What Doesn't Kill Us by Dr Marion Piper: Recent Episodes
Marion Piper
Friedrich Nietzsche famously said, “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger” – but we’re well past that now.
What doesn’t kill us has the capacity to change who we are, what we believe in and how we experience the world – it’s not just about building our strength. It’s also an invitation to get creative.
Welcome to What Doesn’t Kill Us with Dr Marion Piper – a podcast for conversations about creativity, posttraumatic growth and how we make sense of the tough stuff.
One of the thing's I love most about today's guest is her energy and aura. When you first meet Vinisha, you can't help but be drawn in: her empathy, warmth and vitality are absolutely infectious!
In this episode, she shares a bit about her journey and why she is comfortable in her discomfort and her pain, allowing others to do the same.
Vinisha Rathodis the Managing Director of p3 Studio, an agency that partners with local and global leaders on their growth journey. Her experience across different sectors has helped her develop a key understanding on how leaders can effectively navigate the commercial and people agenda.
Vinisha harnesses her expertise in partnerships, public speaking, and commercialisation to provide fresh perspectives for founders, investors and operators. She is a sought after speaker, who is renowned for her authenticity, and creating safe spaces to explore nuanced perspectives and complex problems.
As a heads up, we touch on some sensitive topics, like domestic violence and trauma, so if you're feeling extra sensitive today, make sure you've got support and take care of you!
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.
Subscribe to The Creative Urge newsletter to stay connected.
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.
If you enjoyed this episode, you're going to lap up my newsletter, The Creative Urge.
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.
If you loved this chat, you'll go B A N A N A S for my Substack newsletter, The Creative Urge.
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!
What happens when you feel overwhelmed by a difficult emotion? How do you react or respond? Today, I share with you my very own creative grief practice that has helped me move through loss, grief and changes. It's free, won't take up too much of your time, and can be integrated into your daily journaling practice. Grief is a complicated emotion, especially in the face of change in your life – but it doesn't have to be all-consuming. There's another way to process it and move on, freeing yourself up to welcome in new creative energy. If this episode floats your boat, make sure you're subscribed to my newsletter, The Creative Urge.
When life turns to shit, you're not only dealing with the event that caused it: you're also going to have to manage the fallout. Today, we're talking about what you can do with your leftover pain after life changes or you experience a loss (of any kind). Spoiler alert: you CAN transmute your pain into something purposeful or helpful, to you or other people, using the creative process. If you enjoy this mini-episode, you'll lost your marbles over my newsletter, The Creative Urge.
Welcome to part 4 of my 5 part series tackling the amazing posttraumatic growth (PTG) life areas. This week, we're exploring one of my FAVOURITE words of all time: APPRECIATION. Different to gratitude, appreciation can be the key to unlocking new perspectives, retraining your brain and getting some reprieve from the 'shit pit'. If you dig the vibe of this episode – or have LOVED this series – shit is getting real over on my Substack, The Creative Urge, so make sure you sign up pronto!
Have you ever heard yourself utter the phrase "no one understands me" after you've been through a challenging situation? I know I have! In today's poddy, I dive into the third life area of posttraumatic growth (PTG), which is all about deepening your relationships with others. Creativity is a relational practice – more on this in the episode – and one that can be the bridge between you and the people you want to spend more time with. If you enjoy this one, make sure you're signed up to my Substack newsletter, The Creative Urge.
Life has a funny habit of getting in the way, doesn't it?! It's been a long time between drinks for us, but I'm here now, continuing the series I started last year. It's all about the 5 life areas of post-traumatic growth (PTG) and part 2 deals with cultivating personal strength. I'm not talking about physical strength, but about building and amplifying the positive and good personality traits and characteristics you have. What does this look like on the day-to-day? How can you pinpoint what traits to nurture? That's what we'll dive into today. And if you haven't already done so, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter The Creative Urge (it's where I'm my most unhinged).
Aaaaaand we're back! Sorry for the hiatus friends, life has been a little wobbly lately. Listen to this episode and you'll find out why. It kicks off a 5 part series exploring the posttraumatic growth (PTG) life areas. This first one, 'spiritual or existential change', is a DOOZY. It's that moment you realise that everything has changed. That YOU are changed – and NOTHING makes sense anymore. If you like this episode, you'll probably also dig my Substack newsletter called "The Creative Urge", which you can support at: https://thecreativeurge.substack.com/ ❤️
In this episode we meet Nicole Avery, a Melbourne mum to five beautiful kids aged 23 to 13. Nic loves to be organised so she can spend more time being with her family and making space for her creative endeavours. She shares how she organises herself and her family on one of Australia's most popular parenting blogs Planning With Kids. It is through this platform that she has helped 1000s of women to organise the chaos of family life and find purpose in the day to day.
Nicole's latest passion is her functional beverage business Adapt Drinks. It makes a non alcoholic, zero sugar, all natural, lightly sparkling water with adaptogenic herbs designed to help women unwind and relax.
We cover so much ground, from goal setting and the concept of 'tilting', to some of Nic's hardest moments in business. I hope you enjoy this chat as much as we enjoyed having it!
I just went on a business retreat and the insights just keep coming! In this episode, I unpack why creativity isn't a zero-sum game. So often the divide is between those who are creative and those who are not. It's simply not how it is. Join me as I meander my way through this concept and hopefully inspire you to start redefining creativity on your own terms. Oh, and lots of shout outs for this episode, including: legendary bold business coach and speaker Suz Chadwick; my gym, Body Fit Training North Melbourne; and Father Bronques, maker of the excellent podcast Make Art Not Content. Enjoy!
This episode is going to give you ALL the feels. I've known Professor Lexi Lasczik for more than half my life. How? We first met when I was 15 as she was my high school art teacher! Fast forward to today, and Lexi is kicking goals as Associate Dean, Research in the Faculty of Education at Southern Cross University (where I did my PhD with Lexi as my main supervisor!). Needless to say, we cover a lot of ground, particularly focusing on how important an arts education is for young people. This conversation is so special to me as Lexi is a mentor, friend and fellow artist who is fighting the good fight to make sure kids receive an education in the arts. You can learn more about her and her work at https://www.alexandralasczik.com/ or follow her on the 'Gram at @lexi_lasczik
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Alexandra Lasczik is currently Associate Dean, Research in the Faculty of Education at Southern Cross University and is co-founder and Research co-Leader of the Sustainability, Environment and the Arts in Education Research Centre [SEAE]. She is a Professor of Arts and Education, and she teaches in Art education and research methodologies, as well as supervising a large team of bright doctoral candidates. Her areas of research include arts-based research, critical walking inquiry, diaspora, belonging and environmental education, which she mostly does in partnership with children and young people (aged 4-18), and more recently Seniors. Alexandra was previously a high school Art teacher for 25 years, and led the Creative Arts department in 6 schools, including for 16 years in Mount Druitt in Sydney’s West. She has a particular interest in working with disengaged and marginalised youth.
Dear friends, I'm excited for you to meet the amazing Alexis Guttridge from Pause. She's a meditation teacher with an amazing backstory (we go into it in the episode). Alexis is my first guest on What Doesn't Kill Us and the last episode for 2021! Inside this episode, you'll learn 👉🏼Why meditation has been a game changer for Alexis 👉🏼How she changed her relationship to alcohol 👉🏼plus, a small gift at the end (so stick around!). Alexis will be launching the next round of her 8 Week Mindfulness Practice on February 1, 2022, so if you dig her vibe, make sure you book into her program, you won't regret it. All that being said, I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as Alexis and I enjoyed having it ❤️
It's been a hot minute between episodes friends but for good reason. Life has been changing faster than ever and I've been scrambling to keep up! But, never fear – I'm back on deck. In this episode, we explore what it means to fuel your creativity. I mention how I've been working on my message via Father Bronques' online course The Mystery School (keep your ears peeled for my message in the ep!) and I leave you with 3 great tips on how to keep the fire burnin'. Search for @bronques on Instagram and check out https://makeartnotcontent.com/ to learn more about The Mystery School.
Do you feel flat? Have your creative juices dried up? It's not your fault – we're still in a pandemic. In this, the third episode of What Doesn't Kill Us by Dr Marion Piper, I tackle the topic of creativity in a crisis. You might be asking yourself, "is now the right time to create, even if I'm exhausted?" The answer – it could be, but it doesn't have to be. One of the mantras of posttraumatic growth that I tell myself is this: I can turn my pain into power. The last 18 months have truly been a test of that mantra and in this episode I share parts of my creative journey through the longest lockdown in the world and leave you with 3 tips for how to navigate this time and still create magic. I hope you enjoy ❤️
HEADS UP: This episode contains mental health themes that some listeners may find difficult to hear.
Welcome back legends! In this, the second episode of What Doesn't Kill Us by Dr Marion Piper, I plunge myself into the deep waters of posttraumatic growth. Why? It's important that you understand what this concept represents and how powerful it can be to help you reframe your lived experience and start your own journey of growth.
In this episode, I talk about:
- The posttraumatic growth 5 life areas
- A few definitions of trauma
- My experience as a child and how it shaped my understanding of trauma, and
- Stephen Joseph, Ph.D, and his wonderful book What Doesn't Kill Us: The New Psychology of Posttraumatic Growth.
No matter where you are in your growth journey, you'll want to tune in for the 3 messages and 2 questions I mention at the end of this episode.
Welcome to the very first episode of What Doesn't Kill Us by Dr Marion Piper. It's a solo episode with Dr Marion and an introduction to what you can expect from future episodes.
In it, Dr Marion talks about:
- Her origin story (albeit it briefly)
- The PhD research that powers her creative work, and
- We round out the episode with 3 tips to give YOU somewhere to start with creativity.
I hope you enjoy this first episode and continue to listen in 🥰
Here's a sneak peek at Dr Marion Piper's forthcoming podcast, What Doesn't Kill Us. It's a space for conversations about creativity, posttraumatic growth and how we make sense of the tough stuff. You can expect to learn more about these amazing ideas, meet some incredible people and journey deep into the heart of what it means to live a truly creative life.