What Dreamers Do
Hi, I’m Carla Gover, an Appalachian musician, flatfoot dancer, mama, and DREAMER from Kentucky. I'm on a mission to share fierce love, good humor, and inspiration to help you live a life of creative freedom. I decided to start the What Dreamers Do Podcast to help answer the question: How can we use our gifts and talents to build a better world, and have fun along the way? You’ll also find musings about Appalachia as well as interesting conversations with songwriters, poets, dancers, educators, world-changers, social justice warriors, and other people like you who are working to make a difference using their art, their skills, or just the way they live their lives. On every episode, you’ll hear ideas, conversations, and actionable items to help you unlock your creativity and live your purpose. Grab a mason jar full of sweet tea (or something a little stronger) and pull up a chair, cause it’s time to get YOUR dream on!
Episodes
40 episodes
You Are the Light: A Guided Meditation with Geoffrey Bullington
What if the simple act of remembering joy could change the world? In this luminous meditation episode of What Dreamers Do, my friend Geoffrey guides us through a meditation that gathers our most tender memories and sends th...
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Healing Our Hearts & Minds: A Conversation with Geoffrey Bullington
Welcome to a deeply personal and transformative episode of What Dreamers Do. Today, I sit down with my longtime spiritual mentor and friend, Geoffrey Bullington, whose journey from the hills of Eastern Kentucky to the mountains of West...
What Dreamers Do 30-Day Creative Living Challenge
Host: Carla GoverIn this episode, Carla Gover shares her behind-the-scenes thoughts about why she created the What Dreamers Do 30-Day Creative Living Challenge, kicking off on April 15th. Carla Gover shares her passion for ...
Making Kentucky Queen: The Stories Behind the Songs
Come with me on a track-by-track journey through Kentucky Queen, my first solo project in 15 years, where I share the personal, cultural, and musical roots of each song on the album. My aim for this episode was to share the stories I love to he...
In Defense of Daydreaming: An Interview with Silas House
Join host Carla Gover and Kentucky Poet Laureate Silas House as they discuss the creative life. The episode explores the fears and resistance writers face, the importance of honesty in storytelling, and the impact of cultural and religious cond...
The Brilliant Biz & Life of Artist Leonie Dawson
In this episode of "What Dreamers Do," Leonie Dawson, the vibrant and successful artist, writer, poet, and illustrator from Australia, opens up about her unique journey as a creative entrepreneur. From her time in the Australian governm...
Appalachian Art & Identity: An Interview with Matthew Sidney Parsons
In this episode of "What Dreamers Do," host Carla Gover welcomes poet, songwriter, and renaissance man, Matthew Sidney Parsons. Born in Kentucky and raised in West Virginia and Tennessee, Parsons now resides in Eastern Kentucky on a fam...
The Evolution of a Kentucky Clogger: Interview with Dancer Steven Smith
Join host Carla Gover in her conversation with veteran Kentucky clogger (and professional psychologist) Steven Smith in this episode of What Dreamers Do. Carla and Steven also discuss the nuances of different dance styles, the im...
Rhythm & Resistance: An Interview with Matthew Olwell
Welcome back to "What Dreamers Do," the podcast that explores the power of dreams, creativity, and the human spirit. Today we have a special guest joining us on the show. Please welcome Matthew Olwell, a multi-talented artist, musician, and dan...
Broadside Balladeer: An Interview with English Singer Jennifer Reid
In this episode of "What Dreamers Do," host Carla Gover sits down with the talented and multipassionate Jennifer Reid, a researcher, presenter, educator, performer and provocateur. In her lovely Northern Accent, we get a glimpse of ...
Writing Redemption: An Interview with Bobi Conn
On this episode of What Dreamers Do, host Carla Gover talks with Appalachian Author Bobi Conn about her work, her writing process, overcoming trauma, and offering a counter-narrative to stereotypical, pop-culture representations of the re...
Quiet Lovers of Justice: A Conversation with Si Kahn
On this episode of What Dreamers Do, we catch up with Si Kahn, an activist, author, playwright, organizer, and singer-songwriter known for his powerful songs and lifelong engagement in labor issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. The...
Carryin' On: An Interview with Appalachian Dancer Rodney Clay Sutton
In this episode, you'll take a deep dive into Appalachian Flatfooting, Clogging, and the general dance history of the Carolinas. You'll also hear the origin story of Rodney Clay Sutton, recognized as a Master Folk Artist in North Carolina. ...
The Posh Tea Tour: On Traveling With the Band in Europe
Welcome back for season two of What Dreamers Do!I kick this episode off by recapping my summer travels with the band, sharing some fun and memorable moments from the UK, Ireland, Serbia, and Greece, and my takeaways about the ins...
Be Radical, Make Music: An Interview with Feminist Scottish Musician Rosie Bans
In this juicy interview, we chat with Singer/Songwriter/Producer Rosie Bans, who writes, performs, ad collaborates with other artists and activists to create change for women and other marginalized groups, AND has an innovative support group an...
What My Granny Taught Me: An Excerpt from the Cornbread & Tortillas Folk Opera
This is part of my meandering summer episode series, which don't necessarily come out each Thursday, but rather when inspiration strikes. I might be in a cool café in London or an East Kentucky Holler when I record, or maybe just in my...
Sacred Catharsis: An Interview with Writer/Yogi Kelli Hansel Haywood
Appalachian Author/Yogi Kelli Hansel Haywood's life and practice is firmly rooted in the soil of her native East Kentucky. In this interview, she speaks about home, art, motherhood, healing, and her artistic processes. Some of the ...
Her Native Language: A Musical Interview with Cari Norris
I'm releasing this interview with Kentucky musician/artist/icon Cari Anna Norris, recorded in the summer of 2021. As Kentucky mourns her passing this week, I wanted to honor her memory with this sweet interview I conducted as part of my...
Your Creative Permission Slip
Why is it that we don't always make time for doing the things we love? And then when we finally do them (and feel great) we wonder why in the world we waited so long?In this podcast, I muse about why that might be the case, and a...
Your Creativity Playbook: Tips & Inspiration for Your Creative Life
This quick episode is allll about giving you a sneak preview of the amazing creators and tips inside my free e-book, How To Live Your Most Creative Life. I put this together to inspire you, help you break through blocks and stuck places, and ge...
Alchemy & Unbecoming: An Interview with Priestess Deepshikha Sairam
How moving beyond fear and connecting with your intuition helps every area of your life.Are you someone who is drawn to growth, transformation, and living your most authentic, soulful life? If so, you’re going to LOVE this week’s ...
Appalachian Artivism (Part 2): An Interview with Sam Gleaves
This week I'm continuing my chat with musician/songwriter/educator/Appalachian Artivist Sam Gleaves about a bevy of subjects dear to our hearts and our work in Kentucky and beyond. He talks about how his work with cultural organizations...
Appalachian Artivism: An Interview with Sam Gleaves Part 1
Our interview guest for this week is multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, and Appalachian Music Professor Sam Gleaves, who was born and raised in Wytheville, Virginia. Rooted in Appalachian sounds, Gleaves’ songwriting sings of contempora...
Let It Be Easy: Change Your Mind to Change the World
Whether or not you believe that our thoughts create our reality, I think we can all acknowledge that our attitudes and habitual thoughts can affect our quality of life. I have had a lifelong fascination with the ways that our everyday t...
10 Songs I Really Love (And Why I Love Them!)
This was a hard episode to record, because there are SO MANY songs I love. And, full disclosure, this list might vary on any given day--just as yours likely would!Some of these you will likely have heard, and I hope that others will...
