Wake Up to Your Life: Finding Creativity, Inspiration and Purpose in the Everyday with Madalyn Hughes!

Sometimes it takes a moment that shakes you awake to realize you don’t want to sleepwalk through your life.-Brandi
We don’t often have writers on the podcast, so this conversation with poet and author Madalyn Hughes was such a treat. We talk about how writing and art can beautifully go hand in hand, and how creativity doesn’t always need hours of uninterrupted time to exist. Sometimes it starts with a walk, a voice note, a notebook, or simply paying attention to what is happening around you. Madalyn shares how she and her family stepped outside of the traditional path and began travelling the world full-time, and the near-death experience involving her son that became a huge wake-up call for their family.

We talk about motherhood, routine, inspiration, and why breaking a creative practice down into tiny, manageable pieces can actually help us create more.

 Let's explore together: the power of morning routines, mindset work, journaling, meditation, and the small shifts that can create meaningful change over time. If this inspires you to dream a little bigger, and do something just for you Portugal. Join us on the Algarve coast ⁠in June 2027 for our Portraits Without Fear retreat. ⁠ 

Takeaway Tips:

1. Make it ridiculously small. You don’t need an entire afternoon to create. Fifteen minutes, one page, a voice note, or a morning walk can keep the creative spark alive.

2. Let life wake you up. Inspiration is everywhere when we pay attention. Sometimes the biggest creative shift comes from stepping outside our routine and asking ourselves if the life we’re living is actually the one we want. Only a few spots left: Get back to YOU again!