You made it. I’m so glad you’re here.

This space—this podcast, this blog, the speaking, this little corner of the internet—is something I’ve been dreaming into for a long time.
The Shadows We Cast isn’t just a podcast. It’s a place for the messy, tender, complicated stories we carry—ones we’ve been told to hide, ignore, or muscle through. The stories that shaped us. The ones we’re still trying to understand.

In the short introduction episode, I share a bit about who I am and why I’m doing this. If you haven’t listened yet, you can find it [here].

But if you’re more of a reader (hi, me too), here’s a glimpse into what this is all about.

The Stories We Carry

I grew up with a mom who struggled with undiagnosed and untreated mental illness. That experience shaped so much of who I am—how I see the world, how I show up for others, how I learned to cope through creativity.

It also left me with a lot of unspoken memories. A lot of questions I didn’t know how to ask, let alone answer. For a long time, I stayed silent.

This podcast is my way of breaking that silence.

You’ll hear conversations with people who’ve lived through hard things. You’ll hear journal entries—from mine and my mom’s. You’ll hear stories about grief, resilience, boundaries, healing, and everything in between.

You might cry. You might laugh. You might recognize yourself in these stories.

And that’s the point.

A Journal Entry From When I Was Ten

When I was going through my old journals, I found this:

 

Even then, I was trying to make sense of the ache of absence. I didn’t have the language for it, but I knew what was missing. I knew what I needed.

That line still takes my breath away—and reminds me why I’m doing this.

Why The Shadows We Cast?

We all leave shadows behind—traces of who we are, what we’ve survived, how we’ve loved or shut down or kept going.
Some shadows are soft and warm. Others are heavy and sharp-edged.

But here’s what I believe:
Talking about our shadows doesn’t make them darker.
It brings them into the light.

What You Can Expect Each Week

Every Tuesday, a new podcast episode drops. And every Wednesday, you’ll find a blog post that gently echoes the week’s theme.

These blogs are like a mix of journal, support group, and late-night heart-to-heart—with a few creative tools sprinkled in. They’ll include reflection prompts, behind-the-scenes thoughts, and small creative practices you can try if something we talk about hits close to home.

And if you’re someone who needs a quiet moment to breathe in the middle of it all, I’ve got you.
Each post includes a “Moment for Calm” under our hashtag #createcalmmentalhealth.

 

Get Your Free Guide: Create Calm in the Shadows

When you sign up for the weekly newsletter, you’ll get instant access to Create Calm in the Shadows—a beautifully simple journaling workbook with five reflective prompts to help you pause, process, and reconnect.

These are the same tools I’ve leaned on for years—drawn from my own story growing up with a mother facing mental illness.
They’re gentle. Permission-filled. And made to meet you exactly where you are.

 

What You’ll Get Each Thursday:

• A personal journal entry or story from my life
• Highlights from the podcast and blog
• A #CreateCalmMentalHealth moment—sometimes with a piece of my artwork
• A shoutout to someone who shared their One Sentence Sunday
• Thoughtful recommendations: coping tools, meditations, books, and anything that moved me that week

It’s a quiet corner of the internet made with care—part reflection, part support, part soft rebellion.

You can sign up right here. (can we link this to anything?)

This Is For You

This project is for the kid who stayed quiet to keep the peace.
For the adult still trying to understand what happened.
For the ones who broke cycles, kept showing up, and are learning to be soft with themselves.
For anyone who’s ever felt too much—and kept loving anyway.

This is for all of us.
Thank you for being here. Truly.

Until next time,
Jenn

P.S. Want to hear more about why I started this? Listen to the first episode (right here).
And if you feel like connecting, I’m around:

• Instagram: @jenn_stjohn
• TikTok: @jenn.st.john
• LinkedIn: Jenn St John
• BlueSky: @jennstjohn.bsky.social