Episode 104: John Roedel on Meeting Depression with Creative Practice

Emerging Form

How can a creative practice help us to meet what Rilke named the “dark hours of our being?” How can we participate in a more self-compassionate creative practice? In this heart-opening, soul-nourishing, deeply vulnerable episode of Emerging Form, we speak with comedian and poet John Roedel about how writing helped him wonder again and again “what if I go just a little bit deeper?” We talk about how through a daily writing practice in a period of personal struggle, he was able to become increasingly vulnerable, increasingly courageous about sharing his work, and increasingly connected to his own heart.

John Roedel is a comic who unexpectedly gained notability as a writer and poet through his heartfelt pieces he shared on social media that went viral. He is the author of six self-published books that went on to become Amazon bestsellers, including—Hey God. Hey John, Upon Departure and his latest work, “Fitting In is For Sardines.”

Offering a sincere and very relatable look at his faith crisis, mental health, personal struggles, perception of our world, and even his fashion sense, John's writing has been shared millions of times across social media. He teaches at universities and retreat centers across the US.

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