Cultural Creatives on Creativity

Hi Megan. Thanks for being with us here today. Can you please tell us a bit about yourself, your business, and/or your passions.

Myself, my business and my passions are all related. I’m a medium, psychic, animal communicator and ordained minister. My website is www.meganmriley.com. I have the privilege of living in the Rocky Mountains at 9400 feet with my beloved, Harry and two dogs, Sean and Neela.

When I’m not giving readings or officiating weddings around the Rockies I’m cooking, reading, playing with the dogs, being with my family or exploring the great state of Colorado. I dream about moving up higher in altitude, even more remote than we are. That will have to wait as my 15 year old step daughter will be moving in with us in August and will need to get to school.

Share three interesting/crazy things about yourself.

One of my first memories was of seeing the deceased at the end of my bed. I resisted my gifts for a long time.

We make our own beer, bread, kombucha, yogurt, sauerkraut, mustard, grow hops, have a small worm farm, roast our coffee beans, and buy meat in bulk, as in the whole animal after processing. My next project is chickens.

I planned and hosted a Peace Rally at the Minnesota State Capital when I was 8.

What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?

Moved to Colorado. All we knew was that we were being called to Colorado. We resigned our corporate jobs, packed up a truck, two cars, two cats and a small worm farm and headed west. It was the most exhilarating time of my life.

*Name your top five books, movies, songs, musical groups, and/or websites**.* Are there any books or movies (genres) that you avoid?

Books: anything Abraham-Hicks, Conversations with God, James Beard
Songs/Music: BB King, Jonny Lang, Susan Tedeschi and Deva Premal
Websites: Facebook, Epicurious, igoogle, my own, mindmovies.com

Based upon the description of a cultural creative, do you feel you are one? If so, why?

I do. I resist dogma of any sort, especially religious/spiritual. I understand for an organization to grow some dogma is necessary though I still resist it. I know that we can accomplish much more by following our own heart, and not by following what someone else tell us to follow.

I remember reading The Rise of the Creative Class, thinking that everywhere I had lived had these sub-cultures. At the time i didn’t connect that if I lived there I might be a part of the Creative Class.

What made you first want to become an artist, writer, a creator?

I’ve always know I was different, There is a way I can communicate that others can hear in a new way. Many of the widely accepted beliefs about life after death I’m told are incorrect. I would love to share and teach these on a larger scale.

Does spirituality play an important role in the creative process for you? If so, how?

Spirituality is my creative process. I write, meditate, dance with the dogs, cook, knit and dream.

What is your first memory of creating something you were proud of?

I was 8 and wrote a poem about the school I was attending. It was a “fame” sort of school, with as much time devoted to creation as to book schooling. I read it at the graduation ceremonies and knew I had access something exciting.

What three words best describe the feeling you get when your creativity is flowing?

zone, possibility, passion

What sparks your creativity?

Meditating, watching animals play, music, chocolate

What was/is the biggest obstacle you’ve faced? How did you overcome it, and what did you learn from the experience?

Well, there are the obvious traumas that nearly everyone encounters, but the biggest was overcoming the fear of what others would think. I grew up in the mid-west and conditioned to be stoic, and always be more concerned with others than with myself. To step out without the perfect body, without having everything figured out, into a field where so many don’t believe that what I do is possible was huge for me. After the fact of “coming out” it wasn’t at all a big deal though I think I’m also attracting those to me that do believe. We get what we think about and I spent a lot of time hiding and afraid what others would say. That’s when I realized the enormous hold that fear had on my life.

Putting your vision into the world can be scary. Many of us wonder if we’re good enough. How do you respond to negative self-talk? What tools do you use to help work beyond your self-doubt?

Those of us who chose to come forward this lifetime being what one would define as a creative came forth for this experience. It is scary, and is part of our purpose. When I remember that, and remember the gratitude someone has for connecting with a loved one, or discovering something about themselves they never saw before, I know the fear and uncertainty is worth it.

If you get google alerts, what are some keywords/phrases you receive? Does this help your creativity?

psychic, medium, and my name. Sometimes they spark an idea, sometimes I just like to see what others are doing.

Are there any archetypes (hero, warrior, goddess, messenger, trickster, fool, savior, wanderer, magician etc.) that you resonate with which you feel have helped guide you on your creative journey? Does someone or something sometimes act as your muse?

I identify with all the archetypes at one time or another. Right now most of all is the magician because I’m working/playing with two new ideas. The first is total immersion, or what some would call channeling. The second is physical mediumship, having things actually manifest from me to the client.

My muse is myself, in the future. I picture her, hear her, see her and then do what she would do.

Are there any recurring motifs in your sleeping dreams, and if so, what do you think they symbolize? Is there a bigger message for you? Do your nighttime dreams ever spark your creativity?

Nighttime dreams are often about a client. Sometimes the day before a reading I’ll dream about their loved one, sometimes messages from my loved ones. Before I moved to Colorado I had a recurring nightmare about my house falling down and having to move. After I left I recognized it as a red flag to leave. Since coming to the mountains I don’t really have nightmares anymore, I just know I’m working and training in my sleep time as well as awake time.

In what ways do you promote your work?

Radio shows, public access television in Denver, my website, fund raising events, and word of mouth. I’m looking for someone to help me with all of it. I would rather have someone whose passion it is to write press releases and do event planning. That way I can focus on what I love.

If you use social networking sites, have any been particularly helpful in helping you spread the word about your work? If so, which one(s) and how?

I use facebook and jasonsnetwork but don’t really generate a lot of business from there. I’m such an introvert it’s been hard to share myself. I also think that those of us who define our work with our spirituality sometimes don’t know what to share.

Cultural Creatives tend to want their work to impact society in a positive way. Is changing/improving society with your work part of your goal? If yes, please elaborate a bit on your vision.

Most definitely. I think of myself as the “happy medium”. I am finding that the information I get is different from what many have written or spoken about. Life after death is not bound by our space and time limitations. We can be in many places at once. We can move forward or backward in time. We do not come here to earth as punishment or karma, nor do we graduate from having to come here. We choose to come back, over and over. I would love for people to hear these things on a larger scale.

I also found in my search for information that there is not much available for sensitives experiencing an awakening, and especially for kids. So much information is based on fear and being scared. Hollywood and advertisers seem to perpetuate that. It is one of my goals to have a way for kids and adults to learn in a safe, non-threatening and non-scary way to find and honor their gifts.

Have you been able to earn a living while pursuing your creative passions? Is there anything from a business perspective that stands out as a key or catalyst to your success that you’d like to share?

This is my bliss and my truth. There have been months that have been a little scary, and yet I know this is what I should be, need to be doing. When I finally stopped saying I was a “spiritual coach” and being true to myself was when things picked up with both clients and television appearances.

A bit more about Megan.

Megan Riley is 35 years old, and lives in the Rocky Mountains west of Denver. She is a psychic, medium, animal communicator, ghost whisperer and ordained minister.

Megan says she only remembers having these gifts. She has clear seeing (clairvoyance), clear hearing (clair audience), clear feeling (clairsentience), clear tasting and clear smelling.

Megan teaches a weekly mediumship development class in the mountains, is a regular radio show guest, and has nearly 100 clients a month either on the phone or in person for medium or psychic readings. She also consults with a local ghosthunting group, again teaching that even ghosts do not have to be scary, and that they will and can cross to the other side. She has been a guest on local television show twice for hour long discussions, and looking forward to starting a mediumship school for those interested in communicating with the other side in a safe, non-threatening, non competitive environment.

A couple of highlights for Megan are, having homes sell for families that had their homes on the market for several months. Megan performed a clearing and the houses sold within 30 days. She also does ghostbusting work, restoring relationships and resolving the fear and fatigue that so often accompanies the earthbounds. She has connected with deceased loved ones and resolved questions surrounding the death or mysteries about the person. She has also healed various types of ailments; physical or spiritual in co-ordination with the client.

Many Saturdays Megan can be found somewhere in the mountains performing customized wedding ceremonies for couples. In Megan’s spare time she loves to cook, read, hike in the mountains, and spend time with her love monkey Harry and Golden Retriever Sean. She and Harry are planning to remodel their home to produce enough energy on its own and no longer rely on propane or electricity. Currently their scratch kitchen includes homebrew, kombucha, sourdough, mustard, pasta, pickles and kraut, and lots of pie!

Tags: annimal communicator, clarivoyant, Creativity, cultural creative, ghost hunter, medium, Megan Riley, psychic