Join us for a Fiction Book Club episode because books are more fun with friends!

In part one of this experimental-to-us episode format, I chat with my spouse, writer Trey Adams, as we chat through the first half of the book North Woods by Daniel Mason.

This episode covers everything up to "Case Notes of Robert S.," and thus does contain spoilers through that point!!

If you've already read the book, go ahead and tune in, and if not, lucky you!! Run to your local library or favorite book store, and check it out before giving this ep a listen.

North Woods wrecked me in the best of ways, and gave me lots and lots to think and feel about. Listening back to this episode, I thought of a dozen different things that I wish we had brought up or spent more time talking through.

As you listen, you'll have to comment and let us know what we left out that you loved, hated, or wondered about, and more generally I'm curious to know if you'd be interested in more episodes like this in the future.

Enjoy!

Like many folks, I learned early on in life that feeling my feelings was inconvenient for those around me, and built up a practice of denying, ignoring and actively resisting my honest emotions and experience.

In today’s first episode back after a long break, we chat about why radical self-acceptance is not only important for our mental health but also for growing in self-intimacy, love and creativity.

Join me today with my internet friend and fellow coach Dawn Davis for a fun and unfiltered conversation on becoming shameless and embracing rituals that support a flourishing sense of self-love.

About Dawn:

Dawn Davis is a queer intimacy coach, confidence specialist, sex educator, writer, podcaster, and motivational speaker, modeling for others how to take up space unapologetically. Empowering folks for decades to say no, ask for what they want, and set clear boundaries inside and outside of the bedroom. She helps women and queer folks love themselves and their bodies, and challenge the status quo without shame. No subject is taboo.

Find all their links by clicking here and be sure to follow them and say hello on Instagram @dawndaviscoaching

Wanna join Dawn in becoming more shameless through art?

Experience the thrill of seeing your whole-ass naked truth in the light of creative self-love. Become a work of art by contributing to (or collecting art from) my forthcoming series through my Take Back Your Body project by clicking here.

Friends! I am so excited to share today's episode and guest with you. A very "take back your body" project-inspired conversation between myself and DC area artist and family photographer Mel Worthington.

In the episode we chat: —reasons we both have avoided having our photo made/putting ourselves out into the world —what constitutes a "good" photo? —and most of all, how can we subvert the BS that keeps us thinking our worth/beauty is linked to how we look? how can we see ourselves as whole and worthy now?

To connect with Mel, check out her website melworthington.com and say, "hi!" to her on Instagram by following https://instagram.com/melzwphotog

If you're not already, you can follow my work online https://instagram.com/ashleytrabue and if you want to learn more about being supported in some radical self-acceptance work through the art-making process, click here to learn more about plugging in to my Take Back Your Body project!

Looking for the images we're discussing in today's episode?? Click ⁠ this link to visit a substack post⁠ where I've shared images from today's conversation!

Scarcity and abundance are two sides of the same damn coin. The scarcity side leaves us feeling chronically not-enough, under-resourced, and vulnerable to spinning out in cycles of shame and blame.

The abundance side, on the other hand, feels a lot like the sense of being and having enough, feeling safe to expand, enjoy, be and share.

In this episode, we talk about ways to care for ourselves and our relationship to abundance when we are experiencing some kind of scarcity.

If you tend to keep yourself over-busy, saying, "yes," when you really want to say, "no," and believing that hustling harder is the only way to get ahead... this episode is for you!

Really, it's for the both of us because these are patterns I am outgrowing too. These patterns didn't spring up overnight. Rather, they were co-created within social environments, and we can't expect to break free from them overnight either.

But with consistency and co-creative community, we can break free. Today, let's chat a little bit about how.

Show notes:

- "Human Giver Syndrome," coined by philosopher Kate Manne and popularized in Emily & Amelia Nagoski's book, "Burnout"

- The Artist's Way book by Julia Cameron

- Crossroad moments & bucket-filling inspiration -- ideas I teach inside my 1:1 coaching practice (which you can learn more about and apply for here!) and the Creative Self-Love Club cohorts

- Gretchen Rubin's Strategy of Treats which I learned about from this episode of Mind Witchery by Natalie Miller

Dear listener, do you know yourself to be special?

If you're anything like me and that question alone makes you feel a bit squirmy, today's episode is for you.

In it, I explore the values that undergird an instinct to argue against being special, explore why feeling special is essential to creating and doing anything interesting in this life, and share a ritual I use for connecting more fully to my own sense of specialness.

Creatives! If you're anything like me, you have big creative dreams and ambitions on your heart, but don't always take action on those dreams due to that old friend fear.

Want to practice the art of feeling your fear and doing it anyways?!

Get out your notebooks and favorite colorful pens, because in today's workshop-style episode, I'm guiding you through a mini process in partnering with your fear to show up bravely and creatively for your goals anyways.

Show notes:

Do it Scared: A Mini Course in Creative Courage is available to enroll in

Don't be a stranger! Join our Creative Self-Love Club Instagram account to join a community of your fellow artists committed to showing up for themselves and their creativity with greater compassion and care.