The Ojai Sessions are weekly meetings between my creative business partner + fellow artist, Corinne Bowen, and Dan Keck, writer, musician and business owner. We met at Rob Bell’s 2-Days in Ojai event earlier this year and decided to join creative forces on a weekly basis for accountability on the books + creative projects we are midwifing into the world.
Here are some highlights of our conversation:
Corinne shared about life over the past six weeks. The return of anxiety that had been creeping in and gaining strength, and how it has begun to transform into a burst of creativity over the past three days in the South of France. She also shared a quote from a podcast featuring Whitney Cummings that delved into codependency at approximately 30 minutes.
Whitney Cummings shared a couple of helpful definitions of codependency:
“…the inability to tolerate the discomfort of others or the perceived discomfort.”
In codependence, “…you're getting your emotional needs met through another person, whereas interdependent means you're getting your own emotional needs met internally.”
Her discussion on Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA) and codependency resonated deeply, revealing that although Corinne has made progress, she’s still got work to do. Listening to the podcast conversation on codependency and ACA (starting at about 30 minutes in) led to further discussion with Tammi and Dan about personal growth, authenticity, and the layers of recovery.
Dan shared an interesting perspective on anxiety, suggesting that instead of viewing it as something terrible to push away, we could see it as an opportunity—a signal that there's something we need to pay attention to. This resonated with Tammi's experiences, and she reminded us of Rob Bell's concept of the "South Star"—the idea that our challenges can serve as a compass, guiding us towards areas of needed growth and healing.
Tammi shared how in the past, she's used various coping mechanisms to numb out or ignore these signals—whether it was drinking, indulging in comfort food, or binge-watching TV shows. But now, with sobriety and increased self-awareness, she's learning to listen to these signals and use them as catalysts for positive change.
The conversation touched on the misconception that once we address our most glaring issues, everything will be "fixed."
In reality, personal growth is an ongoing journey of uncovering new layers, each more subtle than the last. It's not about becoming "personal development robots," but rather about continually striving for authenticity and self-understanding.
As we wrapped up our discussion, we each felt supported. This is the beautiful byproduct of gathering, sharing parts of ourselves and feeling accurately seen and heard.
We hope you enjoy it.
Podcast featuring Whitney Cummings (start listening at minute 30)
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Thank you for sharing this experience of being seen and heard in friendship and collaboration. I am listening the Modern Wisdom Pod/Whitney Cummins Ep. What a powerhouse and straight shooter. I am appreciating your content and shared resources. ❤️
I'm glad it resonated, Kelly. Thanks for the note + support.