Ep 350: Habits of a Whole Heart with Arnie Herz and guest Susan Crossman P1 on hmTv

Ep. 350: Habits of a Whole Heart with Arnie Herz & Susan Crossman (Part 1)

In this inspiring episode of Habits of a Whole Heart on hmTv, host Arnie Herz welcomes internationally best-selling author and writing coach Susan Crossman for a powerful conversation about creativity, healing, and the search for meaning.

Susan shares her remarkable journey—from winning the Gold Award for Literature with Women Changing the World to discovering how writing becomes a spiritual and transformative act. Together, Arnie and Susan explore why self-expression matters, how creativity connects us to a higher purpose, and why writing a book can reveal the untold tapestry of our lives.

With warmth, candor, and a bit of divine perspective, they dive into imposter syndrome, the creative “cages” we keep ourselves trapped in, the courage required to tell our stories, and the surprising ways writing can heal both the author and the world around them.

This episode sets the stage for Part 2, where Susan will guide Arnie through live book-coaching questions and share eye-opening statistics about people who dream of writing but never begin.

A heartfelt, thought-provoking conversation for writers, seekers, believers in purpose, and anyone longing to unlock their creative voice.

Transcript

Habits of a Whole Heart – Episode 350
Host: Arnie Herz
Guest: Susan Crossman (Part 1)
hmTv / Humanity Matters Series

Arnie: Welcome to Habits of a Whole Heart. This is Arnie Herz, your host, and we are here on HMTV. Thank you for tuning in.

Today, I’m very happy to have a longtime friend and business colleague, Susan Crossman. Susan is an internationally best-selling author, a writing coach, and she brings together a tremendous amount of wisdom in the field of healing and self-growth—helping others rise into the absolute best they can become.

I met Susan a few years ago through another author. I was sharing with this author how I had this book idea that I wanted to bring to life, but I was so intimidated that I didn’t even know where to begin. And she said two words: Susan Crossman. So I reached out, and we hit it off.

It has been an incredible journey as Susan has coached me through my book manuscript. I’m now about 80% of the way through Habits of a Whole Heart. And as part of the book process, this podcast series was born—real-life conversations that will help enhance and finalize the manuscript.

So Susan, thank you so much for joining us—from Toronto, is that still correct?

Susan: Yes. Well, actually, I just moved to a little town on the east coast of Lake Huron called Grand Bend, Ontario. And I’m a three-minute walk from the beach now. I’ve given up Toronto in favor of nature.

Arnie: Wow. Three minutes from the beach on Lake Huron—and it’s December 3rd. That tells me you’re Canadian and not American, because that sounds very cold to me.

Susan: It is—but it’s gorgeous.

Arnie: That’s great. Thank you for joining us. And I know you recently won a very prestigious award— the gold medal in an international competition that recognizes women authors finding their voice. Can you tell us about that?

Susan: Very honored to, and thank you for mentioning it, Arnie. I won the Gold Award for Literature from an organization called Women Changing the World. It’s an international organization based in Australia that honors women who want to make a difference—through their work, their spiritual practices, their healing practices—and who are dedicated to helping all of us live better lives.

The award ceremony was in London this past spring, and I got the chance to meet women from all over the world doing magnificent work. It was truly amazing.

Arnie: Congratulations. That’s really beautiful. And I think you were sharing that for many of the women you met, the ability to express themselves through literature is not something they can take for granted. In many cultures, it’s not something women are allowed—or permitted—to do.

Susan: Yes. That was one of the big outcomes for me—seeing myself in a bigger pond, and realizing how privileged I’ve been as a woman in North America. I’ve never thought twice about putting my hat in the ring or doing the work I do.

But many of the women I met have had to struggle, profoundly, for the opportunity to write. It was humbling, and it underscored something universal: human beings yearn to express themselves. Women, yes—but men too. We yearn to share what we’ve learned and tell our stories in ways that heal us.

People don’t always realize how transformative the book-writing process is. It can change your life. Our stories unite us.

Arnie: Beautiful. You’ve studied neurolinguistic programming and other healing arts. Why is expression so important? What is it about writing that heals?

Susan: Wow. I go back to one of my favorite books—Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Writing a book helps us uncover meaning. It helps us look at our lives in new ways.

Writing and reading are two sides of the same coin, but writing allows us to derive meaning from our experience. We see our lives differently. We get those “aha” moments that heal.

I’m working on my seventh book now—a memoir about writing my first book. And even with decades of professional writing experience, when I sat down to write that first book, I was hit with imposter syndrome. “Who am I to write a book?” It became a 13-year journey.

Now, writing this seventh book, I’m still getting insights, still healing. Examining our lives gives us a chance to grow.

Arnie: That’s beautiful. And it’s interesting you mentioned Viktor Frankl. You may not know this, but this podcast studio is inside the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County. HMTV hosts dozens of Humanity Matters podcast series—over 400 episodes.

And when you talk about Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl was a Holocaust survivor. The search for meaning—purpose—is central to our existence. It’s foundational to this show: that we are created to fulfill a purpose.

And through writing, we discover things about ourselves we never knew. We discover meaning, and we discover mission.

Susan: Thank you for that, Arnie. And I’m glad you brought God into it. Because for me, the authoring process is absolutely God-facilitated.

If someone feels a book tapping them on the shoulder, I invite them to consider this: every single thing that has ever happened in your life has been a facilitation by God. The good, the painful, your family, your relationships—all of it forms the funnel through which your book is meant to flow.

So when people feel self-doubt, I remind them: this is your mission. God has called you to it. Of course you’re good enough. Lean into it.

Arnie: I love that concept. In Judaism, we call it Hashgacha Pratis—that everything is ordained from above, happening for a reason, to help us grow.

And what I hear you saying is that writing is a therapeutic process that helps us knit together the tapestry of our lives. All the experiences that didn’t make sense suddenly form a picture.

My new grandchild is six weeks old—he’s not connecting dots yet—but eventually, once you connect the dots, you see the image. Writing does that. It connects the dots of a life.

And that’s been my experience working with you—despite my own imposter syndrome and doubts.

Susan: Yes. And then we take all of that—everything we are—and put it into service of humanity. We have one precious life. We write the books we’re meant to write, and then we serve others with them.

It’s vulnerable. It takes courage. But when we understand this as part of God’s work, there's no failure. It’s all part of what we’re here to do.

Arnie: That resonates deeply.
And you know one of my doubts: “What if I put all this time in and no one reads it?”

But here’s what I’ve realized: the process transforms me. It clarifies, it strengthens, it expands. And everywhere we go, we impact people—even strangers in an Uber.

So if we elevate ourselves through the creative process, we elevate everyone we encounter.

And if even one person reads the book and is impacted, that’s extraordinary.

I launched this podcast quietly six months ago, and only officially announced it on Thanksgiving. Already, some of the short video clips have 1,500 views. If even 10% feel a shift—that’s meaningful.

Thank you for helping me reach this point.

And going back to what you said: creativity is a human need. Without expression, it’s like we can’t exhale. We suffocate.

So tell us more about that human need to express.

Susan: Oh, absolutely. I love your analogy—that preventing yourself from creating is preventing yourself from breathing. That really speaks to me.

We are creators. Whether it’s literature, art, poetry, nonfiction—surrendering to creativity is part of becoming whole.

We are created beings, so creating completes a circle. When we stop creating, that’s when our hearts and our lives start to suffer.

Arnie: So this creative flow—this higher energy—moves through us. Athletes describe it. Artists describe it. Musicians describe it. It’s like a power beyond us that we allow in.

Human beings have lost touch with that energy. But creative work reopens that channel.

Does that resonate?

Susan: Completely. Anyone who has ever tried to write a book knows this. You sit down, and suddenly something pours out of you. Later you read it and think, “Did I write that?”

In writing, we say, “I just held the pen.” It’s our higher source working through us.

Of course, we also have days when nothing works. But those flow moments—those downloads—are real. They’re part of the wholeness of being creators.

Arnie: Beautiful. So tell me more about wholeness.

Susan: Sure. I’ll share a story.

For years, I wanted to write a book. I talked about it endlessly. And one day, my husband said, “You’ve been talking about writing a book for a long time.”

I said, “Yes, I want to write a book.”

And he asked, “What’s stopping you?”

That hit me like a freight train. What was stopping me? Only me.

From a wholeness perspective, while I wasn’t writing that book, I was shutting out a part of myself. I wasn’t whole, because I wasn’t allowing myself to create what I was meant to create.

Wholeness is embracing all parts of ourselves—the wonderful parts, the shadow parts, the imperfect parts. Being human is the point. We’re not meant to be perfect. We’re meant to be integrated.

Arnie: Beautifully said. And it reminds me of a flower trying to bloom inside a cage. Some cages are external—like women in countries where expression is restricted. But most cages are internal: “I’m not good enough.” “It’s a waste of time.” “I’m not creative.”

And what you’re describing is opening the cage, allowing the petals to unfold.

Great leaders throughout history have leaned into creativity. Winston Churchill painted hundreds of paintings—even during World War II. George W. Bush became an accomplished artist later in life. Creativity opens something essential.

And I have a friend who just produced a documentary about discovering the artist within. He doesn’t know it yet, but I’m going to send him this clip—and we’re going to have him on the podcast.

So what do you think about releasing those cages?

Susan: I think you’re absolutely right. I see those cages constantly in my work.

I’ve spoken with people who’ve wanted to write a book for forty years. And it’s heartbreaking that they’ve waited that long to let something beautiful blossom.

It’s also evidence of how powerful those internal cages are. There must have been opportunities along the way—but fear, self-doubt, or busyness kept them from prioritizing their creative life.

Can I share some statistics that I find fascinating?

Arnie: You can—but not right now. Here’s why: we’re at the end of Episode One.

I’d love to invite you back for Episode Two, and we’ll start with those statistics. And in full transparency, since we’ve been working on my book for years, I think it would be fascinating—and completely unscripted—for you to run through some coaching questions live with me.

That way, our listeners can see what the process looks like and how it might help them in their own lives. How does that sound?

Susan: Fun! I’d love that.

Arnie: Wonderful. This brings us to a close of our first episode with Susan Crossman—internationally awarded author, coach, healer. Susan, thank you so much for being here.

Once again, my name is Arnie Herz, your host of Habits of a Whole Heart, part of the Humanity Matters series of podcasts on HMTV.

Thank you for tuning in. Please connect with us on social media—Arnie Herz, Habits of a Whole Heart—and you can also find Susan at SusanCrossman.com. Additional notes will be in the episode description.

Thank you, and stay tuned for our next episode.