Today I’m celebrating my 100th episode of the Creative Introvert Podcast! Technically, I’ve recorded many more shows – nearly 50 ‘Year of Fun’ minisodes, plus two 10 episode series, one on Self-Knowledge and one on the Enneagram. I know every podcaster who hits an arbitrary number with some 0’s on the end says this, but I really am surprised I’ ...…

Let’s imagine your industry’s biggest conference is coming up. Three days of back-to-back presentations, workshops and panels, with endless opportunities to network, pitch influential people and evenings spent keeping the party going… If you’re an introvert, this may sound about as appealing as a punch in the ribs. Unfortunately, conferences ar ...…

Today’s podcast guest is someone I've wanted the chance to speak to even before I considered starting a podcast. Mark McGuinness of lateraction.com I think is best introduced through the words of another of my favourite authors and creativity mentors, Steven Pressfield. Here's what Steven says about Mark: "Mark McGuinness is a rare cat - part p ...…

I remember clearly being called ‘shy’ as a child. Sometimes ‘quiet.’ I despised the latter more. At least with ‘shy’ it felt like a virus I had caught. Being called ‘quiet’ suggested I had nothing to say. But I had lots to say, just not out loud. Either way, I knew that they weren’t terms of endearment. Slowly but surely, I learned ways to cove ...…

Today’s podcast guest always knew she was an introvert but didn’t start living boldly, embracing her introversion until she read Quiet by Susan Cain. Ultimately, this book changed Natalie’s life, giving her a new sense of confidence and pride in her quiet nature. She founded Quietly Ambitious in 2015 and since then has been using her online pla ...…

What a weird phrase. “I’m in my element.” It just popped into my head the other day (coincidentally, I was weeding) and before long I was writing this podcast in my head. What does it mean to be in your element? According to Cambridge dictionary, the expression means: “to be happy because you are doing what you like or can do best.” Sounds good ...…

Oh boy was this a treat for me. And I reckon it’ll be a treat for you too because today’s guest can only be described as a Superhero in the world of feel-good marketing. Yeah. That’s a thing. And when you hear Tad Hargrave from Marketing for Hippies talk about finding your niche, building a reputation and communicating what you do… I think he c ...…

I was recently asked the question: what would I do differently in my business if I could go back in time five years? The answer is... I regret nothing! Er... but another, more useful answer, is... I would know more. I would know certain things like what to invest my time, money and patience in. I would know what to say yes to, what to say no to ...…

I’ve hesitated to talk about this partly because I don’t like to dwell on my own sob stories unless I think I can be helpful, and up till now, I don’t think I’ve been confident I can do that with anxiety. The other reason is my own… denial. Denial that I could be feeling anything less than perky and enthusiastic, and denying that to myself let ...…

Today I'm rather excited to share a conversation with someone who is a bit of an idol of mine, a coach to creative misfits, a maven maker and all round bad ass business woman: Ebonie Allard. I've basically been in awe of Ebonie since I saw her speak at an event in Brighton, I also had to have her speak at my first ever live event back in 2017 a ...…

What is an introvert-friendly marketing strategy? Isn’t that a contradiction in terms? Kind of! I’ve been dancing around even talking directly about marketing on this podcast for a while, because I know the response so many of us creatives - especially of the introvert variety - kind of loathe the word. We don’t want to think about marketing - ...…

Vanessa's mission is to help organisations create a culture in which people, in all their uniqueness and diversity, can be known, feel valued, and thrive. She recently published her book, Shaping Workplace Culture: A Practical Guide - a must-read for introverts and extroverts alike. Connect with Vanessa: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Website If you ...…

So it's been one whole year of me attempting to find what 'fun' means for me, pushing my comfort zone, learning my personal sweet spot between challenge and boredom... and hopefully, showing you that you can do the same, all on your own introverted terms. Overall thoughts I definitely don't regret doing the challenge, and didn't find it too har ...…

Hope you've had a lovely holiday break, whether or not you choose to officially celebrate any or not, I assume the majority had some kind of break from work or your regular routine. Whilst I did enjoy time with my family of origin, and my friends, I'm quite ready to get back to regular life again. I just want the world to go back to normal - wi ...…

I’ll admit I’ve been a bit stuck on Year of Fun happenings to share with you for the last fortnight, and that’s not entirely because my life hasn’t had fun in it… but nothing is exactly big enough to write home about – or, make a podcast about. After nearly a year of this weekly fun, I’ve learned a lot about what I need in my life, what I consi ...…

I'm a massive fan of 'best of' lists, especially when it comes to books, and I figured it would be a nice way to start rounding up the year. For the first time, I was pretty consistent this year in keeping track of what I was reading, averaging about 4 books a month - but I will admit I finished probably half of them. I'm a big believer in putt ...…

It was a pleasure this week to have my first repeat guest back on the show, Martin Stellar (he's also the business and mindset coach I mention in The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. We discuss what Martin has been up to in the past couple of years, what it means to calibrate reality, and discuss how we can be ...…

Dammit - I promised myself I'd recorded my last woo-woo Year of Fun adventure, but here we are. Getting an astrology reading. After growing increasingly curious about astrology over the past year or so, I figured it was finally time to see what it would be like to get my birth chart - the map of the planets at the exact time I was born - interp ...…

I thought it would be wise to share an excerpt from my very first book, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms to celebrate it pre-launch. Well, it’s available for pre-order now and the reason you might want to order it before December 31st, is because of all the goodies I’m giving away to you early birds! The pr ...…

Another esoteric experience for you today, my trip to a float tank. This was my third visit to a float tank, though the first at this particular venue. For those of you who don't know, a float tank or a sensory deprivation tank, is basically like a big bath tub filled with very salty water. Oh and the bath tub has a lid. So you're in total dark ...…

Like so many fellow introverts, our podcast guest today grew up struggling with a deep lack of confidence and limited social skills. However, proof that these limitations are not permanent, Zach has since travelled to Asia, spending five months without staying in a single hotel- his social skills “paid” for accommodations. I was super excited t ...…

We've got a bit of a repeat Year of Fun adventure today, but only in that I went to another book club earlier this year, but that was (1) ages ago and (2) a very different type of event. What made this particular book club different is... that it was at someone's house. Which is definitely a push for many introverts - rocking up at a virtual st ...…

What the heck is confidence, really? Your confidence is made up of three areas: 1) Self esteem This is our judgement of how valuable we are, and how comfortable we feel being our self. So you can imagine low self-esteem statements are things like ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘I don’t deserve this awesome thing’ and you can also see it when people r ...…

Oh man. I have a tummy ache. I may have baked cookies. Shortbread, to be more accurate. And I may have eaten more than my fair share. I'm really not a chef, a baker or a candlestick maker - which if you've been paying attention to my Year of Fun adventures, you'll know. But I've had this bizarre and persistent craving for shortbread recently - ...…

So I thought I’d read all the books I’d ever need to read on productivity, healthy habits and getting things done. That was until… I saw the cover and title of our guest today’s latest book, Volcanic Momentum. For whatever reason, it really spoke to me and I had to dive straight in - and have the author, Jordan Ring on the podcast today. Jordan ...…

This week I'm sharing my self-made writing retreat in Lewes that I took last weekend. I would say lovely Lewes, because I have - in the past - really enjoyed a little wander around the small town in East Sussex, about half an hour by bus outside of Brighton, where I am. But I will admit it let me down a bit on this trip. When I was wandering ar ...…

I’ve been wondering for a while now, whether this podcast and all the work I do as the Creative Introvert, is in the intention of self-improvement OR self-acceptance. Because, I’m a fan of both - I love experimenting with ways to level up, grow or become a better version of myself… but I also know the value of settling into who I am, and maybe ...…

This week I'm sharing my trip to Cambridge with my dad, to meet 'the' dad: Jordan Peterson. Controversy aside, this was a brilliant experience - and I share some advice I got from my own dad at the end. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awTgtA3BuRY Fun rating: 8.5/10

Today I had the chance to talk to the lovely Jennifer Corcoran, of My Super Connector. Jennifer really is a super connector, and despite being a fellow introvert, has built an incredible network for herself – and helps others do the same. We discuss: How to connect authentically at a networking event How to ease nerves before networking Using o ...…

This is a bit of a cop out Year of Fun adventure, because I have technically recorded an experience with meditation earlier in the year. But, forgive me! This one was different enough to warrant another podcast, at least... I think so. So this was a lunchtime meditation session, just one hour, and a measly £5 to enter. It was held in the gorgeo ...…

What is a multipassionate? Let’s start with getting clear on what a multipassionate actually is. Other words to describe this phenomenon: Multipotentialite, Polymath, Renaissance Man (or Woman or whatever you identify as), Scanner, or the more derogatory Jack of All Trades, Master of None. Emilie Wapnik is my hero in this field, so I’m going to ...…

This week is a part 2 Year of Fun adventure, a follow up from the time I made a bowl at the Art & Pottery shop. If that isn't exciting enough (!) I also make a little announcement... Tune in to find out!

Today I had the chance to talk to the lovely Alex Pearson, founder of one of the World’s Greatest Bookshops (as voted by Lonely Planet guides) and the Yurt Academy, here in Brighton. We discuss: How to define creativity What makes us creative Does having a lot of passions help creativity? The myth of the left brain vs. right brain How to get ‘u ...…

Oh boy am I hesitant about sharing THIS one: the one in which I visit a medium. As in, someone who channels spirits. Especially after last week's yoga one, or any of my other more New Age adventures... because this really takes the biscuit. And at the same time, I'm certainly not judging anyone who wholeheartedly buys into this stuff, because q ...…

I have a bit of a personal one today, that comes from a lesson I’ve struggled a lot with learning. See, some of the stuff I share with you are lessons I’ve learned fairly easily, I see a better way of thinking or doing or being and I change my ways, without too much fuss. Others… Well, others I’m still learning. And each time I think I’ve got i ...…

Oh yes, I will not deny this one is a bit left field. I mean, how often have I mentioned yoga on this blog or podcast, ever? When I told some friends that I was going to be taking a YTT 200 - or a yoga teacher training course that leaves me minimally qualified to teach yoga - well, it's fair to say they were quite surprised. They were polite ab ...…

In this week’s episode of the Creative Introvert podcast I talk to Cat Byrne of Gatto Web, someone who I have a lot in common with - and not just the name. What we talked about: How Cat got started in web design Being forced into either the 'creative' route or the 'science' route How being different forced Cat to carve her creative path What ha ...…

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a 3 hour workshop on Botanical Illustration with the Yurt Academy. Honestly I was a bit nervous before I went, partly because I've never attempted a formal illustration class, though I've done a fair amount of life drawing. Also, botanical illustration is no joke! If you can picture a traditional botani ...…

One of the biggest misconceptions people have about introversion is that we are all shy, quiet and social recluses. It’s just not true! In fact, both introverts AND extroverts can be shy - it really all depends on other social factors and life experiences. In short, introversion/extroversion is more to do with where you get your energy from. In ...…

I've been in two minds trying to decide what fun I could share with you this week - you might have noticed I missed last week's fun update, and that was because I was away in Menorca (a small Balearic island) and had a pretty impossible wifi connection. So my debate was whether or not I should tell you about my trip to Menorca, or tell you abou ...…

In this week’s episode of the Creative Introvert podcast I talk to Jean Smith, social and cultural anthropologist and social intelligence coach. This podcast is BY FAR the one I’ve most hesitated to publish because… I get coached. I don’t get coached on something you might expect either - not a topic we normally tackle on the podcast, but one I ...…

Have you ever been asked what your superpower would be, if you were a superhero? I always struggled to pick between being able to fly and being invisible. Typically introverted answers: picking the two superpowers that would let me escape extroverted situations… More than being a fun game to play when you’re six, this is a great question to ask ...…

Oh boy was I excited for this one - and it came at just the right time. September has kind of kicked my ass back into action, after a summer where I really couldn’t do much more than be a sweaty, unproductive mess. Honestly I probably would have bailed on the day that the pottery class came around, because I felt super overwhelmed with all the ...…

In this week’s episode of the Creative Introvert podcast I talk to Lucy Lucraft, fellow blogger, podcaster, travel lover and Brightonian. What we talked about: How Lucy found her way into Travel blogging Managing multiple interests from school to later in life How having a community has helped her despite being an introvert Lucy's challenge wit ...…

Brighton Pavilion is arguably the most stunning landmark in Brighton, and honestly quite underrated. I remember visiting Brighton a lot as a kid, long before I moved here, and never once went inside the exotic palace, I only ever wandered through the gardens. I admit I did finally go last year, but I’ve always meant to return for another look. ...…

Let’s say you’ve been at this game for a while now. You might have even been listening to The Creative Introvert Podcast since it began, way back at the start of 2017. You might have even been doing some of the stuff I’ve been recommending. Taking action, journalling, finding a supportive community, showing your work. But. Things aren’t moving ...…

Heads up: before you get excited - or confused - I did NOT go to Glastonbury Festival, the massive music festival was not on this year. My plans instead were to visit Glastonbury, the town, in rural Somerset UK. Reasons? Well, I’d heard on multiple occasions about how great the town is for just tourism - it’s quirky, a bit like the place I live ...…

In this week’s episode of the Creative Introvert podcast I talk to Alex Mathers, of the Red Lemon Club. I'm SO excited to share this week's guest for you, because he's probably someone who I have to thank most out of virtually all my guests, even though they're all kick ass. At the height of my artistic discontent: I had just graduated, and whi ...…