A month long digital detox turned into an analog creativity challenge - learn the habits that revived my imagination.

In this episode of Almost Grown...Up I walk you through my month‑long analog summer experiment - a conscious screen‑free challenge designed to combat digital overload and spark fresh creative routines.

What you’ll discover:

• Beginner mindset: How diving into new analog hobbies (photography, video making, collage) unlocked playful creative flow.
• Balanced screen breaks: Real‑world insights on managing screen time, recognizing digital fatigue, and building a sustainable tech‑free routine.
• Create what you consume: From reading Mary Oliver’s Upstream to a whimsical Korean novel, I explain how mindful reading inspired me to start writing tiny scenes and sensory portraits.

Practical tools & tips:

• A Play book set‑up for idea capture
• Sensory‑portrait exercise for immersive memory‑keeping
• Analog scrapbook techniques for lasting keepsakes
• Quick weekend analog projects you can start today (collage, cooking, star‑watching, etc.)

Why it matters: A digital detox doesn’t have to be an all‑or‑nothing proposition. By pairing intentional screen‑free periods with purposeful creative projects, you can reduce mental clutter, improve focus, and nurture mindful productivity.

Resources mentioned:

• Mary Oliver – Upstream (essay collection) 
• Hang Bo Reun – Welcome to the Hyunam- Dong Bookshop (Novel)
• Upcoming Creative Mornings field‑trip (Sept 18th 3pm EST/ 8pm BST) Click here to register.

Join the conversation: I would love to hear what analog experiment your trying or ideat on how to tailor a screen‑free challenge to your interests. Let’s bring tactile creativity back into our lives- one sketch, one collage, and one mindful habit at a time.

Learn more about Almost Grown...Up and get the transcript here: https://www.lucielincoln.com/episodes

🧡 Grab my 7-Day Play & Wonder Challenge: https://lucielincoln.kit.com/c68ddfc764 📬 Get monthly notes on living a creative life: lucielincoln.substack.com

Why does even good change feel so hard?

In this episode, I’m unpacking (literally and emotionally) what it means to move forward, even when the change is something we’ve been hoping for. As I prepare to move home, I explore how play helped me cope, and how wonder helped me let go.

You'll hear:

• Honest reflections on navigating positive change

• The emotional complexity of new chapters

• Why play sometimes feels like “toxic positivity”—and what to do instead

• How wonder helps us hold joy and grief at the same time

• Practical ideas like “Wonder Walks” and sensory rituals to help you find footing in the in-between

If you’re in a moment of transition - starting something, ending something, or just feeling the shift, this episode is your permission slip to pause, feel it all, and find a bit of magic in the mess.

Learn more about Almost Grown...Up and get the transcript here: https://www.lucielincoln.com/episodes

🧡 Grab my 7-Day Play & Wonder Challenge: https://lucielincoln.kit.com/c68ddfc764 📬 Get monthly notes on living a creative life: lucielincoln.substack.com

Feeling stuck, low on energy, or creatively meh? You're not alone. In this episode, Lucie shares her go-to creative reset for when everything feels a little too much. From three playful mini creative briefs to the unexpected power of a walk, this is your permission slip to step out of overwhelm and into momentum - one small action at a time.

Whether you're navigating parenthood, burnout, or just the general messiness of life, this episode is a soft reset, full of ideas, wonder, and honest reflection.

 Featuring:

• A pep talk for anyone stuck in a creative fog

• Lucie's favourite creative reset

• 3 creative briefs to jump-start your imagination

• The surprising clarity a walk in nature can bring

Learn more about Almost Grown...Up and get the transcript here: https://www.lucielincoln.com/episodes

Want to find a bit more everyday play? Join the 7 day Play & Wonder Challenge Each day you'll get a simple, playful prompt straight to your inbox — just 5 minutes a day to spark creativity, joy, and fresh perspective. ✨ It’s free and it starts whenever you're ready. Sign up here

Join the Blanketfort Club

Want a regular dose of creative encouragement and messy magic? Subscribe to The Growth Chart, my newsletter →https://lucielincoln.substack.com

Join Playgroup, my monthly creative event →  https://www.lucielincoln.com/playgroup

Let's hang out

Instagram → @lucie.lincoln Website → www.lucielincoln.com YouTube →https://www.youtube.com/@lucielincoln

Ever feel like you’ve missed your chance? Like you’re too late to begin again? In this episode, we talk about the messy, magical truth of starting over - at any age, at any time. From the myths we believe about time, to the fear of the unknown, to the playful rituals that help us take that first step, we’re diving deep into the big question: Is it too late to start again? Spoiler: it's not. You’re right on time.

Learn more about Almost Grown...Up and get the transcript here: https://www.lucielincoln.com/episodes

Want to find a bit more everyday play? Join the 7 day Play & Wonder Challenge Each day you'll get a simple, playful prompt straight to your inbox — just 5 minutes a day to spark creativity, joy, and fresh perspective. ✨ It’s free and it starts whenever you're ready. Sign up here

Join the Blanketfort Club

Want a regular dose of creative encouragement and messy magic? Subscribe to The Growth Chart, my newsletter →https://lucielincoln.substack.com

Join Playgroup, my monthly creative event →  https://www.lucielincoln.com/playgroup

Let's hang out

Instagram → @lucie.lincoln Website → www.lucielincoln.com YouTube →https://www.youtube.com/@lucielincoln

What if wonder wasn’t something rare or far away, but something you could feel today - right now?

In this episode, Lucie explores the beautiful, everyday wonder of small pleasures. From your morning drink to the sound of birds, we talk about how simple joys can anchor us, soften life’s edges, and help us feel more alive.

A gentle reminder that slowing down might be the most powerful creative act you can do.

For anyone feeling overwhelmed, this is your permission slip to pause, notice, and find magic in the mess.

Learn more about Almost Grown...Up and get the transcript here: https://www.lucielincoln.com/episodes

Want to find a bit more everyday play? Join the 7 day Play & Wonder Challenge Each day you'll get a simple, playful prompt straight to your inbox — just 5 minutes a day to spark creativity, joy, and fresh perspective. ✨ It’s free and it starts whenever you're ready. Sign up here

Join the Blanketfort Club

Want a regular dose of creative encouragement and messy magic? Subscribe to The Growth Chart, my newsletter →https://lucielincoln.substack.com

Join Playgroup, my monthly creative event →  https://www.lucielincoln.com/playgroup

Let's hang out

Instagram → @lucie.lincoln Website → www.lucielincoln.com YouTube →https://www.youtube.com/@lucielincoln

This week we are back in the blanket fort for the ultimate showdown -play versus productivity. I'm kidding (kind of). Play is often put in opposition to productivity and in this episode, we are going to dive into a few of my favourite play rituals to help boost productivity. And then explore how we can escape the productivity trap! 

Tune in to: 

 -Explore how play can support your productivity rather than work against it

 - Get play ideas to help boost your productivity - including a few exercises to help stave off procrastination

 - Think on what we do once we have been productive with all the time we have

Ready? Let's Dive in!

Learn more about Almost Grown...Up and get the transcript here: https://www.lucielincoln.com/episodes

Want to find a bit more everyday play? Join the 7 day Play & Wonder Challenge Each day you'll get a simple, playful prompt straight to your inbox — just 5 minutes a day to spark creativity, joy, and fresh perspective. ✨ It’s free and it starts whenever you're ready. Sign up here

Join the Blanketfort Club

Want a regular dose of creative encouragement and messy magic? Subscribe to The Growth Chart, my newsletter →https://lucielincoln.substack.com

Join Playgroup, my monthly creative event →  https://www.lucielincoln.com/playgroup

Let's hang out

Instagram → @lucie.lincoln Website → www.lucielincoln.com YouTube →https://www.youtube.com/@lucielincoln

Remember that thing you used to love doing… before life got so busy?

In this episode of Almost Grown Up, we’re talking about the quiet magic of hobbies - not for productivity, not for monetization, just for the joy of it. Whether it’s painting, gardening, journaling, or dancing around your kitchen, those little creative acts can offer us the daily opportunity to play. 

We’ll explore the power of hobbies and how we can bring more of them into our lives. This is your permission slip to reconnect with joy, curiosity, and the playful parts of yourself you may have forgotten.

Tune in to get:

• A reminder of the power of hobbies 
• Three strategies to help you kick-start a hobby now. 

Learn more about Almost Grown...Up and get the transcript here: https://www.lucielincoln.com/episodes

Want some new hobby inspiration? Join the 7 day Play & Wonder Challenge Each day you'll get a simple, playful prompt straight to your inbox — just 5 minutes a day to spark creativity, joy, and fresh perspective. ✨ It’s free and it starts whenever you're ready. Sign up here

Join the Blanketfort Club

Want a regular dose of creative encouragement and messy magic? Subscribe to The Growth Chart, my newsletter →https://lucielincoln.substack.com

Join Playgroup, my monthly creative event →  https://www.lucielincoln.com/playgroup

Let's hang out

Instagram → @lucie.lincoln Website → www.lucielincoln.com YouTube →https://www.youtube.com/@lucielincoln Say hi or share your thoughts → [email protected]

Feeling lost is a pretty common adulting experience. But it can feel pretty difficult to be found again. Today on the podcast Lucie shares her experiences of being lost as an adult and how in her recent 'lost moment' she used a play and wonder framework to rebuild a map and help her move forward into a new direction feeling less lost. 

Tune in to get:

• A permission slip not to know and be figuring it out 
• A creative and playful map to use when you are feeling lost 
• A reminder that you're not alone and some support to create some momentum. 

The quote I miss quote during the episode: "Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from making bad decisions.” - Mark Twain 

Learn more about Almost Grown...Up and get the transcript here: https://www.lucielincoln.com/episodes

Want a little extra momentum? Join the 7 day Play & Wonder Challenge Each day you'll get a simple, playful prompt straight to your inbox — just 5 minutes a day to spark creativity, joy, and fresh perspective. ✨ It’s free and it starts whenever you're ready. Sign up here

Join the Blanketfort Club

Want a regular dose of creative encouragement and messy magic? Subscribe to The Growth Chart, my newsletter →https://lucielincoln.substack.com

Join Playgroup, my monthly creative event →  https://www.lucielincoln.com/playgroup

Let's hang out

Instagram → @lucie.lincoln Website → www.lucielincoln.com YouTube →https://www.youtube.com/@lucielincoln Say hi or share your thoughts → [email protected]

This week, we're diving into the seriousness of play. Play isn’t just for kids. It’s not frivolous. It’s not a waste of time. In fact — play is how we learn, experiment, expand, and move forward when life gets messy.

Tune in to get:

• a reminder of why play is so important 
• how play changed my life
• a creative framework for how we can get into a space of play

Learn more about Almost Grown...Up and get the transcript here: https://www.lucielincoln.com/episodes

Join the Blanketfort Club

Want a regular dose of creative encouragement and messy magic? Subscribe to The Growth Chart, my newsletter →https://lucielincoln.substack.com

Join Playgroup, my monthly creative event →  https://www.lucielincoln.com/playgroup

Let's hang out

Instagram → @lucie.lincoln Website → www.lucielincoln.com YouTube →https://www.youtube.com/@lucielincoln Say hi or share your thoughts → [email protected]

Welcome back! It's Season 5 and we are back in the blanket fort (now in video as well!). In this episode, Lucie shares the overview of what this season will explore. Her big aha moment from the last few months on the power of letting yourself step outside the box that other people want to put you in and instead define yourself and your life on your own terms.

So if you need a permission slip to live your life your way and some inspiration on how to make that happen, then this is just that. 

Tune in to get:

• a fresh take on how to embrace all parts of ourselves 
• a permission slip to adult however works for you 
• permission to figure it out and have fun whilst you do it

Learn more about Almost Grown...Up and get the transcript here: 

Join the Blanketfort Club

Want a regular dose of creative encouragement and messy magic? Subscribe to The Growth Chart, my newsletter →https://lucielincoln.substack.com

Join Playgroup, my monthly creative event →  https://www.lucielincoln.com/playgroup

Let's hang out

Instagram → @lucie.lincoln Website → www.lucielincoln.com YouTube →https://www.youtube.com/@lucielincoln Say hi or share your thoughts → [email protected]