The Syncreate Podcast: Empowering Creativity

Kristen D’Amato on Instagram

Open Audio

Episode 129: Women's Sexual Energy and Healing with Kristen D'Amato, PhD

October 15, 2026

Kristen D’Amato, PhD, is an author, speaker, musician, educator, and conscious leader. She’s the author of We Choose Love, a heart-centered guide to self-healing. With her abilities to psychically see and intuitively know information about people's health concerns, Kristen became a medical intuitive and energy healer two decades ago. She’s helped many relieve their symptoms without drugs and surgeries, inspiring empowerment in their healing journeys.

Kristen completed her PhD in Mind-Body Medicine at Saybrook University, focusing on women’s sexual energy and healing. She is a 600 hour VITA-certified sex and relationship coach, trained energy medicine practitioner, certified contemplative end-of-life care midwife, and has decades of expertise using food as medicine. Our conversation focuses on her healing work, writing, and doctoral research, including how creativity and vital life-force energy go hand-in-hand.

For our Creativity Pro-Tip, Kristen leads us through a short, mindful practice of body awareness that can help us sense into our vital energy.

Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.

If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 19: Creativity, Sexuality & The Sacred Feminine with Leah Shadwick, Marie Commisso and Thais Bicalho Silva, Episode 117: Creativity, Anxiety, and Authenticity with Amanda Beck, PhD, Episode 127: The Power of Silence with Olga Lehmann, PhD.

At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you’re not sure how to get it off the ground, find us at syncreate.org. Our book, also called Syncreate, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information on our website, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review! We’d love to hear your feedback as well, so drop us a line at info@syncreate.org.

Episode-specific hyperlinks:

Kristen’s Website: https://www.kristendamato.com/

Book: We Choose Love

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The Psychology of Flow States

Open Audio

Episode 128: Creative Flow and Focus - Advice from a Hollywood Studio Pro with Sukha Founder Steven Puri

October 1, 2026

Following a successful career as a Hollywood visual effects designer and studio executive, Steven Puri pivoted to start The Sukha Company, a flow state platform that helps creative professionals work more effectively, more productively, and with more joy. As a studio executive at Dreamworks and 20th Century Fox, and producer on films from Die Hard 5 to The Wolverine, he learned how to inspire a broad range of teams. Our conversation includes insights from Steven’s experiences working with creative teams, as well as his entrepreneurial shift to becoming the Founder and CEO of Sukha, and the science and psychology of flow states.

For our Creativity Pro-Tip, Steven says: Tomorrow, when you wake up, think of the one thing you could do that would move your life forward before you touch your phone. Don't go to sleep until that's done. If you repeat that for 30 days, your life will be different.”

Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.

If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 123: The Surface Area of Serendipity with with Tech Entrepreneur Charles Cadbury, Episode 125: Figuring it Out with Film Producer & Entrepreneur Marco de Molina, and Episode 127: The Power of Silence with Olga Lehmann, PhD.

At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you’re not sure how to get it off the ground, find us at syncreate.org. Our book, also called Syncreate, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information on our website, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review! We’d love to hear your feedback as well, so drop us a line at info@syncreate.org.

Episode-specific hyperlinks:

The Sukha Company

Steven Puri on LinkedIn

Show / permanent hyperlinks:

Olga’s Website: olgalehmann.com

Open Audio

Episode 127: The Power of Silence with Olga Lehmann, PhD

September 17, 2026

In a world of constant overstimulation, noise, and speed, what is the value of silence and stillness? In this episode, we explore how silence can become a refuge and a source of well-being. We also contemplate the power dynamics of silence, such as when we experience self-silencing or having silence imposed upon us. We also discuss the benefits of poetry and therapeutic writing for working with grief.

Olga Lehmann, PhD, fondly nicknamed “The Silentist,” by colleagues, is a professor of psychology at Oslo New University College (ONH, Norway), and associate professor in counselling at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU, Norway). She is a mental health advocate, educator, psychotherapist and researcher, with a background in humanistic and existential psychology, as well as cultural psychology. Her core academic and personal interests are the intersection between clinical and community interventions, as well as the functions that silence and poetry have in our everyday lives, and how these can be used to promote wellbeing and human values. Her recent publications include Writing Through Bereavement: A Therapeutic Workbook for Grieving Parents (Routledge, 2025), and Silence. The psychology and the craft for emotional wellbeing (Oxford University Press).

For our Creativity Pro-Tip, Olga suggests picking a few daily activities, such as drinking your morning tea or coffee, or brushing your teeth, to practice intentionally slowing down, and see what you notice. Another is what she calls “beauty hunting,” or noticing moments when you experience beauty or peace, and noting them in a journal. This is a wonderful way of cultivating appreciation and gratitude.

Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.

If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process in a variety of contexts, you might also like our conversations in Episode 107: Mindfulness in Life, Work, and Creativity with Hannah Williams, Episode 109: Light and Shadow: The Art of Journaling with Keila Shaheen, and Episode 113: Music Mindfulness and Healing with Dr. AZA Allsop

At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you’re not sure how to get it off the ground, find us at syncreate.org. Our book, also called Syncreate, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information on our website, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review! We’d love to hear your feedback as well, so drop us a line at info@syncreate.org.

Episode-specific hyperlinks:

Olga Lehmann on LinkedIn

Olga’s Instagram Profile

Show / permanent hyperlinks:

Open Audio

Episode 126: Creative Spark Series - Compost & Cosmos with Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick

September 3, 2026

In this installment of our Creative Spark series, Charlotte shares several anecdotes, including the story of a man she met while picking up a load of compost, who told her all about his pet pig, Cosmos. With her superpowers of listening and asking questions, Charlotte has a knack for drawing out people’s stories, which is always a source of creative inspiration. This episode, like the mini-episodes that preceded it, also includes insights from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities.

For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to engage with the people you meet in your daily activities–ask questions, get to know them a little bit–and see what possibilities this can open up.

Credits: The Syncreate podcast is created and hosted by Melinda Rothouse, and produced at Record ATX studios with in collaboration Michael Osborne and 14th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. Syncreate logo design by Dreux Carpenter.

If you enjoy this episode and want to learn more about the creative process, you might also like our conversations in Episode 124: Finding Your Story, Episode 106: Creative Confessions, and Episode 98: Creativity and Humor.

At Syncreate, we're here to support your creative endeavors. If you have an idea for a project or a new venture, and you’re not sure how to get it off the ground, find us at syncreate.org. Our book, also called Syncreate, walks you through the stages of the creative process so you can take action on your creative goals. We also offer resources, creative process tools, and coaching to help you bring your work to the world. You can find more information on our website, where you can also find all of our podcast episodes. Find and connect with us on social media and YouTube under Syncreate. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and leave us a review! We’d love to hear your feedback as well, so drop us a line at info@syncreate.org.

Episode-specific hyperlinks:

Charlotte Gullick’s Website

The Syncreate book by Melinda Rothouse & Charlotte Gullick

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