Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens
Jill Hodge
1 Creator
1 Creator
Join writer and host, Jill Hodge, as she shares her creative self-care journey through a soulful mashup of storytelling, spoken word poetry, and music. Part self-help/part performing arts, this podcast explores personal growth through a creative lens.
Through an immersive backdrop of music and soundscapes, Jill explores a variety of practices and tools drawn from positive psychology like mindfulness, positive reframing, gratitude, and creative flow.
Dive into creative self-care techniques such as journal writing and affirmation meditations. You’ll find journal prompts at the end of every episode to guide your own self-reflection.
This podcast was born out of the struggle (and then insight) that Jill experienced as she dealt with her mother’s ailing health. She turned to creative expression for comfort and discovered the life-changing ways that it revealed a path toward a more purposeful life. In verse form: “I thought I’d lost myself along a road that was seldom straight or supple, but after the broken shards fell away, I glimpsed the undergrowth. From every tear that had fallen, nestled in life’s rich soil, there sprang a stalk, now entangled and evergreen. Exhausted, I rested under the lush canopy. This is my story.”
Let Jill inspire your creative self-care journey as she shares her “reflections from the bright side of the beat” and join this growing community by connecting with her at https://www.lettheverseflow.com/.
Want to ignite your creative self-care journey? Sign up for Jill’s free companion newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape, which offers 3 essential, hand-curated creative self-care resources designed to put you back on your to-do list.
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Top 10 Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
The Healing Power of Time (and Sense)
Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens
08/30/23 • 19 min
In this episode, I’ll discuss the adage “time heals all wounds.” We may not want to hear this, especially if it’s said off the cuff, but ultimately, time gives us a cushion to process our feelings. Engaging our senses in mindful acts also creates some space to heal. Time passes, priorities get rearranged, and new options start to appear. All these factors can help us get from a painful place to a more comfortable one.
We’ll explore a few related topics, like the dichotomy between feeling pain and seeking out pleasurable activities to offer comfort and the endurance we must have to sit with uncomfortable feelings until they pass and we transition to a new space in life. We are destined to move forward from this place; time ordains that, so let’s explore how to use our time wisely to help fortify ourselves against the coming storms. I have a few ideas on how to do this. Have a listen.
Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.
Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on creativity and
Poem: Prickly Dark Pins
Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and share it with the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)
Songs in this episode:
Punch Clock by Nu Alkemi$t; Winning Streak by JeesGuy; Vision by DeHartmann; Finny by Sam Barsh; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
LTVF Season One Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.
Journal Prompts:
- Write about a time when you thought one thing was going to happen, but instead, another thing did. You weren’t prepared for it. How did you deal with it, and how do you now see that situation?
- What sensory pleasures could help you find a touch of peace during uncomfortable times in your life?
- Write about something good in your life that might have started out badly or with difficulty, but turned out better over time.
Like this episode? Please rate & review to help the show find more listeners.
Related episode: Sitting with Shitty Feelings
Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com
Mindfulness and Moderation: The Power of the Middle Way
Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens
07/31/24 • 26 min
It’s taken me a while to find a path toward the Middle Way, that Buddhist principle that rests firmly on common sense and shows us how to find moderation instead of swinging between one extreme or another. The Middle Way can offer us some peace as we find a balance between the extremes of self-indulgence, busyness, and wanting, or on the other side, toward extreme self-denial or self-discipline.
The Middle Way offers a nuanced path that embraces the ease and equilibrium of living with moderation. In this episode, I’ll use some illustrative examples from my life to discuss how to find this moderate way, and what benefits it can hold for us.
I’ll also touch on the concept of impermanence and its relationship to the Middle Way. How our cravings and clinging, perhaps in an attempt to control situations, ultimately backfire as we watch situations change in an instant. How can we find a reasoned approach to going after our wants and needs without doing so in a desperate, extreme way, and with the knowledge that change (in many directions) is inevitable? I’m reasoning this out too, with poetry, musings, and music.
Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.
Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.
Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)
Poem: The Middle Way
Songs in this episode: See You In Sao Paulo by Chelsea McGough; Slide by GEMM; Cool by EILOH; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
Journal Prompts:
1. What areas of my life might benefit from me taking a balanced, moderate approach?
2. Do I tend to lean toward self-indulgence or self-denial in my life? Why is this and what do I think about this tendency?
3. Are there any obstacles in my thinking to embracing a Middle Way in life? What are they and how does clinging to them help or hurt me?
Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com
Sitting with Shitty Feelings
Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens
07/05/23 • 20 min
Today I’m talking about shitty days. We’ve all had them, but some of us (yes, I’m talking about myself) don’t tolerate them well. We act out over them, ruminate over them, and buy into our bullshit thoughts that tell us these uncomfortable feelings will be with us forever. They won’t. They will pass. Shitty feelings always pass, but not before we feel them. That’s the rub. How do we get through our shitty feelings with as little pain as possible? Through community and beauty. I’ll explain.
Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.
Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on creativity and personal growth.
Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)
Songs in this episode:
“Humble Beginnings” by Ghost Beatz; “Winning Streak” by JeesGuy; “Pink Tiger” by Sam Barsh; “Pyaar Kee Seemaen” by Cast of Characters
LTVF Season One Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.
Resources:
Wondermind: “17 People Share the Best Things They Learned in Therapy”
Journal prompts:
1. How long can I sit with uncomfortable feelings before trying to distract myself? Can I accept however long that is right now, and build from there?
2. How long did it take for happiness to show up in my life after a tough time?
3. Can I be open to the idea that happiness can come after grief or anger or sadness?
Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com/sitting-with-shitty-feelings/.
Personal Power: Manifesting Your Inner Lion
Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens
07/19/23 • 15 min
As the saying goes, “Life is not for the faint of heart.” We may worry about this or that, predict obstacles and roadblocks, and ruminate about the next challenge, but most of the time none of that stuff happens. Life has other plans for us, and we may not see any of them coming!
But after you’ve been knocked down a few too many times, you toughen up. Yes, you get stronger from the unpredictable struggles you face, and sometimes your internal power can grow to become as mighty as a lion’s roar.
This episode explores the good feelings that can come from being proactive, digging deep, and finding the courage to express your personal power. Let’s find out how it feels to let out a “lion’s roar.”
Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.
Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on creativity and personal growth.
Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)
Songs in this episode:
“Brown Power” by Reggie B.; “Sub Insanity” by Ghost Beatz; “Winning Streak” by JeesGuy; "Pyaar Kee Seemaen” by Cast of Characters
LTVF Season One Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.
Resources:
The Lion’s Roar (Part 1A) - Tara Brach video
Journal prompts:
1. Write about a time you “roared” and asserted your personal power. How did it feel at that moment and a few days later?
2. How can you build confidence in your ability to “roar” when needed to make your needs known?
Prefer to read the content of this episode? I create a blog post for each podcast episode. Find them: https://www.lettheverseflow.com/
Finding Balance: Caregiver Self-Care
Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens
04/10/24 • 40 min
With over 53 million caregivers in America, we are likely to face caregiver challenges at some point in our lives. As Rosalynn Carter reminded us: “There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.”
Caregiving can be thrust upon us, or it can build up over time. We may take on the role with love in our hearts, or experience anger, fear, or other uncomfortable feelings. No matter what our relationship is to the caregiving task, we are entitled to our feelings, and we need to protect ourselves with self-care. I'm making a case for finding balance by putting our needs first sometimes. We do it by grounding ourselves with compassion, enjoying sensory pleasures, and mindful moments.
In the past, I’ve been a caregiver to three family members. Many times, I thought I would break, but I didn’t. Today, I explore how I got through those challenging times, how I remind myself that I can’t live to care for others, and what reasonable self-care for the caregiver can look like. In this episode, I touch on:
- How I've added balance to my life as a family caregiver by carving out time for self-care
- Reaffirming the idea that you are the center of your life (even while caregiving)
- Using tools like listening, patience, mindfulness, and reducing reactivity
- Putting your caregiving in context and the importance of kicking shame and self-judgment to the curb
- Making time for mindful moments
Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.
Poem: Sit Down Awhile
Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)
Songs in this episode: Office Party 2 by Nu Alkemi$t; Slide by GEMM; Stillness by DeHartmann; Purple Baggin by Sam Barsh; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
Resources:
Rosalynn Carter Institute; Unwinding App: (Caregiver Stress course within the app)
Journal Prompts: Find them here.
Tiny Buddha article: Hope for the Grieving
Related Episodes: #9: Mindful Breathing; #20: Affirmation Meditation: Keep Your Dreams Alive; #22: Affirmation Meditation for Creative Flow; #23 Overcoming Overthinking; #24: Affirmation Meditation to Overcome Overthinking
The Road to Brighter Days: Building Resilience
Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens
09/27/23 • 36 min
This episode is personal and passionate, as I explain the core beliefs behind this show – how to build resilience and inner strength as you increase your capacity and internal resources to call forth a more joyful life.
Finding brighter days and cultivating positivity is more about building resilience than fooling yourself into “happy thoughts.” In this episode, I break down why I use the tagline “May you stay on the bright side of the beat.” and relate it to a more nuanced discussion on developing your positive spirit.
I touch on owning your feelings, setting boundaries, developing comfort routines/sensory pleasures, and connecting to caring, but it’s my invocation and poetry that’s doing the heavy lifting in this episode. I’m passionate about this call to action – and I hope you’ll listen to me speak it into existence in different ways in this episode.
Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.
Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on the topics I discuss.
Poems: On a Satin Dime; Bright Side (invocation); The Bright Side of the Beat
Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)
Songs in this episode: Breakfast for Dinner by Dr. Delight; Winning Streak by JeesGuy; 5 Stars by Syncro; Uptown by NuAkemi$t; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
LTVF Season One Music Playlist: Check out the songs, like Green Day’s Good Riddance, that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.
Resources:
Find a Therapist (Psychology Today)
Journal prompts:
1. Make a list or inventory of all the feelings you have when you are going through a difficult time, and try to tease out which 1 or 2 are most connected.
2. Make a list or inventory of at least 3 things, people, or activities that you care about and connect with deeply. Write about how you connect to them and why they are so important in your life.
3. Think back to a time when you were really happy, and ask yourself, “Can I imagine that I will be happy like that again in the future, and is there something soothing I can do while I wait for things to get better?”
Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com
Mindful Living Through Meditation
Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens
03/27/24 • 26 min
Have you struggled to be present in your life? Perhaps you’ve been on autopilot for so long that you haven't been experiencing your life in a meaningful way. I understand; I’ve been there too and mindfulness has helped me become more invested in my life’s purpose. It has helped me enjoy the good things that come into my world each day. But where do we begin?
In this episode, I show you where to start and answer this question: What is mindfulness and how does it change the quality of our lives?
I also provide some tips to start a mindfulness meditation practice, including:
- How to get comfortable physically and prepare yourself mentally.
- How you can use your breath to anchor your meditation to combat the internal chatter.
- How to build a nonjudgmental space for your meditation, as you deal with emotions that may hold you back from being mindful.
- Variations and options to structure your meditation practice to fit your needs.
- Resources to learn more about Buddhist mediation and other Eastern traditions.
- Journal prompts to reflect on your mindfulness.
If you’re interested in listening to some guided meditation, check out my affirmation meditations where I guide you through ways of thinking and understanding through affirmation statements. Check out episodes 20, 22, and 24.
Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.
Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.
Poem: Moments
Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and share it with the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)
Songs in this episode: Your World by Nu Alkemi$t; Slide by GEMM; Breathe by Marie; Taken Away by Dr. Delight; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
Resources:
Related Episodes:
#20: Affirmation Meditation: Keep Your Dreams Alive
#22: Affirmation Meditation to Cultivate Creative Flow
#24: Affirmation Meditation to Overcome Overthinking and Worry
LTVF Season 2 Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.
Journal Prompts to Reflect on Your Meditation Practice:
- Set an intention for your mindfulness meditation by writing about where and when you will devote 15 minutes to your daily practice. Be specific in the details and schedule this time in your calendar.
- After you complete a meditation session, write about it. What thoughts come to mind now? How do your mind and body feel at this moment?
- After a week of meditating, write about what you notice about yourself. Has meditation changed you? Write about any benefits you’ve observed.
Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com
Choosing Friends & Building Meaning
Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens
08/16/23 • 31 min
We’ll connect the threads between how making space and time for friends (and actively tuning into our interactions with them) helps us build more meaning in our lives. To do this we have to clear the cobwebs—get rid of the dead weight and make sure we can distinguish between people who we should journey onward with as friends and those that we can leave behind.
By actively listening, we can learn to read the signs accordingly and find our tribe. Once we’ve found them, we must be mindful of our times together because that’s where the meaning lies.
Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.
Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on creativity and personal growth.
Poem: My Meaning (and You Don’t Get It)
Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)
Songs in this episode:
Newhi by Dallas $tyles; Winning Streak by JeesGuy; Pieces by Nu Alkemi$t; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
LTVF Season One Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.
Resources: 5 Myths and Realities About Finding Your Tribe
Journal prompts:
- Do you feel listened to by your family and friends? If so, what do they get about you? If not, where can you find some people who will?
- Are you actively listening when having conversations? If not, why?
- What are three things you hope people will understand about you? Name at least one person who sees those things in you.
Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: lettheverseflow.com
Give Yourself Grace: Self-Care for Stressful Times
Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens
06/05/24 • 22 min
Having grace and compassion for ourselves, especially as we make mistakes and take missteps along our life's journey, frees us to learn from those mistakes. It also helps us embrace one of the basic tenets of a growth mindset: recasting mistakes as opportunities for personal growth.
In this episode, I share how stress and my inability to cope with my caregiving duties can sometimes make me say regretful things, or feel uncomfortable emotions. When that happens, I'm often faced with guilt. I'll make a case for reframing caregiver guilt (and other types of guilt) as opportunities to reflect and learn and explain the value of a growth mindset for reducing shame. I explore:
- What grace is and why it’s so important for caregivers in particular to hold grace for themselves.
- How our lack of grace for ourselves usually stems from the shitty twin feelings of perfectionism and fear of failure.
- How embracing a growth mindset can help reduce self-criticism and help empower us to learn from mistakes.
- How humor or developing more compassionate self-talk (through affirmations or mantras) can help us be kinder to ourselves.
Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.
Want to reengage with yourself and put creative self-care back on your to-do list? Head over to my website: lettheverseflow.com and sign up for my free newsletter, the Me-Time Mixtape. Three times per month, I’ll send you 3 essential, hand-curated links/resources on creative self-care tips, tools, and strategies.
Poem: Grace
Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and share it with the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)
Songs in this episode: Movement Like Water by Nu Alkemi$t; Slide by GEMM; Samson's Buzzcut by GRIDKIDS; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
Related Episodes:
Sitting with Shitty Feelings (episode 4)
Resources:
Being Kinder to Yourself (Greater Good Science Center animation)
LTVF Season 2 Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.
Journal Prompts:
- What does holding grace look like to you? How can you cultivate grace for yourself when you make mistakes?
- Write about a mistake that made you feel guilt or shame, and then reflect on what you can learn from that experience.
- Write about one area in your life where you want to develop forgiveness and self-compassion.
Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com
Dealing with Dementia (Caregiver Tips & Journal Prompts)
Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens
11/08/23 • 29 min
Dealing with a loved one’s dementia, or handling other difficult transitional times in our lives requires that we give ourselves some grace -- and create a formidable community of support. We may have to handle the logistics of moving our loved ones out of their home, arranging for care, managing finances, and caregiving. This is adulting with a capital “A.” Here are some inspirational tips and resources to help you handle this heavy load.
The most essential takeaway: feel however you feel and surround yourself with people who support all of the emotional states and stages that you will experience. Once you have settled into new routines, and hopefully made peace with this transitional time in your life, these people who make up your support system will become the little gems that you add to your gratitude list.
Welcome to my reflections from the bright side of the beat.
Have a listen, then connect with me at lettheverseflow.com to sign up for my newsletter and receive journal prompts and resources on creativity and
Poem: 792: the Memory Door
Music: (My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.)
Songs in this episode: Endless Sleep by Lost Ghosts; Winning Streak by JeesGuy; Echoes of the Mind by Shimmer; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters
LTVF Season One Music Playlist: Check out the songs that inspire me, and connect with artists from many genres who add to our collective, human soundtrack.
Resources:
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care: Help for Family Caregivers
Journal prompts:
- How has a loved one’s health crisis or transition changed the way you think about your life? How has it changed how you see yourself?
- Write about a special memory of your loved one or a memento that reminds you of them, and consider how you can preserve and carry the good feelings these thoughts bring.
- Who do you want to surround yourself with during this time in your life, and how are you making time for them?
Related Episodes: Sitting with Shitty Feelings; The Loved Ones We Carry
Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com
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FAQ
How many episodes does Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens have?
Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens currently has 43 episodes available.
What topics does Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens cover?
The podcast is about Poetry, Health & Fitness, Personal Growth, Mental Health, Podcasts, Self-Improvement and Education.
What is the most popular episode on Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens?
The episode title 'Positive Shift: Meditation for Your Glow Up' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens?
The average episode length on Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens is 24 minutes.
How often are episodes of Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens released?
Episodes of Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens?
The first episode of Let the Verse Flow: Personal Growth Thru a Creative Lens was released on May 29, 2023.
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