Writing as Healing: Awakening Your Inner Voice Through Intuition

What if writing wasn’t about being a “good writer,” but about reconnecting with your truest self?

In this soulful and inspiring conversation, we explore how writing, intuition, and self-expression become powerful tools for healing, clarity, and transformation. From journaling as a reflective practice to accessing deeper inner wisdom, this episode reframes writing as an intuitive, heart-led experience rather than a skill to master.

My guest, Linda E. Kelly, Writing Coach & Intuitive, and Creator of Write From Your Heart, shares her lifelong connection to the power of words and how they can heal, inspire, and reconnect us to our authentic voice. Through her workshops and teachings, Linda guides individuals to move beyond self-doubt and into a space of creative freedom and emotional truth.

She also shares how her work evolved during uncertain times, creating safe, supportive environments both virtually and in person, where people could express themselves, release their inner critic, and rediscover their creativity.

These insights are especially meaningful for writers, creatives, intuitive seekers, and anyone who feels called to express themselves but isn’t sure where to begin.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Writing as a Healing Practice:
How putting pen to paper can help process emotions, uncover clarity, and reconnect you with your inner self.

The Power of Intuitive Expression:
Why writing from the heart allows deeper wisdom and authentic voice to emerge naturally.

Releasing the Inner Critic:
How to quiet self-doubt and create a safe space for honest, judgment-free expression.

Creating Connection Through Words:
How sharing stories and experiences helps build community and reminds us we’re not alone.

From Isolation to Creativity:
How Linda transformed challenging times into opportunities for growth through writing workshops and connection.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen inward, and trust the words that want to come through you.

If you’ve ever felt the urge to write, express, or create, but held yourself back, this conversation will remind you that your voice matters, and there is power in simply beginning.

Connect with Donna McDine

Website: https://energyofserenity.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnamcdine/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/energyofserenity/
Instagram (Reiki): https://www.instagram.com/energy_of_serenity_reiki/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DonnaMcDineEnergyofSerenity

Connect with Linda E. Kelly

Website:https://lindaellenkelly.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellekelly3/ 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

The reason I also chose fiction is because I learn better that way. It's easier for me to receive information when I'm listening to a story. You know, like Charlotte's Webb as a child taught me a lot about how to behave well in the barnyard. It's like how to be a kind person. But if somebody said to me, You ought to take care of Wilbur that pig, I would have been because I was that kind of kid. Right. That was so I just believe, I believe in the power of story. And and that we as humans, yes, like actually thrive on and require story to learn. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

Hi, I am Donna McDein, and welcome to the Energy of Serenity podcast. Here we unleash empowerment through the power of the word. Join me and my guests as we share stories, tools, and insights to help you feel grounded and aligned. Let's dive in. Welcome to the Energy of Serenity Podcast. Donna McDein here, and I have yet another beautiful guest here today. Her name is Linda E. Kelly. Welcome.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

Welcome, Linda. Oh, Donna, thank you. Thank you so much for having me. It's a real honor. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

And before we really get underway with our conversation, I want to introduce you further with your background to the listeners. Linda is a writer, teacher, writing coach, and lifelong believer in the sacred power of words to heal, inspire, transform, and connect. As the creator, a write from your heart, a magical practice to jumpstart creativity and meet yourself anew, Linda leads writing workshops that encourage participants to express their authentic voice and surface the deeper wisdoms within. Ah, beautiful, beautiful. I how that resonates with me to the core is just incredible. So Linda, now that you're here, what inspired you in your life journey to immerse yourself in the writing world in so many facets as writer, writing coach, advocate for the magical child within, share with the audience.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

Wow, Donna, uh that's a big story. In terms of like, you know, pretty much it's a life story in that uh you know, I was that um I was that little kid that escaped into books, and I was that little kid that wrote in a diary and locked my diary and kept all my secrets inside, kind of thing. So I wrote as a child. And then um, you know, lots of us have like family trauma, and I did too as a very young person, and um in that time became disconnected, if you will, from myself and from a higher power, and uh had a worldly experience that was um on the edge, so to speak, and very troubled. And during that time did not write at all, didn't, you know, lost, lost touch with myself, you know, and the teenage years were rough, early 20s were rough, and then um I came to a place essentially a bottom in that experience. And it and you know, so much of it has to do, and I feel like I can we can talk about this here, has to do with being sensitive and intuitive. Yes, and uh and so it was in my 20s that I finally got help, and the help that part of the healing practice had to do with writing. And I oh yeah, let me back up just a little bit because while I was so lost, I was seeking, seeking answers, seeking answers. And that's uh where a lot of um where I was reconnected with myself as an intuitive and sensitive. And I worked with psychics, psychic mediums, uh crystal healers, astrologists, you know, you name it, and all of it, it was like, tell me I'm gonna have a life, you know, that kind of thing. And during that time, I was told by a few of the psychics that I was a writer. However, I had I was not at all writing at that point in time. Yeah, I didn't have the uh, you know, physical stamina to move a pen across the paper or the uh self-worth even at that time to move a pen. With the healing that came for me, part of it had to do with like a therapeutic writing practice. And I started writing, and you know, it was basically meant to just answer a few questions, but it turned into like writing worn piece. You know, my pen just took off. You know, there was so much that had been bottled up inside of me through that time that there was just so much to release. And uh essentially I shifted my addictions from things that were harmful to me to things that were healing for me. And I became addicted to finding out what was inside of me. Yeah, because what would pour out through the pen, I did not have access to, like the narrator in my brain did not have the access that my pen did to the wisdoms that were within, are within.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

So when you were going through that process, and I know we've often spoken about how important journaling is. Did you have those defining moments after you were writing what you were writing at that moment and then reading it and being like, oh my gosh, yes, this is my aha moment.

SPEAKER_00 6:09

Well, nothing short of enlightenment, you know, or miracles, it uh for sure. And uh yeah, at times it felt like that um what could be called automatic writing or a higher power writing through me. Right. So so much of and now it's to answer your question about how did I come to writing coach, because after that I had those discoveries about myself, my intention really was just to be a writer, like only to be a writer. And all my jobs were just to support that, you know, I rent-paying jobs so that I could write.

SPEAKER_01 6:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

And um my novels that um I wrote and are writing have to do with psychic children. And beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 7:01

And the oftentimes I know people ask me about their children, that they know that they're connected innately with spirit. They know that the child is trying to decipher and feel comfortable with that. So I really want you to expand on that. How that is not only therapeutic to your own writing, but can be therapeutic to the parent with a child that is truly a light being on this earth. Can you share more about that?

SPEAKER_00 7:38

Well, Donna, I can I suppose all I can say is I hope. You know, I I hope that that's helpful. I hope that it's enlightening. You know, I I uh I'm older, I think that parents are a lot more awake now. Yes, than they were. But when I was a child, it was, you know, children shall be seen and not heard, you know, go play in your room. You know, it wasn't valued what we had to bring to the table. No. And I, you know, for that reason, I think my generation in particular started to swing uh in the opposite direction of, you know, many of us were became known as like helicopter parents, you know, like we were totally on our kids to hear, and I wanted to hear what my child had to say. Right. You know, it was really clear to me from the get-go that she was born fully loaded, yeah, and it wasn't loaded with anything that I, you know, it was she came with herself. Yes, and she had plenty to say to me. And I knew that even though I was a quiet child, there was a lot going on inside of me when I was a kid. Yeah. A l a lot. And I was seeing a lot and understanding a lot and and seemingly maybe even more than the adults were, and I had um I had conversations with angels when I was a child. And so essentially what I write about is ex is remembering me. Okay, but I fictionalized those characters because the I in the uh by fictionalizing my characters, they have I could they have other qualities that can offer me more insight. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

And that's beautiful because then while you're writing about yourself and really pulling back those layers, when you have a family reading your book and being like, okay, that this is a wonderful character that we can relate to to bring forth in our family conversations if need be. And to give them the courage that while they may feel like they're reading fiction, they're truly reading a true life story. And it gives them comfort in knowing that other people are walking those same and similar paths, that we're truly not alone. We need to find our tribe, we need to be able to have these enlightening conversations that there's that comfort level, that you're not not being pushed to the side, oh, quiet your imagination, what you're thinking is not true. But when they can find that environment where they can speak freely, oh the the joy that comes out of that and the comfort, the comfort because adolescence is tough to begin with. But if an adolescent is tapping in to those archangels, to spirit, and they don't have the resource of talking to someone, you can really shove that down because of being feared, considered different. And I I applaud you in opening up those words of what your life path has been about so that people can really read something that resonates with them. So beautiful. Um, would you like to share the name of the book?

SPEAKER_00 11:04

Well, the right the uh working title, if it's published by this, I'm not sure, but the working title is The Little Witch of Buckland Mills. Oh, I love it. I love it. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

I love it.

SPEAKER_00 11:16

And who knows what a publisher will do with it. If I publish it myself, that title will stay. Yeah, but right uh otherwise. And then the the sequel is The Stormbirds of Nabuck Heights. And that's about the teenage years.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Nice, and as much as adolescence um time is difficult to navigate, the teenage years are even more so. And uh as the the child is going through their maturity and trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives, how beautiful that they'll you know, I I innately feel that you'll find the right publisher for this that is um just as invested in it as you are. And with us both being writers, we know that that publishing journey can be a long one. And it's but it will definitely find its home with the publisher that it really resonates with. And uh uh I just love that you're putting your life's journey out there to pen to paper here and bringing it forth for the world to be able to eventually share that with you. Um, I know that beyond you writing your novel manuscripts, you actually teach writing too. And I'd love for the listeners to hear about the workshops that you offer to people. And that some are in person and some are virtual.

SPEAKER_00 12:49

Exactly. Well, it started out virtual. I'll I'll get to that in a moment. First of all, I want to say thank you so much for you know sharing an intuitive hit. Because you're very welcome. Coming from you, it just like makes makes my aura bristle. You know, and um another thing I want to say before I move on from talking about fiction is just that um the reason I also chose fiction is because I learn better that way. I learn it's easier, not uh it's easier for me to receive information when I'm listening to a story. Yes. That you know, like Charlotte's Webb, you know, as a child taught me a lot about how to behave well in the barnyard, you know. How to be a kind person. But if somebody said to me, you know, you ought to take care of Wilbur that pig, I would have been because I was that kind of kid. Right. That was I love it. So uh, so I just believe, I believe in the power of story and and that we as humans like actually thrive on and require story to learn. Yes. So now shifting gears to the work I do as a writer, this uh uh when you um sent me the questions, you know, that we're not exactly following this script, but it has a lot to do with intuition. Yeah, the questions that you asked me that were very interesting, so thought provoking. If we anyway, the point is, I mean, this entirely is was an intuitive or if you will, guided, uh spiritually guided journey, because in my limited perception, it was that I would be an author, you know, hole up in my ivory tower and send these books out into the world. And yeah, I do really did not see this coming at all. But did any of us see the pandemic coming? No, no, right? No, that was just such an incredible um, and for those that it was very, very painful. I'm sorry, I do not mean to minimize for a moment, but it was an incredible for me reset just to like pull out of everything that I was doing and thought I was doing, and you know, on that five-year plan to just like stop and uh pretty much just okay, universe, uh, today we buy groceries and then what? Yeah, exactly. Today we mask up and brave those lines, and then and during that time, there were all these incredible people that were very generously giving of their skills, their gifts, their talents to and with an intention to keep everybody's spirits up and to create community on this new thing called Zoom.

SPEAKER_01 15:56

Right. Because yes, some people had that capability, but even in Fortune 500 companies, it wasn't the mainstream of conducting meetings. So everybody had to pivot and really reset. So please go on on how you took this bizarre time in our lives to recreate what you were doing.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

So what happened was I was availing myself of all these of everybody's generosity, uh, taking yoga, doing watercolor, you know, sketching with my left hand, you know, whatever, whatever they were offering. And then it got to a point, I probably was doing that for, you know, two weeks to a month or something, and my whole family would gather around the Zoom and we'd do creative things together by guide somebody's guidance and take yoga classes. Right. And then I thought, what do I have to give? How can I give back because this is so generous what people are doing? And I I have a little prayer window in my house, and I stood in my window and looked up into the firmament, into the trees, and and prayed and just said out loud, power of the word. I said out loud, what what can I give? Yeah, and I honestly didn't have a clue, Donna, what I had to give. I'm excuse me. I woke up the next morning and it just poured out of me like it was almost like I was on autopilot. Like, get your phone, go on Facebook, post this. And it just flowed out of me this, these words, right from your heart. Um, let me see, right from your heart, jumpstart your creativity and meet yourself anew. Oh, and then the um the class filled up by I think I that was like maybe eight in the morning or something. The class was full by noon, and then it was now what do I, you know, they're here, what do I give them?

unknown 18:05

You know?

SPEAKER_00 18:06

And then it's been this process of finding the way by walking, finding the way by writing, because the way those words came through me that morning, then the next thing that was offered to me was a welcome letter that is was is essentially, and these are my beliefs, but it was I felt divinely inspired uh about that this was about um feeling providing comfort and safety to allow flow and spirit to come through.

SPEAKER_01 18:46

And that's beautiful because that's all we want. We want to feel safe and to be comforted by those around us, whether it's virtual or in person, and for people to find that beautiful space that they can share where they are at their life through their writing is just so amazingly powerful and it's empowering to the individual. And what how amazing that within hours your first class was filled up because it really shows that people all have that creativity ability that they would like to unleash, but don't know how to do it, need that guidance, that support. So uh, how amazing, amazing. So, your welcome letter is that what you sent out to the group that registered for the first class?

SPEAKER_00 19:44

Yes, and I actually still use it because it applies as much today as it did then. Beautiful, which is essentially about um like we're setting off on a journey together, and you're um this is what you pack and this is what you let let go of, and and that there are you know, there is a guide, me, you know, loosely guiding. There is a way, there's a method, you know, there is it is charted, but we're going into uncharted territory together to have discovery, to explore what's in inside of us. And what who what is not invited along is your inner critic. Yeah, and what you will not find here, you know, but I I mean there's a place for our inner critic in life. I don't yeah, I don't like to exile any parts of us. However, the inner critic's not invited on this leg of the journey, you know.

SPEAKER_01 20:42

Because we can see our own worse enemies with our inner critic, and often the way we talk to ourselves, we would never talk to another human being like. So that's beautiful. That as as much as you don't want to exile that part of someone, but this is your time. Your inner critic is not welcome. I love it. And it gives you the city. Neither are it gives you the power to be like, okay, nope, you're going to the side right now. See ya. Beautiful. Beautiful. Thank you. So when you were initially conducting your first workshop during the COVID time, how uh you did it through Zoom, and how long were your sessions? Do you are you still connected with those individuals that were in your very first class? And the comfort level that people really found from that so that they could push away for that time, what was going out in the world with COVID, knowing that you couldn't go out and about and meet people in person. Share to the group how you cultivated that group to really make it. And continue to cultivate it in this warm loving environment, even though you're not in technically physical space with each other, but how that energy still works through the technology.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

I'm stuttering here because I don't know if I have answers for that. It's like it's profound how energetically we're connected. However, the we are connected energetically in a like what I referred to earlier when you and I were chatting is like the golden web that binds us all. Yes. And with that kind of intention and focus of being in a group together and sharing so intimately, we get our web kind of tightens with each other. So what I tell my students always is that I write with you. Yeah. And and I will write with you because I we are creating an energetic, you know, group dynamic. So um let me see. Did that answer your question about how that was maintained? I'm kind of mystified about how the whole thing is maintained and grown. Like you asked, do I still know these the people from the beginning? Yes, I do. Some of my students are with to this day have been with me for five to six years. Beautiful. They just continue, and they have in this amazing way helped inspire more and more and more uh growth and refinement in terms of the prompts and the different journeys. Okay. Like the the first people were guinea pigs, if you will. And right. Because everybody was learning a new way of connecting.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:00

Mm-hmm. And then uh we all found our way by found the way by walking, found the way by writing, found the way by the experience. And what became clear, it like so during the uh pandemic time while while we were all shut down, um that was all on on Zoom. And at that time I didn't monetize because uh like I made, but then it became bigger than me. And then I had to uh shift what I was doing. So I do monetize my workshops now. Right, absolutely and they are uh different form, and like you mentioned before, some of them are in person, which is which is beautiful, and um for those of the listeners that live in the Hudson Valley here, can you share where your in-person workshops are? Well, sure. The um actually I'm moving more into a workshop model at this point. I do a class at uh Mary Dell Faith and Life Center, okay, which is in Upper Nyack, New York. Beautiful spot, beautiful spot. It's at the foot of Hook Mountain and the river's right there. So I just walk onto the land and immediately feel serene. Yes. It's uh a beautiful place. So that we I just I have a little cottage that I rent and have a little class that meets weekly, and I will maybe do more if there's more interest in that. But this was a for first. I've been doing it the classes and workshops on Zoom prior to this year, actually. Great, and then just about to launch a uh workshop in collaboration with another artist that's um I'll give a little plug for it. It'll be in March, and uh put out more information on Facebook and on my website then. But this one is called The Oracle is You. Ooh. And it is tap into tap into your intuition through sacred imagery imagery and the pen.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

Yeah. So that I love that because with both of us being intuitives and we're both Reiki masters, and we know how that feels when you allow yourself to be open to those intuitive hits. How is your intuitive hits guided you in your writing and in your workshops? And especially with this one that you're going to be launching in March with the Oracle, I I just want to sing to the netherworlds about it. Because with people that are listening, we all have that innate ability to receive those messages, whether it's through your religious prayer, quieting your mind down, through meditation, through just being and not being busy 24-7, it's amazing what will come forth for you and guidance. So please share how your own intuition all of a sudden you have that aha moment and you create this beautiful workshop or your personal writing.

SPEAKER_00 27:29

Thank you. Uh yeah, this was not a um necessarily an all of a sudden aha. Okay. Or, you know, a white light moment. It was more an accrual of white light moments. And that last year it started to become clear to me that I wanted to move more into a workshop model where I could um have more people and they can break up into groups and have an immersion experience instead. And I also think that, you know, in the pandemic, people could focus for periods of time and take a class that, you know, some of my classes went for four months. And then uh, but now I don't think people have the same amount of time to give. Right.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

Unless, you know, unless they're retirees and and they're wanting to also have legacy writing at this point. So they have another motivation. Right. Uh anyway, so the so I had it this kind of brewing in the back of my mind. And then it around Christmas time, I went to a um, it was uh like an artist gathering where they were offering their their um pottery, this was, but there was a woman who had created these gorgeous, gorgeous oracle cards. They're called the Goddess on Earth Oracle deck, really beautiful. Uh I say her name is Lisa Lovart, an incredible artist. And she was doing these like fun little readings in the midst of this, you know, sort of like craft fair. And I sat with her and I said, I uh oh, I had started using her cards in one of my I I got her permission to use her cards in one of in my in-person workshop. And it added a whole other depth. It's like the cards opened up this portal where like more was pouring through, and I found that my students were just loving it. It was like the the moment in the hour where like we get to pick our cards, you know, that kind of thing. And uh anyway, so I was telling her about that, and she said to me that she had been doing workshops, and she asked if I wanted to do one together, and it was like thank you, universe. Yeah, you know, just thank you for putting so we've been working on that and uh in conversation for the past two months, and we've just uh secured a venue and we're excellent.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

Oh my gosh, how exciting! So exciting. Um you have shared beautifully how your intuition intertwines with the power of the word, and the power of the word is so important, even if an individual is not putting pen to paper, especially what we say to ourselves, how we talk to others, how we are saying to ourselves how we want our day to be, those powerful positive words that we really need to nurture ourselves with on a daily basis. We walk lighter because we're talking to ourselves positively, the same to the people around us, and it's just so uplifting. And I thank you for what you are continuing to create and cultivate through your writing and your beautiful workshops. Before we wrap up today, I would really like you to share with the listening audience how they can connect with you. Because even if this episode it airs after your new March workshop, Linda has ongoing workshops. These aren't her workshops, they are not one and done, and then you never hear from her again. So please share with the listening audience how they can connect with you.

SPEAKER_00 31:22

First of all, thank you so much. I can't believe this is already our time is up. That went so fast. It's incredible. Oh my gosh, I feel like I could have talked to you forever. Uh so uh my website is my name. I made it as an because I thought it was be an author's website. So authors' websites are by their names. So it's Linda Ellen Kelly. Okay. Is how you can find me. Um, also friend me on Facebook. Okay. Because you usually when I'm launching a new class, that's where I post it first because it was community and friend oriented. Right.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

And is that Linda Ellen Kelly as well on Facebook?

SPEAKER_00 32:05

I think so. It's either Linda Ellen Kelly or Linda E. Kelly. Okay. I usually put an initial because there's millions of us out around the globe.

SPEAKER_01 32:15

What um I will be doing with my podcast producer when we update the show notes, your links will be within there as well for those that are interested to connect through with you so that if they miss it on the audio or watching this on YouTube, they just need to go to the show notes and they'll be able to connect with you like that. And um I really filled with deep gratitude, Linda, today for this time and speaking about intuition, the power of the word, how we all needed to pivot one way or another during COVID, and how essential it is to remain innately connected to those around you, because it's truly a ripple effect on what we can create with one another, a positivity and loving environment and safe environment for people. So thank you for all that you do, Linda. And I thank you, Donna.

SPEAKER_00 33:15

May I say one more thing? Yes, absolutely. What I really want to lift up for anybody listening is that one need not identify as a writer. But I think so many people it like they stop at the gate. Like, that's not me, that's not my skill set. Right. You know, we all have so much inside of us that can easily pour forth through the pen. But there's also different uh aspects of discovery that happen in my classes, both through reading and reflection and you know, speaking. Beautiful. Like you just said. So it's not and it's not about, you know, crossing those T's and dotting those I's in the right place. It is has more to do with, as you so eloquently put, if you allowing what's inside of us to come forth. Beautiful, beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 34:12

And thank you for sharing that because that can stop people in their tracks, like, oh, why would I take a writing class? I'm not a writer, I am such and such. So thank you for sharing that and encouraging those listeners out there to really step back and take that step forward and not allow your inner critic or inner naysayer to stop you for something that you're like, wait a minute, I think I want to do this. Go for it, go for it, because you never know where it'll lead you and what friendships and connections will come out of it. So beautiful, Linda. Beautiful. Namaste to you, blessed be.

SPEAKER_00 34:51

Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are such a bright light. Oh, thank you, and you as well so much to us. Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 35:00

Thank you for joining me on Energy Serenity. I appreciate you taking the time to explore the power of the word, mindfulness, and calming practices with me. If today's episode resonated, please subscribe and consider leaving a review. Until next time, may your energy be serene and your words be empowered. Namaste.