We kick off season two of the pod with this gorgeous conversation with Andrea Schroeder, founder of the Creative Dream Incubator. What I love about Andrea is that she goes DEEP! She talks about doing the real work, the deep work, the kind that takes years and changes you from the inside out.

We dive into some seriously meaty territory here. Andrea talks about learning to sit with self-doubt instead of bulldozing through it, and how that practice has made her unshakeable even when the world feels chaotic. She shares the difference between making art for approval versus accepting your creative expression as it is - because how you do one thing is how you do everything.

But perhaps my favourite part is when Andrea talks about her hope project for 2025. In a world that feels increasingly scary and divided, she's filling an entire planner with hope. Sometimes painting, sometimes writing, just spending time thinking about hope and inviting others to do the same. It's such a beautiful act of resistance.

We also talk about being ‘women of a certain age’ on the internet and the tension between wanting to show up authentically but also feeling the pressure to conform to conventional beauty standards. Andrea's take on being "dishevelled" right now (and questioning what's wrong with anyone who isn't) feels both permissive and incredibly sane.

This conversation is for anyone tired of hustle culture who wants to build something sustainable that honours who you are. Fair warning though - Andrea's advice about going towards what you most want to avoid might be the most terrifying and necessary thing you hear all year.

✍ Read the full show notes here: ⁠https://zuzushausofcats.com/journal/ep7-andrea-schroeder

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🎶 Music by the incredible Caspar Riis: ⁠https://soundcloud.com/caspar-riis⁠. Used with permission.