HeartWriting: Recent Episodes

Rose Mascaro

Are you ready for your sacred creative awakening? I‘m Rose, a published writer, teacher, and editor who has peered beyond the mechanics of writing into all things spiritual, conscious and creative. I‘ve developed a unique method called HeartWriting, where we venture into the creative heart, inhabiting those sacred spaces where words flow like magic.

On the podcast, we dive into creative meditations and heart-centred practices designed to enhance your writing. Get ready to experience the fascinating worlds of art psychology, spirituality, and the role of the brainwaves. We explore the meaning of being a writer, and what it takes to be a conscious, sustainable creative in today‘s society. Most importantly, I’ll show you the way to your heart – the most important creative compass you have.

Inspired by advanced writing studies and my experiences as a teacher, published writer, meditation facilitator and magazine editor, my writing tips are designed to quell your creative fears and bring you back to your authentic, heart-centred calling. Read more about my workshops and offerings on www.heartwriting.com.au, follow me on @heartwriting.com.au or join the HeartWriting Facebook group and connect with your dream creative tribe.

I've been updating all my guided meditations in the Ten Days of HeartWriting Course... often I take my best meditations from my level 1 course, and edit them down with licenced music to create the perfect track for you to enjoy anytime in the app.

These meditations from the live course have a palpable magic and quality to them. They are designed to guide the energy and flow of your creative work. Try it! I'm sure you'll agree.

May you be blessed with the power of this deep truth and alignment meditation. Let me know what you think on @heartwriting.com.au on Instagram x

The Literature and Magic of Advanced HeartWriting

This audio recording began as an audio message to my current students, but it’s really for any writer who wants to deepen their craft, expand their worldview, and write work that genuinely changes people.

I start by speaking honestly about being unwell lately — and how that shook my sense of living in my dharma. I share what I’ve learned about rest, safety, and surrender, and how — once I stopped pushing — my energy, ideas, and community momentum began to return.

I invite you to consider a core HeartWriting principle: your writing is not about your ego; it’s about the change your words can make in the world. Whether you’re writing memoir, fiction, or something in between, this episode will help you keep your heart at the centre of your practice while expanding your craft, your perspective, and your responsibility as a storyteller.

If you’re a heart-centered writer drawn to spirit, story, and serious craft — and you want your work to be braver, more inclusive, and more impactful — this episode will give you a grounded, detailed sense of the next chapter of HeartWriting.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why rest, illness, and “pauses” can become part of your writing dharma
How a writing course container can transform your relationship with structure
Ways to recognise and challenge white colonial and patriarchal patterns in your work
How diverse, inclusive texts (including First Nations and global Indigenous authors) can expand your voice
How to move beyond “I loved it/I hated it” into craft-aware, heart-centered reading and writing.

Let me know what you think by sending me a message on Instagram @heartwriting.com.au!

This is one of the most handy podcasts I've made – and the most real. This is how my life looks every day. One thing I haven't spoken about here is the adjustment to working from home and the loneliness inherent in working from a laptop. I wish I had talked about this more – but The Heart Writing Handbook does cover this.

And these days I LOVE working from home. I LOVE creating my own life every day. I'm SO much better at staying motivated and structured in my routine, because the fact is... I love my work.

My quick tip is this: Yes, you will take some adjustment to organising your own day and staying motivated. Yes, you will feel lonely sometimes so you must find portals of connection with others – be it a yoga class, a writing group, or a part time job which keeps you connected to others and also serves as security as you slowly position yourself as a writer or editor. Building a business is a whole 'nother topic.

Anyway, I hope this podcast is useful for you, and please let me know by giving this podcast a review, or checking out the instagram page! @heartwriting.com.au

My final words for the year, as we wave goodbye to the year of the Wood Snake, and all the hardship and shedding that came with it.

I propose a year of HAPPINESS ahead. In the podcast I talk about the themes of the upcoming retreats, my personal revelations about happiness, and its links to creativity.

Do we want to stay stuck and jaded in grief and anger cycles that continue to fuel hatred...

Or do we want to choose a happier, healthier world? It starts with US.

There's more in my recent Substack: https://substack.com/@heartwriting/note/p-181950926

Finally, a decent update from me — learn about my last few months, moving to northern beaches Sydney, my recent engagement in Bali, my latest writing projects, my incredible students, and what’s coming next in HeartWriting.

If you haven’t met me yet — hi! I’m Rose, the founder of HeartWriting. I teach people how to open their hearts and write stunning words.

I teach writing courses online, plus international and Australian writing retreats.

I’m an ex English teacher and magazine editor.

I studied a master’s in creative writing 2017-2019. This is after years of working as a creative writing specialist in schools: testing out my very alternative methods on all my senior students who became effortless writers in my hippie af classroom. They will still remember my incense, candles, beach writing excursions and creativity “shrines”.

Fun facts about me — I’m Scorpio as f*** and I love a good dose of 90s grunge music.

I’m not really into numbers and astrology and psychic readings. It’s not that I don’t believe in them, I just love watching the magic of life unfold on its own.

I can’t wait to meet you — I can feel your energy from here. Energy I can do. 🤍🌹

heartwriting #writingcommunity #writingistherapy #writingprompts #sydneyyoga #writingchallenge #writingtips #australianauthors #northernbeachessydney #creativesofsydney #sydneycreatives

In this episode, Rose Mascaro talks with Katie Rose — founder of Bhakti Rose and author of Yoni Codes — about merging technology with creativity and heart-led business. They share candidly about writing from the heart, while also using AI as a tool for business and writing. Learn about the pitfalls of outsourcing your voice, and how to use modern tools like ChatGPT without losing your soul.

Rose's Tips for Using ChatGPT Better/ More Ethically:

Use ChatGPT for planning.
Map out your book outline, chapter ideas, or character arcs. Ask:
“Give me 10 possible chapter titles for a memoir about my travels in South America.”
"Tell me how my storyline can be improved to create a suspenseful narrative arc."
"Give me a timeline and plan on how to finish my book."

(Don't get it to write your book proposal. It will be shitty at best. Go and see Rose about that.)

Ask good questions.
The better your prompt, the better the result. Be specific.
Instead of “Write about meditation,” ask: “Write a 200-word reflection on how meditation helps with writer’s block, in a warm, conversational tone.”
Use it for writing prompts, grammar checks, or brainstorming — not to replace your voice.
Ask ChatGPT to generate 5 opening lines for your scene, then freewrite your own first paragraph inspired by one of them.
Avoid overuse of punctuation (especially em dashes) and repetitive sentence styles (like too many ‘rules of three’).
ChatGPT loves rhythm and drama taken from other famous author styles — but you’ll need to refine for your own style.
Paste a paragraph in and ask: “Highlight where I’ve overused em dashes or trios.” Then rewrite it in your own style.
Beware of exaggerated, inauthentic tone.
AI tends to overdo enthusiasm or drama. Dial it back to sound more real.
Tip: If the draft sounds like a motivational poster, rewrite it in your natural voice.
Teach it to do tasks, but never trust it blindly — always cross-check.
If it gives you a historical fact or a quote, double-check with a reputable source (cross-reference two actual books) before including it in your work.
Remember: it doesn’t always know the answer.
Treat it as a brainstorming partner, not a teacher.
Use it as a mirror.
Paste in a page of your writing and ask: “Where is this repetitive or unclear?” Take its notes as suggestions, not rules.
Experiment with style practice.
Ask it to rewrite a paragraph in the style of Hemingway, Morrison, or Garner — then notice the techniques, and try them yourself.
Break through blocks with timed prompts.
Ask: “Give me a prompt to write for 5 minutes on the theme of longing.” Then put ChatGPT aside and just write.
Keep a balance between input and output.
Don’t let endless ChatGPT tinkering replace time on the page.
Use a timer: 10 minutes max with ChatGPT, then 30 minutes of your own writing.
Use it to play editor, not author.
Ask: “Point out where this paragraph is too verbose.” Then you decide what to cut.
Do not, I repeat, do not run your whole book, or whole chapters, through it for editing.

Just a sentence or a paragraph at most. It will ruin things, remove things, repeat things, or copy your work.

Hope these tips are helpful! Send through any extras on @heartwriting.com.au.

This gorgeous and soft meditation was filmed during a class last summer, and on rediscovering it, I just had to upload it to the podcast. You can watch the video if you sign up for the Ten Days of HeartWriting course, which is the perfect intro program for writers. Or get loads more of this – plus all the academic lessons and editing program – in the Level 1 and Level 2 HeartWriting workshops. www.heartwriting.com.au/workshops

Today I felt called to record a meditation while in the middle of the forest. Here it is.

The sun shone on my face and I could finally feel my heart opening after a particularly cold and cocoon-like winter. Spirit connected with me, and this meditation (for creatives) spilled out.

It feels nice to connect with you all again after a couple of months off. Let me know how you go in the meditation: I'd love to hear from you. You've all been so quiet lately! (And so have I!)

I've been integrating all the magic of the Bali Writing Retreat, and making space and softness to call in the next one. Two, actually – one in Bali, and one in Blue Mountains booked for February. Something about writing retreats is feeling really good, really right, alongside my online course curriculum.

I'd also love to hear how you are going. What you've been doing. What has felt hard this year? What are you yearning for? I know, I know – the energy hasn't been particularly conducive for creatives this year. It's a shame, but let's rectify that.

Say hi on Instagram. Check out the retreats on www.heartwriting.com.au/retreats

Enjoy your special peek into the closing class of the HeartWriting Retreat held in Ubud, Bali in July 2025. This class is not to be missed!

To book next year, head to www.heartwriting.com.au/baliretreat or join the level 1 HeartWriting course, accessible for all, anytime, online: https://heartwriting.com.au/signature-workshop/

In this episode, I reflect on the first ever HeartWriting Retreat held in Ubud, Bali — thirteen women, four days, a jungle full of rain, and something sacred we couldn’t have planned if we tried.

I take you behind the scenes: from the Agni Hotra fire ceremony where we cracked coconuts (and our egos) wide open, to the Shamanic healing workshops where women wrote the truest sentences of their lives, to the sound healing session where a tropical downpour turned into an unexpected symphony that none of us will ever forget.

This wasn’t just a writing retreat – it was a remembering, a ceremony, a beginning. And something in me clicked into place — a big, quiet yes to the next chapter of this work.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when women gather to write, to heal, and to be fully seen, this is that story.

In this spontaneous travel episode, I’m coming to you from my princess bed in Ubud, Bali – surrounded by jungle sounds, mosquito nets, and the soft swirl of pre-retreat solitude. This is my little “retreat before the retreat,” and after weeks (okay, months) of go-go-go, I’m finally landing in myself, in the truth of what it means to be a writer who’s also very human.

I share a few raw reflections about the pressures we put on ourselves when we travel — to be present, to be productive, to document it all perfectly. But what happens when the words don’t come easily? What happens when you don’t write the book you planned to write? Can we still call it writing when it's quiet and private, when it’s healing, when it’s just for us?

This episode is a voice note to my community — with the hum of the jungle behind me and total honesty in front. If you’ve ever wrestled with creative guilt, or felt unsure how to hold space for yourself while chasing your dreams, this one’s for you.

Let’s embrace the imperfect writer. Let’s remember: you don’t have to turn every beautiful moment into a story… sometimes the real magic is in living it.

In this heart-to-heart episode, I’m reflecting on what it’s really been like in the week after publishing The Heart Writing Handbook. From glamorous photoshoots to facing fears, from hitting #1 on Amazon to holding the book in my hands – it’s been a wild, beautiful ride.

I share the moment I realised how long I’d been sabotaging myself – not out of fear of failure, but fear of success. And how finally stepping up to celebrate myself lit something up inside me… something I now get to share with everyone around me.

Because when I filled my own cup, it started overflowing, and suddenly I had so much more love to pour back into the world.

🎧 Tune in if you’ve ever held back on your dreams. This one’s for you.

Purchase your copy of the book here: www.heartwriting.com.au/thehandbook

I just got off the phone with my publisher. The cover is done. Typesetting is about to begin. The Heart Writing Handbook is finally, officially, becoming real.

But it didn’t happen the way I imagined.

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of what it really looks like to birth a book – the mess, the magic, and the moments of surrender. I share how the final stages of this publishing journey have asked me to let go of control and trust something far bigger than myself.

From the early days of writing a short story for The Kind Press, to manifesting a unique publishing deal, this episode is a raw, heart-led reflection on the creative process, how it breaks us open, and how it rebuilds us into who we’re becoming.

I also talk about heart-brain intelligence – and share how this wisdom is not just theory, but something I’m living every day right now.

We’ll talk about:

• the hidden realities of the publishing process
• why things started flowing with ease when I stopped forcing
• the magic of independent, heart-centred publishing
• how this book is intimately tied to my next one
• and the quiet, obsessive, introverted season I’ve just emerged from

Whether you’re dreaming of writing your own book, or you're walking through a season of trust and becoming – I hope this story lands in your heart.

Make sure you hit Follow or Subscribe, and throw in a 5-star review – it will ensure I can keep producing valuable podcasts for you!

True authenticity begins with embracing imperfection. Silence can sometimes be the loudest form of communication. And great writing often leaves room for the reader’s own experience to breathe.

In a world obsessed with polish and perfection, what if the most compelling thing a writer – or a creator of any kind – can do is to let the audience feel the realness? That means leaving in the pauses, the breaths, the unedited moments that carry human weight. A truly authentic writer doesn't try to control every detail but instead allows the work to exist with all its natural textures – just like a great conversation or an unfiltered moment in real life.

Literary theory teaches us that meaning isn’t just created by what’s on the page, but also by what isn’t. A writer offers the words, but the reader brings their own memories, ideas, and even the wisdom of their ancestors. That’s the beauty of storytelling: it continues to evolve beyond the writer’s control.

So, as writers, can we let go of our need to dictate meaning? Can we create space for readers to breathe inside our words? And can we trust that the pauses are just as necessary in our quest towards authenticity, as the words themselves?

The real magic happens when you stop forcing it and start allowing your true voice to emerge, just as naturally as a breath. And that's when you're more likely to resonate and touch hearts.

So, here’s the question for you: What would happen if you let yourself write without trying to please, without trying to be perfect? What if you trusted the pauses, the silences, and the spaces between the words?

That’s where your most powerful voice begins.

Let me know your thoughts on @heartwriting.com.au, and share your authentic writing (that was the result of this podcast) on the HeartWriting Community Group!

With love,
Rose

P.S. The HeartWriting Handbook is coming to you just after Easter! Keep an eye out for the big cover reveal. 💫

What if writing wasn’t just about words on a page, but a portal to your deepest truths? In this episode of The HeartWriting Podcast, we explore the profound connection between storytelling, deep listening, and spiritual healing. I share my journey with plant medicine, truth, and the process of unearthing the authentic voice within.

Whether you’re an aspiring writer, a seeker, or someone yearning to express yourself more deeply, this episode will invite you to surrender, trust, and tap into the wisdom that already lives within you.

Share this podcast with someone you can trial a 'heart circle' with, and tell us your experience on Instagram @heartwriting.com.au!

Writing starts with deep listening from the heart. We practise this in 'The Heart Circle'.

Whether you’re an aspiring writer, a seeker, or someone yearning to express yourself more deeply, this episode will invite you to surrender, trust, and tap into the wisdom that already lives within you.

Share this podcast with someone you can trial a 'heart circle' with, and tell us your experience on Instagram @heartwriting.com.au!

Let’s explore RESISTANCE today. A powerful topic for writers. Please let me know your experience, share with a friend, and email me if you have any questions on rose@heartwriting.com.au 🤍✨

Watch the video on Instagram on TikTok x

With love, Rose from HeartWriting ✍️✨

Gabor Mate on Authenticity:

“The elemental root of authenticity is the Greek (eaftós) or Self, closely related to Author and Authority. To be authentic is to be true to a sense of self arising from one’s own unique and genuine essence.” — The Myth of Normal

Tara Brach fans will recognise the famous R.A.I.N. meditation that I use (with acknowledgement) in this podcast. This is actually an extract from a recent HeartWriting class I conducted with my advanced students who needed a relaxation after some challenging times in their personal lives and in their writing.

In the background you will hear binaural beats of the theta brainwave which I have mixed into the audio for deep relaxation and subconscious connection.

I hope this meditation brings you much peace and clarity. With love, Rose x

MULTICREATIVES IN CONVERSATION – Topic: "Eff Off Late Stage Capitalism: We're going to slow down and write from the heart anyway."

This epic 1 hour interview covered so many topics that we almost divided it into two podcasts! Enjoy this sumptuous feast of writing tips, novel insights, paralympic wins, behind the scenes at the ABC, and discussion about inclusivity and diversity in writing.

Limb difference – what is it?
Dreams of winning paralympics
Dystopian novel writing
Inclusivity and diversity in writing
Imposter syndrome: even for the Type A achiever
Practice makes perfect
Steven Bartlett – start before you’re ready
Cracking out of perfectionism
ABC – writing reports and scripts
Editing – the secret cure that fixes everything!

You can check out Liz on socials @elizabethlwright – follow her journey at the ABC, her inspiring public speeches about disability and inclusivity, and keep up with the progress of her novel!

When I was in the middle of ‘waking up’ from a difficult time, I recorded a beautiful affirmations tape for myself –and all creatives. It was a combination of statements I needed to hear, as well as affirmations my students requested. I’ve since shared it with all my students to help them free-fall into their ultimate HeartWriting dreams. Writers, creatives, lovers – it's time to fall into the deliciousness of the life you deserve.

I’ve just shared a mini version of it here so that you can free-fall into a life of self-love, too. If you're keen to start my writing workshops, visit www.heartwriting.com.au to find all the magic – and so much more than you could even imagine.

MULTICREATIVES IN LIVE CONVERSATION – Topic: ‘making authentic dreams happen' with @thatachellesgirl

So many amazing topics covered in 47 minutes!

–The divine feminine as a creative canvas
–Writers at work in magazine publishing
–What it feels like to get published the first time
–Staying true to your authentic vision
–Common stuckness and depression in the creative
–Top books/ tips to overcome depression
–Book: Rich as F*ck by Amanda Frances: our best takeaways, including NOT doing it just because everyone tells you to do it 'that way'
–Rick Rubin and Andrew Huberman's tips on creative worth and outcomes
–How "slowing down and shutting the hell up" helps us follow our true north compass
–Tips for busy mums to stay on track with their creative goals, with kindness and love!

And so much more! Savour and enjoy this delightful chat with my beautiful best friend and writing companion 🎙️

Leave a comment on the original video on Instagram @heartwriting.com.au, and don't forget to grab last tickets to the HeartWriting Workshop for 2024: www.heartwriting.com.au

There's a common misconception that writing from the heart is all about "flowery, nice, easy writing". Today I break down some of the bigger teachings of Buddhism and describe the various links to the writing process. You might not like everything you hear today – or maybe you do! Let me know what you think by dropping your review on instagram @heartwriting.com.au!

This is Part Two of the masterclass from two weeks ago hosted on my platform. Enjoy these tips that you often won't hear from writing teachers – a very helpful free class! Please let me know how you went by emailing rose@heartwriting.com.au or join the next signature workshop on https://heartwriting.kartra.com/page/signatureworkshop

This is a segment of my latest masterclass, “How to write a book with heart–led intention.” You can register to watch the full class by clicking www.heartwriting.com.au/links.

We cover:
–How to get started on your book idea. I’ll share my tips on how to find heart-centred clarity and purpose with a writing project.

–Why writing a book is not as hard as you may think: BUT what you need to know first

–An interview with one of my current Advanced Retreat workshop students, and her revelations with her novel development!

Join Rose on a run down of her latest trip to Fiji and how much island life and traditional village life reignited her creativity once more. In this podcast you will learn Rose's morning routine as a writer, and how important it is to embrace 'island life', movement, meditation, community, and creative living every single day – not just when we are on holiday!

We all have stories. Some of them are heartbreakingly sad, some of them are bright and blissful. Some of them aren’t even our own – they’ve been passed down from previous generations, ready to be reawakened. Writing stories is healing. It is a way to connect deeper to yourself, your purpose, your ancestry, and to society. You will be drawn to write a story for unknown reasons, and it must be expressed, to enhance your deepest spiritual connection to yourself, and the world.

This is a taster of the first lesson in the Ten Days of HeartWriting Course, available for purchase on www.heartwriting.com.au if you'd like to complete the rest of the lessons.

So many of Rose’s students struggle with the concept and practice of meditation, and it could just be because of poor teaching methods or an untethered regime. In this podcast Rose explains how a good meditation regime can benefit not just us as writers, but us as people.

Suffering and silence are the two magic ingredients to becoming a better writer. It was Aristotle who taught us that pity, fear and catharsis are integral to every compelling story. But is that the case for us as people, and as writers too? And how can meditation help us with integrating and transforming suffering – through silence?

In this podcast Rose discusses all she’s learned about suffering and silence through life and various meditation practices over the years, including Transcendental Meditation. Skip to around 14 minutes to get straight to the meditation practice. Let us know how you go by heading to @heartwriting.com.au, or email rose@heartwriting.com.au.

When you’re a child, innocent and in love with the world, you experience the lower, more creative brainwave frequencies. As you grow up, it becomes harder and harder to drop down into that delicious creative state. But you CAN find your way back there. Anytime. Just place a hand on your heart. And breathe.

⁠Our heart is the most intelligent organ we have. The heart conducts 60 times the electricity, and 5000 times the electromagnetic energy of the brain. So by meditating, while connecting deeply with the breath and the heart space, we can literally alter our brainwaves. This isn’t magic. It’s science. Well, it is pretty magic.

And that’s what we do at the start of each HeartWriting workshop. If you want to find out more, head to www.HeartWriting.com.au/workshops.

The start of 2022 has been challenging. But it’s time to reclaim those heart-centred practices that bring us back to our highest self. In this short reflection, Rose discusses how she has become consumed by her own dark [months] of the soul this year and how she’s seeing the light of inspiration again. In this podcast, Rose reminds us of the simplicity of the breath and the power of creative community.

As a writer, are you prone to feelings of self-doubt? Don’t worry, most creatives are. In this podcast, I discuss how those pesky feelings of negativity can escalate to self-sabotage, and how to overcome them. Just like exercising to get healthier, writing is just another discipline that needs to be practised every day.

Let me know how you go with my suggestions by heading to @heartwriting.com.au, or email me on rose@heartwriting.com.au if you’d like some fresh reading inspo, or to chat more about all things writing!

Love writing, but struggle to get into the zone when you finally sit down, pen in hand?

This might be because a) you’re giving in to those toxic thoughts of self-doubt, and b) you need a little time to enter the theta brainwave state, the secret to accessing your greatest creative potential.

Like children, we need space to breathe, dream, and enter a new realm. We need to feel a deep connection to our inner creative spirit. Once we are connected, the critical ego falls away and we can write to our heart’s content.

Enjoy this 20 minute meditation which will ease you into your highest creative state. Afterwards, watch the words tumble effortlessly across the page! Let me know what you think on @heartwriting.com.au or check out the HeartWriting Facebook group to join the next online workshops.

Why do we avoid our creativity when it’s our greatest joy in life? Is it because of social conditioning? Self-sabotage? Or simply laziness? In this episode, I discuss the three main phases of my life: ‘hiding behind teaching’, ‘the escapist year’ and ‘finally making creative dreams a reality’. Let me know what you think on @heartwriting.com.au and check out my online workshops at www.heartwriting.com.au.