Unleash Your Inner Creative With Lauren Lograsso

In this special re-release, I’m sharing one of my absolute favorite conversations from the early days of Unleash Your Inner Creative…an episode so dear to me, it feels like a time capsule. You’ll even hear how my voice has changed, because I recorded this over six years ago, basically as a creative fetus. LOLz.This powerful episode features the incredible visual artist, podcaster, and creative entrepreneur, Amanda Oleander. If you’re not familiar with her work yet, prepare to fall in love.Amanda’s story is a shining example of what’s possible when you take a leap of faith on your creative calling—especially when life pushes you before you feel fully ready. From raw talent to becoming the most-followed woman on Periscope, Amanda’s rise is about so much more than art—it's about courage, self-belief, and embracing discomfort to create the life you’re meant for.This episode made me emotional (I think it’s the first time I ever cried on the pod!) and helped me reconnect with my own creative power. I know it will d

What if the life you really want isn’t lost—it’s just buried under expectations? Today’s guest is activist, author, and founder of Moms Demand Action, Shannon Watts. On the pod, she shares what it takes to reclaim your voice, reconnect with your purpose, and live a life lit by your own desire. We talk about identity, burnout, blowback, and what it means to start a fire at any age.You’ll Learn: -How to reconnect with your true desires (not just the ones you were taught to want)-The difference between obligation and purpose and how to stop confusing the two-The real cost of staying quiet and how to move through the fear of being seen-What Shannon’s “fire formula” is and how to use it to find purpose at any age-How to let go of an identity that no longer fits and begin to reinvent yourself Shannon Watts is the founder and former leader of Moms Demand Action—one of the largest grassroots movements in the country, dedicated to ending gun violence and creating safer communities.  She’s also a speaker, community lea

Are you hyper-independent? Do you struggle to ask for help, but deep down yearn for community, creative partners, and support? In this solo episode, I’m sharing the (honestly hilarious and kind of painful) story of how I finally learned the power of collaboration--and why trying to do everything alone was costing me my creativity, my energy, and yes…some of my actual hair. I’ll walk you through how to know when it’s time to bring others in, how to call in creative collaborators and community, and how to let go of the pressure to do it all by yourself.This is your invitation to release burn out, find some balance and stop white-knuckling your creative life. From this episode, you’ll learn:-How hyper-independence may be blocking your creative growth-The signs it’s time to call in support and collaboration-How to find the right creative partners for your project or business-Tips for setting boundaries and expectations in creative partnerships-Why co-creating with your inner child or higher self also counts

Have you ever felt like giving up on your dream?  Like it’s taking too long, or like  maybe you missed your shot? Today’s guest is a Grammy-nominated hit songwriter and public speaker, Monty Criswell. He got his first big break at age 39, after more than a decade of rejection. He’s also a colon cancer survivor whose story is a masterclass in perseverance, purpose, and the power of the late bloomer.If you're a creative, feeling stuck or wondering if it’s “too late,” this conversation will remind you why you can’t quit now and HOW to keep going.From this episode, you’ll learn:-Why success later in life can be a blessing-How to stay creative when life gets hard-What to do when doubt creeps in-The antidote to writer’s block -AND the surprising power of community, faith & love

Do you ever take a break, but still feel anxious, guilty, or like you should be doing more? In this solo episode, I share a personal story about what happened when I tried to rest over Memorial Day weekend...and couldn’t stop mentally working. This experience led me to a major realization: I’ve learned how to take time off—but I haven’t learned how to actually rest.If you’ve been pushing through exhaustion, struggling with productivity guilt, or finding it hard to slow down without spiraling, this one’s for you.From this episode, you’ll learn:-Six simple, powerful steps to help you access true rest-How to identify the type of rest your body and spirit actually need-Ways to quiet your inner critic during downtime-How to reframe rest as a creative necessity, not a luxury-A powerful mindset shift to help you stop chasing “done”I also share wisdom from listeners on what changes for them creatively when they actually unplug.Rest is part of the creative process. Let’s learn how to let it in, together.

Hello Creative Cutie! Today, in honor of our THREE Webby Wins, I am back with our third and last episode in a trip down unleash memory lane. This one is very special to me, because it's a coaching session.  I really came into myself as a coach during this episode and discovered how much I can trust myself and how my intuition is a big part of how I coach people. It's also a VERY important episode for anyone out there considering sharing a hidden dream, pursuing a new career or figuring out how to balance being a multi-passionate creative! Check it out and if you're interested in a FREE Coaching session with me on-air, reach out via my website or email below! Original Description: Today I’m taking you inside a coaching session with Caroline Stokes. Caroline is a comedian, dancer, visual artist, musician, and self-expression expert who has who has been lighting up the internet with her hilarious content for years now…Building an organic audience of 111k followers on TikTok and almost 20 thousand people on Insta

This week we continue to take a tour down memory lane with one of the best and most-listened to Unleash episodes of all time! It is with Sadie Blasucci--she shares her journey of making an extremely creative decision: leaving the religion that your parents and community have told you is the "right" one. For her, that was Mormonism. We need to use our creativity in ALL aspects of life, not just work. Questioning the script that has been given to you about life, God, love--that's part of it. Tune in for a fascinating conversation and for tips on finding yourself and spirituality when you leave the religious and/or cultural framework you were raised in. Original Description: On The Guest: Sadie Blasucci is a former Mormon and Faith Transition Coach that helps people acclimate after leaving the church. She’s also the co-host of Missionary Podcast and co-author of a Faith Crisis Guided Journal titled My Authentic Faith. Her focus is to teach people to find faith, trust, and happiness within themselves.From this co

Okay creative cutie, we did it again—Unleash just won our third Webby Award (!!), and it's all thanks to YOU. To celebrate, I’m resharing one of my absolute fave episodes with the wildly inspiring Chandrika Tandon. She didn’t pursue music until her 50s, and now, in her 70s, she’s officially a Grammy winner. She just won this year! Her story is living proof that your creative dream wants you back, no matter the timeline. Make sure to follow me on IG so you can help me pick out which Webby outfit I wear and see all the behind the scenes moments! Original Description: Today’s guest is Chandrika Tandon. She is a globally recognized business leader, Grammy-nominated music artist, and humanitarian. She recently released her new album Ammu’s Treasures which features a variety of classic songs and soothing chants for all ages. She also has been profiled in print, on radio, and on television, including in CNBC’s The Brave Ones series.I wanted to have Chandrika on the show  because of her remarkable journey into the wo

What does it mean to truly let go? How do you know when it’s time to move on, trust the journey, and step into a new chapter of your creative life? In this special episode, longtime Unleash producer, mentee, Emmy Award Winning journalist and dear friend, Rachel Fulton joins me to reflect on our three-year creative partnership as she graduates and moves into her new role as a TV reporter and anchor. We talk about the beauty and challenge of mentorship, navigating career transitions, and how leadership rooted in trust and love can change lives. From letting go to growing forward, this conversation is for any creative who’s ready to honor their evolution, embrace new beginnings, and lead with love — both for themselves and the people they create with.From this episode, you’ll learn:-How to build a mentorship that empowers true creative growth-What leadership looks like when it’s rooted in trust and collaboration-Why letting go is an essential, and often overlooked, part of the creative process-How to stay connec

Is there an area of your creativity that feels draining, stuck, or even overwhelming right now even though you deeply love it? Maybe you started with passion and excitement, but lately, it's felt exhausting. You might even be questioning whether it’s worth continuing at all. If so, you’re not alone. In this solo episode, I share the pivotal moment when I almost quit this very podcast…and the shifts I made that saved it (and me). The truth is: sometimes it’s not what you’re doing that’s the problem…it’s how you’re doing it. This episode will help you reimagine your creative process so you can bring back the joy, sustainability, and flow.From this episode, you’ll learn:-How to recognize when burnout is really a process problem, not a purpose problem-A creative reframe that helped me fall back in love with my work-The exact journaling prompts I used to rethink my approach-How to shift from autopilot into intentional creative flow-The truth about changing your approach and output without losing your supporters,

What happens when you challenge yourself to write 100 songs in one year? How can structure, within creativity, free you? In this episode, artist and longtime Unleash listener, Maria (aka her stage name, Monelise), shares how her year-long songwriting experiment helped her reconnect with her creative essence, release perfectionism, and merge her onstage persona with her true self.  From burnout to flow, this conversation is for any creative who’s ready to recommit to their authentic voice, get unblocked and see the limitless potential of your own creativity.From this episode, you’ll learn:-How to create flexible structure that unlocks, not stifles, creative flow-Why showing up every day (even when it’s hard) builds trust with your muse-What to look for in a creative accountability partner-What to do with unreleased creative work and how to stop seeing it as wastedMore on MoneliseUnleash is Nominated for a Webby Award and we need your help to win! Vote here: https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2025/podca

Is there a part of your creative life you’ve put on ice? Maybe it got too painful, maybe life got too busy, maybe you felt like you failed or maybe you never even started…But when you think of your creativity and the fact that this piece isn’t in it, you know it’s not right. In this solo episode, I’m opening up about a powerful healing session that uncovered a deep creative wound, which helped me realize what had been missing from my soul. Through a surprising and emotional moment with a cherished family member, I was finally able to see the truth: I had abandoned a vital part of my artistry. This episode is all about helping you rediscover the piece of your creative self you’ve been repressing, and guiding you to bring it back into your life, in a way that feels safe, doable, and healing.If you’ve been feeling creatively off, like something’s missing or as I like to call it, “Grayed out,” you’re not alone. This is your invitation to come home to yourself.From this episode, you’ll learn:-How to identify what

Have you ever felt disconnected from your body—or grieved the version of it you used to know? I have. And in this episode of Unleash Your Inner Creative, I’m talking with disability advocate and author Jayne Mattingly about something we don’t hear enough about: body grief, and how it can quietly block our creativity and self-love.Here’s what I’ve come to realize: when we lose trust in our bodies, we often lose connection to ourselves and therefore our creative voice. But when we start rebuilding that trust—even slowly—we open the door to healing, peace, and creative freedom.Jayne created a powerful framework to help us understand and move through body grief, and in this episode, she shares her story, how it applies to you, and how getting into a relationship with your body can shift everything—from how you heal to how you create.From this episode, you’ll learn:-What body grief is and how to recognize it in your own life-The 7 stages of body grief and how to move through them-How to begin rebuilding trust with

Hi Creative. As you may have seen, last week was a very scary week for me. My Dad, who I am extremely close to, was in the ICU for a subdural hematoma. At some point, I will tell the full story, but for today, I am sharing just a little behind the scenes of what has been going on, as well as resharing one of my favorite episodes in honor of my Dad. Please keep him in your prayers and good thoughts for a full recovery. I appreciate you. Original Description: Ciao, Creativo

Are you feeling stuck, torn between two (or more) options, and unsure which path to take? Whether it’s a major life decision or something as simple as choosing what to eat for dinner, I’ve got you.In today’s solo episode, I’m sharing my foolproof, go-to decision-making trick that has never led me astray. This simple yet powerful tool helps you tune into your body’s natural wisdom, so you can ditch overthinking, trust your intuition, and make the right choice—instantly.

What if healing after trauma wasn’t just about survival—but about creativity, reclamation, and transformation? Today’s guest, Marlee Liss, is living proof that healing can look radically different than what we’ve been taught. After experiencing sexual violence, she was thrown into the justice system and quickly realized something: the traditional punitive approach wasn’t leading to healing—it was retraumatizing. So, she did something groundbreaking.Marlee became the first person in North America to advocate for and successfully secure a court-ordered restorative justice process, requiring her assailant to undergo mandated therapy instead of incarceration. Through this process, she proved that true justice isn’t always about punishment—it can be about deep, lasting accountability, healing, and even transformation.This is the second episode in my series on using creativity to change the world—because creativity isn’t just for art. It’s for how we think, how we heal, and how we rebuild broken systems.✨ From this

Hi, creative cutie, as you know, I've been very open and honest about my journey with codependency on the show: my struggles with it, my healing from it, my trying to understand it...In 2022, I was lucky enough to have Melody Beattie author of Codependent No More on the podcast. A couple days ago, Melody's daughter Nichole Beattie posted on her socials sharing that her mother had passed away on February 27th at 10pm. So today, in memory of Melody, and her world-altering and life-changing work, I am resharing our episode. Thank you, Melody, your work changed my life, It helped so many people heal....And it's going to continue to do that for years to come. May you rest in peace and may your work live on forever--teaching all of us to release our shame and to love ourselves at least as much as we love others. Original Description:Today’s guest is Melody Beattie. She’s a New York Times Best Selling Author known for titles such as The Language of Letting Go, Playing It by Heart, The Grief Club, Beyond Codependency

BOO! I’m the ghost of your creative past, and I have one question for you: Do you have unfinished projects haunting you in creative purgatory? What if I told you they're the KEY to getting Unstuck?Have you ever abandoned a creative project, only to forget it existed? What if your best idea is already sitting in your notes, voice memos, or sketchbook—unfinished, unseen, and full of potential?In this episode, I take you inside my own creative ‘graveyard’—a place filled with forgotten voice memos and half-finished songs. What I found completely shocked and inspired me… and it might do the same for you.

What would you do if climate change threatened your home? That’s the reality I faced during the devastating California wildfires—an experience that changed my entire perspective on the climate crisis and our role in it. I realized that climate change isn’t just about the environment—it’s about our safety, our homes, our families, and our future. It’s a human issue. And while it can feel overwhelming, there are ways to fight back—and creativity might just be our greatest tool.So, I’m kicking off a brand-new series on Unleash Your Inner Creative—all about using creativity to solve the world’s biggest issues. And we’re starting with climate change.Today’s guest is Patrick Murphy, a climate expert, nonprofit leader, and a dear friend. He’s here to break down where we’re really at with the climate crisis, why you should care, and the practical steps you can take to make a difference—creatively.From This Episode, You’ll Learn:-Why climate change is one of the greatest human rights issues of our time—and how it impa

Have you ever felt creatively empty—like your spark is just gone? What if I told you that you actually have way more creativity inside you than you realize, but you just haven’t tapped into it yet?In this episode, I had an unexpected moment of inspiration (let’s just say it involved water… and a mess