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

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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You've heard me talk about post-traumatic growth (PTG) in previous episodes, but today's conversation tackles a related, but different, experience of trauma: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Meet the incredible Madeline Popelka, trauma survivor and founder of @healingfromptsd. Madeline and I talk about her experience with PTSD, her new book called You're going to be okay and a few other little treats along the way.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Madeline Popelka grew up in a household where mental health was never discussed. Suffering alone, when she started to experience PTSD symptoms in her late twenties, she realized she didn't know the ­ first step in getting help. As Madeline began her healing journey, she felt an urge to create a space for other trauma survivors on Instagram, @HealingFromPTSD, which is now the largest trauma healing community on Instagram. There she shares her hard-earned lessons on healing, inspiring hundreds of thousands of survivors along their own healing journeys. To learn more about Madeline and her work, visit her website at: madelinepopelka.com and her Instagram: @HealingFromPTSD.

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You know how much I love exploring the topic of mental health (heck, it's what this podcast is ALL about). But when coupled with my other favourite topic, creativity, you know we're in for a treat! In today's episode, I chat to the delightful Aimee Davies. Aimee founded The Hey Mate Project, a social enterprise that delivers evidence based mental health, wellness support and education to the music, entertainment, performing arts, creative industries and wider community. Our conversation touches on a lot of different areas of what Aimee does, including her background and creative practice. If you love this episode, you're going to froth over my Substack newsletter, The Creative Urge, too – so get subscribing!