Don't Cut Your Own Bangs

• Creativity Miniseries: The Toolkit

  Welcome back to the final episode of the Creativity Miniseries! In this conversation, Emily Sutherland and I open up our personal creativity toolkits and share the resources and strategies that help us bring our ideas to life. Working on this miniseries with Emily has been an absolute joy. She’s not just an incredible creative and coach—she’s also become a trusted friend and advisor throughout the development of Wrestling a Walrus, my first children’s book. I truly could not imagine doing this without her. Interestingly, we didn’t plan on recording another discussion on the creative process, but that’s exactly where our behind-the scenes, warm-up conversation led us. So, we left it in. I think you might find some usefulness in this bonus material as we share our thoughts on the value of authenticity, the importance of differentiating yourself, and the surprising relationship between uncertainty and clarity.  A huge thank you to Emily for her wisdom and generosity, and to you for joining us as part of the creative community.  Buy my NEW book Wrestling a Walrus, HERE! SPECIAL MENTIONS Emily Sutherland’s Storytelling for Business (April 4, 2025) and Nurturing Your Creative Self (May 9, 2025) - https://www.emilysutherland.me/events Storytelling Community (Substack) - https://open.substack.com/pub/storytellingcommunity The Secret Lies Within by “Auntie Anne” Beiler and Emily H. Sutherland - http://bit.ly/3FmIxPT Betsy B. Murphy - https://substack.com/@betsybmurphy or http://betsybmurphy.com/ Vanessa Marin, sex therapist on IG @vanessaandxander PROCESS TOOLKIT Write it down when you feel it (and be prepared in the middle of the night). Be ready for the idea. Be discerning about what, when, and who to share your idea with.    When your idea is at a tender stage, who are your tender people? Do you need an editor or a cheerleader? Journaling. Let the creative juices flow without requiring an outcome. The more you write, the more ideas will come. Immerse yourself  and trust the process.  Try on new ideas to see if they go anywhere. “I make what I like, and they eat it how they want to eat it.” - Erykah Badu to Donald Glover ELECTRONIC TOOLS Manuscript Software - Scrivener - affiliate link: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview?fpr=emilysuth Google Docs, YouTube, and Apps (e.g., voice memo, talk-to-text, notes) IngramSpark - https://www.ingramspark.com/  Kindle Direct Publishing - https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B008241EAQ Storytelling Workshops - https://www.emilysutherland.me/events PHYSICAL TOOLS  Fine Tip Sharpie Pen or The Pilot G2 (in multiple colors!) Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert - https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/books/big-magic/ Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott - https://writingforyourlife.com/bird-by-bird-some-instructions-on-writing-and-life/ The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron - https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/ Rifle Paper Company little notebooks (great for lefties!) - https://riflepaperco.com/ The Treasured Journal - https://danielleireland.com/journal DANIELLE IRELAND, LCSW Thank you for your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or anything you'd like to share. You can connect with me at any of the links below. Website - https://danielleireland.com/ The Treasured Journal - https://danielleireland.com/journal Substack - https://danielleireland.substack.com/ Blog - https://danielleireland.com/blog/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/danielleireland_lcsw Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/danielleireland.LCSW Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@danielleireland8218/featured        

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• Creativity Miniseries: Creation

  Creative expression can be a powerful tool for personal healing and growth because the creative work we do is so connected to the healing work we need. From following along in this Creativity Miniseries, you know that Emily Sutherland has been my special guest on this journey. Emily is a ghostwriter, published author, coach, and executive storyteller. Together, we have explored the messy, magical stages of bringing an idea to life—Inspiration, Preparation, and Perspiration. Now, we’ve arrived at the final stage: Creation.  In the Creation stage, you pour your heart into the work, but how do you know when it’s truly finished? Is it ever really done? When is it time to share your creation with the world? This final stage of the process can feel both vulnerable and exhilarating. Emily and I explore it all. While this episode covers the last stage in our series on the creative process, we’re not done just yet! Stick around for our next episode, when we share our Creativity Toolkit—packed with tips on making time for your craft, resources for self-publishing, and much more. Thank you for listening! Buy my NEW book Wrestling a Walrus, HERE! RESOURCES Emily Sutherland’s Storytelling for Business (April 4, 2025) and Nurturing Your Creative Self (May 9, 2025) -https://www.emilysutherland.me/events Emily H. Sutherland website - https://www.emilysutherland.me/ Madeleine L'Engle - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_L%27Engle IngramSpark - https://www.ingramspark.com/ THE TREASURED JOURNAL Learn more about this specially designed journal and its companion Meditation Series at https://danielleireland.com/journal DANIELLE IRELAND, LCSW Thank you for your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or anything you'd like to share. You can connect with me at any of the links below. Website - https://danielleireland.com/ Substack - https://danielleireland.substack.com/ Blog - https://danielleireland.com/blog/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/danielleireland_lcsw Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/danielleireland.LCSW Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@danielleireland8218/featured      

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• Creativity Miniseries: Perspiration

  Welcome back to our Creativity Miniseries on Don’t Cut Your Own Bangs! We’re diving into the next (and sweatiest) stage of creativity:  perspiration! This is where ideas move from being dreams and start becoming reality. I’m joined once again by my brilliant friend, Emily H. Sutherland—a ghostwriter, published author, coach, and executive storyteller. Together, we’re getting real about what it takes to push past resistance, embrace creativity, and bring your ideas to life.   We use our own messy, sweaty experiences—including my upcoming children’s book—to illustrate the difference between “just do it” sweating and “shame” sweating. And, we share how movement, breath work, and self-imposed deadlines can help you power through creative roadblocks.  If you’ve ever felt stuck between having a great idea and making it happen, this episode is your ticket to action—no perfection required. Buy my NEW book Wrestling a Walrus, HERE! RESOURCES Emily Sutherland’s Storytelling for Business (April 4, 2025) and Nurturing Your Creative Self (May 9, 2025) - https://www.emilysutherland.me/events Emily H. Sutherland website - https://www.emilysutherland.me/ Anne Lamott - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Lamott Jen Edds at the Brassy Broadcasting Company - https://brassybroad.com/ THE TREASURED JOURNAL Getting your thoughts out of your head and down on the page is a simple act that can change your life. I made the Treasured Journal for anyone who wants to dig a little deeper but doesn’t know where to start. The questions, prompts, and sentence stems in the journal will help support you in exploring the big feelings in your life. Learn more about this specially designed journal and its companion Meditation Series at https://danielleireland.com/journal. DANIELLE IRELAND, LCSW I greatly appreciate your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or anything you'd like to share. You can connect with me at any of the links below. Website - https://danielleireland.com/ Substack - https://danielleireland.substack.com/ Blog - https://danielleireland.com/blog/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/danielleireland_lcsw Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/danielleireland.LCSW Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@danielleireland8218/featured    

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• Creativity Miniseries: Preparation

  Welcome back to Don’t Cut Your Own Bangs and our Creativity Miniseries! I’m thrilled to continue this deep dive into the creative process alongside my friend and fellow creative, Emily H. Sutherland—a ghostwriter, published author, coach, and executive storyteller. Together, we’re exploring what it means to embrace creativity, break through resistance, and bring ideas to life.  In our last episode, we discussed the first stage of creativity: inspiration—how talking about creativity, building community around it, and applying maybe a little bit of structure can allow ideas to feel more tangible and possible.  Now, we’re moving into the next phase: preparation—the crucial but often overlooked step that turns inspiration into something real. Preparation can feel deceptively inactive—even lazy. But in reality, nothing is wasted. This stage is where clarity and intention come together, setting the foundation for everything that follows.   If you’ve ever felt stuck between having a great idea and actually making it happen, this miniseries is for you!   Buy my new book Wrestling a Walrus, HERE! THE TREASURED JOURNAL The one tool I recommend to all of my therapy clients is journaling. Getting your thoughts out of your head and down on the page is a simple act that can change your life. The Treasured Journal is for anyone who wants to dig a little deeper but doesn’t know where to start. The questions, prompts, and sentence stems in the journal will help support you in exploring the big feelings in your life. Learn more about this specially designed journal and its companion Meditation Series at https://danielleireland.com/journal. EMILY SUTHERLAND Website - https://www.emilysutherland.me/ Storytelling for Business (April 4, 2025) -https://www.emilysutherland.me/events Nurturing Your Creative Self (May 9, 2025) - https://www.emilysutherland.me/events DANIELLE IRELAND, LCSW Thank you for your support and engagement as part of the Don't Cut Your Own Bangs community. Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or anything you'd like to share. You can connect with me at any of the links below. Website - https://danielleireland.com/ The Treasured Journal - https://danielleireland.com/journal Substack - https://danielleireland.substack.com/ Blog - https://danielleireland.com/blog/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/danielleireland_lcsw Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/danielleireland.LCSW Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@danielleireland8218/featured        

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• From Idea to Impact: How becauseOne is Transforming the Process of Giving

  "becauseOne" is an online platform that connects people's passions with the needs of those served by non-profit organizations. This remarkable initiative sprang from the collaborative vision of sisters Stephany Dolan and Stacia Jones and was driven by their family's desire to strengthen community and make it easier to help others.   We look at how to use becauseOne to get involved with organizations that match your specific areas of interest. And, as part of our discussion about the enthusiasm and challenges around developing their idea, Stephany and Stacia explain how elevating the good being done in the world is a key part of their vision.  I’m excited to bring you this discussion because the platform is transforming how we give while also serving as an antidote to online negativity. With becauseOne, anyone can embrace philanthropy, spread positivity, and witness the direct impact of their contributions.  Thank you for listening! Buy my NEW book Wrestling a Walrus, HERE! RESOURCES becauseOne website: https://becauseone.com/ Call: 463-444-8301  Email: [email protected]  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087037890605 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becauseone_community/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becauseone/ ++++++++++++++++++ Journaling can be a life-changing tool. Grab a pen and put your thoughts on paper—you might be amazed by how much it helps. But, if you’re having trouble getting started or sorting out your thoughts, consider getting a copy of the Treasured Journal. The Treasured Journal includes questions, prompts, and sentence stems to help you make sense of what you’re feeling. You can get the journal and its companion meditation guide at the link below. THE TREASURED JOURNAL - https://danielleireland.com/journal Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or experiences you want to share. I would love to hear from you! If you liked this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Your feedback helps me increase the value of this program and makes it easier for others to find us. CONNECT WITH DANIELLE Website: danielleireland.com Instagram: @danielleireland_LCSW Facebook: @danielleireland_LCSW  

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