Meet Your Shadow: Exploring the Depths of Creative Practice with Chelsey Pippin Mizzi
As the light of summer fades and autumn’s shadows lengthen, The Create! Podcast invites listeners to explore the hidden depths of their creative selves. In this episode, host Ekaterina Popova welcomes back Chelsey Pippin Mizzi, writer, tarot reader, and author of The Shadow Path, to discuss the transformative role of shadow work in the lives of artists and creatives.
Chelsey’s latest book, The Shadow Path, is a ten-week guided journey that blends Jungian psychology, archetypal study, and creative ritual. Rather than treating shadow work as something dark or intimidating, she reframes it as a gentle retreat — a safe space for creatives to reconnect with the parts of themselves that have been buried or overlooked.
“Our shadow isn’t always a negative. Sometimes it’s the safety we needed to become our full selves,” Chelsey shares.
“For artists, that hidden space often holds the ideas and instincts that make our work truly unique.”
Together, Kat and Chelsey explore how shadow work can restore depth and authenticity to a creative practice, especially when art begins to feel surface-level or performative. They talk about the tension between visibility and privacy, the importance of curiosity, and the healing power of asking “stupid questions.” Chelsey also offers practical tools such as tarot journaling, dreamwork, and archetypal reflection to help artists safely explore what’s hidden beneath the surface.
Whether you’re in a season of productivity or retreat, this episode is a reminder that the quiet, inward seasons of creativity are just as abundant as the visible ones.
Highlights from the Episode
What shadow work is — and what it isn’t
Why the parts of yourself you avoid might be the key to your most honest work
How to use tarot, journaling, and ritual for deeper creative insight
The importance of curiosity and vulnerability in artistic growth
Reframing the “shadow” as a space of safety and renewal
Resources Mentioned
The Shadow Path by Chelsey Pippin Mizzi
Tarot for Creativity and The Tarot Spreads Yearbook by Chelsey Pippin Mizzi
Tarot for Change by Jessica Dore
The Artist’s Way and The Listening Path by Julia Cameron
The Artemisian — archetypal studies and Jungian-inspired inner work
Jungian Online — shadow and self-portraiture courses
Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow by Shannon of The Tarot Diagnosis (forthcoming)
Find Chelsey online at tarotforcreativity.com, on Substack at The Shuffle, and on Instagram at @pipcardstarot.
Listen Now
🎧 Listen to the full episode on the Create! Podcast
Call for Art: The Spirit World
Our latest open call, The Spirit World, is now live — a curated virtual exhibition and printed catalog exploring the mystical, spiritual, and uncanny.
Deadline: October 31, 2025
👉 Submit your work
