Inside the Village

At the Table: The Power of Collective Creation

Inside the Village:  This podcast is an open conversation about creativity, community, and what becomes possible when we stop trying to build everything alone. In this episode, Amanda Johnson, Clinton Brown, and Matt Sturm explore the power of collective creation through the lens of Awaken Village Press' first-ever Writing the World Forward Summit. Together, they discuss why emerging voices matter, how regenerative publishing challenges traditional industry models, and what happens when authors, readers, and supporters become active participants in bringing meaningful books into the world. The conversation dives into the courage required to ask for support, the importance of creating spaces where new ideas can emerge, and why community-centered publishing may offer a more sustainable path forward for both creators and culture itself. From funding creative projects to reimagining how stories are shared, this episode is an invitation to consider what becomes possible when we embrace the truth that we are stronger together. Want to go deeper and be part of what we’re building? Register for the summit: www.awakenvillagepress.com/summit [http://www.awakenvillagepress.com/summit]   Contribute to the fundraising campaign ($50 or more gets you access to all 20 recorded sessions): www.awakenvillagepress.com/contribute [http://www.awakenvillagepress.com/contribute] Learn more about our emerging voices: www.awakenvillagepress.com/projects [http://www.awakenvillagepress.com/projects]   Join our Authors’ Village: www.awakenvillagepress.com/authors-village [http://www.awakenvillagepress.com/authors-village] Follow Awaken Village Press on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakenvillagepress/ [https://www.instagram.com/awakenvillagepress/] Chapters: 00:00 Welcome & Stronger Together 02:22 Why We Created the Writing the World Forward Summit 05:58 Reimagining the Publishing Process 09:07 Why Authors Shouldn't Build Alone 11:23 The Challenge of Asking for Support 18:44 A New Model for Funding Creative Work 24:57 What It Feels Like to Be Supported Before a Book Exists 28:52 The Voices Traditional Publishing Often Misses 32:42 Inspiration, Emerging Ideas & Cultural Change 34:33 Signal Over Noise in a Distracted World 40:36 Final Reflections on Community & Culture

At the Threshold: Money, Desire & Becoming

In this deeply honest and expansive conversation, Amanda Johnson sits down with writer and guide Megan “Mira” Lathrop to explore money, self-trust, embodiment, and what it means to stand at the threshold of personal transformation. Together, they unpack the hidden emotional and nervous system patterns that shape our relationship with money, intimacy, creativity, and self-worth. Mira shares insights from her own journey through corporate finance, identity shifts, and spiritual transformation, while offering a radically compassionate perspective on shame, scarcity, feminine embodiment, and receiving. This episode explores what happens when we stop organizing our lives around fear, external validation, and survival, and begin creating from a place of truth, aliveness, and deep self-trust. Amanda and Mira also dive into: * The connection between money, desire, and vulnerability * Why so many women struggle to receive fully * The illusion of external security * Nervous system patterns around overgiving and self-sacrifice * Embodiment, intimacy, and creative power * What it means to become the “author” of your own life * How shame dissolves through honest conversation and community At the heart of this conversation is a powerful reminder: there is nothing wrong with you. If you’ve ever questioned your worth, struggled with money, felt disconnected from your voice, or found yourself standing between who you were and who you’re becoming, this episode is for you. Want to go deeper and be part of what we’re building? 🎟️ Register for the Summit: www.awakenvillagepress.com/summit [http://www.awakenvillagepress.com/summit] Join our Authors’ Village: www.awakenvillagepress.com/authors-village [http://www.awakenvillagepress.com/authors-village] Follow Awaken Village Press on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakenvillagepress/ [https://www.instagram.com/awakenvillagepress/] Follow Megan “Mira” Lathrop on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miramegslathrop/ [https://www.instagram.com/miramegslathrop/] Learn more about the work she does in the world: http://finanseer.com [http://finanseer.com] CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to Inside the Village 01:34 What It Means to Stand at the Threshold 05:27 Overgiving, Identity, and Self-Abandonment 11:10 Creating Your Own Signal 14:39 Feminine Embodiment and Authorship 20:44 Letting Go of the Illusion of Security 23:27 Desire, Longing, and Receiving 31:35 Embodiment, Vulnerability, and Money 45:30 Aliveness, Shame, and Healing Through Conversation 52:25 Standing at the Edge of Transformation

At the Table: The Human Voice in the Age of AI

This episode of Inside the Village steps into one of the most pressing and complex conversations of our time: the rise of AI and what it means for creativity, authorship, and the human experience. We explore a central question: What makes a human voice truly irreplaceable? As AI becomes increasingly capable of generating content, ideas, and even entire manuscripts, we examine where it can support the creative process and where it risks bypassing it entirely. Through an honest and nuanced conversation, we dive into the tension between efficiency and authenticity, the difference between generated language and lived experience, and the subtle ways we can feel when something is no longer fully human. We also explore how AI is shaping the way we think, write, and express ourselves, and what happens when we rely on it before fully developing our own voice. This episode opens up deeper philosophical questions about intelligence itself. Is intelligence uniquely human? What can we learn from nature, collective systems, and emerging technologies? And how might this moment invite us to reconnect with what is most essential about being human? We also reflect on how AI can be used as a tool for growth. It can challenge our thinking, refine our ideas, and support our creative process, while still asking us to remain in the seat of the creator. At its core, this podcast is about honest conversations. Expansive, sometimes uncomfortable, but always real. It’s a space for creatives, writers, and thinkers navigating what it means to create, express, and evolve in a rapidly changing world. If you’ve been questioning your relationship with AI, your creative process, or what it means to truly use your voice, this conversation is for you. Want to go deeper and be part of what we’re building? Join our Authors’ Village: www.awakenvillagepress.com/authors-village [http://www.awakenvillagepress.com/authors-village] Follow Awaken Village Press on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakenvillagepress/ [https://www.instagram.com/awakenvillagepress/] Visit our website to learn more: https://www.awakenvillagepress.com/ [https://www.awakenvillagepress.com/] Chapters: 00:00 Welcome + Framing the AI Conversation 07:11 What Makes a Human Voice Irreplaceable? 17:28 Finding Your Voice vs Mimicking Others 22:23 AI and the Creative Process 33:16 Humane and Regenerative Relationship with AI 47:29 What Becomes More Valuable About Being Human? 50:11 Rethinking Intelligence (Human, Machine, Nature)

At the Table: Creative Tension between Impact and Visibility

This episode of Inside the Village explores a question many creatives quietly carry: Am I building something meaningful—or just something visible? Through an honest and expansive conversation, we dive into the tension between impact and metrics, the pull of virality versus the slow work of creating something that truly lasts. From the perspective of authors, creators, and builders, we reflect on what it means to show up for the work without always seeing immediate results—and how to stay grounded in purpose when feedback loops are delayed or invisible. We explore the deeper layers of creative work: writing as a process of self-discovery, the role of intuition in creation, and the challenge of trusting that what we’re building matters—even when all we can see are the “bricks.” This conversation also opens up a broader reflection on culture itself—how it’s shaped, how it evolves, and how creatives play a role in redefining it. From slow burns and regenerative systems to gardens, ecosystems, and the long arc of meaningful work, this episode invites you to reconsider how you measure success—and what you’re truly here to build. At its core, this podcast is about honest conversations—expansive, sometimes uncomfortable, but always real. It’s a space for creatives, writers, and thinkers who are choosing depth over speed, and meaning over metrics. If you’ve ever questioned the impact of your work, or felt caught between creating for visibility and creating for truth—you’re not alone in it. Want to go deeper and be part of what we’re building? Join our Authors’ Village: www.awakenvillagepress.com/authors-village [http://www.awakenvillagepress.com/authors-village] Follow Awaken Village Press on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakenvillagepress/ [https://www.instagram.com/awakenvillagepress/] Visit our website to learn more: https://www.awakenvillagepress.com/ [https://www.awakenvillagepress.com/] Chapters: 00:00 Welcome + The Creative Dilemma 02:39 Impact vs Visibility in Creative Work 11:12 Measuring Success Beyond Metrics 18:41 The Slow Burn vs Virality 31:33 Staying Motivated in Long-Term Work 42:59 Slow Work in Publishing + Regenerative Models

At the Threshold: Editing, Identity, and Letting Your Work Be Seen

This episode of Inside the Village: At the Threshold is an honest, unfiltered conversation about the creative process—specifically what it means to write, edit, and evolve through the journey of bringing a book into the world. We explore the emotional and psychological layers of editing a manuscript: the vulnerability of having your work seen, the tension between your voice and outside feedback, and the challenge of revisiting past versions of yourself through your writing. This conversation opens up the reality that a book is not just a finished product, but a snapshot of who you were at a moment in time. Together, we reflect on the role of editors as thought partners, the importance of alignment and challenge in the creative process, and the deeper transformation that happens as authors learn to trust their intuition while receiving feedback. We also touch on bigger questions around creativity, identity, and what it means to create something meaningful in an ever-evolving world. At its core, this podcast is about honest conversations—expansive, sometimes uncomfortable, but always real. It’s a space for creatives, writers, and thinkers who are reimagining how we create, share, and grow. If you’ve ever questioned your work, your voice, or your path as a creator—you’re not alone in it. Want to go deeper and be part of what we’re building? Join our Authors’ Village: www.awakenvillagepress.com/authors-village [http://www.awakenvillagepress.com/authors-village] Follow Awaken Village Press on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakenvillagepress/ [https://www.instagram.com/awakenvillagepress/] Visit our website to learn more: https://www.awakenvillagepress.com/ [https://www.awakenvillagepress.com/]