In this soul-expanding episode, I sit down with artist, composer, writer, and TEDx speaker Gregg Stewart to explore creativity as both a path of healing and a lifelong act of becoming. From music to novels, parenting to presence, Gregg invites us to step into our creative selves with curiosity, compassion, and the audacity to do it anyway.

We talk about the emotional labor of sharing your truth on a TEDx stage, the fear and joy of co-parenting, and the inner transformation that comes with giving yourself permission to create. Gregg's wisdom is both practical and poetic, and this conversation is a love letter to creative expression in all its forms.

• (01:55) The magic of sharing the TEDx stage and how Gregg ended up the “wild card”
• (06:00) Gregg’s journey through music, writing, film, and his upcoming novella
• (10:10) Creativity as a form of subconscious processing and personal truth-telling
• (13:45) The deeper value of creativity beyond capitalism and performance
• (17:05) Why you don’t need to be a professional to benefit from a creative life
• (22:30) How fear and curiosity helped Gregg stay connected to his daughter after divorce
• (29:20) The radical parenting lesson of meeting your child brand new each time
• (34:00) Creative expression as an antidote to self-judgment
• (37:40) Letting go of childhood wounds around singing, art, and voice
• (41:25) Reclaiming joy in creativity after years of disconnection
• (45:50) The power of community, reflection, and staying open to being surprised
• (50:10) Why presence, not polish, is the soul of all creative work
• (54:20) How art helps us mother ourselves and meet the moment with heart

Gregg's philosophy reminds us that creativity is not about perfection - it’s about presence, honesty, and the willingness to show up for ourselves and each other.

Learn more about Gregg Stewart:

• Follow him on Instagram
• Order his Book
• Watch his TEDXTalk

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s website
• Follow Dr. Gertrude on Instagram
• Stay in the loop and sign up to Dr. Gertrude’s newsletter
• Pre-order Dr. Gertrude’s new book “Rewrite the Mother Code”

In Part Two of our conversation, Jen Pastiloff shares from the beating heart of her new book, Proof of Life - a work that was birthed through grief, trauma, beauty, and a fierce devotion to truth. This episode is a masterclass in living unfiltered, trusting the body, and speaking the unspeakable.

We go deeper into her creative process, the limitations of traditional wellness spaces, and what it means to parent while unlearning self-abandonment. Jen offers an invitation not to perform or perfect, but to pause. To feel. To say what is real.

This conversation is for the humans who are doing their best to stay in their bodies and live from a place of honest belonging.

• (01:55) Why she almost didn’t give her TEDx talk and what happened next
• (05:30) Her relationship to voice, silence, and speaking from the body
• (09:35) Why she tells her son: “You can be mad at me and I still love you”
• (14:20) The energetic power of writing and her new book Proof of Life
• (18:35) How she reclaims motherhood, worthiness, and creative identity

Jen reminds us that healing is not about fixing what’s broken — it’s about remembering who we are underneath the noise.

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Learn more about Jen Pastiloff:

• Visit her Website
• Follow her on Instagram
• Follow her on Facebook
• Pre-order Proof of Life

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s website
• Follow Dr. Gertrude on Instagram
• Stay in the loop and sign up to Dr. Gertrude’s newsletter
• Pre-order Dr. Gertrude’s new book “Rewrite the Mother Code”

In this deeply embodied conversation, I speak with Jen Pastiloff - bestselling author of On Being Human, creator of the Shame Loss Movement, and a radically honest voice in the world of healing and presence. Jen brings her whole self to the mic: her deafness, her grief, her humanness, and her fierce belief in truth-telling as a path to freedom.

In Part One of our conversation, we trace Jen’s journey through early loss, chronic self-doubt, and the internalized belief that she had to hide or perform her way through life. We explore the beauty and brutality of becoming present in a body, and what it means to bear witness to others without fixing or fleeing.

This episode is for anyone learning to stay. To grieve. To listen. And to belong.

• (02:10) Jen’s experience growing up with hearing loss and how it shaped her worldview
• (06:35) Why she calls herself a “listener” instead of a teacher
• (13:12) Her early grief after losing her father and how it shaped her longing
• (19:45) The origins of the Shame Loss Movement and the audacity to take up space
• (27:20) Her writing and workshop work as acts of presence and permission

Jen invites us into the sacred messiness of being human, reminding us that shame cannot survive being spoken, and that our bodies are wise, worthy places to come home to.

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Learn more about Jen Pastiloff:

• Visit her Website
• Follow her on Instagram
• Follow her on Facebook
• Pre-order Proof of Life

Follow Dr. Gertrude:

• Learn more on Dr. Gertrude’s website
• Follow Dr. Gertrude on Instagram
• Stay in the loop and sign up to Dr. Gertrude’s newsletter
• Pre-order Dr. Gertrude’s new book “Rewrite the Mother Code”