In this episode, I share a real-life moment of being emotionally triggered after a phone call from my mother—and how that experience became the perfect opportunity to walk through the Receptivity Chart, a visual model I use in my coaching and retreats. Rather than getting stuck in reaction, I used this moment to check in with myself: Where am I on the chart? What’s blocking my ability to receive guidance from Creative Intelligence?

Our thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and old pain patterns—what Eckhart Tolle would call the “pain body”—can cloud our inner channel and disconnect us from flow. When I find myself blocked, I pause. I surrender to what’s happening, speak about myself in the third person to get perspective, write it out, and ask: Do I still believe this? Is this mine, or something I inherited? These practices gently clear the static and return me to presence.

If you’d like to follow along visually, you can download a copy of the Receptivity Chart under the Practice Guides tab at spiritualartisttoday.com. It’s a powerful reminder that while we can’t always control being triggered, we can choose how we return to alignment.

At the end of this episode, CJ does a short guided meditation to ease you through a triggering experience.

For more information on CJ, visit his website www.spiritualartistoday.com. His book, "The Spiritual Artist" is available on Amazon.

In this heartfelt conversation, CJ Miller speaks with transformational creativity and grief coach Susie Stonefield, who believes that “the wound is where the Light enters”—a quote from Rumi that guides her entire practice. Susie helps clients hold their grief through the healing practice of art journaling, which she sees not just as a creative outlet but as a form of spiritual practice. Rather than striving for perfection or hanging something on a wall, her work invites people to make space for their wordless heart to speak—to witness their emotions without judgment and transform pain into beauty.

Together, CJ and Susie explore how traditional art training often distances people from their emotional truth, and how intuitive, process-based creation allows us to reclaim that connection. Susie shares her personal story of navigating her son's complex health journey and how it led her to this work. Her grief became her teacher, showing her that creativity could be a compass in the darkest moments. They also discuss the collective grief many are feeling today—about the state of the world, climate change, political division—and how creative practice offers both refuge and revelation.

Listeners are invited to download Susie’s free resource, “Creativity and Grief Invitations Workbook,” at https://www.susiestonefield.com/podcast-gift1

Whether you're navigating personal loss, existential unease, or simply seeking a way to reconnect with your inner voice, this episode offers both encouragement and practical tools to help you walk with grief—one intuitive mark at a time.

For more information on CJ and his coaching and retreats, visit www.spiritualartisttoday.com.

Have you ever been asked, “What’s your passion?”—and found yourself coming up blank? In this heartfelt episode, CJMiller explores why so many of us feel disconnected from our deepest loves, and how passion is often something we remember, not find.

Drawing from personal stories, childhood insights, and spiritual reflection, CJ shares how our Creative DNA is imprinted long before society, money, or fear pulls us off course. You’ll be guided to reconnect with what once lit you up—without explanation, without apology.

This episode includes a powerful visualization exercise to help you quiet the noise and listen for the passions you may have been ignoring. Because when you honor what you love, you step into the joy of your true expression—as a Spiritual Artist, here to create from the inside out.

For more information, visit www.spiritualartisttoday.com.