Episode 13: How to Live a Creative Life
💫 Episode 13: How to Live a Creative Life
Do you ever feel a creative nudge inside you… but you’re not sure how to honor it between kids’ schedules, workouts, work, and just being human?
That’s exactly what we explore in Episode 13 of Collective Guidance with my friend, artist, mom, and entrepreneur Natalie Zellers — creator of Everywear, a wearable sweat towel brand that blends fitness, family, and art with a mission to spread kindness, creativity, and (my favorite) cosmic magic.
This conversation is such a love letter to the creative life — especially if you’ve ever thought:
“I have this idea, but I have no clue where to start.”
“I used to be creative, but life got in the way.”
“I’m overwhelmed, anxious, and I don’t know how to calm my nervous system without numbing out.”
Let’s dive into the biggest takeaways from this beautiful, very real conversation.
When an Idea Won’t Leave You Alone
The seed for everywear was planted in 2017, after Natalie’s daughter was born.
Picture this:
She’s on her Peloton, towel slung over the handlebars, trying to squeeze in a workout between mom life… and the towel keeps falling off.
She gets off the bike thinking, “There has to be a sweat towel that stays around your neck.”
She searches Amazon. She searches Google. Days go by.
Nothing.
“Well, shit, if I want it, maybe other people would want it.”
That one thought was the beginning.
With an art background but zero product or manufacturing experience, Natalie sketched out her idea and started researching companies that could help her bring it to life. She found a company in Miami, then a manufacturer, and by late 2019/early 2020, the first wearable sweat towel — then called GymBib — was born.
Her non-negotiables?
Lightweight fabric
Antibacterial and antimicrobial
So comfortable you barely feel it
Above all: convenience
She had no idea what she was doing, but she kept taking the next step anyway.
“Anyone can do anything. Even if you fail, it’s still a learning experience — and that’s never failing.”
Divine Timing, Right People, Right Moments
Throughout the process, Natalie kept bumping into the right people at the right time — someone who knew a manufacturer, someone who had a small but vital piece of advice.
She doesn’t call it “divine guidance” outright, but I do.
“Maybe I was meeting the right people at the right times… that one person who gave me one little piece of advice that kept things moving.”
This is such a powerful reminder:
You don’t have to know all the steps. You just have to take the next one and stay open to support.
When Rejection Gets Loud
If you’ve ever tried to launch something, you know: the world doesn’t always throw you a parade.
Natalie has heard a lot of “no.”
Emails that go unanswered
Stores that say it’s not the right fit
People who don’t “get” the product
And of course, the inner critic joins in:
“There were times where I’m like, ‘Fuck it. I give up. This product is stupid. Nobody wants to buy it.’”
But she keeps circling back to one simple anchor:
“If you believe in it, that’s all you need to keep coming back to.”
Her approach to the negative voices — outer and inner — is beautifully honest:
Feel it.
Let it sting.
Let it pass.
Keep going.
Building a Business With Kids Around Your Ankles
When she started GymBib/everywear, Natalie had an almost-four-year-old son and a baby daughter.
Like so many moms, she put massive pressure on herself to be:
The perfect mom
The perfect wife
The present parent
AND the ambitious entrepreneur
By February 2023, her body had had enough.
She had a full-blown panic attack and ended up in the hospital.
“It was the business, the kids, trying to be the perfect wife and mom… your body’s like, no, you’re done. Something has to change.”
That moment — scary and sobering — became a turning point.
Meditation, Anxiety & Finding Calm Without Numbing
After that hospital visit, Natalie knew she didn’t want to jump straight to medication. She wanted to try other tools first.
So she started with:
The Calm app
Short meditations
And eventually, the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza
Yes… those two words I threw out at the gym one day that changed her life.
“I found a free 20-minute meditation on YouTube. I had never felt those things. It was like going to another dimension. It was addicting — I wanted more of this.”
Meditation became:
Her nervous system reset button
Her tool when sounds and lights felt overwhelming
Her way of meeting anxiety with presence instead of panic
The hardest part?
Not the technique.
The time.
There’s always laundry. There’s always something to clean. Always something you “should” be doing.
But she started treating meditation like a non-negotiable for her mental health — not a luxury.
“I Can’t Meditate” & “I’m Not Creative”
Two of the biggest stories we hear (and tell ourselves):
“I can’t meditate.”
“I’m not creative.”
Natalie’s answer to both?
Start ridiculously small. And drop the perfection.
If meditation feels intimidating, use the doorway of your breath. Even 30–60 seconds counts. From there, you build.
And creativity?
“Who cares? Who gives a shit? Just let it go. You’d be amazed what comes out when you just let it go. It doesn’t have to be perfect.”
Perfectionism is just another way we protect ourselves from vulnerability.
Natalie has made a promise to herself:
She only creates artwork that comes from something she feels. She often titles the piece before it’s finished because she can feel it in her heart first, see it in her mind, and then bring it onto the canvas.
Returning to Art as Self-Care & Soul Expression
For 20 years, Natalie’s creativity lived mostly behind a screen as a graphic designer.
Hands-on art fell away.
But something in her kept tugging her back.
A few months ago, she met with a local art therapist who gave her simple advice:
“Get an art journal.”
She did. And it lit a fire.
Now, whenever she feels something big — joy, sadness, stress, the urge to cry — she reaches for her paints, pastels, and paper.
She’s moved from pencil-only to experimenting with paint, color, and bigger canvases. Her kids join in, cheering on her latest piece. Her daughter paints with her. Her son, an incredible artist himself, shares his creations. Even her husband loves coming home to see her painting.
Art has become:
Her therapy
Her release valve
Her way of transmuting emotion into beauty
“Sometimes you don’t even have to talk. Just the act of doing it can be healing and calming. Sometimes we just need quiet.”
Creative Service: Helping Kids Heal Through Art
Natalie also recently became a volunteer with a local organization called a vow, where she’s leading Creative Expressions for kids.
On days when they’re off school, she’ll guide them through art projects focused on:
Feeling their feelings
Expressing what’s inside
Finding calm and safety through creativity
It’s such a gorgeous full-circle moment:
Her own healing through art becoming a space for kids to feel seen, safe, and expressive too.
Four Practices to Bring More Ease Into Your Life
At the end of our conversation, I asked Natalie:
“If you could give listeners a few practices to navigate life, business, and creativity with more ease, what would they be?”
Here’s what she shared — and honestly, they’re so simple and so potent:
1. Meditation
Even one minute counts. Use your breath. Let the thoughts come and go. Keep guiding yourself back like a kid sneaking cookies from the jar — lovingly.
2. Gratitude
The moment a negative thought shows up, bring in gratitude for anything:
Your breath
Your kids
Your morning coffee
A quiet five minutes
It shifts your chemistry and your perspective.
3. Come Back to Your Heart
Over and over again.
“It all comes back to love and the heart and empathy for me. Always bring it back to your heart.”
This might look like:
Putting your hand on your chest
Taking a few deep breaths
Asking, “What would be the kindest choice here?”
4. Be Kind to Yourself
Grace and compassion are everything.
When we’re kinder to ourselves, it ripples out to everyone around us — our kids, partners, clients, and communities.
Where to Find Natalie & everywear
If you’re towel-struggle-bussing it during workouts, yard work, or hot walks (hi, Florida humidity), you can grab an everywear sweat towel here:
👉 EveryWearTowel.com (spelled W-E-A-R)
You can also find Natalie on Instagram at @nataliesorbit — though she’s currently taking a well-deserved mental health break from social media (which we fully support).
Listen to the Full Episode
This post just scratches the surface of our conversation about:
Saying yes to ideas that won’t leave you alone
Balancing business and motherhood without losing yourself
Healing anxiety through movement, meditation, and creativity
Returning to the art that’s been waiting for you all along
You can:
Listen on your favorite podcast platform
Follow us on Instagram: @collectiveguidancepodcast
Visit the website: collectiveguidance.com
If this episode resonates, it would mean so much if you liked, subscribed, or shared it with a friend who needs a gentle nudge to reclaim her creativity.
And most importantly?
Go be creative today.
Not perfect. Not polished. Just honestly you.
🎧 Listen to the full episode on:
Spotify, Apple Podcast, YouTube, Amazon
Sending love, remembrance, faith, and creativity,
Charla ❤️
