About Mary

Mary photo by tree

Mary Potter Kenyon graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Psychology and is trained as a certified grief educator under world-renown grief expert David Kessler. Mary is widely published in magazines, newspapers, and anthologies, including ten Chicken Soup books. Her essay on the connection between grief and creativity was published in the January/February 2013 issue of “Poets & Writers” magazine. Mary conducts writing workshops and does public speaking on the topics of writing, utilizing your creativity in your everyday life, and finding hope and healing in grief. She had been a keynote speaker at the Cedar Falls Christian Writers workshop, the Iowa City Book Festival, Galena Lit-Fest, St. Thomas More Church in Coralville and the American Martyrs Retreat House in Cedar Falls. She has taught writing workshops at Hawkeye Community College in Cedar Falls, NICC, libraries, and annually at the Cedar Falls Christian Writer’s conference every June since 2012. She is the author of Coupon Crazy: The Science, the Savings, and the Stories Behind America’s Extreme Obsession, Chemo-Therapist: How Cancer Cured a Marriage, the award-winning Refined By Fire: A Journey of Grief and Grace, Mary & Me: A Lasting Link Through Ink, co-written with Mary Jedlicka Humston and Expressive Writing for Healing. Her book on creativity, Called to Be Creative, was released in August 2020.

RECENT MEDIA MENTIONS:

The Unmistakable Creative Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MfXCzMnIBg

Authority Magazine: Why We Are All Designed to Create https://medium.com/authority-magazine/author-mary-potter-kenyon-why-we-we-are-all-designed-to-create-8c81dc5cb4bc

Finding the Good Life TV: Mary Potter Kenyon – Finding The Good Life TV Show

Holley Gerth podcast: Is Everyone Creative? Yes, and Here’s Why That Matters Now (holleygerth.com)

Authority Magazine, Why We Are All Designed to Create: Author Mary Potter Kenyon: Why We Are All Designed To Create | by Authority Magazine | Authority Ma gazine | Medium

Talk of Iowa, Iowa Public Radio: https://www.iowapublicradio.org/show/talk-of-iowa/2020-10-26/finding-your-creativity-with-mary-potter-kenyon

Medium, Authority Magazine: “Social Impact Authors, How and Why Mary Potter Kenyon is Helping to Change Our World”

Authority Magazine: “How to Develop Mindfulness and Serenity During Stressful or Uncertain Times”

5 thoughts on “About Mary”

  1. Hi Mary, I heard you telling your story on IPR this morning and found it both inspiring and comforting. I am recently and joyfully retired from almost 36 years as a medical secretary. I’ve been a creative writer since childhood and have been published but not as widely as I’d like. I have a writing project due November 15 and it has given me joy and satisfaction. –Margalea Warner (Margalea is Margaret and Lea combined)

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