Feeling lost without your job title? In this raw and honest episode, Lulu reveals what really happens to our self-worth when work disappears—and how to rebuild your identity from the inside out.

Discover Lulu’s original WHOLE Identity Framework—a science-backed, soul-anchored approach to reclaiming your self-worth beyond work, status, and external validation.

Discover the neuroscience behind our attachment to professional identity—and why career shifts can feel as painful as physical injury. Lulu unpacks how to build a more stable, multi-dimensional sense of self by drawing wisdom from stay-at-home parents, young people redefining success, and retirees who’ve already navigated major identity transitions.

If you’re navigating job loss, career change, burnout, or just wondering who you are beyond your role—this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways

• Your brain processes a job loss like physical pain
• Professional success can create addictive “status reward loops”
• The WHOLE Identity Framework builds resilience through five key dimensions:
  • Worth comes from within, not external validation
  • Humanity connects us beyond titles and achievements
  • Openness to multiple identity sources creates stability
  • Legacy is about impact, not position
  • Engagement with life beyond work expands who we are
• Rewiring our identity is possible through neuroplasticity and Tiny Promises
• Multi-dimensional identity = emotional stability

Powerful Quotes

"Accomplishments and accolades are an expression of our worth, but they are NOT where our worth comes from in the first place."

"When we build our identity primarily on professional roles that can change in an instant, we are creating a very fragile and unstable foundation."

"What if instead of asking, 'What do you do?' we asked questions that invite curiosity and the opportunity for real human connection?"

"You are a magnificent, multi-dimensional being whose worth cannot be captured in a job description, no matter how impressive."

🎧 Know someone questioning their worth after a job change or identity shift? Send them this episode. Your share might be the spark they need.

⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 – Gratitude & Recovery Update
01:57 – The Identity Trap: Why Job Titles Feel Like Our Whole Selves
04:24 – Leaving My Role as Executive Creative Director
06:21 – The Brain Science of Career Attachment
09:17 – Wisdom from Stay-at-Home Parents, Students & Retirees
13:06 – Introducing The WHOLE Identity Framework
14:02 – W: Worth Comes from Within
15:00 – H: Humanity Connects Us
16:00 – O: Openness Builds Resilience
16:28 – L: Legacy Is About Impact, Not Title
17:28 – E: Engagement with Life Beyond Work
19:23 – New Ways to Ask “What Do You Do?”
21:18 – Reclaiming Myself After Career Transition
23:08 – Tiny Promises for Identity Reinvention

Until next time, Beautiful Souls...

Stay connected and keep growing with me:

✨ Instagram: @lulu.essey – Join the conversation and get daily insights!
✨ YouTube: Lulu Essey – Watch exclusive content, deep dives, and video podcasts. Need a quick boost? Check out my YouTube Shorts—powerful insights in under a minute!
✨ Website: luluessey.com
✨ Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap– Download my free guide

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and please SHARE this episode!

THANK YOU for being here. Sending you grace and love!

In this energizing episode of The Lulu Essey Podcast, Lulu shares how creativity functions as essential neurological medicine—fueling not just artistic expression but emotional resilience, mental clarity, and business innovation.

You’ll discover how tiny, science-backed creative acts can literally rewire your brain (hello, neuroplasticity!) and build the cognitive pathways we need to adapt, solve, lead, and thrive—especially in high-stress environments.

Lulu draws on the work of Dr. Rex Jung, Martha Beck, and Google’s Project Aristotle to show that creativity is more than a talent—it’s a brain-based advantage. And the best part? It doesn’t take hours. Each practice in this episode takes less than two minutes.

Whether you’ve felt disconnected from your creative spark or stuck in overthinking mode, this episode offers a practical, research-backed invitation to reconnect with your joy, your focus, and your inner power—one tiny creative act at a time.

Key Takeaways

• Creativity is essential mental medicine—not just artistic luxury
• Dr. Rex Jung’s research shows creative thinking activates different neural networks than analytical thought
• Neuroplasticity is enhanced through even brief creative engagement
• Martha Beck’s findings: five minutes of creative handwork can reduce anxiety
• The same brain networks used for creativity support emotional regulation and navigating uncertainty
• Google's Project Aristotle found creative risk-taking is the #1 predictor of high-performing teams
• McKinsey found top-quartile creative companies see 67% above-average revenue growth
• “Creativity weaving” = integrating micro-creative acts into daily routines
• The neurological benefits come from the process, not the product—skill is irrelevant
• Segregating “creative roles” from “real work” stunts both business growth and brain development

Powerful Quotes

“When did we decide creativity belongs only to artists? That narrative serves those who profit from your self-doubt.”

“The separation between ‘creative work’ and ‘real work’ isn’t just arbitrary—it’s actively harmful.”

“Your brain doesn’t give a hoot if you create a masterpiece or a mess—it cares that you engaged in the act of creation.”

“Creativity can be woven into the fabric of your life in seconds—not hours.”

“When we reclaim creativity as our birthright, we’re not just making things—we’re making ourselves whole.”

Chapters

00:00 — The Dangerous Myth About Creativity
01:29 — Beyond Artist Labels: Creativity as Essential Medicine
03:18 — Rewiring Your Brain Through Creative Engagement
07:09 — The Time Myth: Creative Weaving in Daily Life
10:23 — The Neuroscience of Creative Practice
14:53 — The Business Case: Why Creative Teams Outperform
19:31 — Five Tiny Creative Practices to Boost Mental Fitness
24:39 — Reclaiming Your Creative Birthright

Until next time, Beautiful Souls...

Stay connected and keep growing with me:

✨ Instagram: @lulu.essey – Join the conversation and get daily insights!
✨ YouTube: Lulu Essey – Watch exclusive content, deep dives, and video podcasts. Need a quick boost? Check out my YouTube Shorts—powerful insights in under a minute!
✨ Website: luluessey.com
✨ Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap– Download my free guide

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and please SHARE this episode!

THANK YOU for being here. Sending you grace and love!

In this provocative episode of The Lulu Essey Podcast, “Who Gets to Define Creativity?”, Lulu Essey challenges the gatekeeping of creativity and asks the question too few are willing to name:
Why do men still largely define what counts as creative excellence?

With women holding 60% of entry-level creative roles but less than 25% of leadership positions, Lulu explores what we all lose when creativity is filtered through such a narrow lens. You’ll learn how creative leadership, mental fitness, and inclusive creativity are deeply connected — and why reclaiming your creative voice is essential in today’s world.

Creativity isn’t just for designers or artists — it’s how spirit flows through your everyday life. From problem-solving and parenting to making dinner with what you have, it’s a birthright. You’ll also learn how to reconnect with your creativity through simple tools that build confidence, community, and expression — no title required.

If you've ever been told you weren't creative — or felt that way because you don’t have “creative” in your title or don’t do typical creative things — this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways

• Women hold 60% of entry-level roles but <25% of leadership in creative fields
• Creativity is how spirit flows through all of us, not job titles
• Gatekeeping creativity limits our shared potential
• Creativity is a process, not a product
• Consistency matters more than waiting for inspiration
• Women of color face significantly greater barriers
• Mental fitness and creativity are deeply linked
• Who defines creativity shapes what problems get solved — and how

Powerful Quotes

“Creativity is simply how Spirit flows through you.”
“Bold creative approaches can be perceived differently depending on who presents them.”
“When one perspective dominates decision-making, we ALL lose something essential.”
“Your creativity doesn’t need external validation to be valuable.”
“If there's a book you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” — Toni Morrison
“I'm not trying to be different. I'm just being myself.” — Erykah Badu
“Creativity exists in the space between confusion and clarity.” — Es Devlin

Timestamps

00:00 — The Gender Gap in Creative Leadership
02:02 — What Is Creativity Really?
04:00 — Creativity as a Birthright, Not Just an Artistic Pursuit
08:25 — Creativity as a Craft: Discipline vs. Spontaneity
11:47 — Who Gets to Decide What "Counts" as Creative?
13:37 — Gender Disparity in Creative Industries
15:29 — The Impact of Race and Age on Creative Expression
18:15 — The Power of Reclaiming Your Creative Voice
21:09 — Creativity, Mental Fitness, and Self-Expression
22:58 — Creating a Future Filled with Beauty, Wonder and Awe

Until next time, Beautiful Souls...

Stay connected and keep growing with me:

✨ Instagram: @lulu.essey – Join the conversation and get daily insights!
✨ YouTube: Lulu Essey – Watch exclusive content, deep dives, and video podcasts. Need a quick boost? Check out my YouTube Shorts—powerful insights in under a minute!
✨ Website: luluessey.com
✨ Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap– Download my free guide

💛 If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and please SHARE this episode!

THANK YOU for being here. Sending you grace and love!