What does it mean to choose yourself and your creative life, especially when the people around you might not understand that choice. In this first audio newsletter of Nourishing Creativity, I’m reflecting on the willingness it takes to say yes your ideas, projects, and creative dreams.

Inspired by My Brilliant Career, a new series on Netflix, which is also a book. Without giving you spoilers, through line of this series is choosing yourself. When you choose yourself, it can feel radical and it can also come with trade-offs which I am reading about in Emma Grede’s book, Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life.

Over the past year, I’ve supported clients who are creating while navigating grief, illness, caregiving, and major life transitions. And yet, they’re still creating Substack publications, recording podcasts, writing books, sharing their ideas, and thinking about the legacy they want to leave behind.

I’m experiencing this in my own creative practice too. While cleaning out a closet, I found a letter I wrote to myself at the end of 2023 that included a reminder to create my creative planner. Three years later, that project is tapping me on the shoulder like my podcast guest, Luna Battalia said.

If there’s a book, podcast, Substack, or idea that’s asking you to co-create with this season, this is your invitation to say yes. And if you think this is just for others or that you don’t have the insert: Time, energy, or money. Sit with the question of willingness in the last newsletter.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform while you cook, clean, or create.

Leave a comment on Substack or connect with me on Instagram @chefcarlacontreras

xo Carla

PS: Upgrade to Founding Member on Substack to book your Mini-Content Audit: Get unstuck, and take aligned action. I can’t wait to hear about what you are creating! Need more support work with me here.

Disclaimer: Always seek the counsel of a qualified medical practitioner or other healthcare provider for an individual consultation before making any significant changes to your health, lifestyle, or to answer questions about specific medical conditions. If you are driving or doing an activity that needs your attention, save the energy practices for later. This podcast is for entertainment and information purposes only. Note: Some of these are affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the sales. I appreciate your support of my small Latina & women owned business.

"Innovation is what makes me excited to show up to work." — Emma Grace Moon

This episode is your invitation to rethink what success looks like and how creativity can become your greatest competitive advantage. I’m joined by founder of Praize, Emma Grace Moon, for a conversation about AI, entrepreneurship, creativity, burnout, and why moving from New York City to Paris transformed the way she leads her business and her life.

Emma shares how building a data-driven strategy consultancy has taught her that creativity isn’t limited to artists. Whether she’s helping brands understand AI search, measuring the impact of PR, or building innovative strategies for clients, creativity shows up through curiosity, experimentation, and staying ahead of what’s next.

We also explore the relationship between creativity and place. After years of building her business in New York City, Emma realized she was burnt out and disconnected from herself. A series of travels led her to Paris. She shares how shorter workdays, stronger boundaries, and creating space outside of work have actually made her a better leader while helping her business grow.

Toward the end of our conversation, Emma shares her approach to public speaking, creative confidence, and moving through self-doubt. Rather than over-preparing, she trusts the knowledge she’s built through years of experience. In addition to the support of affirmations, breathwork, and nervous system regulation.

Whether you’re navigating burnout, building a business, exploring AI, dreaming of living abroad, or looking for new ways to nourish your creativity, this conversation is a reminder that your environment, curiosity, and willingness to evolve (and shut the laptop) all shape the work you’re here to create.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform while you cook, clean, or create. Get the full show notes & transcript here.

Leave a comment on Substack or connect with us on Instagram @chefcarlacontreras and @emmagracemoon to share your takeaways from the episode.

xo Carla

PS: Need space for your creative projects and dreams? Upgrade to paid for access to Nourished Creator Studio, weekly Creative Study Hall Sessions, and Creative Chat.

Disclaimer: Always seek the counsel of a qualified medical practitioner or other healthcare provider for an individual consultation before making any significant changes to your health, lifestyle, or to answer questions about specific medical conditions. If you are driving or doing an activity that needs your attention, save the meditation practice for later. This podcast is for entertainment and information purposes only. Note: Some of these are affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the sales. I appreciate your support of my small Latina & women owned business.

"Creativity has its own frequency, its own energy, and it's meant to be experienced in the present moment." — Ania Volovique

This episode is your invitation to trust yourself more deeply, soften into the present moment, and make space for creativity to move through you. I’m joined by brand oracle and somatic photographer Ania Volovique for a conversation about intuition, creativity, somatic healing, and the life-changing lessons she learned through her experience with brain cancer.

Ania believes creativity isn’t something you either have or don’t have, it’s a living energy that wants to move uniquely through each of us. Rather than forcing ideas into existence or following someone else’s blueprint, she invites us to become deeply present, trusting that inspiration arrives when we create enough space to receive it, just like her upcoming trip to Paris.

We also dive into Ania’s unique approach to somatic photography and coaching. Whether she’s photographing a brand, guiding a client through a somatic practice, or holding space in a mentorship session, her process begins with presence. She shares how paying attention to body language, energy, and listening to her intuition allows her to co-create with each client.

Ania shares her story of navigating a brain cancer diagnosis. Rather than resisting, she chose surrender. She shaved her head, created a beach photo shoot, and leaned into creativity as part of her healing process. Through that journey, she discovered that our greatest challenges can become profound invitations to reconnect with ourselves, trust life more deeply, and find freedom even in uncertainty.

This conversation is a beautiful reminder that creativity flows when we soften our grip, trust our intuition, and create spaciousness for something greater to move through us. Whether you’re navigating a difficult season, moving through creative blocks, building a business, or longing to reconnect with yourself, this episode will leave you feeling grounded, inspired, and open to what’s possible.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform while you cook, clean, or create. Get the full show notes & transcript here.

Leave a comment on Substack or connect with us on Instagram @chefcarlacontreras and @aniavolovique to share your takeaways from the episode.

xo Carla

PS: Working on your visibility this summer? Join me and Valerie Oula inside the Creative Visibility Summer Immersion our next session is Monday, July 13th.

Disclaimer: Always seek the counsel of a qualified medical practitioner or other healthcare provider for an individual consultation before making any significant changes to your health, lifestyle, or to answer questions about specific medical conditions. If you are driving or doing an activity that needs your attention, save the meditation practice for later. This podcast is for entertainment and information purposes only. Note: Some of these are affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the sales. I appreciate your support of my small Latina & women owned business.

"The absence of social and the introduction of more silence is what's nourishing my creativity." — Jessica Murnane

This episode is your invitation to rethink creativity through the lens of nature, generosity, and play. I’m joined by gardener, author, horticultural therapy practitioner, and founder of Basker, Jessica Murnane, for a conversation about growing cut flowers, stepping away from social media, and cultivating a creative life that feels deeply nourishing.

Jessica shares how gardening became a turning point in her own healing journey after recovering from major surgery. What started as learning to grow cut flowers evolved into a practice of creativity, hope, and connection. She explains why gardening isn’t just about growing plants. It’s about growing calm, reducing stress, creating community, and reconnecting with yourself.

We talk about creativity beyond productivity and the pressure to monetize every hobby. Jessica reflects on creating simply for the joy of making, whether that’s growing varieties of cosmos, arranging flowers, or filling your home with beauty that doesn’t need to become a business. Creativity, she reminds us, can simply exist for you.

Jessica also shares why she made the bold decision to leave Instagram. After years of creating online, she realized social media was limiting her creativity through comparison, noise, and constant visibility. Instead, she now finds inspiration through books, magazines, silence, and nature, while creating her own “social feed” directly on her website as a slower, more intentional way to share her work.

Whether you’re growing a flower garden, writing a book, taking a break from social media, or looking for a gentler way to nourish your creativity, this conversation is a reminder that creativity doesn’t always ask us to be “on”. In fact, Jessica is on a break from her Substack. Perhaps, you can align yourself with her vibe, even for a moment, this summer.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform while you cook, clean, or create. Get the full show notes & transcript here.

Leave a comment on Substack or connect with us on Instagram @chefcarlacontreras & @jessicamurnane to share your takeaways from the episode.

xo Carla

PS: Working on your visibility this summer? Join me and Valerie Oula inside the Creative Visibility Summer Immersion.

Disclaimer: Always seek the counsel of a qualified medical practitioner or other healthcare provider for an individual consultation before making any significant changes to your health, lifestyle, or to answer questions about specific medical conditions. If you are driving or doing an activity that needs your attention, save the meditation practice for later. This podcast is for entertainment and information purposes only. Note: Some of these are affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the sales. I appreciate your support of my small Latina & women owned business.

“If you even have an inkling of something that you have been wanting to share, do it. It's time.” — Valerie Oula

This episode is your invitation to stop waiting for the perfect moment, start creating and sharing your work, ideas, and dreams. I’m joined by energy medicine practitioner and founder of Modern Ritual NYC, Valerie Oula, for a conversation about visibility, intuition, and creativity.

Valerie shares how creativity is deeply connected to intuition. She believes creativity begins by listening to the nudges that keep returning and also having the courage to take action when they do. We explore what happens when inspiration meets implementation and why some ideas refuse to leave us alone until we bring them into the world.

We take you behind the scenes of how the Creative Visibility Summer Immersion was born. Spoiler: It started as a Instagram DM about showing up and quickly evolved into a container. Together, we’re co-creating a space for accountability, creative play, nervous system support, and bringing your ideas to life.

Valerie shares how Human Design, astrology, meditation, and energy work all shape her creative process. As a Manifesting Generator, she reflects on the importance of following the spark, trusting what excites her, balancing out with periods of solitude, and also being with community and human connection.

We dive into creative blocks through the lens of astrology, particularly Chiron, the wounded healer. Valerie explains how our deepest wounds can become pathways to growth, visibility, and creative expression. Sometimes the very thing we’re afraid to share is the thing we’re here to offer.

The through line of this podcast conversation is about giving yourself permission and having the courage to do the darn thing. Whether you’re dreaming of launching a Substack, writing a book, sharing your art, or starting a podcast this episode is your reminder that you are meant to be seen.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform while you cook, clean, or create. Get the full show notes & transcript here.

Leave a comment on Substack or connect with us on Instagram @chefcarlacontreras & @valerieoula to share your takeaways from the episode.

xo Carla

PS: Join us inside Creative Visibility Summer Immersion. Questions? Send us a DM and let's chat if it's right for you.

Disclaimer: Always seek the counsel of a qualified medical practitioner or other healthcare provider for an individual consultation before making any significant changes to your health, lifestyle, or to answer questions about specific medical conditions. If you are driving or doing an activity that needs your attention, save the meditation practice for later. This podcast is for entertainment and information purposes only. Note: Some of these are affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the sales. I appreciate your support of my small Latina & women owned business.

“If I can remember to carve out moments of self-connection, that’s where creativity starts to flow.” — Nicki Sizemore

This episode is your invitation to rethink creativity through nourishment, ritual, and presence. I’m joined by cookbook author, recipe developer, and creator of Mind, Body, Spirit Food, Nicki Sizemore for a conversation about creativity, burnout, entrepreneurship, and the small practices that help us reconnect to ourselves.

Nicki shares how years of overworking, blogging, recipe development, and entrepreneurship eventually led to a major burnout that changed the way she approached creativity and her business. What once felt controlled, scheduled, and productivity-driven slowly transformed into a more intuitive, nourishing, and surrendered creative process.

We talk about how creativity often emerges through necessity, whether that’s cooking from what’s already in your kitchen, writing through difficult moments, or allowing ideas to arrive instead of forcing them. Nicki reflects on writing her book, Mind, Body, Spirit Food and how the process felt less like “writing” and more like allowing a creative force to co-create with her.

Nicki also shares the BEST practice, a simple ritual she created to bring more intention and presence into cooking and daily life: Breathe, Engage Your Senses, Set an Intention, Thank Your Food, and Thank Your Body. What started as a way to survive burnout in the kitchen became a deeper practice of nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and creative connection.

We also explore entrepreneurship, overdoing, creative blocks, and the difficult but transformative process of saying no. Nicki opens up about walking away from successful sponsorship work that no longer felt aligned and learning how to build a business rooted in nourishment instead of constant hustle.

This episode is a reminder that creativity sometimes begins with a deep breath, connecting to your senses, and allowing yourself to slow down enough to listen. The answers you are looking for are right inside you, if you take a beat to tune in and allow creativity to co-create with you.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or on your favorite podcast platform while you cook, clean, or create. Get the full show notes & transcript here.

Leave a comment on Substack or connect with us on Instagram @chefcarlacontreras & @nickisizemore to share your takeaways from the episode.

xo Carla

PS: Upgrade to paid for access to Nourished Creator Studio, Creative Study Hall, and the Creative Chat to help you stay consistent and move your ideas forward.

Disclaimer: Always seek the counsel of a qualified medical practitioner or other healthcare provider for an individual consultation before making any significant changes to your health, lifestyle, or to answer questions about specific medical conditions. If you are driving or doing an activity that needs your attention, save the meditation practice for later. This podcast is for entertainment and information purposes only. Note: Some of these are affiliate links. I receive a small percentage of the sales. I appreciate your support of my small Latina & women owned business.