The Simple Phrase That's Quelling My Anxiety

What if the thing stopping your next project isn’t the project at all, but the voice on your chest? How do you keep creating when anxiety sits on your chest and whispers, “What if it’s not good enough?” If you’ve felt that, you’re in good company, because Izolda lives it too. In this solo episode, she opens up about creative anxiety, from a tough day as a substitute teacher to the pressure of finishing her musical. She then shares a simple, practical technique for managing anxiety while writing: watch a little mystery, write for half an hour, repeat. You’ll leave with ideas for staying productive when you’re anxious, a new way to tell dread from fear, and your weekly tarot card, the Three of Coins. Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg What you need to know today. Choose your Real World Tarot card here. This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | *Affiliate Link Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean | *Affiliate Link

The Surprising Way Structure Makes You More Creative Have you put your creative dreams on hold because life got busy, and now you’re wondering how to find your way back? On Your Creative Mind, host Izolda Trakhtenberg talks with Andrew Balfour, former touring musician, creative executive at Netflix and Yahoo, and creator of the award-winning music project Black Sands. His book, The Ten Minute Rule, offers a powerful reminder: you don’t need to wait for inspiration or find hours of free time to make meaningful work. Learn how small creative habits can quiet perfectionism, rebuild confidence, and help you make space for the ideas that make you feel alive. Join Izolda for practical ways to nurture creativity, curiosity, and confidence and take one small step toward the creative life you want. Connect with Andrew https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewjbalfour/?skipRedirect=true    andrew-balfour.com  https://www.blacksandsmusic.com/   Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg What you need to know today. Choose your Real World Tarot card here. Follow the podcast's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realworldtarot/ This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | *Affiliate Link

This actually works! Some high-stress stuff happened this weekend. And I kept it at bay. Listen to hear how I did it. This week's card is challenging. If someone's taking advantage of your time and energy, this card will help you deal with them. It also addresses the evil that is anxiety.  Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg What you need to know today. Choose your Real World Tarot card here. Follow the podcast's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realworldtarot/ This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | *Affiliate Link

What if asking better questions could strengthen your creative voice, solve stubborn creative problems, and help you tell stories people can't forget? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, award-winning mystery novelist Kellye Garrett shares practical lessons from her journey through Hollywood, television, and bestselling fiction. You'll learn how curiosity, observation, resilience, and creative problem-solving can help you overcome self-doubt, develop stronger ideas, and express your unique perspective with greater confidence. Photo credit: Carucha L. Meuse If you're a writer, performer, artist, creative entrepreneur, or simply looking for meaningful ways to strengthen your creative expression, this conversation offers ideas you can put to work immediately. Connect with Kellye https://kellyegarrett.com/  https://www.instagram.com/kellyekell/ https://kellyegarrett.substack.com/    Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg What you need to know today. Choose your Functional Tarot card here. This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | *Affiliate Link  

A Birthday tale that has changed how I look at ... well ... everything. This week's card is: The Four of Cups Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg What you need to know today. Choose your Real World Tarot card here. Follow the podcast's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realworldtarot/ This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | *Affiliate Link  

Moving into my 7th Decade and the Lessons I'm Learning  Enjoy this episode. I think you'll get some good stuff out of it. This week's card: Process Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg What you need to know today. Choose your Real World Tarot card here. Follow the podcast's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realworldtarot/ This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | *Affiliate Link  

I'm reading a fantastic book by Anne Bogart called A Director Prepares. In it she explores a decision-making concept that has blown my mind on the molecular and galactic level. Listen in as I explore something that is sure to change the way you view and act on every single decision you make. Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg What you need to know today. Choose your Real World Tarot card here. Follow the podcast's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realworldtarot/ This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | *Affiliate Link  

Why the Four of Swords may be exactly what you need when pushing harder isn't helping your creative process A practical tarot-inspired creativity exercise for writers, performers, musicians, and anyone feeling stuck in their creative work What if the thing blocking your creativity isn’t that you need to work harder—but that you need to stop? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, Izolda Trakhtenberg tests that idea in her own life, from taking her first jazz dance class to putting her long-in-the-works musical through a playwriting workshop. You’ll learn why deliberately stepping outside your comfort zone can strengthen creative confidence, how slowing down can help unexpected ideas surface, and why leaving “breadcrumbs” for your future self can make writing easier. Izolda also draws the Four of Swords and offers a simple creative practice: stop, breathe, listen, and let inspiration find you. If you’re a writer, musician, actor, or artist looking for practical ways to move past creative blocks, this episode gives you a fresh way forward. Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg What you need to know today. Choose your Real World Tarot card here. Follow the podcast's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realworldtarot/ This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | *Affiliate Link    

A powerful conversation with neuroscientist and surgeon, Dr. Charles Limb, about music, creativity, authenticity, and what helps people thrive together  In this fascinating conversation, Izolda Trakhtenberg sits down with neuroscientist, surgeon, and musician Dr. Charles Limb to explore the powerful connection between music, creativity, and the human brain. You'll learn how creative expression fosters empathy, why improvisation can expand creative thinking, what neuroscience reveals about inspiration, and how practice, play, and even mistakes help artists grow. Whether you're a writer, musician, actor, or creative entrepreneur, this episode offers fresh insights into creative confidence, artistic authenticity, and the science behind meaningful creative work. Tune in and come away with new ways to nurture your creativity, curiosity, and connection through the arts. A Harvard graduate who earned his medical degree from Yale, Dr. Limb spent years at Johns Hopkins before bringing his groundbreaking work to the University of California, San Francisco. His research has helped us better understand how musical play, improvisation, and listening can spark creativity, strengthen connection, and even change the way we think. In this conversation, you'll gain fresh insights into why creative expression matters, what science reveals about those moments of inspiration, and how music can help you access more possibility in your everyday life. If you've ever wondered where creativity comes from, and how to nurture more of it, this episode is for you.   Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg What you need to know today. Choose your Functional Tarot card here. This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | *Affiliate Link  

Ever tried to "relax" and found your mind got louder, not quieter? This episode explores a different path to presence, not less engagement, but more: activities demanding enough focus that anxiety and self-consciousness simply run out of room. We break down the three ingredients that make an activity presence-inducing (immediate feedback, real difficulty, a body anchor), and explore a wide range of them. From yoga poses at your edge to making earrings to approaching a skill you already have with a fresh beginner's mind, you’ll learn how to quiet your mind without needing to sit in meditation for hours. Includes practical exercises to find this state on purpose, without chasing mastery or worrying about outcome Connect with Izolda Website: https://IzoldaT.com Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg What you need to know today. Choose your Functional Tarot card here. This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link) URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset Listen on These Channels Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic | *Affiliate Link