Episodes

  • Talking Long Form Creative Projects with Author Julie Barton

    Talking Long Form Creative Projects with Author Julie Barton
    Mar 22 2026
    There are creative projects that ask us to tell the truth. All of it. Memoir is one of them.Writing a book from lived experience requires incredible bravery. It asks us to stay in a heightened state of reveal for the duration of the entire project. Sorting through memories, insight, and change, often while handling our own invalidation about the experience we are writing about. Did it really happen that way? Are these facts or feelings? It is challenging work and requires a lot of the writer.Last week on Substack Live I had the pleasure of speaking with New York Times Bestselling author Julie Barton about her creative process and what it means to write a book drawn from personal experience.Julie is the author of Dog Medicine, a memoir that explores her experience with depression and the unexpected path toward healing through her deep connection and relationship with her dog Bunker. Writing a book that honors the depth and tenderness of Julie’s experience has its own unique creative process. Long stretches of solitude. Returning again and again to moments that are not always easy to revisit. Julie’s work is a testament to her devotion to her craft of writing and her commitment to creating the conditions for her creative process to endure such long-form projects. What struck me most in our conversation was the level of inner steadiness this work requires. Writing memoir is not just about remembering. The writer must stay present as the work unfolds. Trusting their perspective. Allowing the meaning of the story to emerge over time.It’s creative work that asks for both emotional depth and disciplined action. And a ton of endurance. If you’ve ever found yourself working on a project that draws from your own life, or if you’re in the middle of a body of work that feels personally significant, this conversation will resonate.Julie and I touch on vulnerability, structure, the responsibility of telling personal stories, and what it takes to stay in relationship with a long-form writing project.The recording is above.Thank you Margaret Williams, MS, ACC, Lisa Riddiough, and many others for tuning in live! And…I’ll be Live with food photographer extraordinaire Eva Kolenko on March 24 at 9am pst, discussing her thoughts on the creative process of working on cookbooks as a food photographer.You can join us here.STUDY HALL begins April 1Just a quick reminder…we’re about to get to work.In it to win it. You, ideally, in your metaphorical acid wash jeans and bigger than ever hair, showing up, clocking in, and creating the conditions for your creative process to be totally rad.Because that’s the thing.In STUDY HALL we don’t wait for inspiration.We provide the conditions for the work to flow.Study Hall came directly from my private mentorship clients asking for more time like this.More space to drop in, regulate, and actually work.So I built it.A live, structured container where we meditate, enter the work, and stay with it. Past blocks, through resistance. Getting it done. Brainstorming, drafting, making, playing, thinking, finishing.There are prompts for when you’re stuck (they’re so good).A DJ-curated playlist to set the vibe (also very good).And a method I usually only teach in private work, approaching creativity as energy, and learning how to work with it instead of against it.The container is Study Hall.The benefits are rad.Details:Monday — 9:00–10:00am PTWednesday — 9:00–10:00am PTThursday — 4:00–5:00pm PTThree times a week.12 sessions a month.$150/monthCome for all 12 or drop in for 3. You decide. And because you’re here:You can try it free for 7 days.Join us for up to three sessions and see what you think.If you’ve been wanting a place to actually be in your work, this is it.We start April 1. Get full access to MUSE at lisaandersonshaffer.substack.com/subscribe
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    54 mins
  • WHY I WRESTLE

    WHY I WRESTLE
    Oct 2 2022

    This week marks the final episode of JOY IS NOW. I discuss my decision to end such an incredibly fun and joyful project and why ending now is a completely new experience for me. Thank you so much for listening. It has been an honor to have you here. While Joy is coming to a close, I’m not done with podcasting. Moving forward, all Joy episodes will be available for my newsletter subscribers - you can sign up at the link below. And I’ll be creating a new podcast for subscribers, Alchemy - think of it as a place where data driven science and the wildly creative make out. I’ll be talking more about Human design, business mentorship and answering all the questions you can send my way. I hope you will join me there. I promise a good time.

    For now, let’s think of endings like we do Joy. Big and full of potential.

    Thank you so much for being here

    Thank you so much for being here.

    MUSE NEWSLETTERThis has been JOY IS NOW with me, Lisa Anderson Shaffer, LMFT. You can find me for hire at LISAANDERSONSHAFFER.COM and follow along with my musings at @lisa.anderson.shaffer on Instagram.

    LISA ANDERSON SHAFFER, LMFTNEWSLETTERBOOKINSTAGRAM



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    10 mins
  • LET'S TALK COMPASSION WITH MARY GRISEY

    LET'S TALK COMPASSION WITH MARY GRISEY
    Sep 25 2022

    Hi Friends and welcome to JOY IS NOW! The podcast where we take a psychologically minded look at life. I’m your host Lisa Anderson Shaffer, coach, consultant, and resident psych enthusiast.This week I am excited to host for an EMOTION segment discussion, Psychic Medium, Multidimensional Channeler, Visual Artist and Mother, MARY GRISEY.

    We discuss COMPASSION and how to practice it on ourselves and within the greater collective.

    Thank you so much for being here.

    MUSE NEWSLETTERThis has been JOY IS NOW with me, Lisa Anderson Shaffer, LMFT. You can find me for hire at LISAANDERSONSHAFFER.COM and follow along with my musings at @lisa.anderson.shaffer on Instagram.

    LISA ANDERSON SHAFFER, LMFTNEWSLETTERBOOKINSTAGRAMEPISODE LINKS:MARY GRISEYFINE ART



    Get full access to MUSE at lisaandersonshaffer.substack.com/subscribe
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    47 mins
  • THESE THREE THINGS WITH BRIDGET WATSON PAYNE

    THESE THREE THINGS WITH BRIDGET WATSON PAYNE
    Sep 18 2022

    Hi Friends and welcome to JOY IS NOW! The podcast where we take a psychologically minded look at life. I’m your host Lisa Anderson Shaffer, coach, consultant, and resident psych enthusiast.Today I am excited to host for a These Three Things segment discussion, San Francisco artist, art book editor and author of seven books, including The Secret Art of Being A Grown-Up and How Art Can Make You Happy and How Time is On Your Side, and Season 2 JOY Guest, BRIDGET WATSON PAYNE.

    Bridget shares three life lessons that continue to inspire and drive her creativity.

    Listen in, it's a good one!

    Thank you so much for being here.

    MUSE NEWSLETTERThis has been JOY IS NOW with me, Lisa Anderson Shaffer, LMFT. You can find me for hire at LISAANDERSONSHAFFER.COM and follow along with my musings at @lisa.anderson.shaffer on Instagram.

    LISA ANDERSON SHAFFER, LMFTNEWSLETTERBOOKINSTAGRAM

    EPISODE LINKS:BRIDGET WATSON PAYNEINSTAGRAMKIWA HURSUTA



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    53 mins
  • THESE THREE THINGS WITH MARJA GERMANS GARD, PHD.

    THESE THREE THINGS WITH MARJA GERMANS GARD, PHD.
    Sep 11 2022

    Hi Friends and welcome to JOY IS NOW! The podcast where we take a psychologically minded look at life. I’m your host Lisa Anderson Shaffer, coach, consultant, and resident psych enthusiast.Today I am excited to host for a THESE THREE THINGS segment discussion, Oakland based clinical scientist, creative entrepreneur and complex problem solver working on co-designing innovative solutions to equity challenges within our communities, and founding member and project lead at The UXR Lab, Dr. MARJA GERMANS GARD.

    Marja discusses three thoughts on self-reflection and the importance it plays in fostering systemic change. And as always, our conversation gets super scientifically juicy. Dive in with us!Thank you so much for being here.

    MUSE NEWSLETTERThis has been JOY IS NOW with me, Lisa Anderson Shaffer, LMFT. You can find me for hire at LISAANDERSONSHAFFER.COM and follow along with my musings at @lisa.anderson.shaffer on Instagram.

    LISA ANDERSON SHAFFER, LMFTNEWSLETTERBOOKINSTAGRAMEPISODE LINKS:MARJA GERMANS GARD, PHD.UXR LAB

    Timothy D. Wilson, Strangers to Ourselves

    Positionality Tool and Designer’s Critical Alphabet from Leslie Ann Noel, Ph.D.

    Rachael Dietkus, LCSW and Social Workers Who Design

    Mike Monteiro: A Designer’s Code of Ethics

    Tad Hirsch: Practicing Without A License: Design Research as Psychotherapy

    Self as instrument in Organization Design and Development



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    57 mins
  • WHY FEEDBACK IS LIKE SPAGHETTI

    WHY FEEDBACK IS LIKE SPAGHETTI
    Sep 4 2022

    This week, I dig into some emerging thoughts growing out of my research on feedback. I discuss why skateboarding communities and art schools are feedback unicorns and how the success of these feedback systems can be applied to other systems…it's a work in progress.

    Listen in, it's a good one!

    Thank you so much for being here.

    MUSE NEWSLETTERThis has been JOY IS NOW with me, Lisa Anderson Shaffer, LMFT. You can find me for hire at LISAANDERSONSHAFFER.COM and follow along with my musings at @lisa.anderson.shaffer on Instagram.

    LISA ANDERSON SHAFFER, LMFTNEWSLETTERBOOKINSTAGRAM



    Get full access to MUSE at lisaandersonshaffer.substack.com/subscribe
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    11 mins
  • THESE THREE THINGS WITH MELANIE MCNALLY, PSYD.

    THESE THREE THINGS WITH MELANIE MCNALLY, PSYD.
    Aug 28 2022

    Hi Friends and welcome to JOY IS NOW! The podcast where we take a psychologically minded look at life. I’m your host Lisa Anderson Shaffer, coach, consultant, and resident psych enthusiast.Today I am excited to host for a THESE THREE THINGS segment discussion, Michigan based licensed clinical psychologist to Gen Zers, and founder of the app-based psychoeducational service Therapy Bootcamp, Dr. Melanie McNally. Melanie shares three important life lessons she has learned as a Gen Z psychologist.

    Listen in, it's a good one!Thank you so much for being here.

    MUSE NEWSLETTERThis has been JOY IS NOW with me, Lisa Anderson Shaffer, LMFT. You can find me for hire at LISAANDERSONSHAFFER.COM and follow along with my musings at @lisa.anderson.shaffer on Instagram.

    LISA ANDERSON SHAFFER, LMFTNEWSLETTERBOOKINSTAGRAMEPISODE LINKS:DR. MELANIE MCNALLYFACEBOOKINSTAGRAMPINTEREST



    Get full access to MUSE at lisaandersonshaffer.substack.com/subscribe
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    45 mins
  • LET'S TALK RESILIENCE WITH SHARON ZIMMERMAN

    LET'S TALK RESILIENCE WITH SHARON ZIMMERMAN
    Aug 21 2022

    Hi Friends and welcome to JOY IS NOW! The podcast where we take a psychologically minded look at life. I’m your host Lisa Anderson Shaffer, coach, consultant, and resident psych enthusiast.I am excited to host for an EMOTION discussion, San Francisco based jewelry designer and consultant wielding her torch like a real badass for good, SHARON ZIMMERMAN.

    We talk RESILIENCE, how we don't think it is as important as it seems and how it is often used as a way to bypass being appropriately affected by stress and trauma. In short, we kind of flip the bird on the research and have a great time doing it. Join the conversation, it's a good one.

    Thank you so much for being here.

    MUSE NEWSLETTERThis has been JOY IS NOW with me, Lisa Anderson Shaffer, LMFT. You can find me for hire at LISAANDERSONSHAFFER.COM and follow along with my musings at @lisa.anderson.shaffer on Instagram.

    LISA ANDERSON SHAFFER, LMFTNEWSLETTERBOOKINSTAGRAM

    EPISODE LINKS:SHARON ZIMMERMANCLASSESYOUTUBETWEET WE REFER TO



    Get full access to MUSE at lisaandersonshaffer.substack.com/subscribe
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    54 mins