setting. Have you ever considered setting an intention for your content, before you create or before you share it? A big piece of mindful content creation is both creating and sharing intentionally and thoughtfully. Your intentions don’t have to be fancy or noble, just true to you.I offer seven possible questions you can ask yourself to help create an intention (and you can choose one or a few): Who am I speaking to, or who am I calling or inviting in? Who most needs to hear this message? What type of energy am I hoping to share or exchange with this content?How do I want someone to feel when they receive this content and its message? What do I wish for someone to do, learn, or cultivate as a result of receiving this content?What do I wish to experience as the creator of this content? What changes, elevations or transformations would I like to spark in either myself or others through this content?Have any reflections on this episode or on intention setting in general that you want to share?I invite you to share your experiences with the community over on Substack. Join us at themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

This week we are diving deeper into your “why” or the greater message and story behind your content. This is what will keep you creating even when it gets difficult, even when you’re feeling down about the numbers. It is why you will ultimately stand out and have an impact.I talk a little first about what can derail us, or at least what has derailed me from my why in the past, and then I lead your through a visualization meditation to help you discover your why.Have any reflections you want to share? Did anything unexpected come through during the meditation? I invite you to share your experiences with the community over on Substack. Join us at themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

In this episode, I outline some of the principles or pillars of mindful content creation, examining more deeply how your community experiences your content (and specifically how they experience content created mindfully). These principles are heavily influenced by my experience as a yoga teacher, and hence you’ll recognize some yogic philosophy, if you are familiar with that. This episode ends with a visualization exercise to help you see a member of your community interacting with your content.Did any of my reflections or observations resonate with you? Have you ever had a strong reaction to content that wasn’t created mindfully? I’m sure we all have our pet peeves about the sales and engagement tactics that are common in content today! I invite you to share your experiences with the community over on Substack. Join us at themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

In this episode, I continue with the basics of mindful content creation, exploring first what mindful content creation can look like for us as the creators, in comparison to what it might look like if we strictly follow outside rules or formulas. (If you found your way here via my Insight Timer course, this info will be familiar to you, though I have added more background and commentary since I have the space to do so in a podcast format.)This episode ends with a visualization exercise to help you see yourself creating from a mindful place.Did any of this resonate with you? Are there any other rules or formulas that have created friction for you in the past? I invite you to share your experiences in the comments below! Enjoy the episode.Below is a transcript of the episode for your reference—please excuse grammatical errors! Hello everyone and welcome back. Thanks for joining me for episode two of the Mindful Content Creator Podcast. In this episode, I'm focusing on the overall content creation experience for the creator and how we can improve upon it with mindful content creation. I'll talk about what it might look like for you when you follow the traditional methods of content creation, which is likely what you're doing now or have done in the past, and what it could look like when you create mindfully or in a way that is aligned with who you are and how you create best.I'll speak here from my personal experience as well as what I've seen my clients experience in the time that I've been helping them with their content creation. So some of the most common pieces of advice, or some of the most common rules that I've seen and tried out myself, typically center around what times to share and how often to share. This also influences how often we create. Rules around timing and how much to share can feel a bit stifling at times. Even for those of us who start out really, really excited about creating content. It can end up feeling like homework when we're on such a schedule. It can also start to feel a little bit like a competition, who can get their content out first and fast, just who can speak the loudest.And I've tried what the experts have recommended, so have my clients. For the most part, these suggested times haven't really given me or my clients any big time results, or maybe it got better results one time or a couple times, and then it sort of tapered off. For me, this mostly resulted in following a recommended schedule that lasted maybe a week, and then I completely fell off of it because I honestly just felt like I was forcing it.It didn't fit into my natural flow, my actual schedule, so I wasn't really able to sustain it. And I've watched my clients try to stick to a consistent schedule themselves. I've, I've helped many of them create content calendars, and while writing it all out looks great, it can look pretty, sticking to it in practice can be a little bit tough, even with a calendar that tells you what to create and when you might not feel particularly inspired that day to create that post or that email or that video.And basically, it's really hard to keep up when you're forcing yourself into a flow rather than just going with the flow, right?You might also find yourself rushing out content to meet your sharing or posting goals. And that rushed content isn't always well thought out. It might even be like of a little bit lower quality. Certainly we don't want to overthink or overwork our content cuz you know, it's easy to do that too, but we don't wanna just throw it out there without being mindful of the message and the energy behind it.That said, there are some people who really embrace having a well written plan, and maybe that's you. Maybe that does work for you. But I still encourage you to define your own plan rather than follow someone else's because I think you're that much more likely to stick with it, if you actually come up with a plan that works for you and how you flow through your day.Another favorite piece of advice I see out there is to use all the features a platform has. So if you're focusing on Instagram, use, all of Instagram's features. Most often this results in people forcing themselves to use tools that they aren't really ready for or don't know how to fully embrace, so when it doesn't work, they then give up on posting entirely.And I've been in this position before myself. Some features just don't align with a person's strengths. Generally, I think if it's a feature you aren't familiar with and don't enjoy engaging with on other people's accounts, it might not be for you. Or try engaging with other people who are using it first to get a better feel for it.We are also told to watch all the trends and the various platforms we use so that we can ride on the train of what's popular. This takes a lot of time and can be exhausting in and of itself. It also puts you in a cycle of mimicry that can feel uninspiring or a bit inauthentic.When it comes to web writing, I feel like people go through this phase of being really obsessed with SEO, which is another one that doesn't always stick for people. And yes, SEO is absolutely important. If you want your website to be found, definitely incorporate it when and where you can fill out the SEO details on your webpages.Sometimes though, when it goes too far, at least from my perspective or what I've seen, is when the quality of the content starts to go down, because you're forcing words into your copy. It starts to get hard to squeeze that one word in yet another time. And the result is your page sounding a little bit more like a robot wrote it.And if your goal is real connection, if your goal isn't purely revenue driven, I th. Think this isn't going to be the most fulfilling strategy for you or your community. So that's one where you really have to find the the right balance rather than just trying to stick really hard to the rules that people set out about seo.So now let me paint a picture of what it could look like instead, if we create mindfully, rather than with a formula or strategy someone else gave us that we feel like we have to follow. So first to me, mindful content creation focuses on creating content that you are excited to make and share that you feel inspired by, that truly taps into your creativity and that you would wanna read if you were on the other side. You're not forcing yourself to create the content, but you're letting it flow. And along those lines, it's content that's created in a way that supports you and how you work or create best. Meaning you aren't churning out content using a method someone else gave you, as I was saying, or told you was the right way, and that ultimately makes you miserable and hate creating content. You work in a way that actually feels fun and comfortable for you. Next, it's creating content that is aligned with your voice and your values, which means that it's true and unique to you. It's not an exact replica of something you saw that's trendy or that you are told to do. This is not to say you're not inspired by other sources. That's certainly welcome and something we all need.We definitely need to have inspiration to, to get the creative juices flowing, but this is more about not creating from a place of I should or I need to do this in order to be seen or make money. And so what you're creating is ultimately reflective of your truth and who you are as an individual and as a creator.When we follow other people's formulas, we often end up not sharing our unique voice or stifling it a bit.Mindful content is content that's created thoughtfully, and it's not reactionary, meaning you take the time you need to create and share it rather than rushing it out because you feel that you need to get content out on a certain schedule, every single day within this certain timeframe, or you feel like you have to be the first to say something.You're taking the time to fully form your thoughts and ensure that your message will resonate. Mindful content creation is you creating content with the community in mind, so you're considering the impact that you want to have, there is a why behind what you're sharing.You aren't creating just to create because your schedule says you'd have to create today. And by the way, we're going to explore what that why is and what that message is in a future episode. The why is important because your content ultimately flows into a full, greater body of work that is in its own way the legacy that you leave behind. It is the wisdom and teachings you have to share, and therefore, it's important to handle it with thought and care. In its own way, it's sacred.A simple way to sum all of this up is that mindful content creation for you as the creator is creating and sharing in a way that aligns with who you are and what you value. You're able to tap into your creativity so the process of creating is enjoyable. You flow and channel your messages with confidence and ease.And I also wanna point out, mindful content creation for you might include finding bits and pieces of those strategies out there that you hear about and putting them to work in a way that actually suits you rather than following the rule perfectly. I think a lot of the friction we experience with traditional rules and formulas is because we all try to be the good student, right? And follow these rules perfectly rather than taking only what applies and then leaving the rest. And honestly taking what applies and leaving the rest applies to anything I'm sharing with you in these podcasts too.Mindful content creation will look a little different for each of us because it's about embracing and embodying who we each uniquely are as creators. And we also have our own unique communities with their own specific needs. We'll end today's episode with a short visualization so you can see what mindful content creation could look like for you in your life. Let's begin.  Let's start by taking a moment to ground. Feel free to close your eyes or find a fixed gazing point. Draw your awareness to your breath. Release. Any breath you might be holding in. And then take a nice slow inhale. Open mouth, exhale side out. Let's do that one more time. Inhale. Exhale, side out.Return to your normal breathing pattern, in and out of the nose. Focus on the inhale and bringing in a new way, a new joyful way of creating. And on your exhales, releasing any blocks you have to creating with ease.I invite you now to picture a future version of yourself creating content you're truly excited about. It could be a written piece, a video, audio, an image, or some combination of these. Maybe you know what that content is, or it hasn't been revealed to you yet. It's not important to know exactly what it is right now.Focus more on how it feels. Sit with this feeling for a moment as you observe yourself creating,What does creating with joy look like for you? What is around you? Are there certain tools or people present?  What environment puts you into this place of flow?How does it feel in your body to create with joy? How are you carrying yourself? What is the expression on your face?See yourself completing this piece of content and putting it out into the world, whatever that looks like for you.How does it feel to complete something you created with joy in full alignment with yourself?Imagine this was how it was for you every time you created content.As we wrap up this visualization assess now, what would it take to get me to this place with my current creation process? What would need to change? What would stay the same or be amplified?These could be actual actions that you could take or simply changes in your state of mind.You can choose to stay with this visualization now. Maybe even take some time to journal on it, or you can slowly come back to your physical body, to the space around you. Blink your eyes a few times to reset and let the space you're in now come back into focus.With much love and gratitude, I close our time together today. Thank you so much, and I'll see you for our next episode where we'll focus on the community and how mindful content creation impacts the communities that we create for. And we'll also cover some of the principles of mindful content creation.See you for episode three. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

A new journey begins! Welcome to the Mindful Content Creator Podcast.In this first episode, I share what mindful content creation means to me, what this podcast is and isn’t, and my personal journey to mindful content creation. I have a feeling we all have similar journeys that led us to this point, where we are tired of the usual “rules” and formulas. You are not alone. The fact that those methods didn’t work doesn’t mean that you don’t have something important to say. It doesn’t mean that you’re lazy or you didn’t try hard enough. Most traditional methods just aren’t sustainable methods for people who want to create meaningful, intentional, impactful content. Period. Let’s find a better way together!Below is a transcript of the episode for your reference—please excuse grammatical errors! Welcome to episode one of the Mindful Content Creator Podcast. I'm your host, Marcy Farrey, and today we'll spend a little bit of time talking about what mindful content creation is, a little intro to it, and then also my journey to mindful content creation. So for me, mindful content creation is creating content with intention, creating in full alignment and creative flow, and in service of your greater message or story and the people who need to hear it.Disclaimer, there is a bit of a woowoo or spiritual aspect to this, as I personally value being in alignment with my higher self and spirit. And with some things I find it a little bit easier to explain what something isn't and that helps me clarify what it actually is. And so I did that with this podcast and I want to share that with you, starting with what it isn't. * This is not a podcast to teach you how to make more content in less time, so you can make money while you sleep, are drinking champagne on a boat somewhere, et cetera.* This is not a podcast to teach you how to get conversions or sales from your content. Basically, I'm not here to teach you how to make a sale or develop an ad campaign or anything like that. * And finally, this is not a podcast to teach you marketing strategies that will further enable you to indulge in vanity metrics such as follows, clicks, likes, etc. So why is all of this not this podcast? I mean, this sounds like some important stuff you might need to know from a business standpoint, right?Well, it's not this podcast cuz there's plenty of that stuff already out there. And this podcast is more for the creative in you, not just the business person in you. When we focus on all of that business stuff, the creative self often gets left behind, and I think that's why all of us burn out so much on content creation as it is today.And now to talk about what this podcast is: * This is a podcast to explore how we can create content mindfully, in a way that is aligned with who we are and what we value. * This is a podcast to discover how we can each create content joyfully and sustainably, in a way that works with our own creativity and not against it. * This is a podcast to focus on how much impact we can have with our content, not on how much money we can bring in with it. Whether you have five followers or five million, this is about having the greatest impact possible on those individuals.* And finally, this is a podcast where we focus on storytelling techniques, not sales. We'll explore the value of sharing our stories and how you can share stories from your own life in a way that is meaningful and impactful and in a way that feels good for you and your community.So that's a little bit about what this podcast is and isn't. If you're someone who's looking more for those business tactics, there's a lot of great sources out there, a lot of people who are talking about these things already, and they're a great place to start. If you're a creative like me and you want to feel maybe a bit more fulfilled by the content creation process, you're wanting to really let your creativity come through in your creations and with the content that you put out there, then welcome. This is the place where we're going to explore that. And so now I want to talk a little bit about my journey to mindful content creation. And my hope is that many of you will see some similar themes in your journey to this as well. Maybe not the exact same circumstances, but a lot of the same feelings or sentiments, if you will. So growing up, I was always a reader. I always loved telling stories. I would write my own little picture books and things like that.And so it came to a point where I think it was as early as even middle school where we started talking about careers and career paths and college and all of that fun stuff. And I realized that being a writer wasn't exactly the most practical or lucrative job. And a lot of the adults around me were saying, well writers, you know, it's very rare for writers to hit it big to the point that they can make enough money doing it for a living. They usually have to have some other type of job that maybe involves writing, but they're not always writing books. And I originally came to the, the idea of being a journalist at a summer camp I was doing at Northwestern University, which is also where my sister went.So I had a tie to this school and it wasn't that far from where we lived. And they had, of course, an amazing journalism school. So the teacher there suggested that maybe journalism was a path I explore and I felt myself drawn to it cuz I realized, okay, maybe this is a way I can tell stories in a, in a meaningful way. So I got on this path in high school where I absolutely had to go to Northwestern for journalism cause it was the best journalism school in the country at the time.And I felt like this had to be my path. This is what I was going to do. And I did make it there. I kind of flip flopped through college, figuring out exactly how I could pull off this whole journalist thing. I ended up going into the broadcast track because I realized I actually didn't like doing newspaper writing, and I remember speaking to my advisor one year when I was having trouble, when I was a freshman, and he basically told me that, you know, yeah, I could switch my major to creative writing and move to that program, but I better be prepared to watch all of my friends excel in their careers while I still worked as a waitress trying to write the next Great American novel.So that obviously didn't have me feeling so great, especially at, you know, a school as competitive as Northwestern and as competitive as I had been in high school trying to get there. It just felt like that path would be a failure. Right. So I finished my degree, I became a journalist. I lived what I like to call that churn and burn content lifestyle where I was literally pushing stories out, day to day.You know, I was a one man band news reporter, so I had to film all my own video. I had to film video of myself, which was always interesting. Back then we didn't have the, the fancy equipment we have now where you could actually see yourself on screen to see if you were in frame while you were filming yourself.Couldn't do that. It was an interesting journey for sure. And I definitely burned out in TV news. I was quite miserable. It was not at all what I had expected, and I was that journalist who wanted to be doing the feature stories and going really in depth and, you know, spending more than 30 seconds on a major story.I felt that most stories needed three minutes, and that's just not how, how that, um, that world works. Right. So eventually I moved on from that. I realized it was not for me. I went back to school for creative writing for a masters, finally doing what I had originally wanted to do, and that was wonderful. I do not regret doing graduate school.I was so happy I got to spend that time writing. Of course, I came out of graduate school and once again faced what would I do for a living that would make money? I ended up in the corporate world. So that, that happens a lot to former journalists. We end up becoming corporate communications managers and that's exactly what I did.And I should mention, actually, I had an internship in graduate school that sort of helped lead me on this path or helped me see things more, more clearly. And the internship, unfortunately, was unpaid and I wrote a lot of content for it.It was a startup website. It was a blog. And I'll tell this story another time about the value of, you know, why we need to get paid for the content we create. But I gained a lot from it in the sense that I got to take, you know, some classes and I got to, you know, hear some speakers. And one of them was Andy Crestodina, who is one of the co-founders of Orbit Media in Chicago, and he was the first person to teach me about content marketing. And I realized content marketing was more of what I wanted to do. I wanted to be creating content that was really helpful and useful for people. And you know, for companies it can be really helpful to get their name out there, right? If done well. And so I started going on this path with corporate where I thought, well, maybe I can be that content marketer for these corporations. And I was an internal communications manager primarily. So I wanted to be kind of that person, that internal reporter at a company, sharing the stories of the people there, sharing the stories of the customers, and really inspiring the employees, you know, to, to feel connected to the company.So I did try to do this for a few years, and the appreciation for storytelling, it was there, but not completely. So there were always, higher priorities. And they would ask me, well, what do you think we should do to, to get the message about, you know, this particular update or whatever it was for the, the employees. And I'd say, okay, well where's the story? You know, what stories can we tell? And they would all kind of look at me, all these people in these meetings and, and be like, that's a wonderful idea, but we don't really have time for that.That's a nice to have, not a need to have. So please go back and, you know, write the newsletter and do the announcements as we asked you to. Right. So I always would have these hopes. I would go into these interviews for these jobs and I would talk about these opportunities they had to tell stories and they would say, wow, that sounds really great.And it would get me the job. But once I got in the door, we would really wouldn't do any of that on, on rare occasions, I would get to do some of it, but it would basically never happen. And so I'd always be really disappointed that my job was mostly just tasks, right. So we come to, to now where I finally decided to leave these full-time jobs.I became a freelancer and I started working with solopreneurs and helping them, you know, create their content.I help people write web pages, social posts, I edit podcasts, I edit videos. All of those good things I, I kind of have my hand in, in all the different pieces of content that you can have. And all of it counts. You know, content is not just social media, you know, content is speeches that you give, the podcasts you create, really any interaction that you have with your community, with your clients, with your customers.There's all content, you know, in that. We're creating something, we're creating a story, and we're sharing messages about who we are and what we do. So all of that matters. And in the process of helping all of these individuals, I saw a lot of common themes, a lot of common issues.So some of these include, you know, many people came to me because they just don't really wanna create their own content anymore. They're burned out on it. They've tried to keep up with it. They feel like they just can't, they can't churn out at the pace they want to. They get stuck coming up with ideas.All of that. And then some came to me really because they just needed encouragement and inspiration. Someone to brainstorm with, get reassurance that what they really wanna share is, is worthy of being shared. And so I realize that a lot of us are kind of getting caught up in these formulas of what we're told content creation should be. And then of course we expect instant results. And we're disappointed when that doesn't happen. And we've been conditioned that way because we never see the work that really goes into building and sustaining a following to building a real community. And we're gonna go into this more in future episodes, but you know, so many of us, I'm included, have tried many different formulas, followed all these different experts, but eventually you kind of just fall off the path and you feel like it just didn't work for you. And then you feel like something's wrong with you because it didn't work. Maybe I should have tried harder. Maybe I just need to try different method.But at some point you just get sick of doing that. You get sick of chasing the vanity metrics. You get sick of trying to make all this money like so-and-so did because they followed this method and you know it, it's just a sure path to burnout. And maybe you feel the same way, but I got into this, into content creation, because I wanted to have an impact. Because I believe I have important messages and stories that I need to share, that there are people who need to hear them.I believe these messages are for my community and will reach them when they need them most. And with something like that, I don't wanna quit. I don't wanna quit because someone told me that I had to follow this formula and it didn't work for me. So I was sitting here and I thought, you know what if I just throw all of these formulas, all these things I've been told out the window, and just start creating in a way that feels good to me.So if I'm already not getting results, what difference does it make? Creation is better than stagnation, right? And I'm happiest when I create. So that's kind of where this idea of mindful content creation came from.And yeah, I know this might sound a little fluffy, a little woo woo, maybe like it's not that practical. It's a little too up in the clouds, but you know what, that's what is gonna be on this podcast. So if that's not for you, that's totally okay. Like I said, there are so many other experts who do the practical business side stuff.But if you're a creative like me, you're feeling a little lost, you're feeling a little burnt out, and you really just wanna create meaningful stuff, then you're in the right place cuz we're gonna explore this together.And look, I don't have all the answers. But what I want is for you to find a unique path that works for you to discover what mindful content creation is for you. I don't want you to follow exactly what I do. The point here is for you to go deeper and find what is gonna work for you, what's gonna help you create that content that makes an impact.And then let's see what happens from there.I want us to go on a journey together to find a more aligned, sustainable way to create content as human beings for other human beings, because we want to build a community, not just win over customers. And I believe this is truly possible, but we need each other as a community in and of ourselves to support each other on this path.It's not the easiest one we could choose and veering off the path into those one size fits all formulas that have us churning out content until something hits is, you know, a real temptation. And most of us need to bring in money from what we're making, and that's cuz we're trying to make a living doing what we love.And there's no shame in that, but we can find our own way to do this that doesn't involve what we might consider selling out. Right? I have hope for a better way, and if you are here, I think you do too. So with all of that said, I look forward to taking this journey with you. Next time we'll get into a little bit more about what mindful content creation can look like for you as a creator. I'll see you next time and thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com

Welcome to the Mindful Content Creator Podcast! Subscribe on Substack (mindfulcontentcreator.substack.com), where I'll be sharing the latest episodes plus weekly prompts to help you create content. This is also where our community lives. You can talk to me and other mindful content creators in the chat. Discuss your ideas and get inspiration whenever you need it.I invite you to join me on this journey to create mindfully. Thanks for being here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit themindfulcontentcreator.substack.com