Art Creativity & Wellbeing

I am excited to bring you this one, an update as the upheaval settles after my life partner and I relocated from where we just kinda ended up… to where we really wished to be.Paid Supporters: Your Chapter Is Here <3At the end of this post is the most recent chapter from my forthcoming book, a.k.a. little piece of my heart, thank you to you paid supporters for allowing me to be vulnerable and courageous to share with you. It means a lot.This particular chapter is a departure in terms of how it's written. It feels real, honest, fun… Me! I hope you enjoy it.If you're not yet a paid supporter, and you'd like to receive this and future little pieces of my heart straight into your inbox (as well as having access to all the archives and previous chapters), click here: https://kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribeStop Enduring Systems That Suck(That title is literally what Substack named one of the clips I'll be sharing out about this episode! I'm still laughing about it. What a great title :)Changing Systems, the workshop, starts tonight! Here’s the link if you’d like to take part: https://www.kaylockkolp.com/system/Celebrating Transformation, Celebrating Presence… Celebrating CoachingThis is what we will be doing around here over the next couple months! In a fun way, as I continue sharing out the Waking Up: The Tools conversations with my colleague and friend Coach Andrew Moss. I'm even bringing you the lost episodes. Stay tuned!If you'd like to be part of our wrap up Tools Chat which will take place in November, get in touch with me here: https://kaylockkolp.com/contact and we’ll get you in the room.Lots of love, and excitement for what's ahead – thanks for being here with me.❤️KayMy memoir is available wherever you get your audiobooks, and in e-book and paperback formats here.Kay Lock Kolp M.Ed. - Coaching | Art | Writing | Shows: https://kaylockkolp.comThe quote I live by: “Till this moment I never knew myself.” - Jane Austen* Subscribe so that this shows up in your inbox, instead of you having to go search for it :)Paid Supporters, Here is your Chapter: https://kaylockkolp.substack.com/p/477-a-joyful-update-also-whats-in(Log in to Substack to see it :) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Greetings! It's time for another great conversation with my friend and colleague Andrew Moss regarding the tools that we developed together as I was training to solo-hike across northern England in 2023.Today you’ll hear about a tool we call Negative Thoughts are Opportunities for Growth. It’s a conversation that will feel relevant and helpful, if you've ever been derailed by the thoughts inside yourself.Hope you enjoy!* Would you like to be part of our final Tools Chat coming up in November 2025? Email me here and we’ll get you in the room!* Here's the first in the series I did about The Relationship Handbook by George Pransky. This book comes up today as it is a favorite of both Andrew’s and mine.* Here's where you can find out more about the Rebels for Peace Program.* Consider subscribing to this newsletter so that it shows up in your inbox, instead of you having to go search for it :)About this Series…It's really a podcast within a podcast!In these "Waking Up: The Tools” conversations Andrew and I discuss the essential tools we developed that helped me grow into the person who hiked all by myself across northern England in 2023… After needing a wheelchair to go more than a few steps in 2011.We've called this series Waking up: The Tools because they’re featured in my award-winning memoir, Waking Up.See you soon! Thank you for being along on the journey.With Love, KayKay Lock Kolp M.Ed. - Coaching | Art | Writing | Shows: https://kaylockkolp.comThe quote I live by: “Till this moment I never knew myself." - Jane Austen This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Today's episode is another one that I have been WAITING FOR SO LONG to bring you! Please welcome Jeff Lamb, creator of the Pathfinders original podcast series and cofounder of Pathfinders for Good, which is all about celebrating and supporting everyday heroes. This episode is uniquely done – I get to bring the wonderful framework that Jeff developed for the Pathfinders show, on him! The result is a wonderful synthesis that gets to the heart of who Jeff is, and why.You are going to love our conversation!I’m offering a workshop on transforming systems – what system would you change if you could? Register for this workshop to really do it!Starts on 30 September. Here’s the link if you’d like to join! https://www.kaylockkolp.com/system/Wishing you well today, cheers!Kay* Subscribe to this newsletter so that it shows up in your inbox, instead of you having to go search for it :)Art Creativity & Wellbeing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Kay Lock Kolp is a coach, podcast host, writer, and artist who helps people achieve wholeness and well-being. After experiencing a health crisis in 2011 that limited her mobility, Kay embarked on a transformative journey of self-discovery.Kay demonstrated her resilience by hiking England's Coast-to-Coast Path solo in 2023, an experience that embodies her philosophy of gentle, persistent self-actualization.She now coaches clients to envision bold futures while taking manageable steps toward their goals, with a special focus on supporting those who've put others first and are ready to see what happens when they bring the same care to themselves. Her approach blends vulnerability, compassion, and practical support to help clients create meaningful transformation in their lives and communities. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Greetings from Maine, USA, where I LIVE now, after 28 years of trying! I am OVER the MOON and sharing this short update celebrating dreaming, doing, and changing systems. It was recorded on my epic 1 mile walk to the mailbox this morning!I'll be back a little later this week with an interview that I'm super excited to bring to you :)In the meantime, if changing systems from a place of feeling good inside resonates, read more about the workshop I'm offering (starts September 30) here: https://kaylockkolp.com/systemIf you'd like to learn more about the group I've just opened for people who have been caring for others and would like to see how it feels to bring that same care for themselves, click here: https://www.skool.com/dreamersanddoers/aboutRecordings and engagement on the workshop above are included in membership in this group. Hooray!Subscribe to this newsletter so that it shows up in your inbox, instead of you having to go search for it :)Wishing you lots of love, talk soon! – KayKay Lock Kolp M.Ed.Coaching | Art | Writing | Shows: https://kaylockkolp.comThe quote I live by: “Till this moment I never knew myself." - Jane Austen This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Greetings friend! Today's a quick update on what-all is happening around here.. and gets into a bit of what 'here' means for my life partner and I right now!Here's the poem that I read for you in this episode:The Taste of FreedomI couldn’t find a forkOr oilOr salt.The pan had been packed.Couldn’t make my preferred breakfastNo eggsQuinoaAvocadoAvailable even if I could.So I ate my breakfast greensWith my fingersEnjoyed the hell out ofA cheesyGreasyEgg-on-croissant from a local coffee shopAlong with twoDeliciousTinySungold cherry tomatoesFrom the garden that will soon belongTo other stewards of thisThe place we’ve called home for 20 yearsThat was my breakfast on moving day.YesterdayAs I ate with my fingers I repeated to myself“This tastes like freedom”Such joy in my heart.Anxiety about what could go wrongFear about what bad might happenUsed to stop meFrom doing things I really wished to do.All the unknowns.How would I be okay withoutFor exampleMy usual favorite breakfast?Who am I if I don’t stick to these routines?And anywayHow do I reimagine my relationshipWith my grown children?What happened that they are now grownupsAnd not babies in my charge any longer?AlsoWhat’s lurkingIn all the corners of this homeThat I haven’t touched for 20 years?Where do I start if I wish to move onTo what’s next.How do I bring intentionTo this new phase of my life?Yikes!These were some of the many questionsSome of the thousands ofMicroMacroDecisionsThat I used to avoidAs I tiptoed around trying to make everything not explode.How wonderful to discoverThat it is all goodIt’s really okay to just be on my journey.All figureoutableI live everywhereI have people to lovePeople who love me.I take you with meWherever I liveAs I take myself.- by Kay Lock Kolp, Ripley Pond, Maine, Thursday, 21 August 2025Subscribe to this newsletter so that it shows up in your inbox, instead of you having to go search for it :) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Today's episode is another one that I have been WAITING FOR SO LONG to bring you! Please welcome Mike Michalowicz, the author of many best-selling books, one very formative one for me and which we talk quite a bit about today, Profit First.Mike specializes in helping entrepreneurs and creative people figure out their financial stuff in a way that is truly life changing. It's changed my life, and if you read Profit First you'll see how it changed Mike's. He's a great storyteller and a super inspiring person.You are going to love our conversation!Cheers! Thank you for being here with me.Kay* Subscribe to this newsletter so that it shows up in your inbox, instead of you having to go search for it :)Art Creativity & Wellbeing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.SubscribedKay Lock Kolp is a coach, podcast host, writer, and artist who helps people achieve wholeness and well-being. After experiencing a health crisis in 2011 that limited her mobility, Kay embarked on a transformative journey of self-discovery.She now coaches clients to envision bold futures while taking manageable steps toward their goals, with a special focus on supporting leaders, creators, and first responders. Kay demonstrated her resilience by hiking England's Coast-to-Coast Path solo in 2023, an experience that embodies her philosophy of gentle, persistent self-actualization.As a host for Pathfinders For Good, Kay shares stories that amplify positive change, emphasizing that authentic self-care creates ripple effects that benefit others. Her approach blends vulnerability, compassion, and practical support to help clients create meaningful transformation in their lives and communities. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Greetings friend! It's time for another great conversation with friend-of-the-podcast and my colleague Andrew Moss regarding the tools that we developed together as I was training to solo-hike across northern England in 2023.Today you’ll hear about a tool we call Trust Evidence Over Thoughts, and it’s a conversation that will feel relevant and helpful, if you’ve ever been carried away by your thoughts.Hope you enjoy!* Consider subscribing to this newsletter so that it shows up in your inbox, instead of you having to go search for it :)About this Series…It's really a podcast within a podcast!In these "Waking Up: The Tools” conversations Andrew and I discuss the essential tools we developed that helped grow into the person who hiked all by myself across northern England in 2023… After needing a wheelchair to go more than a few steps in 2011.We've called this series Waking up: The Tools because they’re featured in my award-winning memoir, Waking Up.See you soon friends! Thank you for being along on the journey.With Love, KayKay Lock Kolp M.Ed. - Coaching | Art | Writing | Shows: https://kaylockkolp.comThe quote I live by: “Till this moment I never knew myself.” - Jane AustenArt Creativity & Wellbeing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

I've been waiting to bring you this one for a long time! A great conversation with my longtime friend Bill Dwinnells LMHC, NCC, CCMHC . Bill is making a difference in the lives of many people through his work as a therapist. Today you'll hear about how Bill got his start and how he started something amazing in Massachusetts when he became the first therapist to ride along with first responders as they do their work.Our conversation goes down some interesting and inspiring rabbit holes! Contact Bill either at his personal website, https://www.billdwinnells.com/, or https://gambitcounseling.com/, the solution-focused therapy practice he co-creates that's based in mindfulness and positive psychology.Hope you enjoy our conversation.. Cheers! Thank you for being here with me.Kay* Subscribe to this newsletter so that it shows up in your inbox, instead of you having to go search for it :)Art Creativity & Wellbeing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.SubscribedKay Lock Kolp is a coach, podcast host, writer, and artist who helps people achieve wholeness and well-being. After experiencing a health crisis in 2011 that limited her mobility, Kay embarked on a transformative journey of self-discovery.She now coaches clients to envision bold futures while taking manageable steps toward their goals, with a special focus on supporting leaders, creators, and first responders. Kay demonstrated her resilience by hiking England's Coast-to-Coast Path solo in 2023, an experience that embodies her philosophy of gentle, persistent self-actualization.As a host for Pathfinders For Good, Kay shares stories that amplify positive change, emphasizing that authentic self-care creates ripple effects that benefit others. Her approach blends vulnerability, compassion, and practical support to help clients create meaningful transformation in their lives and communities. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

How cool is this – our (AI) friends at Notebook.LM made this Deep Dive about my idea for changing systems that we don't like!A few weeks ago I wrote an article on this very topic, how to change a system that we don't like. Today you'll hear our friends talk about this method and how to make it work for you, if there is a system or systems that you'd like to change.Workshop on Changing Systems You Don't Like Starts Tuesday 30th SeptemberIf you or someone you know might benefit from being in a gentle space while bringing attention to feeling okay/better/good inside, by changing systems that don't feel good into something that does, here’s the link to learn more..https://www.kaylockkolp.com/system/We start TOMORROW Tuesday 30 September :)A Word About Notebook.LMI sure had fun playing with this AI technology. Somewhere in the middle you'll hear one of the hosts' voices adopt an Australian accent! I have no idea how that happened but it did make me laugh.I've learned that AI can be fun and playful. I know not everyone feels this way. Which is why it feels important to say: unless I say differently, as I'm doing today, all the content you read and hear and see here is human made including the art.So I invite you to relax into this one and give yourself permission to consider: are there systems you wish were different? What we talk about here today is a sustainable way to do that.Wishing you well today!Thanks for being on the journey with me❤️KayMy memoir is available wherever you get your audiobooks, and in e-book and paperback formats here.Kay Lock Kolp M.Ed. - Coaching | Art | Writing | Shows: https://kaylockkolp.comThe quote I live by: “Till this moment I never knew myself.” - Jane Austen* Subscribe to this newsletter so that it shows up in your inbox, instead of you having to go search for it :)Art Creativity & Wellbeing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe

Hail and well met! It's time for another great conversation with friend and colleague, coach Andrew Moss regarding the tools that we developed together as I was training to solo hike across northern England in 2023.Today you’ll hear about a tool we call The Midline, how it’s shaped each of our lives and how it’s evolved to be even more helpful in the years since it first entered our coaching work.Hope you enjoy!About the Series…It's really a podcast within a podcast!In these "Waking Up: The Tools” conversations Andrew and I discuss the essential tools we developed that helped me transform my experience and grow into the person who hiked all by myself across northern England in 2023… After needing a wheelchair to go more than a few steps in 2011.We've called this series Waking up: The Tools because they’re featured in my book, Waking Up: How I Grew to Love My Body and My Self While Solo-Hiking Across Northern England (available everywhere you get your audiobooks and Amazon in paperback and e-book format.)Cheers! Thank you for being here with me.Love, KayKay Lock Kolp M.Ed. - Coaching | Art | Writing | Shows: https://kaylockkolp.comThe quote I live by: “Till this moment I never knew myself.” - Jane AustenConsider subscribing to this newsletter so that it shows up in your inbox, instead of you having to go search for it :)Art Creativity & Wellbeing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kaylockkolp.substack.com/subscribe