What happens when you lose your identity in a new country, face 65 consecutive rejections, and your creative voice gets buried under the weight of just surviving? Laura Pilcher, actress, author, and ICF-certified coach, shares her raw journey from Melbourne to America—and how creativity became her lifeline when everything else fell apart.

In this deeply vulnerable conversation, Laura reveals:

• Why creativity isn't just for artists—it's a life force everyone needs to survive
• How she rewrote her entire book after getting dropped by her literary agent
• The difference between grief and depression (and why most creatives are actually grieving)
• Why we shut down creativity during pain—and how to awaken it again
• The "mansion with many rooms" approach to finding your creative voice
• How rejection taught her resilience and audacity in a saturated world

This episode is for you if:

• You've lost touch with your creative self and don't know how to find it again
• You're processing grief, loss, or major life transitions
• You feel stuck in the "acquisitions track" and disconnected from who you really are
• You need permission to be a beginner again—to skip, dance, paint, or create badly
• You're afraid of judgment and need to "embrace the cringe"

Glenn and Phyllis explore how creativity connects directly to identity, emotional health, and relationship wellness. This isn't about becoming an artist—it's about reconnecting with the part of you that says "there I am."

About Laura Pilcher:Laura Pilcher is an actress, author, and ICF PCC-certified coach who has performed on London's West End and now helps creative souls reclaim their voice. Her debut book Audacious Artistry: Reclaim Your Creative Identity and Thrive in a Saturated World releases through a London publisher after a journey of resilience that included 65+ rejections and completely rewriting her manuscript.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Brené Brown's research on creativity as life force
• Dr. Echo Hill on grief vs. depression
• Will Palomo on creativity as "connecting the seemingly unconnected"
• Diane Collards' I Choose to Forgive

Resources:

• Get the Core Emotion Wheel: www.connectioncodes.co/podcast
• Book a Connection Codes Coach: https://connectioncodes.co/coaches
• Find Laura's book Audacious Artistry at Barnes & Noble, Waterstones (UK), Blackstone's (Australia), and all major booksellers
• Learn more: www.larabiancapilcher.com

Keywords: mental health, emotional wellness, creativity and identity, overcoming rejection, marriage communication, grief vs depression, emotional regulation, relationship coaching, creative identity crisis, finding yourself again, emotional health tools, leadership development, creative resilience

What if the harshest critic in your life isn't someone else—it's you?

We judge ourselves constantly. Our fears, our bodies, our parenting, the way we show up in relationships. And while we think judgment is motivating us to change, it's actually keeping us trapped in cycles of shame, anger, and disconnection.

In this episode, Dr. Glenn Hill, Phyllis Hill, and Tera Wages unpack the destructive patterns of self-judgment and reveal the powerful alternative that transforms everything: curiosity.

You'll discover:

• Why toddlers don't judge themselves and what we can learn from their natural self-acceptance
• The shame-anger cocktail that fuels judgment and keeps you stuck
• How 10 seconds of curiosity can completely change any interaction or internal struggle
• Why keeping your struggles secret feeds shame and makes judgment grow
• The question that stops judgment cold and opens the door to compassion
• How to recognize your personal trigger topics so you can respond differently next time
• Why social media has created a judgment epidemic and how to protect yourself
• Real-life examples of shifting from judgment to curiosity in marriage, parenting, and everyday moments
• What to do when someone shuts down (the "still face" phenomenon) and you feel flooded with shame

Whether you're battling negative self-talk, living in fear of others' opinions, or finding yourself quick to criticize people around you, this conversation will give you practical tools to break the judgment cycle and step into genuine emotional freedom.

What you'll walk away with:The understanding that judgment isn't helping you grow—it's keeping you isolated. But when you get curious about yourself and others, everything shifts. Compassion replaces criticism. Connection replaces division. And you finally get the space to be your authentic, vulnerable self.

Keywords: self-judgment, mental health, emotional regulation, marriage counseling, shame and anger, curiosity vs judgment, self-compassion, relationship communication, emotional intelligence, breaking negative patterns, therapy tools, mental wellness, emotional freedom, self-criticism, Nashville therapist

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to stay in painful patterns—even when you know they're hurting you? In this powerful episode, we explore why pain becomes a "home base" for so many people, how depression and emotional suffering can feel safer than joy, and what it actually takes to break free.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why homeostasis keeps us returning to painful patterns (even when we desperately want change)
• The psychological phenomenon of anhedonia—the inability to experience joy—and how to recognize it in your own life
• How pain can become a badge of honor and part of your identity
• The three essential ingredients for lasting transformation: pattern disruption, new environment, and time
• Why all eight core emotions (including pain AND joy) are designed to protect and guide you
• Real stories of radical pattern breaking—from career changes to selling everything and starting over
• How to recognize when you're living in emotional survival mode versus thriving

Key insights from this episode:

Glenn shares his experience of living with depression as his baseline for decades, where his daily goal was to "claw my way up to zero." Phyllis reveals the moment she knew their marriage pattern had to break—when she told Glenn to quit his construction job and go back to school, even though she'd never supported the family before.

Tera opens up about her own relationship with pain, realizing she wore it as a badge of honor—even laughing through physical pain because she wanted to be seen as strong, not weak.

The message of pain is simple: there's a problem. But too many of us have become numb to it, accepting suffering as "just the way it is." This episode will help you identify where pain has become your comfort zone and give you the courage to disrupt the pattern.

Keywords: emotional health, mental health, depression recovery, marriage transformation, breaking patterns, emotional regulation, identity crisis, joy and pain balance, relationship coaching, emotional processing, therapy tools, mental wellness, overcoming depression, emotional awareness, self-discovery

Resources mentioned:

• Get the Core Emotion Wheel: www.connectioncodes.co/podcast
• Book a coach: https://connectioncodes.co/coaches
• School of Connection (starts Jan 20): www.connectioncodes.co/school