The Healing Happy Hour is back! Vienna and Crystal reunite to talk about what it means to create — not for money, followers, or hustle, but for the simple act of expression and connection.

They catch up on life, grief, and the search for joy in heavy times; unpack how social media flattens nuance and divides communities; and reflect on why creativity, community, and grace matter more than ever.

This episode is equal parts deep reflection and unfiltered laughter, covering everything from the Nicki/Cardi beef to doomscrolling, morning pages, sensual energy, and their personal creative projects.

You’ll leave inspired to make something just because you want to — and to remember that healing isn’t just about rest, but also about making something real, even when the world feels unreal.

Resources & Mentions

• Join the FREE Healing Happy Hour community
• Follow Healing Happy Hour on Instagram @healinghappyhourpod
• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
• Breaking Twitter by Ben Mezrich
• Tina Maria Elena Bak’s Instagram
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• Getting Grown Podcast

In This Episode

• Reconnecting with joy in dark times
• The power of creating for the sake of creating
• How capitalism and the algorithm steal our creativity
• What it means to hold nuance in an internet allergic to it
• Morning Pages, artistic rituals, and the freedom of self-directed learning
• Why sensuality, embodiment, and connection fuel creativity
• The case for community, accountability, and artistic rebellion
• Yelling at Chuck Schumer in our text messages

Join the Conversation

We’re building a creative community for anyone who wants to make something — write, draw, dance, plant, record, whatever — just because it feels good.

Come hang out with us on Substack and share what you’re creating

You can always DM us on Instagram @healinghappyhourpod or send us your stories, your tea, or your latest creative obsession between episodes.

Let's talk personal growth, reflecting on past experiences with credit cards, college life, and shopping indulgences and the lessons that come with age, including the bravery to try new things. This week, we discuss the evolution of body image, celebrating milestones and honoring influential figures like Tess Holliday. The conversation pivots to the power of pop culture, diving into the impact of artists like Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, and dreams of a collaboration between Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. The hosts share their creative aspirations, including goals for writing, vocal lessons, and spiritual endeavors, emphasizing the importance of self-expression and trying new things. They wrap up with meaningful reflections on setting intentions for the new year and a card reading that highlights the need for healthy boundaries and self-care.

00:00 College Credit Card Adventures

01:08 Mall Memories and Fashion Faux Pas

02:29 Body Image and Self-Acceptance

03:32 Celebrity Encounters and Inspirations

06:35 Pop Culture and Music Analysis

22:19 New Year Goals and Personal Growth

25:28 Seeking Vocal Coaching

26:34 Embracing Self-Validation and Overcoming Fear

28:26 Trisha Paytas and Unapologetic Self-Expression

34:45 Pursuing Creative Passions and Personal Growth

36:52 Workplace Joy and Personality Hires

44:53 Setting Intentions and Trying New Things

49:54 Karaoke Dreams and Oracle Card Reading

52:30 Conclusion and Contact Information

We're keeping the healing on the unhinged side as we share holiday experiences, reflect on the lessons learned over the past year, and discuss the importance of setting realistic expectations without being overly self-critical.

We talk about gift-giving, the careful balance of celebrating and bragging, and the challenges of avoiding comparison, particularly on social media. We also talk about the fact that Americans don't know who Robbie Williams is, and we make no apologies for that.

We cackle about the future role of AI in society, emphasizing the importance doing our own healing work (and having romantic relations with humans, not robots). We wrap it by pulling a card for the collective that highlights personal growth, forgiveness, and the beauty of looking forward to a new year with grace.

Challenge: Email us for a special gift from us to take your own new year personal inventory: [email protected]

Links:

• Humpty Dumpty All Dressed Potato Chips
• Sacred Destiny Oracle Deck
• GOOD Story, Great Podcast Cohort
• Subservience on Netflix

Find Us:

• Crystal
• Vienna
• Healing Happy Hour

Music by FASSounds on Pixabay

The (Unhinged) Healing Happy Hour returns, and it’s toasting to authenticity and personal growth.

In this episode, Crystal and Vienna revive their beloved 'unhinged happy hour' and dive into discussions about authenticity, personal growth, and self-care. They explore the complexities of revitalizing personal style, skincare routines, and the journey to self-acceptance. 

The conversation also touches on professional challenges, the importance of mental health, and the power of movement. They stress the significance of leaning into discomfort, prioritizing one's own needs, and the vital role of community and support. The episode wraps up with an empowering card reading from the Divine Feminine Oracle, emphasizing the divinity within each individual and the power of love.

Challenge: Figure out where your voice is needed, and how you can start to share it.

Links:

• Glossier Cloud Paint
• Nourishing Journey - Columbia, Maryland
• Divine Feminine Oracle Deck
• Good Story Branding Podcast Production
• Interlude music by Tech Oasis from Pixabay

Find Us:

• Crystal
• Vienna
• Healing Happy Hour

Music by FASSounds on Pixabay

What does it mean to take an intentional break? When is it quitting? When it is hitting pause? Why do we feel shame when it’s time to get started again? How do we know when we’re ready to start again? When is it “rest” and when is it “laziness?” Is “lazy” a real thing? (Hint: no, it's not.) This week we're talking about how to get yourself going again after stepping back- intentionally or not! There doesn't need to be shame about not being productive, and we're sharing our own experiences and tips as the podcast comes back from its own little pause!

Topics this week include:

• Strength training
• The plural of octopus
• Spring Equinox energy and all the spring cleaning vibes
• Gardening and how 2 hours of pulling weeds can bring up all the metaphors for life
• Punxsutawney Phil and earthworms as icons of rest
• Rest as resistance
• Taking money out of the definition of success
• Celebrity Fit Club and Bobby Brown
• On ramps to motivation
• Doing "the thing before the thing."

This weeks challenge: Define your April goals, and then identify the thing BEFORE that thing. Write it down, bring a friend in, or email to us so we can share.

Reading List:

• KC Davis in How to Keep House While Drowning

Find Us:

• Healing Happy Hour on Instagram
• Healing Happy Hour on Patreon
• Healing Happy Hour on Facebook
• Healing Happy Hour on TikTok
• Crystal on Instagram
• Vienna on Instagram
• Healing Happy Hour Website

Music by FASSounds on Pixabay.

We're baaaaack! We're so excited to be back for a season two, coming back with the same rambling that you know and love, with twice as much goodness! We're catching up today on what we've been up to during our hiatus, finding joy in community care when the world is a mess, and how we've been finding healing (or not, because this is real life)

Topics this week include:

• False positives on drug screens thanks to Everything But the Bagel seasoning
• Fitness goals and cracking walnuts in booty cheeks
• Taking classes and trying new things
• Navigating the unemployment process
• Tennis Fashion
• The Grocery Cost Is Too Damn High (and asking for financial help)
• Hanging out at the mall in 1998 and the loss of third spaces
• Can we please leave the house for free?
• The correct recipe for avocado toast, and other ways to nourish yourself as a depressed adult
• All the joy ahead for season two!

This weeks challenge: Listen to the next episode (it's out now!)

Find Us:

• Healing Happy Hour on Instagram
• Healing Happy Hour on Patreon
• Healing Happy Hour on Facebook
• Healing Happy Hour on TikTok
• Crystal on Instagram
• Vienna on Instagram
• Healing Happy Hour Website

Music by FASSounds on Pixabay.

Let's explore the grounding magic of living intentionally. We're unpacking the importance and power of setting intentions, and then following through. Moving with the seasons, we're harnessing the power of the Sagittarius New Moon to do some daydreaming and goal setting. This is the time to dream big, yet manage our expectations and show self-grace during the journey. Let's all carve out time for goals and be more intentional with our plans.

We dive into the idea of shaking off societal and family pressures, and instead choose our own personal and family holiday traditions intentionally. We invite you to a collaborative intention setting project over on Patreon, fostering a supportive environment for personal growth.

Topics this week include:

• Training ourselves to do things we hate with tiny rewards and cheesecake
• Boldly living live with the face you were born with (or not, and it's all cool)
• Overlining lips
• Strep Throat
• Bouncing back after a tough week
• Celebrating how far you've come, even if it's gradually
• Allowing your voice to be heard
• The pressure to do ALL THE HOLIDAY MAGIC, even if it's stuff we hate

This weeks challenge: Make a list of the little rewards you can given yourself, and join us on Patreon to set an intention, then and make a plan to follow it through!

Relevant Links:

• The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Deck by Kim Krans

Find Us:

• Healing Happy Hour on Instagram
• Healing Happy Hour on Patreon
• Healing Happy Hour on Facebook
• Healing Happy Hour on TikTok
• Crystal on Instagram
• Vienna on Instagram
• Healing Happy Hour Website

Music by FASSounds on Pixabay.

Today's episode is all about something that hits close to home for many of us, especially during these chilly months—Winter Blues and Seasonal Nonsense! Yep, these are the days when it's darker than your coffee and your dopamine receptors seem to be away on winter vacation without you. You’re not alone- we're here to share our misadventures and triumphs in dealing with the winter funk.

Made even more unserious by the ADHD med shortage, we talk about the importance of self-care and mindfulness in maintaining mental health throughout winter months, and meander through stuffing waffles, bidets, and celebrity drama. Join us as we spill the tea on the things that work (running away, Vitamin D and twinkle lights), the stuff that's a total flop (you cannot spend your way out of depression), and everything in between. Spoiler alert: fuzzy socks and a sexy lil boo thing might make an appearance! We've got expert advice, relatable mom moments, and probably a few laughs at our own expense.

Topics this week include:

• The roller coaster of following Julia Fox 
• Vienna gets nosy about Crystal dating
• Setting boundaries with family
• The bisexual conundrum of never knowing when a woman likes us back
• The joy/hell of family photos
• Bidets and bougie toilets
• Byron Katie and the 3 kinds of business
• Vyvanse is on a manufacturer backorder and the ADHD is ADHDing
• Diddy + Celebrity Scandals and Victim Blaming
• Seasonal Affective Disorder and Winter Blues
• Coping with Winter Monotony
• Indoor kids stuff in the winter sucks
• Why does public transportation smell so awful in the winter?
• Running away from home 
• Unapologetically loving basic things
• Cuffing Season
• Eating good without shame
• The Joy of Winter Gift Giving

Shopping List:

• Electric Fireplace Log
• Energy Oracle deck
• Multipack of Popcorn Flavors
• Variety hot cocoa
• Best SAD Lamps

Relevant Links:

• Byron Katie Four Questions
• Does Julia Fox Hate Men?
• Jill Scott Tell Me What to Do
• Leon the Barber
• BANGnJEN Nails, Elkridge, Maryland
• Stuffing Waffles by Dan Pelosi
• Sean Combs is Accused by Cassie of Rape and Years of Abuse in Lawsuit
• SAD Lamps on Broad City

Can we talk about gratitude for a minute? In this episode, we discuss how gratitude can coexist with various emotions and challenges (including when you're just in a bad mood and don't really want to change that). From previous experiences with gratitude journals that felt like toxic positivity to finding a way to get out of our own heads, we're leaning into the duality of life.

We talk about experiences in finding gratitude in the small joys of life and the importance of sharing gratitude with others. The episode intentionally confronts the tension that can arise between acknowledging the joy that exists in life, and the fact that we live in a hellscape. So fun!

Topics this week include:

• The fire McDonalds + Crocs collab that resulted in Grimace sandals and we can't stop thinking about them.
• Is it a cry for help to do an escape room all alone because you can't trust anyone to take it seriously enough?
• Is it gratitude or is it toxic positivity?
• Bob Ross sleep stories on Calm
• Internal vs External gratitude practices
• Seasonal pressures

This weeks challenge: Say thank you to someone else. Give someone a thank you note or tell them to their face!

Relevant Links:

• If we get drafted TikTok's
• NEW PATREON OFFERINGS!
• Best shoes of the year: Grimace Sandals
• Bob Ross on Calm

Find Us:

• Healing Happy Hour on Instagram
• Healing Happy Hour on Patreon
• Healing Happy Hour on Facebook
• Crystal on Instagram
• Vienna on Instagram
• Healing Happy Hour

Music by FASSounds on Pixabay.

With a dollop of Daisy sour cream and a dash of anxiety, we’re enduring the burnout and embracing the wisdom, extracting lessons from our experiences and finding inspiration in THE Monster verse (you know which one.) Drawing from our collective wisdom, we touch on the need to value our talents and challenge societal norms that lead us to undersell our abilities. Every ounce of wisdom is a reminder of your inner strength and your power to demand what you deserve. 

We’re exploring a seasonal approach to our own healing, discussing how shifts in nature's rhythms can influence our habits and experiences. This time of year, we dive into shadow work. As we peel back layers of the self, we introduce practices to confront negative spaces and reclaim our power. We'll share some of our shadow work exercises that emphasize self-compassion, understanding triggers, and embracing all aspects of ourselves. 

Lastly, we are not shy about navigating through the uncomfortable and the vulnerable. We confront our fear of asking for help, dissecting how our upbringing impacts our emotional expression and our approach to vulnerability. We discuss the power of speaking up and advocating for ourselves in difficult situations, affirming the importance of being heard. Remember, finding the courage to seek help is not a sign of weakness but an act of self-love and strength. So, join us, sit back, and let's unravel the threads of self-discovery together.

Topics this week include:

• If you dip strawberries or other fruit/sweet/cold stuff into sour cream or if you eat sour cream on your own, please contact us. We’re not mad, we just want to talk.
• Telling old folks just how awful they are and letting the chips fall where they may.
• You can’t unknow stuff, and we be knowin’. Sometimes that hurts.
• If you can command $50k for a verse with no album out, ask for it, because when someone sees your value, they will pay it. Don’t discount your rate for the broke ones that can’t afford you.
• Embracing a seasonal cadence to healing work, healing toolkits, and a virtual healing circle in our NEW PATREON OFFERINGS!
• What is “Shadow Work,” where to start, how to know if you’re ready for it, and a real-time example of jumping in.
• Listening to what resentment is telling us.
• Digging into the messages we internalized, where they came from, and deciding if they’re true or not.
• When the birth plan is to deliver your babies like a feral cat.
• Buying a car is an awful experience.
• Horror movie themes as a societal mirror showing us what we’re afraid of.
• The power of a good apology. 
• Dime bags from Temu.
• Gold stars from therapy and healing work.
• How to find a therapist (thanks, BetterHelp!)

This weeks challenge: make a note when big emotions come up, acknowledge what triggered them in the moment, and begin to see where the patterns are.

Relevant Links:

• Gettin’ Grown Podcast: Casa Bonni ft Bonni Scotch
• Lantern Oracle
• Why Nicki Minaj’s “Monster” Verse Will Forever Be A Revolutionary Pop Culture Moment
• Monster by Kanye West featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver