Six weeks of summer. A toddler at home full-time. An honest attempt to remember how to play again... In this unscripted episode, Lucie shares the questions she has no answers to yet; how to stay present and playful with her son, and how to rediscover what she personally loves doing for fun. Inspired by Lynda Barry's Syllabus, she's building a daily "playbook," and deliberately chasing randomness outside the algorithm: library shelves, source material, books that pair fiction with nonfiction. No resolutions here, just an honest starting point, and an invitation for you to share how you're finding play this summer.

What do you do when the inspiration just... stops? Not a creative block exactly - more like the tap has run dry and you can't remember how to turn it back on.

In this episode I've been thinking about inspiration as a practice rather than something you wait for. I share six tiny side quests that have been helping me find my way back to curiosity and creative energy over the last few weeks - including the one that surprised me most: that sometimes the most useful thing you can do when you're creatively stuck is absolutely nothing.

We also get into why the word "inspiration" literally translates to "breathe in" ,  and what that means for what we do when we're already full.

How have you been finding inspiration recently? What curiosity practices do you do? 
Let me know 
Instagram → @lucie.lincoln
Website → www.lucielincoln.com
YouTube →   / @lucielincoln
Substack → https://creativemumsclub.substack.com

What does it take to become more of yourself? Eight years and 100 episodes ago, I started this podcast because I felt like I was in a race I was going to lose - a race against aging, against "should," against what it meant to be a grown-up. I decided to redefine growing up for myself: with play, with wonder, with permission to not know.

This is episode 100. And while I haven't found all the answers, I have found better questions and some things worth sharing about what it takes to become more of ourselves, and why that work matters.

In this episode:

• Why permission to not know is the foundation of becoming yourself
• How play became my most powerful tool for exploration and growth
• The power of questions over answers in navigating adulthood
• Why community matters and why you're not doing this alone
• Covering the same ground over and over again—and why that's actually the practice
• Wonder as a daily practice for staying curious and human
• Recognizing seasons: when to push into discomfort, when to nurture yourself through change
• Why becoming yourself isn't selfish—it's how we create connection and change
• Questions I'm still exploring after 100 episodes

Mentioned: 
 - Almost Grown...Up - Not knowing episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2LrQ3VVOHD9eq82hrVNhNj?si=yhXuBJiSSySPNR1l7Uihzg
- Almost Grown...Up - Play series: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Ncd1E6Kb0Nb2E6eoS2hPg?si=42f5f9685adb49b2
- Almost Grown...Up- Questions Episode : https://youtu.be/pMlSIvM8f-Y?si=LfVWV5drMPvf1mLT
- Letters to a Young Poet - Ranier Maria Rilke: https://share.google/bdDn59rA7X43nElOV
- Instructions for Traveling West: Poems- Joy Sullivan: https://share.google/JXr8AGy6cN2fxu0aR
- Hospicing Modernity- by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira: https://decolonialfutures.net/hospicingmodernity/

The truth: It's still a mess. I'm still figuring it out. But I love that there's so much left to discover. If you're trying to figure out your own way of growing up, your own way of showing up in the world, I hope this gives you permission to stay in the mess too.

Because when you turn up as you, we all win.

Thank you for being part of this 100-episode journey. Here's to the next 100 of still figuring it out.

What if we stopped trying to control outcomes and instead focused on creating conditions for play, wonder, and silliness to grow?

This spring, I ran three experiments: daily silliness, returning to stop-frame animation from childhood, and exploring personal style without fear of "trying too hard." I had no idea what would grow from any of them, and that was exactly the point.

In this episode:

• Why gardening is the perfect metaphor for creativity, parenthood, and life
• Three spring experiments: silliness, stop-frame animation, and style exploration
• What happened when I carried a tiny figure in my pocket and skipped down city streets
• The patience required for frame-by-frame animation and what it teaches about creative work
• How the fear of "trying too hard" keeps us from self-expression
• Dropping the performance and showing up honestly
• Creating conditions for hope when the world feels heavy
• Why we can nurture the seeds but can't control what blooms

Mentioned: "Art and Fear" by David Bayles and Ted Orland, childhood talismans, Polly Pockets, stop-frame animation

What seeds are you planting this spring? 

Let's me know!
Instagram → @lucie.lincoln
Website → www.lucielincoln.com
YouTube →   / @lucielincoln
Substack → https://creativemumsclub.substack.com

What if instead of pursuing perfection, we did the complete opposite—and pursued imperfection instead?

In this episode, I share what happened when I got stuck in creative fear and decided to try something counterintuitive: deliberately making bad art, chasing mistakes, and embracing the mess. I explore the philosophy of wabi-sabi, why our flaws show our humanity, and how deliberate imperfection can unlock creative flow.

In this episode:

• Why perfectionism keeps creative people paralyzed at the blank page
• The sketchbook experiment: filling a notebook in 10 days without second-guessing
• How music exists because of silence (and what that teaches us about creativity)
• Making a zine with a typo on the front page, and why that's actually ok
• Why imperfection is a superpower in an AI-generated world
• Finding poetry in everyday moments and messy parenting
• Practical experiments to try: making bad art, poetry watching, and chasing imperfection

The question I'm left with: What would you make if you had permission to get it wrong?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on pursuing imperfection, reach out on Instagram, TikTok, or in the Spotify Q&A.

Get a copy of the pursuit of imperfection zine here. 

Sources
Tatiana Hopper: The Japanese Philosophy that makes better photographers : https://youtu.be/9fr26i3a7C8?si=e4veorD8EfGRIv7-
Art & Fear By David Bayles and Ted Orland: https://share.google/5IJ2dR9k5QoOM3fhp
Poetry Watching on Anna Corrine Substack: https://annacorinne.substack.com/p/poetry-watching
Wabi Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philsophers : https://share.google/7QzaxirCxmppyIQQJ

Let's figure it out together:
Instagram → @lucie.lincoln
Website → www.lucielincoln.com
YouTube →   / @lucielincoln

What does it actually mean to live seasonally beyond pumpkin spice lattes and fall bucket lists? I've been noticing we've reduced the seasons to things we consume and curate, but what if there's a deeper invitation here? This episode explores seasonal living as a practice of attention, connection, and remembering that we're not separate from nature - we ARE nature. 

In this podcast: Iris Murdoch's "un-selfing," Hermann Hesse on wonder, Japan's 72 micro-seasons, and what happens when we shift from performing seasons to participating in them.

Welcome back to a new year of Almost Grown...Up Today we are kicking off the season with the question: Are questions better than answers? If you have ever felt the desire to get on with something but the doubt that you're not quite sure what exactly that something is then this episode is for you. 

Seasonal change can feel like we're losing the energy, curiosity, and joy of the last chapter, but it doesn't have to be that way. In this episode, I'm sharing five playful practices to help you carry the magic of summer (or any season) into what comes next.

You'll hear:
✨ Why rituals like special meals can help us feel connected and grounded
✨ The simple end-of-day habit that supports rest, rhythm, and wonder
✨ How starting a "play project" keeps curiosity alive
✨ Creative ways to celebrate quirky days and make ordinary months more fun
✨ Why sending a postcard (yes, really!) is a surprisingly joyful ritual

If you're moving from one season to another, whether in nature or in life, this episode is your invitation to bring some attention, creativity, and play along for the journey.

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

🧡 Join me for Playgroup on October 2nd: https://lucielincoln.kit.com/a85a4668ed
📬 Get regular updates on living a creative life: lucielincoln.substack.com

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