The Neurodivergent Creative Podcast

Caitlin Fisher
  • 4.8 (33)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
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The podcast for creatives of all types (and neurotypes) to celebrate passion and creativity, stop hiding your unique brilliance, and embrace what makes your mind and spirit come alive! Previously known as Run Like Hell Toward Happy, this show is hosted by Caitlin Fisher, a writing and creative coach who helps neurodivergent, chronically ill, and/or queer folks connect with their most passionate lives.

  1. 5D AGO

    You Don’t Have to Suffer to Be Worthy | #206

    What if your creativity didn’t have to come from burnout?In this episode of The Neurodivergent Creative Podcast, Caitlin Liz Fisher reflects on safety, burnout, and the quiet, radical act of stepping away from work that no longer feels aligned. Through an oracle card pull and honest storytelling, Caitlin explores what it means to choose rest, reconnect with desire, and unlearn the belief that suffering makes you more valuable.This is an episode about permission.To pause. To not know.And to choose yourself anyway.Because creativity doesn’t come from pressure or urgency. It comes from safety. From having enough space to listen to yourself again.What We Explore in This Episode Taking a business sabbatical and choosing not to decide from burnoutThe sneaky belief that you have to suffer to be valuable (and why that’s… cuckoo banana pants)Navigating being good at something vs. being called to itThe difference between neurotypical vs. neurodivergent workplacesHow honesty can either break trust or build it (depending on the environment)Expanding beyond black-and-white thinking into third options🌈Support the ShowIf this episode resonated, tell me. Seriously. Leave a comment. Send a DM. Tell me what this podcast has meant to you.Affirmation helps me keep showing up.You can also: Join The Creatives Rebellion on Patreon (tiers start at $3)Download the Audacity Bill of Rights at audacityarchives.comLeave a 5-star review on Apple PodcastsYou don’t have to earn your rest.You don’t have to justify your joy.You don’t have to turn everything you love into labor.You are allowed to be a whole, happy person.🍄

    21 min

  2. MAR 20

    Wanting Things, Letting Go, and the Courage to Be Messy | #205

    ⚠️TW: Quick content note before we start, this episode includes discussion of abusive relationships, trauma, and healing. Please listen with care and take breaks if you need to.In this episode of The Neurodivergent Creative, Caitlyn explores what it means to want something, and why that can feel so complicated when you’ve been shaped by trauma, control, and fear.Starting with an Oracle card pull (because sometimes the universe really does have jokes), this episode unfolds into a conversation about control vs surrender, karmic release, and the quiet, radical act of letting yourself live without micromanaging every possible outcome.💬"You cannot learn in advance what you need to learn from experience." - Caitlin Liz FisherMarch holds weight. It marks the anniversary of their leaving an abusive relationship, and with that comes reflection—not just on what happened, but on how much has changed since. And maybe more importantly: how much has been reclaimed.What We Explore in This Episode The idea that you cannot learn in advance what you need to learn through experienceWhy trying to control everything can disconnect you from your own desiresThe difference between wanting something and controlling othersHow trauma can make desire feel dangerous or morally wrongRelearning how to trust yourself after years of self-abandonmentThe impact of abusive relationships on decision-making and autonomyThe slow, brave process of becoming yourself again🌈Support the ShowIf this episode resonated, tell me. Seriously. Leave a comment. Send a DM. Tell me what this podcast has meant to you.Affirmation helps me keep showing up.You can also: Join The Creatives Rebellion on Patreon (tiers start at $3)Download the Audacity Bill of Rights at audacityarchives.comLeave a 5-star review on Apple PodcastsYou don’t have to get it right before you begin. You don’t have to control everything to be safe. And you don’t have to earn your way back into your own life.Go make weird art. Stay hydrated. And let yourself want things again!💜

    30 min

  3. MAR 13

    Relationship Skills I Accidentally Learned From Romance Novels | #204

    ⚠️Trigger Warning: This episode discusses past abusive relationships, stalking/harassment by an ex-partner, trauma recovery, family estrangement, and mental health topics including anxiety and OCD. Please listen with care and take breaks if needed.In this episode of The Neurodivergent Creative, Caitlin shares how romance novels have unexpectedly helped her heal from relationship trauma and emotional abuse.March marks the anniversary of leaving an abusive marriage, which brings up a lot of memories and emotional triggers. But instead of viewing healing as a straight line, or assuming that getting triggered means you're back at the beginning, Caitlin introduces a powerful idea: Healing is a spiral staircase.You may encounter the same triggers again and again, but you are meeting them from a different place each time.This episode explores how trauma healing unfolds in layers, how safe relationships can help rewire the nervous system, and how romance novels can model communication, repair, and emotional safety in ways many of us never experienced growing up.What We Explore in This Episode: Trauma healing and the spiral staircase metaphorWhy triggers changing over time is actually evidence of healingLeaving an abusive marriage and rebuilding safetyThe role of romance novels in reshaping beliefs about love, repair, and communicationHow fiction can model safe relationships when real life didn’tThe emotional power of dual POV romance and seeing care from both sidesQueer identity, bisexual visibility, and romance representationLearning to communicate needs in a healthy relationship after emotional abuseWhy “use your words” can feel revolutionary when you’ve been trained not toReflection Questions Where in your life are you assuming that being triggered means you’re “back at the beginning”?What would change if you viewed your healing as a spiral instead of a straight line?Are there stories, books, or characters helping you imagine safer ways of being loved?What small communication need have you been sitting on because part of you still expects punishment? 🌈Support the ShowIf this episode resonated, tell me. Seriously. Leave a comment. Send a DM. Tell me what this podcast has meant to you.Affirmation helps me keep showing up.You can also: Join The Creatives Rebellion on Patreon (tiers start at $3)Download the Audacity Bill of Rights at audacityarchives.comLeave a 5-star review on Apple PodcastsGo make weird art. Use your words. Let yourself be loved safely.And remember, the fact that it still hurts sometimes does not mean you aren’t healing.I love you! There’s nothing you can do about it. 💜

    25 min

  4. MAR 6

    Trauma, Identity, and Learning to Be Yourself in Relationships | #203

    ⚠️Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of abusive relationships and trauma recovery. If these topics are difficult for you, please listen with care.---In this episode of The Neurodivergent Creative, Caitlyn explores Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stage of Intimacy vs. Isolation, the developmental stage that typically happens in our twenties.Through the lens of psychology, trauma recovery, and personal storytelling, Caitlyn examines the cultural script many of us grow up believing: Meet someone → date → move in → marry → build a life. This “relationship escalator” can feel like the default path to adulthood, especially when you’re young and still figuring out who you are.If you’ve ever found yourself twisting into pretzels to keep a relationship, losing yourself in the process, or staying because you’re afraid to be alone—this episode offers both validation and perspective.💬" If you are twisting yourself up into pretzels and walking on eggshells and like trying to stay safe in a relationship by being what they want you to be, and you're not your real self, maybe you don't even know who your real self is, choose isolation for a minute. Get to know yourself. Be on your own. Figure out who you are when you're single." - Caitlin Liz FisherWhat We Explore in This Episode Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stages of developmentThe stage of Intimacy vs Isolation and why it defines your twentiesHow childhood shame, guilt, and role confusion shape adult relationshipsThe pressure of the relationship escalator and cultural scripts about marriageWhy fear of being alone can keep people in unhealthy relationshipsThe difference between performing a personality vs. being your real selfHow safe relationships feel different from survival relationshipsReflection Questions Are you being your real self in your relationships?Where might you still be performing safety instead of authenticity?What would it look like to get to know yourself outside of relationships?Are you staying somewhere because it’s right or because it’s familiar?🌈Support the Show!If this episode resonated, tell me. Seriously. Leave a comment. Send a DM. Tell me what this podcast has meant to you.Affirmation helps me keep showing up.You can also: Join The Creatives Rebellion on Patreon (tiers start at $3)Download the Audacity Bill of Rights at audacityarchives.comLeave a 5-star review on Apple PodcastsGo make weird art. Stay hydrated. Have the audacity to be yourself. I love you and there’s nothing you can do about it!💜

    26 min

  5. FEB 27

    You Don’t Have to Exhaust Yourself to Matter | #202

    ⚠️Trigger Warning: This episode is about burnout, trauma anniversaries, abusive relationship recovery, productivity shame, nervous system regulation, romance novels as harm reduction, and redefining success on your own terms.My OCD brain tells me I am a better person if I am constantly stressed about the news. It says: “If you’re not spiraling, you’re not caring enough.” That’s not true. Being informed does not require being dysregulated.Your value is not determined by: how exhausted you arehow visible your activism ishow many hours you workedhow productive your trauma recovery looksYour value is measured by doing what you can.Not what you think you “should.”Not what someone else can.Not what you did before burnout.Not what you can do on a good spoon day.You are not required to exhaust yourself to deserve to exist.What We Explore in This Episode OCD, productivity shame, and the lie that you’re only good when exhaustedThe difference between safe love and survival loveRebuilding self-worth after gaslightingDoing what you can as a disabled, neurodivergent person🌈Support the ShowIf this episode resonated, tell me. Seriously. Leave a comment. Send a DM. Tell me what this podcast has meant to you. Affirmation helps me keep showing up. You can also: Join The Creatives Rebellion on Patreon (tiers start at $3)Download the Audacity Bill of Rights at audacityarchives.comLeave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts Go make weird art. Rest if you need to. Read the romance novel. Extend the break.You are not required to exhaust yourself to deserve to exist.I love you. There’s nothing you can do about it!

    23 min

  6. FEB 20

    "It’s Just a Phase” and The Truth About Identity Exploration | #201

    In this episode of The Neurodivergent Creative, we keep rolling through Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development! We’ve officially reached the stage where everything feels dramatic, your body is doing weird stuff without your permission, and adults suddenly want you to “be yourself” while also punishing you for it.Welcome to Stage 5: Identity vs. Role Confusion (roughly ages 12–18)💬" A lot of things in our life are phases and that's fine. It's morally neutral. I think the problem comes in when we start getting upset that a phase is just a phase and that it wasn't a lifelong thing. We gotta stop that. What the hell is that? Why are we trying to make everything last forever?" - Caitlin Liz FisherWe talk about adolescence as the developmental era of experimenting, trying things on, and figuring out who you are beneath performance, survival, and other people’s expectations. We also talk about how being forced into adult roles too early can fracture identity development and why it makes perfect sense if you still feel like you’re rebuilding “you” now.As you sit with this episode, you might ask and reflect about: What phases did I have that I was shamed for?What parts of me were real, but I had to hide?Did I get to experiment safely or did I have to become someone else to survive?Where do I still feel like I’m “trying on” versions of myself?What would it look like to let that be okay?What We Explore in This Episode Erikson’s Identity vs. Role Confusion stage explained simplyWhy adolescence is supposed to be full of phases (and why that’s morally neutral)How caretaking roles and parentification can disrupt identity developmentWhy “being the good kid” can become a mask instead of a selfThe difference between who you are vs. what you do (and why the constant should be you)How identity gets shaped through experimentation: style, interests, community, valuesQueerness, gender exploration, and why language helps kids feel less alone

    32 min

  7. FEB 13

    Industry vs. Inferiority: "Smart Kid" Burnout and the Fear of Being Average | #200

    Imposter syndrome isn’t always about not being good enough. Sometimes it’s about believing: “If I don’t know everything, I won’t be safe.”For some of us, the way we survived this stage was by becoming “the smart one.” High-achieving. High-performing. Teacher-approved. If your identity becomes “the smart one,” then not knowing something becomes dangerous.In this episode, Caitlin continues their deep dive into Erik Erikson’s psychosocial stages of development and land squarely in Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority. This is the school-age stage. Roughly ages 5–12. The era of gold stars, spelling tests, group projects, comparison, praise, shame… and the moment many neurodivergent kids begin to feel different in ways they don’t yet have language for!💬" You are not a bad person 'cause you don't know everything. Knowing the sum total of knowledge in the universe is not how you stay safe. You stay safe by surrounding yourself with safe people who love you and will treat you nicely even if you make mistakes." - Caitlin Liz FisherWhat We Explore in This Episode Erikson’s Industry vs. Inferiority stage explained in human languageHow school environments can reinforce shame in neurodivergent kidsADHD, autism, and the early roots of “I’m bad at this”The “smart kid” identity and how it turns into imposter syndromeWhy perfectionism can feel like protectionHow shame about confidence becomes compulsive modesty

    27 min

  8. FEB 6

    I Will Gladly “Waste Time”: Burnout, Rest & Being Human Again | #199

    In this episode of The Neurodivergent Creative, Caitlin shares a real-time update from her burnout recovery journey—what happened when she took January completely off from her business, why she’s extending that break, and what she’s learning about rest, usefulness, creativity, and nervous system repair. Caitlin talks about stepping away from selling and marketing, rediscovering hobbies (hello knitting and romance writing), navigating rejection sensitivity as a neurodivergent business owner, and realizing how much praise and external validation matter when you’ve been running solo for years.💬" I will gladly waste time if it means that time is spent existing in my human body doing human things." - Caitlin Liz FisherThis is not a productivity episode. This is an anti-hustle, pro-human, “seven loads of laundry counts as a win” episode. So, if you’ve ever felt like your value is tied to output… this one’s for you.What We Explore in This Episode: Why burnout recovery takes longer than a week offThe nervous system shift that happens when you stop hustlingRejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) and marketing as a neurodivergent entrepreneurWhy praise hits differently when you’re not self-employedThe difference between being useful and being worthyRedefining “wasted time”Small wins as survival strategy during hard seasons

    22 min
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The podcast for creatives of all types (and neurotypes) to celebrate passion and creativity, stop hiding your unique brilliance, and embrace what makes your mind and spirit come alive! Previously known as Run Like Hell Toward Happy, this show is hosted by Caitlin Fisher, a writing and creative coach who helps neurodivergent, chronically ill, and/or queer folks connect with their most passionate lives.

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