14 Artist Finds Daily Bread for the Creative Soul with Jeremy Wells

14 Artist Finds Daily Bread for the Creative Soul with Jeremy Wells

SHOW NOTES Focus Word: Daily Bread Jeremy Wells has lived in 10 states and Japan. He's been a small business owner, a professional artist, a farmer, and at one point, homeless. He knows what it means to succeed — and to wonder where his next meal is coming from. Life didn't go according to plan. And for nearly seven years, that included not creating art. What brought him back wasn't a portfolio or a plan. It was a job application at Trader Joe's — and a hiring manager who called to ask if the penmanship on the form was really his. That phone call opened the door to a career Jeremy never expected, and a fresh understanding of a compassionate Jesus set him on a slow, restorative path back to the creative life he was made for. In this conversation, Jeremy reveals how his daily bread mentality shapes a creative life — what it means to make honest, kingdom-minded art, why your creativity doesn't have to look a certain way to count as “Christian”. If you've ever felt like your creative calling doesn't quite fit the mold — this one is for you. In this episode: - The unexpected conversation that brought Jeremy back to his art - What the daily bread mentality means for Christian creatives - Why honest art doesn't need a Christian label to be kingdom work - How healing and wholeness change everything about how you create   ABOUT THE GUEST: Jeremy Wells is a loving cat dad to Ziggy and Nutmeg, collector of cassette tapes and CDs, illustrator of nonsense, and enthusiast of all things nerdy. You can follow his honest art and start a conversation with him at instagram: @twin.kitties.art.studio [http://instagram.com/twin.kitties.art.studio] CONNECT WITH EMILY: My Creative Slow Start - [https://emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart/]a 5-day writing practice Welcoming Slow Growth Substack [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/s/welcoming-slow-growth-podcast] conversations This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com [https://theheartscalling.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

13 Live Slowly, Find Your Soul Sanctuary with Jodi Grubbs

SHOW NOTES Focus word: Solitude + Presence You want to create and write what you feel called to. But between life's hustle and the quiet presence you can't quite find, you feel like you don't quite belong. Jodi Grubbs knows that feeling. She grew up on the island of Bonaire where life moved at its own unhurried pace — then spent years trying to keep up with a culture that never stops. Then she realized God was inviting her to return to the "island time" of her childhood home, adopting the gentle rhythms and spiritual practices that quieted her soul. Through her book Live Slowly, she invites us into that same unhurried space. In this episode we cover: - The hidden roots of hustle culture — and why they run deeper than a busy schedule - How soul sanctuary became Jodi's most formative creative and spiritual practice - What it looks like to live slowly with open hands when life keeps speeding up - Why your creativity needs stillness more than it needs more time Visit Jodi's website at jodigrubbs.com [http://jodigrubbs.com]. Follower her on Instagram at @Jodi.Grubbs [https://www.instagram.com/jodi.grubbs/] and find Live Slowly wherever books are sold. About the Guest: Jodi H. Grubbs writes and speaks at the intersection of slow living and soul care. She is also a spiritual director who loves coffee and deep conversation. She is the author of a children’s book, The Island Adventures of Lili and Oliver, and coauthor of a Bible study called The Friendship Café. Jodi, her husband, Dean, and their daughter, Lili, live outside Raleigh, North Carolina. CONNECT WITH EMILY: 5-day Creative Slow Start: emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart [https://emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart] Welcoming Slow Growth conversations [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/s/welcoming-slow-growth-podcast] on Substack This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com [https://theheartscalling.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

S2: Welcoming Slow Growth for Writers and Creatives

SHOW NOTES Welcoming Slow Growth is back for Season 2 — and this season is for the Christian writer or creative who is ready to return to the page or her creative calling. Host Emily Grabatin, author of Dare to Decide and book coach with over twenty years of ministry experience, introduces guests whose words of the year shaped their faith, their writing, and their creative identity. From slow living to joy to transformation, these conversations are for you. Start here — then grab the free five-day journalling experience, My Creative Slow Start, and begin your writing rhythm today. CONNECT WITH EMILY: 5-day journalling experience: emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart [https://emilygrabatin.ca/creativeslowstart] Welcoming Slow Growth [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/s/welcoming-slow-growth-podcast]conversations This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com [https://theheartscalling.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

12 What 11 Creatives Taught Me About Spiritual Growth

SHOW NOTES If you've been carrying an unwritten message, a story that feels scattered, or a calling that seems stalled, this episode is for you. In the Season 1 finale of Welcoming Slow Growth — a podcast for writers and creatives walking a faith-filled path — book coach Emily Grabatin reflects on what 11 creatives taught her about spiritual growth through one unexpected thread: the word came before the breakthrough. Through stories of chronic illness, homelessness, life's heaviness, and humble faithfulness, you'll discover: - Why your hidden place isn't wasted time — it's where formation happens before the first draft - Why abiding in Christ is a creative practice, not a detour from your calling - How a focus word or word of the year becomes more than a spiritual practice — it becomes the tether you didn't know you'd need - Why your slow pace doesn't disqualify you from the God-given message you carry You are not behind. You are beloved. CONNECT WITH EMILY GRABATIN: Website: emilygrabatin.ca [https://emilygrabatin.ca] The Heart's Calling Substack [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/] Welcoming Slow Growth community [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/s/welcoming-slow-growth-podcast] This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com [https://theheartscalling.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

11 Linger with God in Your Creative Calling

SHOW NOTES Word of the Year: Linger Christian fiction author Melissa Alyse shares how a single word linger refreshed her creative calling. Through her spiritual practice, she learned how important it is to move at God's pace instead of the world's—especially amid the expectations and shoulds of being a new author. A delightful episode for any writer or creative navigating purpose, patience, and spiritual growth. In this episode we cover: - What happens when God strips your plate down to one thing — and why that's not loss - Why spiritual growth for writers doesn't always look like a writing course - The unexpected lesson linger actually taught her (hint: it wasn't about slowing down) - What it really looks like to abide in Christ as a creative - Why your calling is not behind schedule — no matter your detours Guest Melissa Alyse writes grace-filled Christian cozy non-murder mysteries and sweet romance novels. With no formal writing training, she published her first novel in June 2025 and has since released seven books — proof that when God calls you, and you respond, He also equips you. Find her at melissaalyse.com [http://melissaalyse.com]   BOOKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED A Place to Belong [https://www.melissaalyse.com/willow-creek-series] by Melissa Alyse (Book 1 in her series; book 3 includes a character who adopts a word of the year) One Perfect Word [https://debbiemacomber.com/books/one-perfect-word] by Debbie Macomber Scripture References: Romans 12:2 | Colossians 2:2–4 | Colossians 2:6–7 | John 15 CONNECT WITH EMILY: Website: emilygrabatin.ca [https://emilygrabatin.ca] The Heart's Calling Substack [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/] Welcoming Slow Growth community [https://theheartscalling.substack.com/s/welcoming-slow-growth-podcast] This is a space for the sacred, the soulful, and the slow creative. Welcome to the journey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theheartscalling.substack.com [https://theheartscalling.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]