Tag: storytelling

EOLPodcast

Ep. 536 Never Can Say Goodbye: The Life of a Death Doula with Darnell Lamont Walker

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Learn about a powerful memoir from the life of a death doula who was inspired by his grandmother to sit with the dying.

My guest Darnell Lamont Walker is a death doula, Emmy-nominated children’s television writer, producer and explorer. He creates spaces worldwide for healing through storytelling, end-of-life care, and workshops on grief, resilience, unlocking the writer within, and radical empathy. He is the author of the newly published memoir Never Can Say Goodbye: The Life of a Death Doula and The Art of a Peaceful End published by HarperCollins. Learn more at his website:

darnellwalker.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Darnell was first introduced to end-of-life care by his grandmother
  • The power of storytelling
  • Why caring for the dying seems foreign to some people but is actually an innate ability
  • Why we should be training children at a young age to be present with dying or we may pass on our own fear of death
  • Death within the Black community and the impact of systemic racism, generational trauma, and unequal access to healthcare on end-of-life decision-making
  • Why listening first is the best way to build trust and get people to talk about difficult subjects
  • Why we can make better choices for life when we become aware of our mortality

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to Jolynn Deloach for making a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 532 Writing Your Obituary as Part of End-of-Life Planning with Gail Shapiro

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Learn how and why to write your own obituary as a legacy project.

My guest Gail Shapiro is a seasoned writer and editor and also a professional organizer who has guided many people through the details of end-of-life planning. She also helps people write memorable obituaries for themselves and others and today discusses why this process is an important part of end-of-life planning. She shares tips and best practices for writing an obituary and how she can help when we aren’t sure what to include or how to say what we mean. Learn more at her website:

gailshapiro.com

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Gail became interested in obituary writing
  • Why an obituary can also be a legacy project
  • Why should we consider writing our own obituary rather than leaving it to someone else
  • What should an obituary include
  • What should NOT be in an obituary
  • Best practices for writing a beautiful obit
  • How AI can make serious mistakes in obituary writing and cannot replace the human touch
  • What services Gail provides for those who aren’t comfortable doing their own writing

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my latest supporter Adele Flaherty and to Jen Davidson for increasing your pledge. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 529 The Dementia Deck: Preparing for Future Decisions with Lisa Pahl and Jamie Thrower

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Learn about a helpful conversation game that encourages discussions about advance care planning for dementia.

My guests for this episode, Lisa Pahl and Jamie Thrower, are the co-creators of The Dementia Deck, a new card game to help inspire conversations about demential. Lisa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Advanced Practice Hospice and Palliative Social Worker who previously created The Death Deck and The EOL Deck–conversation games that are changing the way we talk about death. Jamie is a queer death doula, end-of-life educator and community grief-tender serving the LGBTQ+ community in life and in death. She also runs Queer Grief Club (and I plan to have her back on the podcast to talk about her work!) They discuss how to use The Dementia Deck to overcome fears of dementia and help families prepare for future changes and decision-making. Learn more at their websites:

thedeathdeck.com

jamiethrower.com

Watch on YouTube

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This episode includes:

  • What The Death Deck and The EOL Deck consist of
  • The story behind The Dementia Deck and its creation
  • How Jamie collaborated on the design of the deck
  • Why conversations and advance care planning are important for people with dementia
  • Many people fear dementia even more than death
  • Millions of Americans are impacted by dementia either as a patient or a caregiver
  • How to introduce The Dementia Deck to an individual
  • Tips for getting the most out of working with the deck
  • Why it’s important to “stack the deck” when you first begin talking about dementia

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 528 Sharing Our Stories to Preserve Our History with Stephanie Ford

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Learn how to discover and preserve our own and others’ stories to provide inspiration in challenging times.

My guest Stephanie Ford is the founder of Life Stories with Steph, a video storytelling service dedicated to preserving personal and family histories. With a background in caregiving, hospice and training as an end-of-life doula, she discusses the importance of sharing and recording stories to preserve legacies and histories of those who came before us. Learn more at her website:

lifestorieswithsteph.com

Watch on YouTube

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This episode includes:

  • How Stephanie became interested in this work
  • Why storytelling is important to society and especially to those facing the end of life
  • How ordinary lives contain remarkable resilience and hope that can be shared through stories
  • How to discover stories of our ancestors
  • The value of genealogy work
  • Using photos to inspire storytelling
  • How to capture small meaningful moments of everyday life
  • What services she offers and how it works
  • Who benefits from recording and sharing life stories with Steph

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to “Someone” who bought me 5 coffees and those who made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 527 Transforming Veteran Care Through Stories, Art, and Theatre with Qwynn Galloway-Salazar PhD

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Learn about a powerful course and theatre initiative to redefine how we care for veterans at the end of life.

My return guest, Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar is an Army Veteran, end-of-life doula educator, and an advocate for redefining how nations honor and support veterans and their loved ones through the end of life. She is the creator of the course Caring for Veterans Through the End of Life and a new initiative We Hold the Line, which uses applied theatre to teach about veteran care through a story monologue. Today’s conversation focuses on the history and scope of Qwynn’s work and the importance of honoring and caring for veterans through aging, loss, and the end of life. Learn more at these website:

intheirhonor.info

psycharmor.org/caring-for-veterans-through-end-of-life

Watch on YouTube

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This episode includes:

  • The widespread embrace of the Caring for Veterans course
  • Qwynn’s experience as a George W. Bush Institute Veteran Leadership Scholar
  • How Qwynn was inspired to bring this material to the stage
  • Why theatre is a powerful medium for sharing a message
  • Why we need collaboration now to change the way we approach the end of life in our society
  • How Qwynn followed her intuition to create this work
  • The importance of “taking the next right step” and saying yes to opportunities even when we can’t see or imagine the outcome
  • The concerning incidence of suicide for veterans

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 525 Writing as a Lifeline Through Loss and Grief with Christina Holbrook and Jane Flynn

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Learn about a beautiful memoir co-written by friends whose correspondence helped them both navigate a year of overwhelming loss and grief.

My guests today are Christina Holbrook and Jane Flynn, co-authors of a shared memoir from a year when they were both confronting loss and grief–the diagnosis a glioblastoma brain tumor and the death of a child by suicide. Through a series of emails the two long-term friends shared not only their grief but also the little moments of life’s wonder and joy. They discuss their newly released book Antiphon: A Call and Response in a Year of Grief and Renewal and how writing together helped them navigate overwhelming grief while offering support to one another. Learn more at the website:

jane-flynn.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The long trajectory of friendship between Chris and Jane
  • Their personal grief that led to a year of email correspondence
  • Why they decided to share their writings in Antiphon
  • The waterfall metaphor for grief and how it applies to each of their stories
  • How writing helps us express complex and painful emotions
  • Why sharing our pain lightens the burden for both parties
  • How writing about the ordinary events of a day helps us stay in the present moment
  • The little joys that are present even within deep grief

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal, especially Austyn Wells! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 523 Humanizing Healthcare: The Good Listening Project with Jenny Hegland

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Learn how deep listening and poetry are helping transform healthcare and provide an antidote to burnout.

My guest Jenny Hegland is the Executive Director of The Good Listening Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to humanizing healthcare through the healing power of poetry and compassionate presence. We discuss the work of TGLP and the power of sharing our stories and having them reflected back to us in the form of poetry. Learn more at the website:

goodlistening.org

Read the poem The House Medicine Built here

Watch on YouTube

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This episode includes:

  • The origin story of The Good Listening Project
  • The power of poetry to reflect our deep stories
  • Why being heard by someone else is deep medicine
  • The synergy between the storyteller and the listener poet
  • How TGLP works
  • Why grief is the number one concern of healthcare providers served by TGLP
  • You don’t have to be skilled at poetry to become a “listener poet”
  • The crafts of listening to and writing poems for others can both be taught
  • The quality of listening can actually affect the quality of sharing that happens
  • How both community and mystery support us when we hold space for others
  • What it involves to become a “listener poet”
  • How “Caregiver Haven” supports caregivers

We give the gift of staying with; there is nothing to fix. -The Good Listening Project

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu. And thanks to everyone who has bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 522 BONUS: Introduction to Wild and Holy

kwyattmd

In this special episode I’m sharing with you the Introduction to my new book Wild and Holy! I hope you enjoy listening to this brief excerpt and that you’ll consider backing the Kickstarter campaign where you can receive many wonderful bonuses for your support. Wild and Holy has been named a “Project We Love” by Kickstarter, which is an amazing honor I’m happy to receive. Check it out and reserve your copy – available now only through Kickstarter!

Go to this link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2136452733/wild-and-holy

Thanks in advance if you choose to support the campaign!

Listen here:

EOLPodcast

Ep. 519 Dying to Live: How Death Gives Meaning to Life with Andy Chaleff

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Learn about a beautiful memoir that teaches readers how to contemplate death in order to find meaning in life.

My guest Andy Chaleff is an award-winning author, speaker, and mentor whose work explores the intersection of grief, love, and transformation. He facilitates deeply personal conversations and workshops that help people navigate life’s most challenging transitions. He is the author of 4 books including his recent memoir titled Dying to Live: Finding Life’s Meaning Through Death. He shares his insights about making peace with death and how it has shaped his life. Learn more at his website:

andychaleff.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What inspired Andy to write the book
  • How our view of death changes over the arc of life
  • Why we need to have a lot of pain resolved within ourselves in order to show up for another person
  • The “little deaths” of life as a training ground for grief
  • Our need to make peace with death
  • The dual meanings of “dying to live” and why he chose it as a title for the book
  • The value of presence at the end of life
  • Why navigating mistakes makes them even more beautiful
  • The value of writing Last Letters to people we love
  • the power of forgiveness

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu and thank you to Alisha Jameson for making a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 518 What My Brother Knew: Grief After Sibling Loss with Kristina Amelong

kwyattmd

Learn about a memoir that discusses sibling grief and the spiritual transformation that can occur after loss.

My guest Kristina Amelong is the author of the memoir What My Brother Knew about the death of her younger brother when she was in her teens and her journey from loss and abuse to healing and spiritual awakening. She is the founder of a holistic health business Optimal Health Network and a senior board member for the Center for World Philosophy and Religion. Learn more at her website:

kristinaamelong.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • The story of her brother’s premonition that he would die young
  • How sibling grief is often overlooked in our society
  • How guilt can haunt us for years after a death
  • Synchronicities that have occurred since Jay’s death
  • How grief has been a portal for spiritual transformation
  • Why it can take decades to process the pain of grief
  • The importance of facing grief head-on and not avoiding it

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu and thank you to everyone who bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 517 Lessons the Dying Teach Us About Living with Diane Button

kwyattmd

Learn about a heartwarming book of end-of-life teaching stories about the “little things” that make life meaningful.

My guest Diane Button is an end-of-life doula, a founding partner of the Bay Area End-of-Life Doula Alliance in Northern California, and an instructor for the University of Vermont’s End-of-Life Doula Professional Certificate Program. She has been a NEDA board member and a hospice volunteer and is the author of the newly published book What Matters Most: Lessons the Dying Teach Us About Living. She discusses the book and the importance of storytelling and legacy projects. Learn more at her website:

dianebutton.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What inspired Diane to write this book
  • Why storytelling is important as we help our society become more death aware
  • The Joy Counter and other stories from the book
  • The value of “the little things” of life to help us create meaning
  • Why legacy projects are helpful as we approach the end of life
  • How Diane helps people create their own legacy projects
  • What is the “Final Checklist”
  • Who can benefit from reading this book
  • How this work has impacted Diane’s life

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu and thank you to everyone who bought me a coffee or made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 514 Life Advice for Entrepreneurs from the Terminally Ill with Travis Luther MA

kwyattmd

Learn how business leaders and entrepreneurs are being taught to find meaning in life from the stories of the terminally ill.

My guest Travis Luther MA is a sociologist and entrepreneur and a recognized expert in childhood trauma. He teaches business leaders through workshops, one-on-one coaching, and keynote speaking about finding deeper meaning in work and life. He is the author of the forthcoming book What We Learn When We Learn We Are Dying: Life Advice from the Terminally Ill. He discusses his current work and his advice for entrepreneurs based on what he has learned from numerous interviews with people dealing with terminal illness. Learn more at his website:

travisluther.com

Watch on YouTube

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This episode includes:

  • What inspired Travis to interview people facing terminal illness
  • Why he teaches entrepreneurs the lessons he has learned
  • How this teaching is received
  • His teaching about the “lived” and the “unlived” life of entrepreneurs
  • Why Travis focused on younger people and entrepreneurs for the interviews he did
  • The most common advice was to stop deferring life to the future and live now
  • Unprocessed trauma and grief are common for people in the entrepreneurial community
  • The Time Traveler MethodTM developed by Travis
  • Why almost everything that happens can be viewed as a lesson to learn from

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially to my latest supporter Susan and to Connie WS for upping your pledge. Thank you also to Taya Levine who made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 510 Training Death Literacy Educators with Francesca Lynn Arnoldy

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Learn about an exciting new training to become a Death Literacy Educator and teach in your community.

My return guest Francesca Lynn Arnoldy is a doula and a published researcher with the Vermont Conversation Lab and she runs a program for Death Literacy Educators. She is the author of The Death Doula’s Guide to Living Fully and Dying Prepared, My Death Journal, The Map of Memory Lane, and Cultivating the Doula Heart. Today she discusses the importance of training educators who can help our communities grow in knowledge, understanding, and awareness of death. Learn more at her website:

francescalynnarnoldy.com

Get Francesca’s books

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • What is death literacy
  • Why Francesca created this program
  • Training includes curricula and also tools for running a workshop and market it
  • Who might be interested in becoming a Death Literacy Educator
  • Why this movement needs space holders and not exclusively people who are dealing with death and loss themselves
  • What students experience during this training
  • Importance of sharing stories about death and grief
  • How the training helps students find clarity in their teaching and determine the content they prefer to teach
  • Tutorials and tools offered during the training
  • Grant created with Compassion & Choices to provide special training
  • The value of “attentional listening”

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest patron Stephanie Heilker, and to Curtis Robertson who made a donation on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 500 Celebrating a Milestone with Karen Wyatt MD

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Join me for a few stories and a brief celebration of the 500th episode of EOLU Podcast!

This week I’m celebrating the milestone of 500 Episodes and I hope you’ll share my joy! I’ll be answering a few questions (submitted by ChatGPT!) and telling a story or two. It has been an incredible experience being part of this ecosystem and I’m grateful to all of my guests and listeners for making this possible. Next week I’ll be back to the regular schedule of interviews. Meanwhile check out my website and YouTube Channel:

eoluniversity.com

YouTube Channel

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Original vision for the podcast and how it has evolved over time
  • What I’ve learned about the power of listening
  • A special story of synchronicity
  • Patterns and cultural shifts I’ve observed over time
  • What’s next
  • Gratitude for listeners and guests

Links mentioned in this episode:

EOLPodcast

Ep. 498 Memory Bears and Grief in Community with Michelle Sebern RN

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Learn how a project making memory bears for people who are grieving is opening the door to conversation about the end of life.

My guest Michelle Sebern is an RN who trained as an end-of-life doula to channel her skills and passion into more community-focused work. When she found her rural community wasn’t quite ready to receive end-of-life doula services she decided to find a more creative way to give back. She will share how she founded The Memory Bear Maker and now creates customized bears to help people in their grief and begin end-of-life conversations. Learn more at her website:

thememorybearmaker.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Michelle’s journey from nurse to doula and memory bear maker
  • The challenges of introducing doula services into a community not quite ready for that step
  • How she discovered memory bears to be the perfect blend of her passions
  • How memory bears help with grief
  • Why the bears are an alternate doorway into end-of-life education and conversations
  • How grief unites people by dissolving barriers
  • The magic of storytelling that comes with memory bear making

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest patron Sue Simone, and to Caroline McClure for buying me 3 coffees! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 497 Integrating Doulas and Chaplains in End-of-Life Care with Jane Whitlock and Liza Neal

kwyattmd

Learn how doulas and chaplains collaborate to provide end-of-life care in a skilled nursing facility.

My guests for this episode are Jane Whitlock and Liza Neal who both work with the Full Circle Care Program in a skilled nursing facility to support residents and their loved ones during end-of-life journeys. Jane is an end-of-life doula who also helped found the Minnesota Death Collaborative and co-founded Full Circle Care. Liza is a chaplain who has worked to develop spiritual community within and outside faith and multi-faith contexts. She joined the skilled nursing facility in order to be part of the Full Circle Care Program, which we discuss in this interview.

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How the Full Circle Care Program came about
  • The goals for the program and what it consists of
  • The roles of doulas and chaplains and how they work together
  • How they support and educate patients, families and staff around grief and end-of-life choices
  • The community that develops within a residential facility and approaching the experience of grief for everyone in the facility
  • The importance of teaching families and staff how to say goodbye to a dying person
  • How this program helps fills the gaps left by today’s “modern” hospice care
  • Obstacles that have occurred in creating this program
  • Tips for other skilled nursing facilities that might want to start a similar program

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest patron Trina Wacasey, and to everyone who has bought me a coffee or donated on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.


EOLPodcast

Ep. 496 Visual Storytelling for End-of-Life Planning with Jill Greenbaum

kwyattmd

Learn how the art of Visual Storytelling can enhance end-of-life education and serve as a tool for advance care planning.

My guest Jill Greenbaum is a contemplative chaplain and advocate of conscious living and dying. She completed chaplaincy training at the Upaya Zen Center and integrates her experience in psychology, education, visualization, and trauma-informed teaching into her work helping people explore their choices for end-of-life planning. She discusses how she utilizes visual storytelling in her work and why it is a powerful tool. Learn more at her website:

jillgreenbaum.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • How Jill was drawn to visual storytelling and applying it to end-of-life planning
  • What is visual storytelling and how is it used
  • Why images can convey messages more powerfully than text
  • What is “graphic medicine”
  • Tips for more effective end-of-life planning and conversations
  • How to incorporate visual storytelling into end-of-life education
  • How visual storytelling can be used to create a visual obituary and a graphic recording for a celebration of life

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu, and to everyone who has bought me a coffee or donated on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 494 Integrating Art and the End of Life with Rich Curtis

kwyattmd

Learn how a hospice volunteer and doula utilizes his artistic talents to help patients and families.

My guest Rich Curtis is an artist, teacher, hospice volunteer and end-of-life doula. He currently volunteers for Archbold Hospice in Thomasville GA where he has utilized his artistic talents to help patients and their families at the end of life. Rich discusses his own path as an artist and eventually becoming a doula. He shares his drawings and tips for those considering being a hospice volunteer in this conversation. View Rich’s drawings at the link below or watch the video on YouTube to see them on screen:

View Rich’s drawings here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Rich’s spiritual journey to becoming a doula
  • How Buddhism encourages contemplation of death
  • The value of teaching art students about death
  • How Rich began drawing the hands of patients
  • Why drawings of hands are a unique and powerful remembrance
  • Life stories as told through images of hands
  • Art as an opening to conversations with difficult patients
  • The power of bringing our creative talents to the bedside of hospice patients
  • Tips for hospice volunteers
  • How Rich is creating “Breath Poems” from the sounds of end stage breathing

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my latest supporters Tanya Archambault and Malynda Cress and thanks to Heather Jardine for buying me 3 cups of coffee! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 492 Rituals and Ceremonies for Life, Death and Grief with Megan Sheldon

kwyattmd

Learn about the benefits of creating intentional rituals for the big and small moments of life and death.

My guest Megan Sheldon is a cultural mythologist, humanist celebrant, and end-of-life doula in North Vancouver, BC. She is the co-founder of Be Ceremonial, the world’s first guided ritual and ceremony app. Megan will discuss her work creating ceremonies for people around the world, focusing on what she calls the ‘seemingly invisible moments of change’ in life and in death. She offers online workshops, virtual courses, and seasonal retreats and you can learn more at her website:

beceremonial.com

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Why rituals are important as we navigate life and loss
  • How rituals are a forgotten part of our lives that come naturally to us
  • Ceremonies and rituals ultimately involve storytelling
  • What inspired Megan and her husband to create the Be Ceremonial app
  • How the app works and who might benefit from using it
  • Daily rituals can help us build our own creativity
  • The components of a meaningful ceremony, including a ritual for being present
  • Examples of simple rituals
  • Rituals for care providers for supporting self and others
  • How rituals help us embody the emotions we feel during challenging times

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu, and to everyone who has bought me a coffee or donated on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.

EOLPodcast

Ep. 490 How to Write Non-Fiction About Death, Dying and Grief with Joanna Penn

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Learn why and how to share your end-of-life wisdom and stories by writing a non-fiction book.

My guest Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She is also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. Her most recent publication is the 2nd edition of How to Write Non-Fiction: Turn Your Knowledge Into Words. Today we discuss the challenges of writing non-fiction books about difficult and personal subjects like death and grief. Joanna offers her best tips and encouragement for anyone who wants to write a book but doesn’t know where to begin. Learn more about her work at her website:

thecreativepenn.com

Get the book here

Watch on YouTube

Listen here:

This episode includes:

  • Types of non-fiction books and how to choose the best format for your subject matter
  • Why you don’t have to be an expert or “great” writer to write a book
  • Why and how to identify the target market for your writing
  • Choosing the best title for your book (and why it’s important)
  • The balance between writing what you think people need vs. what people want to read
  • The challenge of vulnerability in writing memoir
  • Why you need an outside editor or proofreader for your book

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 my page at Patreon.com/eolu, especially my newest supporters Morgan Everitt and Minda Sanchez. Also thank you to everyone who has bought me a coffee or donated on Paypal! Your contributions make all the difference and ensure this podcast stays ad-free.