During Covid, Dr. Terri L. Russ took up the practice of intuitive painting and quickly found herself pondering the question - what would your life look like if you embraced your creativity. The answer to that question led her to the realization that she was only half-living her life and always longing for something more, her soul. She started a reflective journey of moving past her fears of stepping out of her professional career box and into her compassionate creativity. The end result is a series of meditations that are part reflection, part inspiration, part feminist rant with touches of angst, anger, and humor sprinkled throughout. Dr. Terri L. Russ, Esquire is living her best "Renaissance Man" life as an artist, author, advocate, enigma, and Diva Dog momma. She has spent over two decades as a professor in higher education and has also worked with hundreds of women as a coach and mentor. She has created the Compassionate Creativity approach to life to help others fill the canvases of their lives with the passion of their dreams. Learn more at: terrilruss.com Advanced Praise for Cultivating Compassion, Creating Self "This book will change lives. Dr. Russ' stories make her a relatable companion, which is important as her meditations awaken our creativity. Transformation beckons, and we are grateful for Dr. Russ' encouraging voice at our side. Together, author and reader journey into deeper self knowledge and more vibrant self expression, creating art works and artful lives." -Chip Roush, M. Div. "Terri Russ' new book is captivating from the start. She has the knack for confiding in the reader that brings you into her circle of compassion and exudes faith in you to be compassionate with yourself as you embrace your creative. What's more, she has inspired me to approach some of my own projects without the constraints of the 'shoulds' as an academic, inspired early in the book, "Immediately I realized how much of myself I was missing by constantly suppressing my creativity behind my "real" work." Her process of learning to trust and empower herself for that which fills her soul is awe-inspiring and reminds us all to not give up on reaching for our joy, no matter in what phase of our careers and patterns of 'shoulds' we find ourselves." -Jennifer S Kramer, PhD, Associate Professor of Strategic Communication Studies, College of St. Benedict and St. John's University "This book is a must read for anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming an artist or to even just dare to call themselves creative. I was captivated from the start as Terri spoke about how she'd put her creativity aside in pursuit of a 'worthwhile' career. Like many of us (myself included) she let go of her artistic ambitions to follow someone elses version of her life, only to discover that creativity was never going to let her go. This is a comprehensive guide to living a creative life without the need to go to art school. It's honest and raw with the bonus that you can start the book at any point and still feel like you are on your unique journey to discovering your creative goddess energy. Having coached hundreds of women to let go of perfectionism, comparison and the outcome of the creative process, I can see so many of my clients' journeys in the words of this book. I'll definitely be recommending it to all of my current and future clients. I'll also be keeping a copy in my studio for those times when I need to re-remember the lessons contained in these pages myself." -Angela Murray, Intuitive Artist & Intentional Creative Coach