How Using Your Voice Can Amplify Creativity

Have you ever wanted to know how nature can improve your creativity? In this episode of the eReads Podcast, I talk with writer, storyteller, and podcast host Yvonne Battle-Felton(Why I Write: Yvonne Battle-Felton's Substack) about the connection between nature, writing, creativity, and emotional wellness.Yvonne shares how spending time outdoors, listening to birds, and observing the natural world have influenced her creative practice and helped her feel more grounded and connected. We discuss creative nonfiction, writing from memory, finding inspiration in everyday experiences, and creating a writing routine that supports your well-being.We also explore how storytelling builds empathy, why creative spaces should be trauma-informed, and how to be kinder to yourself when you miss a writing goal or creative routine.If you’re looking for creative inspiration, writing tips, mindfulness practices, or simple ways to reconnect with nature, this episode offers practical ideas to help you move from stuck to started.About Yvonne Battle-FeltonYvonne Battle-Felton is an award-winning author, academic, editor, podcaster, host, creative producer, and writer. Her debut, Remembered, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Not the Booker, and shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize. Winner of The Shirley Jackson Award, Curdle Creek is her second novel. Former Commissioning Editor (literary fiction) at John Murray, Yvonne was a finalist in the Hurston Wright Foundation Legacy Zora Award for Fiction for Curdle Creek, a winner of the RSL Scriptorium Award, and is the Academic Director of Creative Writing at Cambridge University. She has six creative nonfiction titles in the Ladybird Series (children).Yvonne is presenter of the Write Your Novel with Yvonne Battle-Felton series and podcast, Bookable Space. She aims to live a literary life and bring people together over stories.Links:Substack: https://substack.com/@whyiwritebattlefeltonWrite Your Novel with Yvonne Battle-Felton: https://newwritingnorth.com/journal/write-your-novel-with-yvonne-battle-felton/Bookable Space: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bookable-space-with-yvonne-battle-felton/Website: https://www.yvonnebattlefelton.com/About LizLiz Bullard is a multi‑genre author, therapist, and coach who helps creatives move from stuck to started with clarity and confidence. Known for her captivating storytelling, Liz’s notable works include The Prophecy Series and the Lira Somers Mysteries, praised for fast‑paced plots, vivid characters, and movie‑like imagery. When she’s not writing, coaching, or recording the podcast, she’s cooking, reading, or spending time with Preston the corgi.Next Goal Setting Meeting — October 1st 6pm est: https://open.substack.com/live-stream/377812?utm_source=live-stream-scheduled-upsellConnect with Liz:* All links & resources: http://lizbullardwrites.com/linktree* Buy the books: https://books2read.com/ap/nm5KbE/Liz-Bullard* Book a free coaching consult: https://tidycal.com/lizbullard/15-minute-meeting* Support the show / sponsor an episode: https://buymeacoffee.com/lizbullardwriteThank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lizbullard.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.In this episode, author Roselyn Teukolsky, shares her journey from teaching in male-dominated academic settings to writing and publishing A Reluctant Spy. She discusses how her experiences with workplace bias and discrimination influenced the novel’s protagonist, Madeline, a computer scientist who is drawn into an FBI investigation after her work is credited to someone else.Rosalind also talks about developing her writing process, learning from rejection, building suspense, and using life experiences to shape compelling characters and stories.You’ll leave this episode with a reminder that writing is a process. Your experiences can influence your work, but they do not have to limit your creativity or growth.About Roselyn Teukolsky Roselyn Teukolsky, who came from South Africa to earn a Master’s in Math Education from Cornell, understands the role equations and formulas play when it comes to her background in teaching high school math for almost 40 years. (She is also an expert bridge player and author, and has written the definitive Barron’s review guide for AP Computer Science, currently in its 13th edition.) But she has found a useful application for her way of thinking and has turned it into a new career: award-winning crime-thriller author!LinksWebsite: www.roselynteukolsky.comA Reluctant Spy: https://amzn.to/4zlAp9F*Affiliate LinkAbout LizLiz Bullard is a multi‑genre author, therapist, and coach who helps creatives move from stuck to started with clarity and confidence. Known for her captivating storytelling, Liz’s notable works include The Prophecy Series and the Lira Somers Mysteries, praised for fast‑paced plots, vivid characters, and movie‑like imagery. When she’s not writing, coaching, or recording the podcast, she’s cooking, reading, or spending time with Preston the corgi.Connect with Liz:* All links & resources: http://lizbullardwrites.com/linktree* Buy the books: https://books2read.com/ap/nm5KbE/Liz-Bullard* Book a free coaching consult: https://tidycal.com/lizbullard/15-minute-meeting* Support the show / sponsor an episode: https://buymeacoffee.com/lizbullardwrite This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lizbullard.substack.com/subscribe

MJ Soni shares tips on writing through adversity, the creative power of storytelling, and the personal history that shaped her novel The Masala Chai Mystery Club. MJ shares how her upbringing in South Africa during apartheid, her family history, and her own experiences with bias and microaggressions found their way into her fiction.About MJ Soni Author Manju (MJ) Soni grew up in South Africa and wrote, DEFYING APARTHEID, a part-memoir about being a doctor/ activist under apartheid. Since then, drawing on her American, African, and Indian background, she’s written mystery short fiction and her debut cozy mystery, THE MASALA CHAI MYSTERY CLUB, which are full of heart and humor, with a saree-wearing librarian protagonist will be coming out on 21 July with Crooked Lane Books. Links:Website: https://mjsoniauthor.com/Penguin RH buy links: https://tinyurl.com/2w74j2c4About LizLiz Bullard is a multi‑genre author, therapist, and coach who helps creatives move from stuck to started with clarity and confidence. Known for her captivating storytelling, Liz’s notable works include The Prophecy Series and the Lira Somers Mysteries, praised for fast‑paced plots, vivid characters, and movie‑like imagery. When she’s not writing, coaching, or recording the podcast, she’s cooking, reading, or spending time with Preston the corgi.Connect with Liz:* All links & resources: http://lizbullardwrites.com/linktree* Buy the books: https://books2read.com/ap/nm5KbE/Liz-Bullard* Book a free coaching consult: https://tidycal.com/lizbullard/15-minute-meeting* Support the show / sponsor an episode: https://buymeacoffee.com/lizbullardwrite* Free Workshop: Book Signings on a Budget: https://open.substack.com/live-stream/295649Liz Bullard Writes Substack- Author | Coach | Avid Reader is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lizbullard.substack.com/subscribe

When chronic illness, injury, or pain makes you question whether your goals are still possible, tune in to this eReads Podcast episode with Dianne Burkhardt. Dianne shares how she moved from injury to passion while continuing to navigate recovery, chronic pain, and major health challenges. She talks honestly about the low points in her life and career, the mindset shifts that helped her keep going, and why she sees every setback as a chance to learn. Don’t miss this powerful conversation, plus a look at her upcoming paranormal romance series, Haunted Heart.About Dianne Burckhardt Dianne Burckhardt is an award-winning author, podcaster, publisher, and designer. She is currently writing her memoir, Free Bad Haircut with Each Craniotomy and the host of Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt, a long-running book talk podcast, as well as the publisher of Book Banter Magazine. Through her imprint, Burckhardt Books, she develops fiction and media projects while supporting authors through interviews, features, and educational content. She continues to write fiction alongside her work in publishing and podcasting.LinksPodcast: https://www.burckhardtbooks.com/podcastFacebooks: https://www.facebook.com/BookBanterProductions/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burckhardtbooks/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@burckhardtbooksYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWSQ6Be1Sgg2i4aFSnRDEsQThreads: https://www.threads.com/@burckhardtbooksAbout LizLiz Bullard is a multi‑genre author, therapist, and coach who helps creatives move from stuck to started with clarity and confidence. Known for her captivating storytelling, Liz’s notable works include The Prophecy Series and the Lira Somers Mysteries, praised for fast‑paced plots, vivid characters, and movie‑like imagery. When she’s not writing, coaching, or recording the podcast, she’s cooking, reading, or spending time with Preston the corgi.Connect with Liz:* All links & resources: http://lizbullardwrites.com/linktree* Buy the books: https://books2read.com/ap/nm5KbE/Liz-Bullard* Book a free coaching consult: https://tidycal.com/lizbullard/15-minute-meeting* Support the show / sponsor an episode: https://buymeacoffee.com/lizbullardwrite* Book Banter Podcast Episode: Liz Bullard Writes Substack- Author | Coach | Avid Reader is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lizbullard.substack.com/subscribe

Hady Mendez shares tips about self-advocacy, communication, and what it really takes to speak up as a creative. Hady shares insights from her book Calladita No More: My Latina Journey and the Lessons That Shaped Me, and we talk about the courage it takes to claim your voice, ask for what you need, and keep going when the answer is no.We explore the difference between discomfort and safety, why communication is a skill you build over time, and how creatives can advocate for themselves in careers, relationships, and publishing. Hady also shares how culture, community, and clarity shaped her journey as a writer and advocate.If you’ve ever struggled to speak up for your work, your boundaries, or your worth, I think this conversation will offer both encouragement and practical insight.About Hady Méndez Hady Mendez is a NY-based bestselling author, Latina speaker, and ERG coach. She is the founder and CEOof Boldly Speaking LLC, a company that is transforming the professional experiences of underestimated professionals by providing them with the skills to rise and thrive in the corporate world or in whatever path they choose.LinksWebsite: https://www.boldlyspeakingllc.com/calladitanomoreLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hadymendezAbout LizLiz Bullard is a multi‑genre author, therapist, and coach who helps creatives move from stuck to started with clarity and confidence. Known for her captivating storytelling, Liz’s notable works include The Prophecy Series and the Lira Somers Mysteries, praised for fast‑paced plots, vivid characters, and movie‑like imagery. When she’s not writing, coaching, or recording the podcast, she’s cooking, reading, or spending time with Preston the corgi.Connect with Liz:* All links & resources: http://lizbullardwrites.com/linktree* Buy the books: https://books2read.com/ap/nm5KbE/Liz-Bullard* Book a free coaching consult: https://tidycal.com/lizbullard/15-minute-meeting* Support the show / sponsor an episode: https://buymeacoffee.com/lizbullardwrite This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lizbullard.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of eReads, I talk with respiratory therapist, creative, and community builder Annmarie Ware of Scrubs Unzipped about moving from burnout to creativity. Annemarie shares her personal story of burnout recovery, the warning signs to watch for, and the 3R framework from her book The Dragon Slayer’s Guide to Healthcare: regroup, rebuild, and stabilize.About Annmarie WareAnnmarie Ware is a founder, author, and the fierce heart behind Scrubs Unzipped. Her mission is simple and revolutionary: to be the person she needed six years ago when she was burned out and facing a mental crisis. She serves as a modern-day conductor for those trapped in systems of burnout, guiding them toward the freedom of living out their true calling. With 14 years of front-line experience in the relentless crucible of healthcare, Annmarie doesn't offer easy answers; she delivers battle-tested strategies to reclaim your creative fire. As the author of The Dragon Slayer's Guide to Healthcare, she leads a defiant stand against dying with your best ideas still in the grave.LinksFree Gift: https://stan.store/Scrubs_Unzipped/p/free-gift-the-lifeline-kit-for-creativesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/scrubsunzipped/Book: The Dragon Slayer’s Guide to HealthcareAbout LizLiz Bullard is a multi‑genre author, therapist, and coach who helps creatives move from stuck to started with clarity and confidence. Known for her captivating storytelling, Liz’s notable works include The Prophecy Series and the Lira Somers Mysteries, praised for fast‑paced plots, vivid characters, and movie‑like imagery. When she’s not writing, coaching, or recording the podcast, she’s cooking, reading, or spending time with Preston the corgi.Connect with Liz:* All links & resources: http://lizbullardwrites.com/linktree* Buy the books: https://books2read.com/ap/nm5KbE/Liz-Bullard* Book a free coaching consult: https://tidycal.com/lizbullard/15-minute-meeting* Support the show / sponsor an episode: https://buymeacoffee.com/lizbullardwrite This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lizbullard.substack.com/subscribe

Bringing real emotion into fiction helps stories stay with readers longer. But this can be an arduous and vulnerable task. However, bestselling and award-winning author Valencia G. Wallace gives us the tools to bring emotion into our works. Valencia shares how writing helped her process childhood trauma, grief, and family history, and how those experiences shaped both her nonfiction and fiction work.About Valencia G. WallaceAward-winning author Valencia G. Wallace writes Southern psychological thrillers rooted in Louisiana life, lore, and buried secrets. She is the author of several nonfiction works, including the memoir Motherless Child.Her fiction debut, The Other Auntie, launches The Auntie Diaries, a series shaped by Louisiana culture and the emotional complexities of women navigating power, survival, memory, and silence.A wife and mother of three, Valencia writes stories that challenge what’s accepted, expose what’s ignored, and explore the truths families work hardest to hide.LinksWebsite: https://vgwallacebooks.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/valencia.gwallaceThe Other Auntie: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ3D7CXNAbout LizLiz Bullard is a multi‑genre author, therapist, and coach who helps creatives move from stuck to started with clarity and confidence. Known for her captivating storytelling, Liz’s notable works include The Prophecy Series and the Lira Somers Mysteries, praised for fast‑paced plots, vivid characters, and movie‑like imagery. When she’s not writing, coaching, or recording the podcast, she’s cooking, reading, or spending time with Preston the corgi.Connect with Liz:* All links & resources: http://lizbullardwrites.com/linktree* Buy the books: https://books2read.com/ap/nm5KbE/Liz-Bullard* Book a free coaching consult: https://tidycal.com/lizbullard/15-minute-meeting* Support the show / sponsor an episode: https://buymeacoffee.com/lizbullardwrite* Back my Kickstarter — Chasing Nightmares audiobook narrated by Star Williams: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lizbullardwrites/chasing-nightmares-audiobook-narrated-by-star-williams This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lizbullard.substack.com/subscribe

USA Today bestselling author and journaling advocate Olivia Gaines shares how journaling can support creativity, wellness, and emotional clarity. Olivia details how a simple daily journaling practice can help with self-check-ins, habit tracking, gratitude, writer’s block, and staying connected to your body, your thoughts, and your creative work.Learn more about Oliva GainesOlivia is a USA Today Best Selling, award-winning author of contemporary romances. She writes heartwarming stories of blossoming relationships filled with heart and humor. The Technicians, The Blakemore Files, and the Modern Mail Order Brides, are one clicks for thousands of readers.When Olivia is not writing, she enjoys quilting, playing Scrabble online against other word lovers and spending time with her family. She is an avid world traveler who writes many of the locations into her stories. Most of the time she can be found sitting quietly with pen and paper plotting more adventures in love.Olivia lives in Hephzibah, Georgia with her husband, son, grandson and snotty evil cat, Katness Evermean.LinksLearn more about her books, upcoming releases and join her bibliophile nation at www.ogaines.comSubscribe to her email list at http://sendfox.com/ogainesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ogainesTwitter: https://twitter.com/oliviagainesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviawrites/About LizLiz Bullard is a multi‑genre author, therapist, and coach who helps creatives move from stuck to started with clarity and confidence. Known for her captivating storytelling, Liz’s notable works include The Prophecy Series and the Lira Somers Mysteries, praised for fast‑paced plots, vivid characters, and movie‑like imagery. When she’s not writing, coaching, or recording the podcast, she’s cooking, reading, or spending time with Preston the corgi.Connect with Liz:* All links & resources: http://lizbullardwrites.com/linktree* Buy the books: https://books2read.com/ap/nm5KbE/Liz-Bullard* Book a free coaching consult: https://tidycal.com/lizbullard/15-minute-meeting* Support the show / sponsor an episode: https://buymeacoffee.com/lizbullardwrite* Back my Kickstarter — Chasing Nightmares audiobook narrated by Star Williams: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lizbullardwrites/chasing-nightmares-audiobook-narrated-by-star-williams This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lizbullard.substack.com/subscribe

Writers and creatives often get stuck because they’re afraid of looking bad. Rodney Eric Lopez — teacher, salsa leader, and author of I Don’t Speak Spanish, But I Understand Everything When I’m Dancing! — shows how social dance creates a safe space for play, dissolves perfectionism, and reignites creative momentum. He traces his pivot from corporate PR into teaching, movement, and authorship, and explains how dance became a nonverbal doorway into heritage as a Bronx New Yorican who didn’t grow up speaking Spanish.About Rodney Eric Lopez Rodney Eric López is an accomplished educator, artist, and non-profit leader. His diverse professional background includes successful tenures in teaching artistry in public schools in New York City and beyond, training, coaching and facilitation, corporate communications and public relations, and executive non-profit leadership.Rodney served as Executive Director of Dancing Classrooms in New York City, where he was responsible for leading program growth, supporting new business efforts, training and professional development, and serving as the face of the organization in stewardship of its 20 national and international affiliates. His teaching work with Dancing Classrooms is featured in the Paramount Classics hit documentary Mad Hot Ballroom. He is a master instructor of Latin and social dance and has taught children and adults the art of dance both for personal enjoyment and as a powerful tool for team and community building.Prior to his career in arts education, Rodney was a successful professional in the area of communications and PR, serving in communication leadership roles at North General Hospital, the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone and BSMG Worldwide. He is the creator of the Generosity and Abundance Process online course and author of The Generosity Solution. He founded Currents RI, a giving circle dedicated to engaging men of color in philanthropic purpose. He has served on several boards and is a member of the Rhode Island Foundation’s Equity Leadership Initiative.He is the author of “I Don’t Speak Spanish, but I Understand Everything When I’m Dancing!“, a social memoir that explores the intersection of language shame, identity, and Salsa.Rodney holds a B.S. in Communications Studies from New York University where he was a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar and a Certificate in Spiritual Entrepreneurship from The Glean Network and Columbia Business School.Linkswww.rodneyericlopez.com/bookhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rodney-eric-lopez/Connect with Liz:* All links & resources: http://lizbullardwrites.com/linktree* Buy the books: https://books2read.com/ap/nm5KbE/Liz-Bullard* Book a free coaching consult: https://tidycal.com/lizbullard/15-minute-meeting* Support the show / sponsor an episode: https://buymeacoffee.com/lizbullardwrite* Back my Kickstarter — Chasing Nightmares audiobook narrated by Star Williams: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lizbullardwrites/chasing-nightmares-audiobook-narrated-by-star-williams This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lizbullard.substack.com/subscribe

Do you have an idea but struggle to carve your own path? In this episode Samí Haiman‑Marrero—entrepreneur, publisher, and storyteller—explains how she turned “no” into opportunity, carved out her own publishing path, and became la jefa (boss lady) she was always destined to be.About Samí Haiman-MarreroSamí Haiman-Marrero is a Puerto Rican storyteller, strategist, and entrepreneur whose life’s work is rooted in reclaiming power, cultivating trust, and building new paths for those too often left out of the narrative. With nearly three decades of experience in marketing, business development, and multilingual storytelling, Samí is the CEO of URBANDER, a communications firm dedicated to helping organizations engage meaningfully with diverse communities.A fierce advocate for equity and economic opportunity, Samí has spent her career designing human-centered strategies that drive impact, from corporate boardrooms to grassroots coalitions. Her work has earned her seven Telly Awards, recognition as Orlando Weekly’s “Best Latinx Marketer,” and a place among the Orlando Business Journal’s Diversity in Business honorees. Samí’s voice is as fearless as it is empathetic. As the co-creator and host of the award-winning podcast I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY (2019–2024), she gave a platform to hundreds of visionaries, disruptors, and truth-tellers across sectors. She continues to serve on multiple boards championing the arts, women, and underserved entrepreneurs. “Becoming La Jefa: The Angst and Joys of a Latina Carving Her Path in America” is her first book, a deeply personal memoir about navigating identity, leadership, motherhood, and business on her own terms. Through it all, Samí remains committed to a simple but radical truth: we carry the machetes our ancestors once wielded, not just to survive, but to create, to protect, and to lead.LinksWebsite http://www.urbander.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becoming_lajefa/Book Becoming La Jefa – A Bold Latina Memoir on Leadership, Identity, and Breaking BarriersConnect with Liz:* All links & resources: http://lizbullardwrites.com/linktree* Buy the books: https://books2read.com/ap/nm5KbE/Liz-Bullard* Book a free coaching consult: https://tidycal.com/lizbullard/15-minute-meeting* Support the show / sponsor an episode: https://buymeacoffee.com/lizbullardwrite* Back my Kickstarter — Chasing Nightmares audiobook narrated by Star Williams: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lizbullardwrites/chasing-nightmares-audiobook-narrated-by-star-williams This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lizbullard.substack.com/subscribe