creativity – End of Life University

Learn how we can help humanity and the planet get through a challenging new year.

In this solo episode I share a discussion about what we can and should bring to the world this year as death-aware, death-positive individuals. During the past year the world has been turned upside down with the global pandemic, economic downturn, systemic racism, and climate change. As we begin this new year we are still suffering but we are better prepared for the changes that are happening and the world needs us to get through these difficult days.

Listen here:

This episode includes:

Many people in our society are dealing with despair, depression, anxiety and shock after being exposed to the reality of our fragile existence here.
Those of us who are comfortable with death need to step up to help others cope with change
The world needs from us:
- Calmness
- Creativity
- Balance
- Collaboration
- Integrity
- Presence
We need a non-dual approach to overcome the polarization of our society

Links mentioned in this episode:

The Conference on Death and Bereavement Studies: A Professional Development Symposium – January 10, 2021 Learn more here
Spiritual Journeys in Chronic Illness Course – with Terri Daniels – starts January 7th Learn more here
Sign up for the 2021 online reading group A Year of Reading Dangerously at this link
Support you local bookstore by buying my books on Bookshop and Indiebound: 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying and The Journey from Ego to Soul
Subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Stitcher Radio
Check out the Series I’ve recorded in the past here
Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporter Delores Hammons! Your contributions make all the difference!

EOLPodcast, Grief

Ep. 244 Creative Tools for Grief During the COVID-19 Pandemic with Claudia Coenen

April 27, 2020April 25, 2020 kwyattmd

Learn how creativity can help us process our feelings of grief and sadness to become more whole during times of difficulty.

My guest Claudia Coenen is certified in grief counseling and thanatology and is also a musician, dancer, writer, and chef who utilizes creative process and somatic therapy in her work with clients. She is also the author of two books – “Shattered by Grief: Picking up the pieces to become WHOLE again” and “The Creative Toolkit for Working With Grief and Bereavement: A Practitioner’s Guide”. Today Claudia shares how creativity can help all of us deal with our grief and sadness as we cope with the global pandemic and some specific tools for fostering resilience and healing in a time of distress. Learn more about her work at her website:

www.thekarunaproject.com

Listen here:

Creative Tools for Grief with Claudia Coenen

This episode includes:

How creativity can help us deal with trauma, loss and grief
Why everyone is creative – even if they don’t know it
Creative activities for addressing fear during the pandemic
- Fear and Action Worksheet
- Shield Collage
- Resilience basket
How various models for grief can help us get in touch with our emotions
- Shattering of the Assumptive World
- Meaning-making
- Dual Process
- Companioning Model
A daily ritual for acknowledging the current collective grief of humankind: Lovingkindness Meditation for the Pandemic

May we be at peace.
May we be healthy and strong.
May we be open-hearted.
May we remember we are all connected.”
from Lovingkindness Meditation for the Pandemic

Links mentioned in this episode:

Pre-Order 7 Lessons for Living from the Dying here
Claudia’s Website: The Karuna Project
Get Claudia’s Book here: Shattered by Grief: Picking up the pieces to become WHOLE again
Pre-Order Claudia’s new book here: The Creative Toolkit for Working with Grief and Bereavement
View Karuna Cards here
Shattering of the Assumptive World grief model – Ronnie Janoff-Bulman book
Leave a message for me at SpeakPipe.com/eolu and I’ll include it in a future episode!
Join the team at Patreon.com/eolu and get access to the EOLU mug: “Mind if we talk about death?” (only Patrons can purchase it). PLUS get our new bonuses: the monthly EOL News Update, movie reviews from 2 Doctors and a Movie, and automatic access to A Year of Reading Dangerously!
SUBSCRIBE to the podcast here

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on my page at Patreon.com/eolu! Your contributions make all the difference!

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 182 When You Die … You Will Not Be Scared to Die with Lindsay Tunkl

February 18, 2019February 15, 2019 kwyattmd

Learn how art and the written word can be a powerful tool for confronting our mortality.

My guest Lindsay Tunkl is a conceptual artist and writer who explores subjects such as death, heartbreak, and the apocalypse. Her work has been shown at galleries in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Today she will talk about her book “When You Die You Will Not Be Scared To Die” and her workshop Parting Practice: Rituals for Endings and Failure.

Learn more at Lindsay’s website:

http://lindsaytunkl.com

Get the book here.

Listen here.

This interview includes:

How Lindsay’s fear of death inspired her to approach it through her art
Why the fear of death should not be shamed
How both death and emotionality are banished in our society
Description of Lindsay’s book of meditations
How the book can be used for a contemplative/journaling practice
The importance of both the mundane and the profound in life
How to reframe death by writing lists similar to the book
The ability to plan ahead for death is actually a luxury that is not afforded to everyone
How to use the book as a tool for exploring mortality in conversation

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you enjoy this content please share it with others and consider leaving a review on iTunes! Thanks again to all supporters on Patreon.com/eolu, especially my new patron Diane A. Kelly!

EOLPodcast

Ep. 173 Finding GENEROSITY in Times of Suffering

December 17, 2018December 16, 2018 kwyattmd

Learn about the “science of generosity” and why a giving spirit helps us through even the most difficult times.

I learned to practice generosity from both of my parents at a young age and those experiences have shaped how I’ve lived my life. I’ll share some stories and talk about important research on generosity compiled by the Greater Good Science Center, including the benefits of giving to others no matter what we are facing in our personal lives.

Link to The Science of Generosity (white paper from GGSC)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

A heartfelt THANK YOU to all of my patrons on Patreon.com/eolu! I greatly appreciate your support and it makes all the difference to me!

Sign up here for A Year of Reading Dangerously online reading group for 2019 and join us to read one book a month on death, dying and the afterlife. Download the reading list below:

A Year of Reading Dangerously 2019

FEATURE PRESENTATION:

Everything I know about generosity today I learned from my parents who grew up during the depression and mastered the art of giving to others in life-changing ways.

They showed me that it’s possible to be generous even during times of suffering–a lesson that was repeatedly demonstrated during the devastating November fires in Northern and Southern California this year.

Far from being frivolous or superfluous, human generosity might be deeply embedded in human behavior and play a vital role in our personal well-being and survival as a species. – Greater Good Science Center

This discussion includes:

The story of Dad’s winter coat
How Dad changed lives one broken-down car at a time
The story of Boris, his paintings and my Mom
Research findings from the Greater Good Science Center white paper “The Science of Generosity”
- We are wired for generosity
- Generosity is contagious
- The value of role-models for generosity
- The physical and emotional benefits of giving
- How money can buy happiness
Generosity as a buffer for stress during difficult times

Wishing you the happiness of giving during this holiday season!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Tune in next week for a new episode! If you enjoy this content please share with a friend and consider leaving a review on iTunes.

Until then …

Face Your Fear BE Ready Love Your Life

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 160 Writing About Death, Dying and Grief: Dr. Karen Wyatt on “The Creative Penn Podcast”

September 17, 2018September 14, 2018 kwyattmd

In this episode I share an interview I did with Joanna Penn on her podcast for authors “The Creative Penn.” We talk about why it’s important for authors to address death and grief in their writing and I’m sharing it with you to illustrate how we can talk about death with other people who don’t necessarily share our knowledge or interest. Learn more about Joanna’s awesome podcast here: www.thecreativepenn.com/podcasts/

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

This episode is sponsored by generous contributions on my page at Patreon.com/eolu. This week I’d like to thank my new patrons Mary Wilkinson, Joan Bretthauer, and Diane Adams! Your support means everything to me! To join the team and receive special bonuses go to Patreon.com/eolu.

FEATURE PRESENTATION:

Today I’m sharing with you an interview Joanna Penn did with me for her podcast The Creative Penn. A few weeks ago in Episode 156 I discussed about how to talk to strangers about death and dying. My point was that we need to be bold enough to strike up conversations with people about death.

My interview with Joanna is an example of talking with someone not well-versed in end-of-life issues to show that it can be productive and inspirational at the same time. Joanna let me know that many of her listeners wrote to saw how much they enjoyed our interview and that it was very helpful to them personally and as writers. So let’s go have more conversations about death with people in all walks of life!

We discuss:

Lessons learned from working with those close to death

Paying attention to our inner passion for writing

Tips for dealing with death and grief in our characters and our writing. Joanna talks about some of the issues she tackled in her book Desecration.

Why we are able to write about grief that we might not have experienced personally

Why it’s okay to be comfortable with the subject of death

Changes in death culture as boomers age

There will be a new episode each Monday so be sure to tune in again! If you enjoy this content please share it with other and consider leaving a review on iTunes.

Until next week:

Face Your Fear BE Ready Love Your Life

End of Life, EOLPodcast

Ep. 158 How to Create an End-of-Life Vision Board

September 3, 2018September 1, 2018 kwyattmd

Learn how making a Vision Board that focuses on the end of life can help ease fear and negative thoughts about death and dying.

In this episode I share a tutorial on how to make a vision board for your own end of life. This is a fun project that can be done in a group.

Download the handout for this episode:

How to Create an EOL Vision Board

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

This episode is sponsored by my book What Really Matters: 7 Lessons for Living from the Stories of the Dying. This book focuses on the spiritual lessons I learned from my dying patients and how they changed my life!

Get the book here.

Get the audiobook for free by signing up for Audible!

FEATURE PRESENTATION:

Get the handout: How to Create an EOL Vision Board

This tutorial includes:

What vision boards are and how they are helpful
How visualization works to prepare us for a future activity
The negativity bias of the brain
Why positive images of the end of life are needed to overcome negativity
How beautiful pictures create calmness and relaxation by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system
Why creating an end-of-life vision board can help ease fear of death
Step-by-step instructions for making a vision board
How to write goals for your board
Following up your vision board with specific action steps

View my Pinterest EOL Vision Board!

Tune in next Monday for another new episode! If you enjoy this content please share with others who might find it helpful and consider leaving a review on iTunes.

Until next week:

Face Your Fear BE Ready Love Your Life