In this episode, Mandy reflects on how openness to new experiences is a defining trait of creatives and neurodivergent individuals. This willingness to explore unfamiliar paths is what drives growth, transformation, and innovation - even when it requires navigating discomfort and uncertainty.

Nisha Chadha then shares her deeply moving story of a life shaped by migration, loss, motherhood, grief, and creativity, all woven together by one constant: her art.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

🔹 Being Open to New Experiences – Mandy discusses how embracing new experiences - however uncomfortable - fuels both personal growth and creative evolution. For neurodivergent minds, this openness often means adapting and reshaping environments that don’t always accommodate them.

🔹 Art as Communication & Comfort – When Nisha moved from colourful Kenya to grey, unfamiliar England as a child refugee, art became her language, lifeline, and coping mechanism. Bullied and misunderstood, she found her power in creativity and colour.

🔹 Dyslexia, Grief & the Role of Creativity – Undiagnosed dyslexia made traditional learning difficult, but art helped Nisha not only survive but thrive. Through visual learning, textiles, and colour, she overcame both learning challenges and profound losses - including the deaths of her parents and husband.

🔹 The Power of Storytelling Through Art – From teaching and designing to large-scale textile installations, Nisha uses her work to reflect on issues like identity, feminism, migration, and racism. Her moving piece Rivers of Bloodreimagines personal and political trauma with beauty and impact.

🔹 Finding Joy Among Grief – Even during moments of intense pain - such as losing her mother and getting married in the same week - Nisha turned to storytelling, knitting, art, and writing to make sense of her emotions and reclaim joy.

🔹 Embracing the Next Chapter at 61 – With her children grown and her husband recently passed, Nisha is entering a new era of life with creativity as her compass. She now brings myth, magic, and whimsical animal characters into her art, drawing inspiration from her travels and heritage.

Memorable Quotes from This Episode:

🗨️ “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsch

🗨️ “Colour gives a voice to the voiceless.” – Nisha Chadha

Why You Should Listen:

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s ever felt different, displaced, or discouraged by life’s upheavals. Mandy and Nisha’s reflections are a powerful reminder that creativity doesn’t just help us survive—it helps us thrive, heal, and find purpose at every age and stage.

✨ Tune in now to journey through a life lived in full colour with Nisha Chadha.

Episodes were recorded in the authors own homes on various devices.
Podcast produced by "Your Fairy Podmother" of Voice It Podcast Agency
If you want to start your very own podcast go here: https://www.fairypodmother.co.uk

In this episode, Mandy explores the role of risk-taking in the lives of creatives and neurodivergent individuals. Far from reckless, risk-taking is often an act of bravery and self-trust, fuelling growth, innovation, and self-discovery.

Lucy Waide then shares her extraordinary personal story - an emotional and unflinching journey through illness, loss, reinvention, and recovery, showing what it truly means to take risks and keep rising.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

🔹 Risk as a Creative Force – Mandy reflects on how creatives and neurodivergent individuals often embrace uncertainty and challenge norms, making bold decisions that lead to transformation. Taking risks isn't always glamorous but it’s essential for growth.

🔹 The Courage to Begin Again (and Again) – Lucy’s story is a powerful example of resilience in action. From losing a successful chocolate business to being brought to the edge of despair - twice - she shows how the road to recovery is paved with small, brave choices.

🔹 The Inner Voice That Sabotages Us – Lucy introduces “Dickhead,” her name for that persistent inner critic that fuels self-doubt and shame. Her raw honesty about suicidal thoughts and feeling like a failure will resonate with anyone who has faced darkness behind closed doors.

🔹 Rebuilding After Loss – After enduring career loss, a failed marriage, chronic illness, and financial collapse, Lucy slowly rebuilt her life - first with a part-time care job, then a shop, then art, then finally…herself.

🔹 The Power of Finding Your Tribe – Lucy’s recovery wasn’t just about personal effort. It was about connection -with supportive friends, family, and a business community that saw her worth when she couldn’t.

🔹 Art as Therapy and Identity – In her darkest moments, Lucy found solace in drawing. That creative spark became a lifeline, allowing her to rediscover joy, voice, and purpose - not through business success, but through authentic self-expression.

🔹 You Are Never Too Broken to Begin Again – Whether on the edge of despair or standing in a new chapter, Lucy’s story reminds us: there is always something on the other side of survival.

Memorable Quotes from This Episode:

🗨️ “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” – T.S. Eliot

🗨️ “I’ve found and love my voice. I’ve found and love my art. I’ve found and love my tribe. I’ve found and love me.” – Lucy Waide

Why You Should Listen:

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who has taken a leap and fallen hard, battled illness or mental health, or felt crushed under the weight of their own expectations. Mandy and Lucy offer a powerful message of hope, honesty, and the healing power of creativity and connection.

✨ Tune in now to be inspired by Lucy’s brave and beautiful comeback.

Episodes were recorded in the authors own homes on various devices.
Podcast produced by "Your Fairy Podmother" of Voice It Podcast Agency
If you want to start your very own podcast go here: https://www.fairypodmother.co.uk

In this episode, Mandy explores what it truly means to be a survivor. She unpacks how creativity, community, and asking for help can turn the darkest moments into defining breakthroughs.

Satty Mann then delivers a powerful, emotional, and unflinchingly honest account of her recovery journey through addiction, trauma, and transformation, highlighting the role of art and fellowship in her healing.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

🔹 Survivors Are Built, Not Born – Mandy opens the episode by reminding listeners that creatives and neurodivergent individuals often develop deep resilience through navigating a world that doesn't always accommodate them. Survival is not just about enduring—it’s about adapting, learning, and growing stronger.

🔹 The Power of Asking for Help – Mandy shares a personal story of rebuilding after loss and how reaching out to others helped her recover. She reminds us that survival is not a solo journey, and asking is one of the most powerful tools we have.

🔹 Satty Mann’s Journey: From Addiction to Advocacy – Satty shares her profound journey from compulsive gambling, alcohol and drug addiction, and suicidal thoughts, to living a life of purpose, creativity, and service. Her recovery began when she found Gamblers Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous, and embraced the 12-step programs that changed her life.

🔹 Living the 12 Promises of Recovery – Satty walks us through how each of the 12 promises of recovery became real in her life—from finding happiness and serenity, to discovering her worth and helping others find theirs. Her story is raw, redemptive, and full of hope.

🔹 Creativity as a Lifeline – As an emotional artist and writer, Satty found that creative expression helped her process pain, reconnect with herself, and support others through her work. Art has become a spiritual and emotional outlet, one that grounds her daily.

🔹 Turning Pain into Purpose – Today, Satty is not just surviving—she’s thriving. As a speaker, sponsor, mentor, and mother, she is devoted to helping others move beyond addiction and into lives of self-love and freedom.

Memorable Quotes from This Episode:

🗨️ “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” – Khalil Gibran

🗨️ “Today, I wake up with love in my heart. That’s a miracle. Every day, I choose life.” – Satty Mann

Why You Should Listen:

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who has faced trauma, battled addiction, or simply needs a reminder that it’s never too late to rewrite your story. Mandy and Satty’s powerful insights prove that healing is possible, and creativity can be the bridge between pain and purpose.

✨ Tune in now to hear Satty’s extraordinary transformation!

📖 Beyond the Ordinary: Discover the Power of Creative and Neurodiverse Women is available now on Amazon.

Episodes were recorded in the authors own homes on various devices.
Podcast produced by "Your Fairy Podmother" of Voice It Podcast Agency
If you want to start your very own podcast go here: https://www.fairypodmother.co.uk

In this episode, Mandy explores the power of daydreaming—so often misunderstood or dismissed, but deeply valuable for creatives and neurodivergent individuals. Nancy Pinkerton then shares her own story of navigating a dual identity as a Canadian living in Scotland, overcoming dyslexia, and becoming a visual storyteller through powerful fine art photography.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

🔹 Daydreaming as a Superpower – Mandy breaks down how what’s often seen as "zoning out" is actually a vital tool for creativity, problem-solving, and emotional processing. When harnessed correctly, daydreaming can lead to innovative ideas and big-picture thinking—especially for neurodivergent individuals.

🔹 Turning Dreams into Action – While it’s easy to get lost in ideas, Mandy shares how to bridge the gap between imagination and reality. Her anecdote of turning a daydream into a business plan proves that visualising success is the first step to achieving it.

🔹 Nancy Pinkerton’s Story: Living Between Two Worlds – Nancy shares her deeply personal journey of growing up in Canada feeling like an outsider, struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia, and finding refuge in imagination and visual storytelling.

🔹 The Emotional Weight of Dyslexia – Bullied and misunderstood in school, Nancy describes the emotional toll of being called “stupid” when in fact, she was creative, curious, and intuitive. Books were a struggle—but stories lived vibrantly in her imagination.

🔹 Photography as a Language – As a neurodivergent creative, Nancy discovered photography as a visual way to tell the stories she couldn’t always express through words. She’s now a fine art photographer focused on levitation photography and historical storytelling, bringing Scottish history to life through stunning imagery.

🔹 Blending Passion, History & Creativity – From her fascination with maps and postcards as a child to her fine art collection Scotland’s Checkered Throne, Nancy brings history, art, and emotion together—proving that creative expression can transcend words and borders.

🔹 The Power of Feeling at Home – Though Canadian by birth, Nancy found her true sense of belonging in Scotland. Her story is a heartfelt reflection on identity, culture, and building a life that feels like home—even when you’re far from where you started.

Memorable Quotes from This Episode:

🗨️ “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world.” – Albert Einstein

🗨️ “I realised that I was a storyteller—but through images rather than words.” – Nancy Pinkerton

Why You Should Listen:

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s ever felt out of place, struggled with traditional learning methods, or questioned whether their imagination was “too much.” Nancy and Mandy’s stories are a powerful reminder that daydreaming isn’t a distraction—it’s a direction.

✨ Tune in now to hear Nancy’s beautifully inspiring journey!

Episodes were recorded in the authors own homes on various devices.
Podcast produced by "Your Fairy Podmother" of Voice It Podcast Agency
If you want to start your very own podcast go here: https://www.fairypodmother.co.uk

In this episode, Mandy explores how neurodivergent and creative individuals are natural leaders, driven by vision, innovation, empathy, and resilience—yet often undervalued in traditional spaces.

Ina Jeffrey then shares her honest and compelling journey through grief, reinvention, and finding purpose by building a thriving business that empowers fellow neurodivergent entrepreneurs.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

🔹 You Are a Leader – Mandy outlines the unique leadership strengths found in neurodivergent and creative minds: from big-picture thinking and empathy to adaptability and drive. She shares why embracing these traits is essential to shaping a more inclusive and visionary world.

🔹 Setting Boundaries as a Creative Leader – In her personal anecdote, Mandy describes the challenges of working from home and how learning to set boundaries with her family was a crucial step in owning her leadership role and creative space.

🔹 Ina Jeffrey’s Story: From Breakdown to Breakthrough – Ina takes us on a moving journey that spans continents and life chapters—from losing a child and navigating trauma, to escaping her past and reinventing herself in a new country.

🔹 The Power of Saying ‘Just Watch Me’ – After a string of corporate jobs that crushed her spirit, Ina reached a breaking point. Grief, therapy, and a global pandemic brought clarity—and she found the courage to start again, building a business that aligned with her neurodivergent strengths.

🔹 Growing a Business That Supports Others – Ina shares how she started small as a Virtual Assistant, before recognising her talent for supporting neurodivergent business owners—not just with admin, but also with structure, clarity, and belief. Her mission has since grown into an agency and a supportive community.

🔹 Building a Life Around Your Strengths – Ina's journey is a masterclass in reinvention. She shows how embracing your own story, values, and neurodivergence can lead to not only healing but also building a life and business you truly love.

Memorable Quotes from This Episode:

🗨️ “Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.” – Simon Sinek

🗨️ “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, especially if you’re neurodivergent. You know what the answer is? Just f**ing watch me.”* – Ina Jeffrey

Why You Should Listen:

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who's ever felt stuck, misunderstood, or like they were made for more. Mandy and Ina’s stories will inspire you to trust your instincts, reclaim your power, and lead with purpose—no matter where you’ve come from.

✨ Tune in now to be inspired by Ina’s courageous transformation!

📖 Beyond the Ordinary: Discover the Power of Creative and Neurodiverse Women is available now on Amazon.

🔗 For more insights, resources, and updates, visit mandynicholson.co.uk

Episodes were recorded in the authors own homes on various devices.
Podcast produced by "Your Fairy Podmother" of Voice It Podcast Agency
If you want to start your very own podcast go here: https://www.fairypodmother.co.uk

In this episode, Mandy unpacks the complexity of maintaining healthy relationships as a neurodivergent or highly creative individual, and how the gift of seeing the light in others can become a powerful force when harnessed with empathy and boundaries.

Lisa Lloyd Jones then shares her extraordinary journey from creative teacher to accidental mother, therapeutic art specialist, and founder of a thriving support community for families navigating neurodiversity.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

🔹 Being ‘Hard to Live With’ Can Be a Strength – Mandy discusses how high standards, passion, and directness—often seen as difficult traits—can actually lead to deep, authentic relationships, when managed with self-awareness and empathy.

🔹 Seeing the Light in Others – Creatives and neurodivergent individuals often have a unique ability to see untapped potential in others. Mandy explains how this gift can empower and inspire, but also lead to emotional burnout or disappointment if boundaries aren't respected.

🔹 Lisa Lloyd Jones’ Unexpected Path to Parenthood – Lisa shares how she and her wife became emergency foster carers—and how a three-day-old baby changed their lives forever. Despite never planning to be a parent, Lisa embraced her role wholeheartedly and eventually fought against the system to adopt the child they’d grown to love as their own.

🔹 The Battle for Recognition & Support – Lisa details the emotional, legal, and systemic battles they faced to secure an adoption and the lifelong support needed for their son, who lives with ADHD, sensory processing disorder, and developmental trauma.

🔹 Turning Lived Experience into Purpose – Lisa transformed her personal challenges and professional experience into Mindful of Art, a therapeutic art and counselling service for children and young people. She now uses creative expression as a healing tool, helping others process big emotions in healthy, safe ways.

🔹 Supporting the Unsung Heroes: Parents & Carers – Recognising the lack of support for parents of neurodivergent children, Lisa founded The Therapeutic Couch, an online community offering guidance, emotional support, and connection for caregivers who too often feel alone and overwhelmed.

Memorable Quotes from This Episode:

🗨️ “Relationships are built on the foundation of empathy, understanding, and the willingness to see things from another’s perspective.” – Mandy Nicholson

🗨️ “Creativity has always threaded itself through my life’s twists and turns… it’s my reset button, and now I help others find theirs too.” – Lisa Lloyd Jones

Why You Should Listen:

This episode is a must-listen for caregivers, educators, creatives, and neurodivergent individuals alike. It’s a powerful reminder that you don’t need to follow the path you planned to end up exactly where you’re meant to be—and that creativity and compassion can change lives when combined with courage and advocacy.

✨ Tune in now to be inspired by Lisa’s extraordinary journey!

📖 Beyond the Ordinary: Discover the Power of Creative and Neurodiverse Women is available now on Amazon.

Episodes were recorded in the authors own homes on various devices.
Podcast produced by "Your Fairy Podmother" of Voice It Podcast Agency
If you want to start your very own podcast go here: https://www.fairypodmother.co.uk

In this episode, Mandy delves into the complex relationship between perfectionism and creativity, exploring how high standards can drive success but also lead to stress, self-doubt, and burnout.

Emma Dearling then shares her powerful journey of navigating an epilepsy diagnosis, overcoming self-doubt, and rediscovering her creative passion.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

🔹 Perfectionism: A Blessing & A Curse – Mandy explores how perfectionism can push creatives to produce exceptional work, but also how it can lead to procrastination, fear of failure, and mental exhaustion.

🔹 The Pressure to Be "Good Enough" – Many creatives and neurodivergent individuals feel they must prove their worth, often setting impossibly high expectations. Mandy shares ways to break free from this cycle and embrace progress over perfection.

🔹 Emma Dearling’s Journey: From Self-Doubt to Self-Acceptance – Emma opens up about struggling with self-worth, anxiety, and the pressure to fit in, only to later be diagnosed with epilepsy—a life-changing moment that forced her to redefine her identity.

🔹 Overcoming an Unexpected Diagnosis – Emma describes how epilepsy affected her confidence, mental health, and relationships, but also how it became a turning point for self-discovery and resilience.

🔹 How Creativity Became a Lifeline – Through illustration and art, Emma found a way to process her emotions, express herself, and regain her sense of independence and confidence.

🔹 Living Beyond a Diagnosis – Emma’s story highlights the importance of not letting labels define you. She shares how she rebuilt her life and career, proving that you are more than your challenges—you are your passions, talents, and the impact you create.

Memorable Quotes from This Episode:

🗨️ “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we will catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi

🗨️ “I am more than my diagnosis. My story is far from over—this is just the beginning.” – Emma Dearling

Why You Should Listen:

This episode is a must-listen for anyone struggling with perfectionism, self-doubt, or navigating a life-changing diagnosis. Mandy and Emma’s insights will inspire you to embrace imperfection, trust in your creative voice, and live beyond the labels society places on you.

✨ Tune in now for this deeply inspiring episode!

📖 Beyond the Ordinary: Discover the Power of Creative and Neurodiverse Women is available now on Amazon.

🔗 For more insights, resources, and updates, visit mandynicholson.co.uk

Episodes were recorded in the authors own homes on various devices.
Podcast produced by "Your Fairy Podmother" of Voice It Podcast Agency
If you want to start your very own podcast go here: https://www.fairypodmother.co.uk

In this episode, Mandy discusses the deep connection between creativity, neurodivergence, and physical health, exploring how stress, trauma, and emotional struggles often manifest in the body.

Author Emma Newman then shares her powerful battle with breast cancer, how she navigated the emotional rollercoaster of a life-changing diagnosis, and how she reclaimed her positivity and strength.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

🔹 The Body-Mind Connection for Creatives – Mandy explores how physical symptoms like fatigue, migraines, and pain are often signals from the body, especially for creatives and neurodivergent individuals who process the world differently. She shares why listening to these signals is crucial for long-term health and creativity.

🔹 Why Ignoring Your Body Can Lead to Burnout – Mandy discusses how pushing through exhaustion, stress, and illness without listening to your body can result in serious health consequences. She encourages creatives to prioritize self-care, rest, and holistic well-being.

🔹 Emma Newman’s Story: A Journey Through Cancer & Healing – Emma shares her raw and emotional journey from noticing a change in her body to receiving a shocking breast cancer diagnosis. She walks us through the fear, uncertainty, and moments of deep despair but also the resilience, support, and strength that helped her fight back.

🔹 The Role of Positivity in Facing Life’s Hardest Battles – As a hypnotherapist and psychotherapist, Emma had spent years helping others, but when faced with her own crisis, she found herself leaning on her family, friends, and even her own clients for strength. She talks about how mindset, humor, and the love of those around her became her greatest tools for survival.

🔹 How Creativity & Mental Well-Being Are Linked – Emma highlights how her work in mental health and therapy played a huge role in her healing journey, showing that resilience is built through self-awareness, emotional processing, and support.

🔹 A Powerful Reminder to Check Your Health – Emma’s story is not just one of survival, but also a wake-up call for women to listen to their bodies, get regular check-ups, and take their health seriously.

Memorable Quotes from This Episode:

🗨️ “Your body hears everything your mind says.” – Naomi Judd

🗨️ “Positivity left me for a while, but I fought my way back. And you’re reading this because I just went and did that—I beat cancer’s butt.” – Emma Newman

Why You Should Listen:

This episode is a must-listen for anyone facing health challenges, burnout, or struggles with emotional well-being. Mandy and Emma’s insights serve as a powerful reminder that self-care is not a luxury... it’s a necessity.

✨ Tune in now for this deeply moving and inspiring episode!

📖 Beyond the Ordinary: Discover the Power of Creative and Neurodiverse Women is available now on Amazon.

🔗 For more insights, resources, and updates, visit mandynicholson.co.uk

Episodes were recorded in the authors own homes on various devices.
Podcast produced by "Your Fairy Podmother" of Voice It Podcast Agency
If you want to start your very own podcast go here: https://www.fairypodmother.co.uk