If you’re an artist with big dreams and a limited amount of energy (hello, real life), this episode is for you. We’re joined by singer/songwriter, vocal coach, and goals-group-organizing wizard Allie Moss to talk about how to set meaningful creative goals without falling into hustle-culture burnout.

We dig into:

• How to tell the difference between “I don’t want to do this” vs. “I’m scared to do this”

• Why your inner critic needs a nap while you’re making things

• The beauty of quantity over perfection

• Gentle approaches to time management, including Allie’s streaks habit app and her color-coded calendar system

• The power of community and accountability (without the shame)

Whether you’re writing songs, books, or to-do lists on the back of receipts, this one’s full of practical advice for showing up to your creative life with intention—and a little grace.

Where to Find Allie:

Website: www.alliemoss.com
Coaching Website: www.alliemosscoaching.com/
Instagram: @Allie Moss
Apple Music: Allie Moss
Spotify: Allie Moss
TikTok: Allie Moss

Thinking Outside the Blocks:
Website: www.thinkingoutsidetheblocks.com
Instagram: @thinkingoutsidetheblocks

References:

• Quarterly Quests from Ali Abdaal’s free workshop - see his work here

• The 12 Week Year - book by Brian P. Moran & Michael Lennington

• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones - book by James Clear

• The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, book by Julia Cameron

• Streaks - habit-forming to-do list app
  

TIMECODES
0:00 - Intro
1:20 - Meet Allie Moss
10:52 - How to know what you actually want (vs. what you “should” do)
16:51 - Why quarterly goals work better than yearly resolutions
18:41 - How to chunk down
25:45 - Becoming the kind of person who does the thing (identity-based goals)
29:51 - How to hush your inner editor
35:19 - Calendar blocking, creative energy, and realistic planning
47:34 - Accountability that doesn’t suck (and the power of community)

Money—just the word can trigger a storm of guilt, shame, confusion, or scarcity. In this episode, we crack open our complicated histories with cash: growing up with little, being raised in churches that equated poverty with holiness, and internalizing a belief that joy and money should never mix.

We cover:

• Growing up in financial lack

• Church culture’s weird relationship with money, guilt, and perceived “worth”

• The deeply internalize message: If you love it, you shouldn’t charge for it.

• How money wounds show up in creative careers

• The fear of being seen as “bad” or “greedy” for charging what you’re worth

• Reframing money as energy—not evil—and leaning into circulation, not hoarding

Whether you’re a freelancer, artist, teacher, or simply someone who’s ever hesitated to name a price—this episode is for you. There’s healing in honesty. And humor. And yes, maybe even in money.

References:

• You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth - book by Jen Sincero

• Rich as F*ck: More Money Than You Know What to Do With - book by Amanda Frances
  

TIMECODES
0:00 - Intro
1:20 - Emily’s money origin story
7:55 - Effects of growing up the way Emily did
10:18 - Carrie’s money origin story
20:01 - Wrong beliefs about money
29:03 - Do we think people with money are bad?

Have you ever felt like everyone around you seems to have a creative identity—but you’re just… a bunch of puzzle pieces that don’t fit into any one box? Maybe you’re multi-passionate, maybe you’ve been told to “pick a lane,” or maybe you’ve spent years trying to be a Tide Pod on a shelf—marketable, palatable, and definitely not too much.

In this episode, we talk about what creative authenticity actually feels like in the body, how to recognize when you’re betraying yourself, and why saying “I’ll think about it” might be the ultimate boundary-setting magic trick. And we are joined by a guest who’s lived all of it.

Lizzy McAvoy is an award-winning singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer who traded the cornfields of Central Ohio for the creative chaos of Nashville. Her songs have been recorded by Jo Dee Messina, Home Free, The Shires (certified silver), Sondr (certified gold), and Tenille Arts—whose album featuring their collaboration “Butterfly Effect” was nominated for CCMA Album of the Year.

You’ve probably heard her work on FOX, Netflix, fashion campaigns, or even a car commercial without realizing it was her. She’s also taken home honors at the Production Music Awards and the Mark Awards two years in a row—including Best Folk Production Music Track and Country/Americana Track of the Year.

Where to find Lizzy:

Website: www.lizzymcavoy.com
Instagram: @lizzymacattack
Apple Music: Lizzy McAvoy
Spotify: Lizzy McAvoy

References:

• Behind the Act Podcast with Seth Schaeffer

• Read Carrie’s Substack here!
  

TIMECODES
0:00 - Intro
16:42 - Meet Lizzy!
21:06 - Living outside of our identity
30:59 - How do we know we’re living outside of who we are?
40:40 - Lizzy’s secret phrase when you can’t say no
43:51 - How do we know when something is a fit?

LISTEN TO PART 1 HERE (then come back and listen to part 2)

You’re vibing at an art show. Then it hits you: someone else already made the thing you wish you’d made. Suddenly, your joy nose-dives into insecurity. Welcome to the complex emotional soup of envy and jealousy—especially for creatives.

In this second half of this two-part series, Emily and Carrie continue with their discussion on envy and focus specifically on Brené Brown’s definitions of resentment, admiration, reverence, schadenfreude, and freudenfreude.

_____________________________________________

A Note from Carrie

Hey, Dear Listener—it’s Carrie.

If you’ve ever found yourself nodding along with the show and thought, “I wish I had someone to help me make sense of where I'm at,” well… hi!

I happen to be a certified life coach, and I work with artists just like you who might feel a little stuck, a little swirly, or just want some help finding the next right step. I’m opening up a couple more spots for artists who want support and structure in their creative work, and I would love to help you reach your goals.

To learn more, visit honestlydearlistener.com/coaching.

Don’t worry, Dear Listener—we’ve got this.

_____________________________________________

References:

• Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience - book by Brené Brown
  

TIMECODES
0:00 - Intro
0:24 - What Carrie is envious about
9:12 - Resentment definition
19:38 - Admiration and reverence definitions
25:37 - Schadenfreude & freudenfreude

You’re vibing at an art show. Then it hits you: someone else already made the thing you wish you’d made. Suddenly, your joy nose-dives into insecurity. Welcome to the complex emotional soup of envy and jealousy—especially for creatives.

In this first half this two-part series, Emily and Carrie crack open Brené Brown’s definitions, explore how envy often hides under admiration, and share personal stories about classism on airplanes, body image in middle school, and the emotional chaos of someone seeming like a better version of you.

(Spoiler: it’s never actually about them.)

______________________________________

A Note from Carrie

Hey, Dear Listener—it’s Carrie.

If you’ve ever found yourself nodding along with the show and thought, “I wish I had someone to help me make sense of where I'm at,” well… hi!

I happen to be a certified life coach, and I work with artists just like you who might feel a little stuck, a little swirly, or just want some help finding the next right step. I’m opening up a couple more spots for artists who want support and structure in their creative work, and I would love to help you reach your goals.

To learn more, visit honestlydearlistener.com/coaching.

Don’t worry, Dear Listener—we’ve got this.

______________________________________

References:

• Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience - book by Brené Brown
  

TIMECODES
0:00 - Intro
2:39 - Premium Select
10:16 - Jealousy & Envy
10:47 - Atlas of the Heart
11:46 - Envy definition
12:24 - Comparison definition
13:45 - Jealousy definition
21:17 - What we’re usually envious about
23:19 - What Emily is envious about
28:51 - Envy as Dehumanization

This week on Honestly, Dear Listener, we’re talking about bodies—how we ignore them, how they yell at us when we do, and what it actually means to be embodied (especially for those of us who grew up thinking our bodies were the enemy). From panic attacks to protein charts, poop habits to dance breaks, we’re getting real about the messy, beautiful, annoying work of coming home to ourselves—one hard-boiled egg at a time.

____________________________________________________________

A Note from Carrie

Hey, Dear Listener—it’s Carrie.

If you’ve ever found yourself nodding along with the show and thought, “I wish I had someone to help me make sense of where I'm at,” well… hi!

I happen to be a certified life coach, and I work with artists just like you who might feel a little stuck, a little swirly, or just want some help finding the next right step. I’m opening up a couple more spots for artists who want support and structure in their creative work, and I would love to help you reach your goals.

To learn more, visit honestlydearlistener.com/coaching.

Don’t worry, Dear Listener—we’ve got this.

____________________________________________________________

References:

• Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle - book by Emily Nagoski & Amelia Nagoski

• Holy Hurt: Understanding Spiritual Trauma and the Process of Healing - book by Hillary L. McBride

• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma - book by Bessel van der Kolk

TIMECODES
0:00 - Intro
2:14 - Bodies & High Control Religion™️
10:28 - Women Ignoring their Needs (Bodily Included)
13:36 - How Panic Attacks are Helpful?
28:39 - How Do We Heal?
31:14 - Self-Trust: THE KEY
40:54 - Things We Can Do to Strengthen Our Relationship with Our Bodies

📣 Big Fat Announcement! 📣

Starting Friday, April 18, Honestly, Dear Listener will be moving to a bi-weekly release schedule—that’s every other Friday instead of every single one.

Why? Because as much as we love creating this podcast, we’re also navigating real human schedules, creative projects, family life, grief, growth, and all the glorious mess in between. And we’re practicing what we preach: realistic expectations, nervous system kindness, and sustainable creativity.

So don’t worry—we’re not going anywhere. We’re just giving ourselves (and you) a little more breathing room. Same vibes, same chaos, slightly more spacious pacing.

Mark your calendars: New episodes every other Friday starting April 18. And in the meantime, hydrate, chase your side quests, and tell perfectionist pants-face to take a nap.

With love and fewer deadlines,

Carrie & Emily 🎙️💕

In this episode, we cover:

💥 Our Q1 goals—what we smashed (and what smashed us)

🎭 Emily’s dramatic arc from “first draft” to “I quit” to “wait… cabaret?”

🧠 Carrie’s ADHD brain vs. perfectionism vs. moving boxes

💌 Rediscovering old chapel notes and decoding middle school crushes (Jim Carrey?!)

🧩 Embracing misery, perfectionist parts, and nervous system meltdowns

🧘‍♀️ Shame spirals, grief, and asking your inner critic to please just shush for a minute

🛠️ Setting doable, measurable Q2 goals using a “12-week year” approach

🩰 Our goals for Q2 2025

✨ Why surviving might be the bravest goal of all

References:

• Ep 72: We’re All Biased. Now What?

• Ep 74: We’re All Out of Energy Coins

• Ep 75: Love Yourself, Asshole, and Other Mysteries

• The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months - book by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) - aka parts work

• Teeline Shorthand

  • Let’s Love Teeline Together - online Teeline shorthand resource Carrie uses

  • Piano Marvel - music piano sight-reading app Carrie uses

TIMECODES
0:00 - Intro
2:36 - Q1 Goals Rewind
31:20 - Q2 Goals Reset
40:19 - A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!

Today on Honestly, Dear Listener, we are unpacking what the heck “the patriarchy” even means, how it hurts artists, and what YOU can do to dismantle it. Joining us today is Carrie’s childhood friend Rachel Darden, a working actor known not only for her talent but also for her keen observations on the state of the arts.

From storytelling shackled by skewed representation to the invisibility of aging women, the patriarchy has left its mark on creativity. Today, we'll explore the need for diverse stories and authentic female portrayals in an industry often blinded by gender biases. We also discuss how the patriarchy is hurtful for men and what all genders can do to recognize and counteract the patriarchy in their art and in their own lives.

Prepare to rethink what it means to be a feminine creator in a world stubbornly molded for the masculine narrative. We're unpacking it all—aging, sexism, representation, and the resilience of womanhood.

Where You Can Find Rachel:

• TikTok - @likely_nauseated

• Instagram - @likely__nauseated

References:

• • “Last F*ckable Day” - Inside Amy Schumer
  • The Mary Tyler Moore Show streaming on Hulu
  • Being Mary Tyler Moore Documentary on MAX