Unleash Your Inner Creative with Lauren LoGrasso

Hello my little creative goblin! Today I have a very spooky special for you with a cinematic flair! I’ll be chatting with Joel Meares who is the Editor in Chief of Rotten Tomatoes and an overall film and writing aficionado, as well as a delightful human being! I wanted to have Joel on the show for two reasons: 1) Rotten Tomatoes has this really cool editorial section up right now called Scare Central where they basically detail every scary movie you could ever want or need to know about. I thought it would be really fun to do a more themed episode and one where we specifically dive into movies, scary movies and why we, as humans, love to be scared. 2) I think Joel is pretty damn creative and even a rebel. Not only has he really expanded much of rotten tomatoes content, in addition, much of the work Joel has overseen, lovingly pokes fun at the brand with cheeky titles such as the book, “Rotten Movies We Love” and the podcast, Rotten Tomatoes is Wrong. Acknowledging that while it’s nice to know how something holds up critically, it isn’t everything.  In Rotten Tomatoes words, “The Score is just the start of the conversation”. From this Episode, You’ll Learn: How he went from being a little kid in Australia that loved cinema to the editor in chief of Rotten Tomatoes The early rejection that shaped him How to take/recover from rejection How Rotten Tomatoes really works (where the score(s) come from) What he does in his role as EIC day to day How to deal with resistance to new ideas Why I think he’s a rebel What role reviews/critics should serve How should we use reviews in choosing what art to consume The future of filmmaking and film consumption/movie theaters Film’s ability to move us through big life moments Tips for people who want to watch scary movies who live alone His picks for the Best scary movies Best bad scary movies Plus, an amazing story about Midsommar/ the film's director Check out the RT Scare Central Hub Here: editorial.rottentomatoes.com/rt-hub/scare-central/ Listen to my new single, “Freakshow” here: FFm.to/laurenlofreakshow --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

This is a creative check in episode where I discuss:  -What your most persistent questions are trying to teach you (and how to move them forward) -A visualization to take back your power & not abandon yourself -Why authenticity should be a leading force in our lives  -And more! Get my new single, FREAKSHOW here: ffm.to/laurenlofreakshow --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

Anne Helen Petersen is an academic, journalist, and author best known for her work as the former senior culture writer and western correspondent at BuzzFeed, her book Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation, and her most recent gig as a writer at Substack. On top of that, She has been featured in publications such as Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, The Wallstreet Journal, NPR and many more. As I mentioned, Anne wrote a book on Millennial burnout and is an expert on it. So I wanted to have Anne on the show, because honestly, I am pretty burnt out. And I have been for a while. Reading her book was a revelation of just how much I’ve been living hand to mouth and my out-of-whack priorities have been.The awareness of what burnout looks like, has helped me start to make small changes to rejuvenate myself and get back in touch with the sweetness and simple joys of life. It’s my hope that this interview can be an inciting moment for you to do the same, if you’re feeling similarly. From This Conversation You’ll Learn: What burnout is and how to know if you have it Why she was drawn to the topic  How to form a practice to deal with your burnout & rest Why millennials suffer for burnout more What our boomer parents/history has to do with it What to do if you feel like you never work hard enough How the pandemic is affecting burnout Why you should talk to trees and plants (REALLY) Why a traditional office setting lends itself to burnout Why employers both overwork millennials and criticize them for not being hardworking enough Why Anne believes it’s sometimes better to do what you really like instead of what you love How to get over Creative heartbreak And more! Get Anne's Book Here!  Download my new song, "Freakshow" Here: ffm.to/laurenlofreakshow  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

Hi Babe! Here with a creative check in. Throughout the years I've always heard people talk about using your pain to create art. And while I've done that before, it's never been more blatantly apparent how useful that tactic is and how it can be employed to take you out of your tough moments. I have found a way to do that this week. I share how you can do the same in this pod and how to get in touch with yourself and your creativity/projects, rather than focusing on other people/things you can't control.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

Guy Raz is a podcaster, producer, journalist, author and entrepreneur, best known for creating  and hosting some of the most popular podcasts of all time, including NPR’s How I Built This (a show where he interviews successful entrepreneurs about their journey to build their company), Wisdom from the Top and The Rewind on Spotify. He’s also the co-creator of the acclaimed podcasts such as TED Radio Hour, the children’s program Wow in the World and he’s received awards such as the Edward R. Murrow Award, and he was even a Nieman journalism fellow at Harvard. From our conversation you’ll learn: Why having a child can help you reclaim your creativity How to focus on your passion when you’re in a toxic situation How to redefine creativity as curiosity Why he almost quit broadcasting and what made him stick with it Tips on dealing with deep rejection How to effectively pivot What compassionate leadership looks like How to rebrand optimism to something more achievable How to know if it’s right to keep going when you’re in a sea of failures The key to truly powerful storytelling And more! Download my new song, "Freakshow" Here: ffm.to/laurenlofreakshow Get Guy's book, How I Built This here: https://www.guyraz.com/  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

Who else is feeling literally EVERYTHING right now? I know I am. Yesterday (the day I recorded this episode) I was a wreck. Despite the fact that I was so happy that I put my song out and had a good week at work, there were so many other things bogging me down (things I am not even sure I was/am 100% aware of)...Some of it has to do with the pain of the collective, some of it personal/professional, all of it heavy and weird. So I cried a lot yesterday. And I recorded some of it. Don't worry, I'll spare you and not share the audio of that, but I will share the very important realization I had from doing that, and why you may want to consider also audio recording your next Crying session. We can learn something from honestly (and somewhat objectively) reflecting on our down moments. Hope this helps. Love you!  Download my new song, "Freakshow" Here: ffm.to/laurenlofreakshow --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

Today my guests are Lili Taylor and Tara Mohr. Lili is an Emmy Nominated actress, writer and birder best known for her work on projects such as mystic pizza, The Conjuring, Six Feet Under, American Crime and her one-woman show Birdland. Tara Mohr is an expert on women’s leadership and well-being as well as an author and coach. She’s best known for her book Playing Big, creating the global Playing Big leadership Program, and for appearing on media such as The Today Show and in the New York TImes. Lili and Tara really have a creative mastermind. Together they have  teamed up to share their insights, stories and lessons learned about creativity, personal growth and empowerment through a series of online conversations, which live on Tara’s website. From our conversation, you’ll learn: How to reclaim your creativity after it was stolen or lost How to stop comparing and despairing How to tame the inner critic Why creative partnerships expedite success & what to look for in one How to follow the flow of creativity What playing big is and how you can start to play big in your life today Tips for handling criticism Why you should NEVER read reviews How to recover from creative monsters And more! Pre-Save my new single, “Freakshow” Here: https://ffm.to/laurenlofreakshow Follow me/The Show: @laurenlograsso & @UnleashYourInnerCreative --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

Andrea Sager is a lawyer, entrepreneur, podcast host and blogger, best known for the Legalpreneur, podcast and for revolutionizing legal expertise for small business owners and creatives. I wanted to have Andrea on the show because she is an incredibly creative lawyer with real, actionable advice for entrepreneurs and artists. Her innovative law practice offers all access memberships (where you pay a flat monthly fee and can access her expertise at any time), flat fee contracts and you can also pay a flat fee to have her file something like a copyright or trademark. It is such a smart, creative and helpful way of practicing law, that really benefits people like you and me. If you ever wondered how to protect your intellectual property, this is the show for you! From our conversation you’ll learn: How Andrea got the guts to take the leap from her high-paying/soul-sucking law job and start doing what she’s doing now How to be a creative in a usually straight-laced field The TOP legal mistakes creatives make and how to prevent them The importance of LLCs, Copyrights and trademarks + how to file all of them Some facts on contracts Why you should NEVER use Paypal (SHOOT!)  Get out your notebook, because Andrea is coming in HOT with the lawyering - so much helpful information. To work with Andrea visit: Andreasager.com  Pre-Save my new single, “Freakshow” Here: https://ffm.to/laurenlofreakshow Follow me: @laurenlograsso & @UnleashYourInnerCreative --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

On this solo episode I talk about the benefits of being alone and how to work with and through some of the drawbacks of solitude. I share some anxiety I've been dealing with and a great new tool I've found to lessen anxiety's hold. Finally, run through the importance of celebrating your wins/accomplishments and take you through an exercise to fully feel and embody your accomplishments. Love you!  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

I have been doing a meditation that helps me get in touch with my shame...So I have been thinking about a lot of my recurring shame talk. I brought it up in my therapy session and my therapist and she asked me: "underneath the flawed method it uses, is there something that inner critic voice is trying to teach you...Is there some wisdom underneath?" This is what I ponder in this episode, as well as sharing how you can get in touch with your shame talk's true message and how you can redirect it toward something helpful.  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

My guest today is a truly special human being, artist, writer, producer, advocate and business woman and I’m so honored to share her story with you. Her name is Ledisi, and some of her accolades include being a twelve-time Grammy nominated powerhouse vocalist, her three Soul Train Music awards, an NAACP Theater Award and 6 NAACP Image Award nominations. Ledisi and I sat down just over two weeks ago, the day before her most recent album, The Wild Card, came out. I wanted to have her on the show because of her incredible talent and unbreakable spirit. She is also one of the warmest people I've ever met and proof that you can have a very successful creative career and maintain your kindness/heart. From our conversation you’ll learn: How to stay true to yourself on your creative path How to recover from creative monsters The importance of healing yourself first How to discover your biggest lesson How to develop stronger boundaries How to keep going when the odds are against you Craft a truly powerful cover song (and some great insider tips about singing, in general) How to take activism into your art The importance of self-care for creatives How to own your greatness The power of “no” & “I am” Recycle your fear! And much more! Get Ledisi’s new Album, “The Wild Card” Here: https://ledisimusic.lnk.to/TheWildCard Pre-Save my new single, “Freakshow” Here: https://ffm.to/laurenlofreakshow Follow me: @laurenlograsso & @UnleashYourInnerCreative --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

Today's Podcast is inspired by a line I heard in the brilliant Amazon Prime series, The Boys. It goes as follows, “F*ck this world for confusing nice with good.” In this solo episode, I examine the detriments of choosing niceness over goodness for creativity, relationships and humanity, in general. Join me in the quest to choose goodness over niceness, and also in making sure to NOT excuse bad behavior because that person is "nice". Nice doesn't mean a whole lot if there isn't action to back it up! Love you. Also, watch The Boys Here: https://www.amazon.com/The-Boys-Season-1/dp/B07QNJCXZK  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

Today’s guest is Carly Stein. She is a scientist, beekeeper and an entrepreneur, best known for being the founder and CEO of BeeKeepers Naturals and for being named Forbes 30 Under 30. I wanted to have Carly on the show for a multitude of reasons, but mostly because she has a great story of turning pain into purpose and leaving security for happiness. She started her company from a very personal pain point of her own health struggles and was actually an accidental entrepreneur. At the time things started taking off she was working as a trader at Goldman Sachs. She had pretty much everyone tell her she was crazy to do it, but still took the leap and started Beekeepers Naturals. It’s inspiring to anyone who has ever felt handcuffed to their day job or to a title. From our conversation you’ll learn: How to change your personal narrative Strengthen your immune system with bee products Start and build a business Let go of other’s opinions and choose yourself Why if you take care of your spiritual life The rest sometimes falls into place the advantage of not being an expert And the difference between power and control She also has some great tips for Type A creatives And Much More! Follow The show/Me: @laurenlograsso & @UnleashYourInnerCreative Check out Carly’s Company: https://beekeepersnaturals.com/collections/all --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

Brittany Brave is a New York City-based comedian who has been featured on TBS, MTV, The New York Times, ELLE and was named a Best New Talent by the New York Comedy Festival in 2019. She is also the founder of We are Cat Call, a platform for women’s leadership, progress and camaraderie that does female-focused events for all. I wanted to have Brittany on the show because we are really kindred spirits and have a similar path -both Italian Catholic, both only children both huge champions of fellow women and creatives. Brittany started her professional career in PR and did comedy on the side, but her true passion was always calling her. However, it wasn’t until she found herself in a situation of domestic violence that she truly started owning her creativity as a way of admitting what was going on and taking charge of her life again. From Brittany, you will truly learn creativity’s ability to not only help, but even save your life. From our conversation you’ll also learn: How to "come out"  as a creative at your day job Some of the weird quirks of Italian culture The unique and horrifying pressures of being an only child How to make money as a comedian during the pandemic Tips to pivot your career  Hear our open dialogue about mental health  Advice on dating during the pandemic. Also, I want to give a quick trigger warning...This is a very well-rounded conversation that ranges from serious and deeply emotional, to inspiring to rolling on the floor laughing, with that said, it’s important to mention that we do go into Brittany’s experience as a survivor of domestic violence and how comedy helped her through it. So I just think it’s important that you know that. Check out Britany Here!  Listen to my single, "Like a Bomb" Here: ffm.to/likeabomb Follow me: @laurenlograsso & @UnleashYourInnerCreative --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message

My guest today is Jill Wintersteen. She is an entrepreneur, author, blogger, neuroscientist, Yoga teacher, and astrologer.  Jill is best known as the founder of Spirit Daughter, a social media presence, online community and more directly, a practice that involves aligning with the moon, astrology, soul healing, empowerment and getting clear about what our true purpose is in this life. I wanted to have Jill on the show because her journey to claiming her creativity is really inspiring  Here’s a girl who   was reading college textbooks on psychology at age 16 and asking: What makes human beings conscious? This curiosity led to studying neuroscience at John Hopkins University and pursuing a doctoral degree...And in the middle of her doctoral program, she GAVE IT ALL UP! And not with a big answer or opportunity waiting on the other end...All she knew was she needed to start over and reignite her inner child. It’s a real story of bravery and choosing yourself that I think we can all learn from.  From our conversation, you’ll also learn:  How to use astrology to enhance your creativity  The power of curiosity How to grow and scale a business  How to deal with other people’s judgement when you choose yourself  Why knowing yourself is key to success  How getting in touch with the cycles of the moon can better your life Meditation for Manifestation How to set your price and build your self-worth  And tons more!  Listen to "Like a Bomb" Here: ffm.to/likeabomb Follow me: @laurenlograsso & @UnleashYourInnerCreative --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unleashyourinnercreative/message