What Doesn't Kill Us by Dr Marion Piper Marion Piper

Today's guest is a wonderful human I had the joy of meeting in 2022 at NO/BS Vol. 2 in Melbourne. We became fast friends and, as you'll learn, there's more to Ben than first meets the eye.

In this episode, we talk about a range of different ideas all connecting back to neurodiversity. From how our brain's can be our biggest challenge, to the pressures that society places on us in a world that's designed for neurotypical people.

Ben Sorensen is quirky, eccentric, bearded, media personality, voiceover guy, writer, music lover, presenter of stuff & unable to leap tall buildings. Known as the "Master of Banter", Ben is an MC for many events all over Australia.

Ben is also available as a keynote speaker and consultant in the areas of Autism/Aspergers, Conscious Kindness, Comedy, Advertising, Social media, Marketing. But most of all is a neurodiverse "Brain for hire."

If you enjoyed this episode, you'll love The Creative Urge, my newsletter dedicated to helped you turn those creative urges into epic creations in the world.

To kick off this year's creative conversations, I'm beyond excited to introduce you to Astrologer and cosmic beauty, Kristy Gray.

In this conversation, we dance through a range of different ideas, from Kristy's creative process to what's happening in the stars when it comes to our creative energy.

Kristy's career started in Learning and Development in the beauty industry, working for the likes of Clinique and the global beauty giant, Sephora. A passion for developing people and brands blossomed into a 10-year career. Yet, attending another leadership course or picking up the latest self-help book had lost its spark. Something was missing. In 2018, she found herself seated in front of an award-winning astrologer who became her mentor, gifting her a profound understanding of herself and her circumstances, something she couldn't articulate on her own. Five years on, Kristy has become one of Australia's leading astrologers. Through her signature formula, Astrostrategy®, Kristy combines essential tools, profound insights, and empowering actions to help you reach for the stars and attain your desires. Her vision is to make the power of astrology accessible, demystifying this cosmic language. When she's not stargazing, you'll find her at the beach, with a great novel and a green juice in hand.

If you've enjoyed this chat, you're going to love The Creative Urge, my monthly newsletter. It's how we can stay in touch between episodes and you can get an injection of creative inspo when you need it most.

After an enforced podcasting break, WE'RE BACK BABY! Dr Maz is on the mic yet again and ready to introduce you to some incredible folks doing amazing creative work out in the world.

In this episode, we dive into how the 'fear of finishing' might be the biggest creative block stopping you from fully living out your most creative life.

Dr Maz also shares a bit of a life and business update, too.

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Today's episode is near and dear to my heart as it features one of my dearest friends: the incredible Kaylene Langford from Startup Creative. Kay and I crossed paths in 2021 in the midst of the pandemic when I approached her business coaching... and, as they say, the rest is history. Kay has been one of my biggest supporters and continues to cheerlead me, even on my worst days, and I always return the favour!

In this episode, we cover a lot of ground – everything from answering the call of the creative muse to the legacy of musician Sinead O'Connor. Kay is generous with her wisdom and a brilliant speaker, so you're going to love all the insights she drops so casually (I know I definitely was taking notes!).

If you don't know Kay, here's a little background info...

Kaylene Langford is a passionate entrepreneur, coach, writer and speaker, and the founder and owner of StartUp Creative, a hugely popular online platform, podcast, and print magazine that educates, inspires and supports creative entrepreneurs and future innovators.

Kaylene has over a decade of experience coaching, educating and supporting individuals to identify and achieve their goals. Working with aspiring and established entrepreneurs, she genuinely believes that everyone has the ability to achieve their potential and take control of their destiny. 

She's a highly respected business coach, podcaster, educator and author whose work has given her unique insight into human behaviour.  Her first book How to Start a Side Hustle was published  in July 20221 with Hardie Grant Books. 

Follow Kaylene on Instagram, listen to her podcast and subscribe to her https://kaylenelangford.substack.com/.

PS: If you enjoyed this conversation, you'll lose your mind over The Creative Urge.

Today's episode features the effervescent Ellie Rose from Cocoon Mental Health. She's a counsellor and psychotherapist with a fire in her belly to shake up mental health. We connected on Instagram and have been chatting up a STORM in the DMs so decided to make it official with a real life conversation on the pod.

Out of her own frustrations from working in and researching youth mental health across the past decade, Ellie created Cocoon Mental Health, providing sessions, workshops and content for those of us who want to move on from our family issues and thrive in this big, sometimes confusing life.

Cocoon uses a chilled-out, creative approach to therapy (no boring, clinical b.s here!) with the belief that you can do and be all the things you want to - because you’ve always deserved more. 

In this episode, we touch on how important hobbies are (especially for our mental health), and do a deep dive into coping mechanisms. Ellie is a breath of fresh air in the therapeutic space and specialises in family-based systems of support.

If you enjoyed this conversation, you'll love my Substack, The Creative Urge.

Today's episode is very special. I had the honour of hopping on the mic with Alexandra Wyman, author of the Amazon best selling book, "The Suicide Club: What To Do When Someone You Love Chooses Death". Our conversation discusses heavy topics like the grief process, but in a beautifully light and nourishing way.

Alexandra Wyman is an advocate and public speaker for resources in the aftermath of suicide. After she lost her husband to suicide in August of 2020, Alexandra found a need to change the language around suicide, and decided to write about it. Her memoir, The Suicide Club: What To Do When Someone You Love Chooses Death is an Amazon best seller. She has spoken at a variety of conferences including Bridging the Divide Suicide Prevention and Awareness Summit 2022, 2023 Northwest Conference on Childhood Grief, and has been accepted to present at the 2023 Military Social Work & Behavioural Health Conference and the International Association of Suicide Prevention Conference 2023 in Piran, Slovenia. Alexandra has also been a guest on a variety of podcasts including The Unlock Moment, Author Hour, Resilience Unravelled, She Persisted, and My Wake Up Call with Dr. Mark Goulston. Alexandra has her own podcast called The Widow’s Club, as well. She practices pediatric occupational therapy and lives in Colorado with her son.

Alexandra is living proof that what doesn't kills us, makes us more creative, and if you're interested to learn more, you can grab her book, follow her on Instagram or check out her website, forwardtojoy.com.

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