Ep. 11 - Welcome Pain as Part of Living with April Stearns

Investment of Self: Type ‘C’ Transformation with Kathy Washburn

In this episode of "Investment of Self," we welcome special guest April Stearns as she shares her powerful perspective on embracing pain as a natural part of living. April discusses her personal journey through a cancer diagnosis, the challenges she faced in finding relatable stories, and how she turned her experiences into a supportive community. Join us as we explore the healing power of storytelling, the importance of self-expression, and the transformative impact of embracing life's difficulties.

In this episode, Kathy and April discuss:

• Seeking connection and support amidst difficult challenges
• The healing power of writing and expressing emotions
• Challenges of understanding chronic illness in young adulthood
• Finding connection and relief through shared experiences
• Handling major life events and personal growth

Book April is reading:

What Doesn't Kill Us, Makes Us (Mike Mariani) - I was attracted to this book because my work is focused on helping people use storytelling to move through traumatic experiences (primarily a cancer diagnosis) to a life that feels richer and deeper. I like the idea of embracing life's curveballs and folding them into the tapestry of who we are, as opposed to seeing them as detours to be buried as quickly as possible.

If April was crushed up and put into pill form, what effect would she want to have on someone?
The ability to see yourself as having a story worth sharing.

More About April Stearns:
Visit Widfire’s Website

Check out Wildfire's Facebook page

Follow @wildfire_bc_magazine on Instagram

April Stearns was diagnosed at 35 years old with Stage 3 breast cancer that she found while breastfeeding her daughter. Four years later, while struggling to “go back to normal” and find other women in similar circumstances, April launched Wildfire Magazine. Now she enjoys not only publishing the stories of those “too young for breast cancer,” she also finds pleasure in helping others heal through learning to write and share their stories. April lives with her family on the coast of central California.

More about Wildfire Magazine & Writing Community

Wildfire Magazine & Writing Community is a multiplatform media company specifically designed with the young breast cancer survivor and fighter in mind. We provide a bi-monthly narrative magazine, weekly podcast, and small-group writing workshops. Our audience members are all diagnosed under the age of 50 - a growing population decades younger than average breast cancer fighter with few age-appropriate resources available. Our belief is that experiencing the stories of others diagnosed young provides a much-needed community and support network for today's young breast cancer survivor. We go further than that, though, and help them learn to tell their own stories to the survivors coming up behind them. This has the dramatic effect of turning a traumatic cancer experience into an empowering one! Learn more at wildfirecommunity.org.

Connect with Kathy Washburn:

To learn more about Kathy and her coaching services, head over to: https://kathywashburn.net/

To schedule a free consultation with Kathy visit: https://kathywashburn.net/contact

Follow Kathy on Instagram: @kathywashburndotnet

Sign Up for Kathy’s On Demand Anchored Hope Course: https://kathy-washburn.teachable.com/p/anchored-hope