The Neurodivergent Creative Podcast

Planning for Fall (Before Seasonal Depression Hits) | #182

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Creative Podcast, Caitlin Liz Fisher admits they’re already living in October, even though the calendar hasn’t caught up yet. Their brain has skipped ahead to spooky season, soup season, and—let’s be real—seasonal depression season (ugh). Which means now is the time to talk about planning ahead!But not the hustle-y, “crush your goals before January” kind of planning. This is the gentler version: stocking up on comfort, finding ways to move through family gatherings without losing your mind, and yes—buying enough Marie Callender’s apple pies to survive the dark months without paying retail.💬 “So we know going in that this is gonna be a season of sort of slowing down, maybe some mental health sliding into that seasonal depression area. So while there still is a little bit of sunlight out there, now is the time to start planning. What are you going to do in the fall and winter? How can you preserve your mental health? How can you take care of yourself?” - Caitlin Liz FisherWhat We Explore in This EpisodeWhy Caitlin is “living in October” and how seasonal thinking shapes creative rhythmsThe balance between impulsive decision-making and overthinking every ideaPreparing early for holiday stress, family dynamics, and the onslaught of consumerismUsing simple joys as survival strategies🎟️ Join The Creatives Rebellion on Patreon for bonus content, unfiltered rambles, exclusive merch, and the best little weird creative family on the internet: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/caitlinlizfisher⁠⁠⁠Join our Neurodivergent Creative Pod!🌞 Want to support heartfelt conversations about mental health, creativity, and neurodivergence?Join the Neurodivergent Creative Pod community: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.askfishfisher.com/pod⁠⁠⁠📩Subscribe to Cait’s newsletter and grab your copy of the Audacity Bill of Rights—a weekly dose of "you’re not broken, you’re brilliant": ⁠⁠⁠https://www.askfishfisher.com/audacity⁠⁠⁠🎧 Leave a comment, send a DM @caitlinlizfisher, or scream into the void (and tag us!)We love hearing what hit home for you!

The Beauty of Becoming: Butterfly Wisdom for Neurodivergent Creatives | #181

This week, host Caitlin Liz Fisher shares their surprisingly emotional, magical story of a monarch caterpillar who set up camp in their front yard. What started with planting milkweed became a three-week vigil of checking on a chrysalis daily, doubting it was alive, and finally witnessing the miracle of wings unfolding.Tune in as Caitlin nerds about the lessons of resilience and becoming that this small, winged teacher has to offer, and discover how you might find a reflection of your own journey in hers. 💬"We don't have to put the pressure of the calendar and the clock on our own personal growth—it takes as long as it takes. You don't have to go fast. It's not a race because people just take as long as they take, like butterflies take as long as they take." - Caitlin Liz FisherWhat We Explore in This EpisodeWhy personal growth takes as long as it takes, and why that’s not a failureThe “goopy middle” of transformation and why it feels so uncomfortableHow to follow your instincts even when they don’t make logical senseDetachment as an act of care: loving enough to let goCreating stable, supportive spaces for your own growth🎟️ Join The Creatives Rebellion on Patreon for bonus content, unfiltered rambles, exclusive merch, and the best little weird creative family on the internet: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/caitlinlizfisher⁠⁠⁠Join our Neurodivergent Creative Pod!🌞 Want to support heartfelt conversations about mental health, creativity, and neurodivergence?Join the Neurodivergent Creative Pod community: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.askfishfisher.com/pod⁠⁠⁠📩Subscribe to Cait’s newsletter and grab your copy of the Audacity Bill of Rights—a weekly dose of "you’re not broken, you’re brilliant": ⁠⁠⁠https://www.askfishfisher.com/audacity⁠⁠⁠🎧 Leave a comment, send a DM @caitlinlizfisher, or scream into the void (and tag us!)We love hearing what hit home for you!

The Audacity to Celebrate (and Why Every Win Matters) | #180

Too often, we tie our worth to whether we hit a deadline, did something perfectly, or matched someone else’s timeline of success. If only the “worst day” person gets to complain, then the same logic says only the “best” person gets to celebrate. That’s not true. You deserve to celebrate you—no matter what anyone else is doing!In this episode, we’re unpacking the shame stories around goals, “failure,” and self-celebration. Caitlin shares a powerful reframe: every single person deserves to feel proud of their accomplishments and to celebrate themselves—no matter how messy, imperfect, or slow the process. 💬“If we don’t say that only the person who’s having the worst day gets to complain, that also means we still get to celebrate ourselves even though somebody out there is doing it better. Somebody out there is more successful. Somebody out there is better at achieving their goals. I don’t care—because every single human person is entitled to feel pride in their accomplishments, to feel joy, and to celebrate what they have done.” - Caitlin Liz FisherWhat we explore in this episode:Why we struggle to celebrate ourselves and where that shame comes fromFailure as a verb vs. “being a failure” as an identityCreating long-term visions without locking yourself into rigid 10-year plansHow reparenting ourselves with gentleness allows more joy and creativityWhy every act of creative expression deserves celebration🎟️ Join The Creatives Rebellion on Patreon for bonus content, unfiltered rambles, exclusive merch, and the best little weird creative family on the internet: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/caitlinlizfisher⁠⁠⁠Join our Neurodivergent Creative Pod!🌞 Want to support heartfelt conversations about mental health, creativity, and neurodivergence?Join the Neurodivergent Creative Pod community: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.askfishfisher.com/pod⁠⁠⁠📩Subscribe to Cait’s newsletter and grab your copy of the Audacity Bill of Rights—a weekly dose of "you’re not broken, you’re brilliant": ⁠⁠⁠https://www.askfishfisher.com/audacity⁠⁠⁠🎧 Leave a comment, send a DM @caitlinlizfisher, or scream into the void (and tag us!)We love hearing what hit home for you!

Shame, Perfectionism & Songs That Break (and Heal) Us feat. K-pop Demon Hunters & Encanto | #179

What does K-pop Demon Hunters, Encanto, Neurodivergent Creatives, and Eldest Daughters have in common you ask? If you guessed shame, pressure, and crushing generational expectations... then DING DING DING!! You are (unfortunately) correct and probably even relate to the emotional damage these characters went through. " Shame dies when you shine a light on it. Shame is like mold. It wants a dark, dank, nasty little place where it can take over everything. You can't do that. You can't leave an anaerobic environment for your shame or it'll crawl all over you." - Caitlin Liz FisherIn this special episode, Caitlin nerds out on the deep emotional power of music in storytelling and why these movies have banger songs that resonate so strongly with eldest daughters, perfectionists, and anyone who has ever felt “not enough.”Tune in if Surface Pressure, What Else Can I Do, Waiting on a Miracle, and Golden made you tear up a bit! You will learn:Why Encanto’s songs feel like gut punches for eldest daughters and perfectionistsHow shame operates like mold and why exposing it to light dissolves its powerWhat K-Pop Demon Hunters teaches about vulnerability, authenticity, and letting others see the parts of us we usually hide.Practical “emotional homework” to help you reconnect with play, make imperfect art, and embrace your shadow self🎟️ Join The Creatives Rebellion on Patreon for bonus content, unfiltered rambles, exclusive merch, and the best little weird creative family on the internet: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/caitlinlizfisher⁠⁠⁠Join our Neurodivergent Creative Pod!🌞 Want to support heartfelt conversations about mental health, creativity, and neurodivergence?Join the Neurodivergent Creative Pod community: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.askfishfisher.com/pod⁠⁠⁠📩Subscribe to Cait’s newsletter and grab your copy of the Audacity Bill of Rights—a weekly dose of "you’re not broken, you’re brilliant": ⁠⁠⁠https://www.askfishfisher.com/audacity⁠⁠⁠🎧 Leave a comment, send a DM @caitlinlizfisher, or scream into the void (and tag us!)We love hearing what hit home for you!

All or Nothing, and Everything in Between: Black-and-White Thinking in Neurodivergent Minds | #178

Is your brain constantly sorting everything into two neat little buckets? "Good" or "bad"? "Success" or "failure"? Ooof! Honestly, saaaame. So, let’s talk about it!In this episode, Caitlin shares their take black and white thinking—what it is, where it comes from, and why it's so freaking stressful. They also get super real about their own brain, which they lovingly describes as "The Good Place, but worse" lol. If you can relate to having yout simple decisions spiral into a complex web of moral dilemmas, better grab a seat coz this one’s for you! "It's not likely that every single person in the world is going to either be a perfectly happy, healthy relationship...That doesn't mean that we're sorting people into only two buckets, because when it's only two buckets... that's so isolating and lonely and critical and it's not healthy for us." - CaitlinYou'll totally learn:What black and white thinking is and why it's so common for neurodivergent peopleHow black and white thinking often comes from trauma and the need to learn strict rules to surviveWhy even simple decisions can feel overwhelming when your brain assigns moral value to every optionHow to find relief from the constant onslaught of information from our phones and the newsOooh! Plus, a fun and surprisingly relevant side quest involving caterpillars! Links mentioned in this episode:🔗Black and White thinking in Autismhttps://www.simplypsychology.org/black-and-white-thinking-in-autism.html🔗The Sustainable Writing Summithttps://sustainable-writing-summit.heysummit.com/🎟️ Join The Creatives Rebellion on Patreon for bonus content, unfiltered rambles, exclusive merch, and the best little weird creative family on the internet: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/caitlinlizfisher⁠⁠⁠Join our Neurodivergent Creative Pod!🌞 Want to support heartfelt conversations about mental health, creativity, and neurodivergence?Join the Neurodivergent Creative Pod community: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.askfishfisher.com/pod⁠⁠⁠📩 Subscribe to Cait’s newsletter and grab your copy of the Audacity Bill of Rights—a weekly dose of "you’re not broken, you’re brilliant": ⁠⁠⁠https://www.askfishfisher.com/audacity⁠⁠⁠🎧 Leave a comment, send a DM @caitlinlizfisher, or scream into the void (and tag us!)We love hearing what hit home for you!