Maybe I Can with Debbie Weiss

Ep. 105: Embracing Your Authentic Self with Sam Horton

• Debbie Weiss

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In this episode of the Maybe I Can podcast, I sit down with Sam Horton, an artist, creative mentor, life coach, and spiritual guide who has turned personal challenges into profound growth. After navigating a transformative journey through divorce, burnout, and feelings of disconnection, Sam discovered the healing power of spiritual and creative practices. Now, she dedicates her life to empowering women to embrace their authentic selves and transform pain into power. We’ll explore Sam’s approach to soul-led creative empowerment, how she helps women nurture themselves, express their inner truths, and achieve personal transformation, all while finding beauty in the simple joys of life.

 Debbie Weiss
 https://www.debbierweiss.com
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/maybeican
 https://www.instagram.com/debbie.r.weiss
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNi8Frz-SsR9Mv_h0CNjB9w
 https://www.tiktok.com/@debbierweiss
 https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/maybe-i-can-with-debbie-weiss/id1676123222

Sam Horton
 https://www.samhorton.co/
 https://instagram.com/samhortonstudio
 https://www.facebook.com/samhortontudio
 https://www.youtube.com/user/@samhortonstudio

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Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome to Maybe I Can, exploring possibilities one sprinkle at a time. If you've ever found yourself asking is this all there is to life, then you're in the right place. I'm Debbie author, speaker, entrepreneur and coach, and every Tuesday I'm here to share a sprinkle of hope and inspiration. Together, we'll uncover the more More joy, more fulfillment, more prosperity, more fun. We'll share stories of transformation, actionable tips and that little nudge you need to take the next step. So let's embark on this journey of discovery and say maybe I can to a life filled with more, ready to find out. Let's get started. The Maybe I Can Show starts now.

Speaker 1:

Well, hello everyone and welcome back to the Baby I Can podcast. I'm your host, debbie Weiss, and nice to have you here with me on this cold, chilly day in the beginning of December here in New Jersey. But one of the best things for me about being a podcast host is that I get to meet people from all around the world, and my guest today is literally from the other side of the world. It's just still amazes me. I'm a dinosaur with technology. I can't believe that I get to speak today with someone from Australia. It's not the first time, but it's just an amazing privilege. So let me introduce you to my guest.

Speaker 1:

My guest today is Sam Horton. She's an artist, a creative mentor, a life coach and a spiritual guide. A series of life challenges, from divorce and burnout to feelings of inner disconnection and emptiness, were the catalyst for a spiritual, creative journey that led Sam out of the dark and transformed the way she cares for herself and shows up in the world. This journey is what inspires Sam to support other women to turn their pain into power and evolve into the most beautiful, authentic, best versions of themselves, using transformative spiritual and creative tools to remember who they really are at their core. Sam lives on the Sunshine Coast in Australia with her tween daughter. She's a self-confessed homebody, obsessed with connecting her heart with her home through her love for art, flowers, nature and sentimental treasures. Sam, welcome to the show, thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 2:

It's great to be here.

Speaker 1:

Like I said, wonderful to have you and very excited to meet you over there in sunny Australia. Is it sunny yet what? What? Is it spring there, or what?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's just come into summer. Yeah, so we're just starting.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, okay, well, lucky you. So I'm going to ask you the same question that I start all my shows with, and ask you to tell us about a time when you went from a defeated I can't mindset to a more empowered maybe I can attitude example I can probably give you is the journey I went through navigating my marriage, which ultimately ended in separation and divorce.

Speaker 2:

But in terms of where I started on that journey, the I can'ts I had swimming through my head were you know, I can't be a person who has a failed marriage. I can't be somebody who's divorced. I can't be somebody who, you know, rejects the person that I signed up to life with. I can't be a single parent. You know all these sorts of things. But ultimately I went on my journey and you know, the empowered version of me on the other side moved through all of those things. And you know I empowered version of me on the other side move through all of those things and you know I'm better person for it.

Speaker 1:

So give us a little bit of background, if you don't mind is what was your journey? What changed that you were able to switch that attitude?

Speaker 2:

sure. So I think, um, my journey was really about, you know, self-connection, um, and, you know, really going in on a deep journey with that and really working out who I was and what I wanted out of life. Uh, so, um, the thing that actually was the catalyst for it, for it all was really, you know, um, a creative calling, I call, where I was really called to create things. I worked in business and finance, so very non-creative career, for 20 odd years, yeah, so I think it was a creative calling and it was really just to make things with my hands and to really reconnect with that side of myself. And that's the thing that really supported me on my journey, with that inner connection, and really propelled me forward and helped me to just take that one small step at a time, you know, and really be gentle with myself and lean into the things that were really, you know, going to serve me in the future and, you know, make all those micro decisions along the way.

Speaker 1:

Did you used to have a creative side before you were married? You know younger that you abandoned.

Speaker 2:

I think so. I think I've always been creative, but I was the type of person that you know went sort of deep into my career and I had all these kind of art supplies and things hanging around in the cupboard collecting dust. You know, it was sort of something that came out and then went away, which is very common, you know. A lot of people experience that, yeah, so it just was like a whisper or a niggle. You know, it didn't start off with I mean I paint today, I love painting, but it didn't start off with I mean I paint today, I love painting, but didn't start off with that. It was kind of I went through like sewing and you know all these crafty things and, you know, slowly the journey kind of took me towards the painting, which is something that I'm really passionate about today. So, yeah, I would say I was creative, yeah, but I definitely reconnected with it in a big way.

Speaker 1:

And so that um reconnecting with that, how did that help switch? Your mindset or your attitude.

Speaker 2:

Sure. So I think, uh, the thing about creativity is that you know people dismiss it as something that's kind of like, you know, a nice to have or something that you know is very playful and therefore, you know, not a great use of our time. But actually that's not true at all. So I mean, I can sort of share with you, you know, some key concepts that I understand today, that maybe I didn't understand when I was actually in the midst of that journey. So the first thing is that you know creative, creative activities. They really help you to quiet your mind and to really hear yourself and to step into this space where you're able to sort of, you know, just really get silent. You know, I mean, some people struggle with meditation, but it is literally like a meditation in action.

Speaker 2:

The second thing is that when you go a bit deeper again, you're able to allow your subconscious and your intuition to sort of naturally just bubble up to the surface. It's quite profound. You know how it happens and you know, as that happens, you know you'll find yourself processing your thoughts, your feelings, your emotions, your feelings, your emotions, your experiences, your beliefs, and really sort of then starting to challenge them, you know, and release things that aren't really serving you and welcome in sort of new uplifting energy. And then you know people talk about creative flow, right? So I'm sure you know you've heard that term bandied around. So to me, creative flow is being able to lose yourself so much in a creative project that you're really able to tune into almost a spiritual connection, yeah, and you're able to really connect with your higher wisdom and the energetic kind of, you know, universal spiritual laws. So, yeah, so that's kind of in a nutshell how I think creativity supported me. Yeah, it's very, very powerful.

Speaker 1:

You know it's so funny because I'm a person. I also have a background in business and finance and, unlike you, I would tell you that I don't have a creative bone in my body. That I never did. I couldn't draw a stick figure and I can't do crafts and all the things. Long story short, because I probably told it to my audience many times when I got the bug put in my ear to write and I thought write, I can't write. I mean, sure, I can write an email to a business associate, but creatively write or write a story, even if it's my own story. I wouldn't even know how to begin and you know it was just like anything else.

Speaker 1:

You got to begin and then, once I started, it was amazing, not only how cathartic it was for a variety of reasons for me personally, but how much I actually enjoyed it. And then what I found was oh, all of a sudden I wanted to try other things, things that I was never willing to try before. It was almost like a Pandora's box had opened and I had talked myself into believing that I wasn't creative. My whole life I was telling myself this story and when I stopped telling the story, I was able to really discover how freeing, how enjoyable, how satisfying. And the other story about quieting the mind on that same kind of idea was I was at a spa, and this is a spa that offers like a variety, not just your regular stuff, and they have like a whole art track, so to speak, and I was intimidated because, like I said, I don't consider myself a good artist in that sense and I thought everyone's going to judge me and I'm going to, you know whatever, be embarrassed and everyone's going to be so good at it.

Speaker 1:

But I had decided that this was a fear that I had to get past, and so I forced myself to go into this class and everybody else I mean, I haven't painted since I was in kindergarten. I didn't even remember. Do you put the brush in the water, then do you put it in the paint? Like I didn't really know the first thing. And I was thinking to myself as I'm sitting there I didn't really know the first thing and I was thinking to myself as I'm sitting there I can't believe that I'm actually doing this. Should I stand up? Should I leave? When I finally let go of all that negative talk and that self-criticism and sabotage?

Speaker 1:

honestly, and just got into the process and said it doesn't matter, I'm doing this for me. I'm not looking to sell my art, I'm not being judged. Why am I judging myself? And when I relaxed into the process, I was so amazed at one how relaxing it was, and it did turn meditative. It was just like, oh, it was this quiet time of self-reflection and just really enjoying the moment and what I was doing. And so I share that story to say what is your advice for someone like me who, if honestly, if I hadn't gone to that spa, I never would have given it a try? And so I'm sure there are other people out there like me who say, well, I don't have an artistic bone in my body, this creativity stuff isn't for me.

Speaker 2:

Sure, I think yeah there are kind of two kinds of people people like me who had all the supplies in the cupboard, and then there, people people like me who had all the supplies in the cupboard, and then there's people like you who haven't touched it since childhood, right, yeah? So I think that, um, a lot of this is actually just perspective, right? So, um, I think we are conditioned, um, from a very young age, to prioritize this very masculine output, focused, you know, attachment to the outcome, doing energy. We're all into efficiency and productivity and achievement and the checklist of life and all this sort of stuff, right? So creativity sits on the other extreme. It's much more feminine in nature and it's really about leaning into the process, trusting, receiving, allowing. It's a very gentle, feminine side of us and I think that really, it's encouraging people to.

Speaker 2:

You know, get curious about that, because ultimately, a balance of both that very masculine energy and that more feminine creative energy is a really, is really empowering and it's kind of, you know, the thing that really can facilitate greater wellbeing, I believe. So that's the first thing, and then the second thing is really about writing this permission slip to. You know, get curious about your creative side. You know, once you understand. You know how powerful it can be, um, uh, conceptually. You know it's then leaning into it and giving yourself permission, like you said to, you know, release attachment to the outcome and just give it a go and see what happens. Um, and, and I'm sure you'd agree, it's actually much more about the process and the feeling it gives you. It feels so good, rather than the actual thing you end up with at the end of it.

Speaker 1:

Exactly. It's just like when they first, when adult coloring books first became popular, I honestly thought it was ridiculous, you know. I mean, I have to be honest, I'm like adult coloring books and I love to color as a kid. And then I said, okay, with my new empowered, maybe I can mindset. I always have to now, you know, put my money where my mouth is. And I gave it a try and it's the same thing. It was so relaxing, it was such a great thing to do. Put some music on. You know, it's got fun to pick out the different colors that I was gonna you, you know use to draw my picture, and it didn't matter, it doesn't matter who's going to see it. It really is all about the process. And you know, I think to myself boy, how many years did I waste.

Speaker 1:

And don't worry I'll be catching up now, but how many of us don't even stop? I noticed one of the things that I, of course, was spying on your website before meeting you today, and as you had a description of what your life was and I think for so many of us, this really resonated with me and, just like you alluded to, we're in that masculine energy of achievement, and I think you have mentioned somewhere about the white picket fence. We all have this vision of what life is supposed to look like and what it should look like. I have a marriage and a career and a family. I should be happy. This isn't the goal and it's a shame. I don't know where that comes from and that's a separate conversation. And then there we are, typically as women, taking care of everyone and everything else and never taking care of ourselves and exploring ourselves. So you not only left your marriage then you also left your career as well.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yeah, pretty dramatic.

Speaker 1:

I don't expect everyone to go on the same sort of journey, don't expect everyone to go on the same sort of journey. And so you just took a leap of faith and said, okay, I, you know, tell me a little bit about how that all happened and where you were headed.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think it comes back to this, you know, really connecting with who you are thing, you know, and having that deeper relationship with yourself. And I think that it's really about learning how to trust, kind of this deep inner knowing. And I just knew, you know, I knew for a long time, really deep down, that I was kind of like a round peg in a square hole in my you know, corporate career, even though I was very successful at it, you know, like I had a great life and I had a great job and I, you know I did well in that field. But yeah, I think I think the more you go on the journey and the deeper you go with this kind of inner self connection, the more you want all of your life to align with your core values and who you really are as a person. And so that's what kind of caused me, I think, eventually to take that leap, you know, and it's it's pretty scary, but it was really important to me to line up my life. So, yeah, hopefully that answers your question.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, no, it does. And something you said it's like you knew deep down inside. I just had something similar happen to me yesterday. You knew deep down inside. I just had something similar happen to me yesterday. Not that I'm leaving my career, but isn't it funny how we do know deep down inside and we just don't. We don't want to let it come to the surface. And somehow, when it does, you can no longer ignore it and I think that's probably why we just keep it shoved down there, right?

Speaker 2:

It's a huge part of the work that I'm doing. I feel like it's this first of all, trusting that inner knowing and learning how to really do that, but also then holding your shape, because it's very easy for external factors to sway you to get back into those old patterns and those old behaviors. So it's really learning how to hold your shape and stand in your truth and honor.

Speaker 1:

That it's very powerful, but obviously you know, the stronger that trust in your inner knowing is, but obviously you know, the stronger that trust in your inner knowing is, the easier it is to go on that journey. So how?

Speaker 2:

do women start learning to do that and reconnecting with that inner knowing? Sure, so I use, you know, spiritual and creative tools. It's like a unique blend. I call it a unique medicine for the soul. Unique blend, I call it a unique medicine for the soul.

Speaker 2:

So I think the first thing is to spend this time inquiring within. You know this. I call it soul-led inquiry and I work with you, know some powerful concepts and questions that you know really make people think you know, and I think that's the first thing is giving yourself that space to connect within. And then, obviously, creativity is a huge part of my work too. So I think that the creative piece we touched on a bit before, but it's it's like writing this permission slip to reconnect with that part of yourself, because creativity is really the essence of who we are, it's what sets us apart from everybody else. You know you talked about mindful colouring, but to go a layer deeper than that, when you are able to do something like you know, take a blank piece of paper and use art supplies to create something from within you onto that page, it's a very powerful thing because you know people just don't give themselves permission to to do that. And once you've tried it, you know, you can see um, you know how you know.

Speaker 1:

only you could have made that I kind of that reminds me of um journaling. I used to one. In the beginning I couldn't even understand the idea of journaling, and then I was okay doing it with prompts, but the blank page with no instruction, with no anything. That was so intimidating. And I related the same to a blank page to create something, draw, paint, whatever. At least I'm coloring in the picture. It gives me the guidelines, but then, when it's all up to me, it's a lot scarier. Do you think it makes a difference what medium women use to tap into their creativity?

Speaker 2:

No, but I do think the concept of the blank canvas really does help. So, whether that's you know you writing or anything, it could be anything you know, even if it's your garden or you know anything creative where you're really able to pour yourself into it, I think is really powerful. If you're sticking to the lines too much, you're not going to get the same level of depth from the experience. And the creative part of my work is really around facilitating that inner connection without the need for words, without the need for logic, and getting out of that mental space so that you can really kind of get out of your head and into your heart. You know, which kind of shows you a different side of yourself. You know that maybe you don't. When you're talking with your friends or you're channeling, you don't get to. You don't get to that bit. Do you know what I mean?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yes, I do. I do know exactly what you mean and I agree with you because, like I said, I can only well, I can relate it to the minutes of art that I did that were not drawing in something, and it is different. It is definitely a different feeling, and even if it didn't look pretty or doesn't look pretty, it doesn't matter. It's what you made, it's not about what it looks like in the end, and I think that you know, once you're able to release that it's, it's a lot better. So what do you think that? Are there certain challenges or beliefs that I haven't mentioned that stop women from tapping into their creativity?

Speaker 2:

that stop women from tapping into their creativity. Yeah, there's quite a few. I think the big one is kind of this inherited belief that we have that creativity is kind of a waste of time and it's something that you know isn't hugely valued. So that's a big one, and there's always something better we should be doing. You know something else we should be doing right. But then also there's a lot of perfectionism and comparison syndrome that goes along with creativity. You know you're kind of comparing yourself to someone else's, sort of chapter 10,. You know, when you're just sort of doing something new for the first time, yeah, you know being scared to try something new and be a newbie. You know that's a big one. Um, yeah, so there's all sorts of things going on in there. Um, and yeah, again, it's just this permission, isn't it so, so, yeah, so there's lots of things that hold women back, I think, from going there.

Speaker 1:

And so tell us a little bit now, how do you help women do that? What you know, what exactly you know? Tell us what you do, basically Sure.

Speaker 2:

So I kind of touched on it a bit before. But basically I call the work that I do spiritual life coaching and I blend spiritual and creative tools and those spiritual tools might look like powerful conversations, you know coaching conversations, where we unpack, you know, some really powerful concepts and questions. Questions is a big part of it. You know that inner inquiry I do guided journeys, so we go into an energetic space to kind of get answers from that higher part of yourself, you know, and the universe. And then obviously, with in terms of creativity, I work with clients in terms of giving themselves that permission to get into creative writing.

Speaker 2:

Creative writing is a huge part of what I do as well, so not just journaling, but you know kind of like going into, you know, letter writing to different versions of yourself and rewriting narratives, you know, when things have not gone the way that you wanted them to in life. And then obviously, art making. I use art making in my work too, and it's just really the reason why I do use that is because everyone can do it right. You did it when you were a kid, you can do it now, yeah, so I mean that's a really powerful thing for people and I think they have huge ahas around that, because that permission slip and allowing yourself to connect with yourself in a really different way like that can really open you up to just endless possibilities for what your life can look like.

Speaker 1:

And my last question how has your life changed since you've embraced the new you, the new creatives, you?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, sure, I just think I'm, you know I'm in this really grounded place within myself and I think it it's what we touched on before. So I, you know, have a great trust in my inner. Knowing you know I'm, I'm not as afraid to let go of things that aren't serving me and to step into the unknown um, which is huge, and I'm really able to hold my shape. You know I'm. I don't allow, I have very firm boundaries. I don't allow people to kind of rattle my cage, so to speak, and influence. You know what I know to be true. You know and really know how to honour my truth and stand in it and not worry as much about what people think of me. And you know how I'm going to be judged. And the fear kind of comes on the journey with me rather than dictating things. So I think that's probably the best way to describe it.

Speaker 1:

Wonderful. And Sam, can you just tell our audience where can they connect with you?

Speaker 2:

Sure, the best place to find out more about me is on my website, really so, samhortonco, and you can find my podcast there, which is called Soul Lead Creative Women, and I've got lots of free resources. So, yeah, jump in.

Speaker 1:

Check her out for sure, and all the links will be in the show notes, sam. Thank you so much for your time today, much appreciated.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, debbie, it was lovely talking to you.

Speaker 1:

And everyone else. I will be here again next Tuesday, 4 pm Eastern 1 pm Pacific. See you then. Possibilities, one sprinkle at a time. It's been great having you and I hope you're leaving with a spark to light up your journey, to more Remember every big change starts with a single maybe. If you're ready to kickstart that change but not sure where to begin, I've got just the thing for you. Head over to download my free guide, the One Critical Step to Kickstart Change, and take that all-important first step. Let's make those maybes into reality, one sprinkle at a time. Catch you next Tuesday at 4 pm Eastern 1 pm Pacific, with more stories, tips and that extra push you might need. I'm Debbie saying goodbye for now, but always remember maybe, just maybe, you can.

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