“People and their stories. I love watching kids learn and become adept at a new skill or excited about a new topic.”
-Jennifer Carr
Jennifer, thank you for joining us. To start, can you tell us more about your background, your journey so far, and what drives the work you do today?
Thank you for having me! My story isn’t dramatic—but it’s mine, and I love it. I’m a wife (I married my best friend, whom I met at thirteen), a homeschooling mom to a teenage daughter who’s an artist and looks just like her dad, a part-time farmer (we’ve pared down to chickens, though goats made a cameo not long ago!), a self-proclaimed Queen of the Doomscroll, and an avid reader—I’ll try anything once.
I thrive on coffee, music, learning, animals, and writing. I hold a BA in Psychology, an MA in Marriage & Family Counseling, certifications in Life Coaching and Health & Wellness Coaching, and I’m a certified Brain Health Professional. I spent several years teaching AP Psychology at the high-school level… then I wrote a book, and my world shifted on its axis.
In March 2023, I launched Connected Conversations for Creatives to build a community of authors, musicians, artists, and makers. We swap ideas, support each other’s work, and share the resources creatives need. My sixth novel arrives in October 2025. I love writing—crafting characters and stories that readers aged 15–65 (and beyond!) can fall in love with.
Your career path has moved from teaching and counseling to writing, podcasting, and community-building. What would you say connects all of these roles at their core?
People and their stories. I love watching kids learn and become adept at a new skill or excited about a new topic. I love coaching someone through a situation and watching them realize that they were capable all along of success. Writing is just another way to harness stories into fictional characters, and I get excited knowing there are readers who will connect with and relate to them. And on the podcast, I love being able to connect with people on the creative level and knowing even if our mediums are different, our love of art and goal of sharing it with others is the same.
You’ve launched a podcast aimed at creatives. What led you to focus on that space, and what kind of community are you hoping to foster through it?
In March 2023 I launched Connected Conversations for Creatives as a space for authors, artists, musicians, creatives in general to exchange insights, cheer each other on, and build a network of go-to resources. My goal was to cultivate the mentality that it’s “we,” not “me versus you.” I have loved almost every single interview and learned something new in each one.
You’ve worn many hats—educator, life coach, parent, writer, farmer. How do you decide which direction to explore next, and how do you stay grounded in the transitions?
Believe it or not, each chapter has flowed naturally into the next. My roles as wife and mom anchor every decision—family is always priority one. Teaching was a natural scale-up from homeschooling. Coaching grew out of counseling, once I realized I preferred the forward-focused coaching model. Writing fiction was inevitable—I’ve been scribbling poetry, essays, speeches, and research papers since grade school. One day, I simply gave myself permission to call myself an author.
Staying grounded is easy when you know your goal from the beginning of each transition.
In your view, what does creativity look like outside of traditional art forms? How do you encourage people—whether they’re parents, professionals, or students—to express theirs?
Creativity is so much more than being able to draw or write or sing. In fact, a definition of creativity is generating new and useful ideas, finding novel solutions to everyday challenges, and adapting to new situations when faced with challenges. It’s problem-solving using whatever cognitive, emotional, social, and/or physical means available.
So if I see a person say, “Well, I’m just not creative,” I will immediately shut down that line of thinking and redirect.
Every person is creative. Babies are creative. Have you ever watched a baby figure out how to get from Point A to Point B? Or how to fit the square peg in the square hole? That is creativity at its finest. My message is always, “Use what you’ve been given and don’t give up until you’ve done the thing you’ve set out to do.”
If you’ve received awards or recognition, could you share a few and tell us what they meant to you or your work?
I don’t chase contests—time and resources are tight! But this year I entered contests at two writers’ conferences. At one, I won the Sparrow Award for Fiction (first place) for an unpublished novel. At the Southern Christian Writers Conference, I snagged first place for a blog post and third for a short story.
The best part? My dad won the Sparrow Award in nonfiction that same weekend, so we both took home gold. Those trophies are lovely—but sharing that stage with him was priceless.
You’ve studied and taught psychology extensively. How do you see emotional awareness, wellness, and creative work influencing each other—especially in younger generations?
This is an amazing question that could take a lot more time than we have, so I’ll try to keep it brief (no promises).
Emotional awareness, wellness, and creativity are all connected—and you can really feel that connection slipping in younger generations. A lot of it comes down to technology. We’re more “connected” than ever, but not always in ways that help us understand ourselves. We scroll past feelings, post curated versions of our lives, and sometimes use trends to express what we haven’t fully processed.
That impacts creativity. When we’re not in touch with what we’re feeling, it’s harder to create something that feels real. Art becomes more about aesthetics or performance than expression. It looks good—but it doesn’t always hit that emotional truth.
This isn’t a dig at young creators. They’re incredibly creative—it’s just that the space to slow down and actually feel is getting lost. And without that space, emotional wellness takes a hit, too.
Fortunately, I do think we can get it back. Emotional depth can be relearned. We just have to start making room for it—off-screen, in silence, in reflection, and in real connection. Because the more we understand ourselves, the more honest—and powerful—our creative work becomes.
As someone who homeschools and works across different life spheres, how do you model curiosity and lifelong learning at home and in your public work?
Listen, if I could have afforded it, I would have been a professional student. I love learning. We always knew we were going to homeschool when the time came, just based on the school system where we lived. And my goal was always to foster the same love for learning that I have.
The hardest part was realizing that the child I was teaching was a completely opposite learner than I was. I grew up in the environment of desks and busywork and homework of public school. This was new territory when we started, and the love for learning took a lot more time to develop in our daughter. Once we figured out how to work together, it opened up entire worlds of topics I never even got to explore in school because teachers are so limited to the curriculum and rubrics.
So when it comes to modeling and encouraging lifelong learning, I just make sure that I go after what I’m passionate about.
If you pour yourself into those things that “light you up,” you will always love learning. Now, does that mean you can forego reading and math and basic history? No. BUT, you can find the parts of those subjects that keep you up all night and run with them.
The podcast and your other projects seem to emphasize community and peer support over self-promotion. Why is that approach important to you, and how do you ensure it remains authentic?
I believe there’s room for everyone. Early on, I almost bowed out of the writing world—too much comparison, too little confidence. Then I realized: what if I leaned into encouragement instead of competition? I started sharing every resource and tip I had. I still pour my heart into my work. But I also cheer wildly when others soar.
Authenticity follows when you root for someone else before you root for yourself.
What’s something you’ve learned recently—whether through your family, your creative circle, or your farm—that changed how you see your work, or even yourself?
I had someone tell me recently, after I had shared a few successes publicly, that I really seemed to know what I was doing and that everything I touched turned to gold. I laughed and told her that like everyone, I only share the fun, awesome, exciting things—but I don’t post about slow sales days or the emotional costs behind the scenes.
Sure, we can and need to celebrate the good stuff. But if our goal is authenticity, we also need to get comfortable admitting there are sometimes obstacles that leave us with less shiny goodness and more tarnish.
So I’m practicing sharing the hurdles alongside the wins. It’s messier—but more real.
If you were to write your bio in your own words, what would you say? What legacy do you hope to leave?
I’m Jennifer “Jen” Carr: wife to my best friend, mom to a budding artist, and part-time farmer who can’t resist a fresh cup of coffee. I’ve got a BA in Psychology, an MA in Marriage & Family Counseling, and certificates in Life Coaching, Health & Wellness, and Brain Health. I taught AP Psychology, then swapped classrooms for keyboards—now I write novels that I hope will stick with readers long after the last page.
In 2023, I launched Connected Conversations for Creatives, a podcast where we swap ideas, cheer each other on, and build a true creative community.
I write because I believe stories heal. I teach because I believe learning never stops. And I farm chickens because… well, have you ever had fresh eggs?
My hope? That my work sparks a little courage in someone else—and reminds them that their voice, their story, and their dreams matter.
Here’s a link to my video: The World’s Best Magazine interview.
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“If our goal is authenticity, we also need to get comfortable admitting there are sometimes obstacles that leave us with less shiny goodness and more tarnish.”
-Jennifer Carr
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