Hi! Can I start by saying that I apologise upfront for the enormous amount of ‘hair play’ and nail biting from me this week. I have no idea what that was all about, I can only assume I had some pent up energy and was therefore being a total fidget bum! 🫣
P.s. If you stick around right to the end there’s a delightful “old person” fuck-up to enjoy, as I try to END the video! 🫣🤣
Please Note: This chat was recorded on Substack ‘Live’ on 28th April 2026
My Guest This Week
The lovely Allegra Chapman (she/her) kindly jumped in at very short notice and joined me on this week’s ‘Live’ chat - Thank you Allegra! 🙏🥰
Allegra is an author, columnist, former publishing editor and creative therapy practitioner. Her publication and membership on Substack is Creative Fix.
“A creative sanctuary, where you can discover ways to use writing, art and crafting for healing, self-expression and connection.”
💬Our Chat
I really enjoyed my impromptu catch up with Allegra and we dived straight into lots of juicy topics such as, the importance of valuing our unpaid work, parenting and our creative pursuits. How hopping around from one project to another isn’t failure and how recognising that sometimes it’s the process we need and not the finished result.
I was interested to hear how Allegra discovered ways to develop her creative practice that supports her brain and nervous system and works WITH her needs, rather than constantly fighting against herself. How she went from “I can’t do this” to writing three books and making a living as a writer.
Her new book Divergent Creatives is out now - which Allegra describes as, “The guidance, reassurance and confidence boost I wish someone had given me 20 years ago.” Breaking down the limiting beliefs that our culture teaches us about creativity and differences. We discussed the importance of recognising and accepting how our brains work differently and the book includes practical tips on building a creative habit that actually works for you, instead of trying to follow someone else’s blueprint.
⭐️Bonus Content (not in the recording)
Working With Our Energy
We briefly talked about the importance of working with our energy and checking in with our capacity - being flexible, self-compassionate, kinder, not pushing ourselves too far and breaking the vicious cycle of burnout.
Which of-course led me to mention Selina Barker and her fabulous Journal ‘Time To Thrive’ ♥️ Which teaches us how to manage our energy - across the 5 different zones - and use the tools and techniques within the journal to reclaim your energy and build a life in which you can truly thrive!
How This Has Helped Me Personally
Over the past couple of weeks, whilst I’ve been going through a very challenging and emotional life event, I have felt so lifted and supported by the fabulous people in Selina Barker’s membership! This gave me the extra strength and motivation I needed to put into practice some of the fantastic tools I’ve learned from the Journal. It has enabled me to pause, notice and recognise which of my energy zones is depleted at any given time... even throughout the chaos and upheaval of such a big life event! 😬
I’ve been able to mindfully notice what specifically drains my energy and make more conscious and measured efforts to refuel that particular area of my wellbeing. This focused approach has helped me to stay connected to my body, prevented me from spiralling into overwhelm and enabled me to make better choices about where to expend my energy… AND to PROTECT that energy and value my overall wellbeing much more than I ever have in the past.
See you next time!
