The Lisa Show

Lisa joins artist and designer Carrie Ann Rhodes to discuss living a creative life. Carrie Ann shares her experiences exploring new hobbies even when they don’t come naturally to her. They discuss how Carrie Ann incorporates creativity into her lifestyle as a mom, and the expectations that come with the label of being an “artist.”

There are so many reasons to create. But sometimes it seems like there are just as many reasons to put it off, edit your efforts to death, or just give up altogether. What's the relationship between our inner critic, and creative block? How can we push past that to unlock the flow state? Lisa is joined by her brother, James Valentine, and the Shenanigans--Lauren Johnston, Kimberly Beatty, Katie Craig, and Jasmine Jackman, to break down sustainable creative habits and the best ways to silence that little voice standing between us and our creative potential.

How can we “keep the channel open” for inspiration? In this episode, Lisa Valentine Clark and professional artist James Rees discuss the spiritual side of art. James shares his best practices as an artist and an art teacher, and he and Lisa explore how we can keep ourselves open to transcendental experiences as we live creative lives.

People will often talk about creative pursuits as a way to make friends--maybe you'll meet people at a pottery class, or you'll find people who are interested in the same music as you. But what we don't often discuss is how creativity connects us not only to the people around us, but also to ourselves! In the episode of The Lisa Show's series on creativity, Lisa talks with friends and experts to find out how being creative can help us understand ourselves, the people around us, and our place in the universe. No small task!

Creativity can be incredibly fulfilling. So why is it so hard sometimes? Lisa Valentine Clark and Studio C showrunner and producer, Jake Van Wagoner, take a look at imposter syndrome and the importance of giving yourself permission to make bad art. They discuss how to enjoy the process rather than putting pressure on ourselves to create something great every time. Plus, Jake improvises a new theme song for The Lisa Show.

Are you a creative person? Everyone answers this question differently. Whether you feel too busy to participate in your old hobbies, or you think there's "not a single creative bone in your body”, there's no limit to the obstacles keeping us from exploring our creative sides. But as it turns out, there's a science to the way we define our creative potential--and knowing the odds makes it easier to beat them. Lisa chats with Drs. Lynne Vincent and Jack Goncalo, as well as James Valentine, about what makes a person creative or not--and how to overcome some of the biggest misconceptions standing between us and our most creative selves.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,” says Thoreau. But how do we live deliberately in the world of smartphones, robots, and the internet? In this final installment, Lisa and Kacy Faulconer discuss the conclusion of Sherry Turkle’s book Alone Together. Lisa and Kacy discuss digital manners, and Lisa shares how technology helped her late husband have a higher quality of life. What do we live for, and how can technology augment that rather than replace it?

We live in a time of unprecedented loneliness. Even in the luckiest of circumstances, when we're surrounded by supportive friends and family, we might be feeling crushing loneliness in one facet of our lives or another. Maybe you have a chronic illness that no one seems to understand. Or maybe it feels like you're the only one that's struggling to raise a troublesome toddler. Whatever the circumstances, there's a community out there that can help. In this final installment of The Lisa Show's series on Your Life Online, Lisa talks to friends and experts to learn how we can use the internet tools at our disposal to feel a little less isolated and alone.

What is it about being human that gives us a need to post secrets online? Is there something deeper that we're hoping to get in return? In this episode, Lisa and Whitney Call discuss the next two chapters of Alone Together by Sherry Turkle. Whitney shares her experience with Post Secrets, and she and Lisa discuss the illusion of vulnerability that the internet provides.

So many of us wonder if we're on our phones too much. It's easy to turn to social media or other online spaces to numb feelings of anxiety, depression or loneliness, even if we know that it can impact our mental health in the long term. How do we break this cycle? In this episode, Lisa talks with our very own producer Becca Hurley about her experiences with technology addiction. Lisa and the Council of Moms (Ashlynn Allen and Angie King) discuss how to put our phones down and be present with our families, and licensed therapist Dr. John Sovec shares advice on how to become more mindful of our technology use, and create the space for intentional choices that keep us in control.

As Lisa and her sister Gina James dive into the next two chapters of Sherry Turkle’s book Alone Together, they discuss how the way we communicate on our phones has changed over time, from calling to texting to Facetime and Snapchat. Lisa and Gina also discuss how we explore and construct our identities online. In a world where streamers make real money playing video games and influencers post about their personal lives, the lines between online life and real life have never been more blurry. How does online life overlap with real life— and where do we draw the line?

Do you remember the last time you read a headline or a post online, and later found out it wasn’t true? How did you feel? How did it change the way you see the world? The internet is filled with people sharing information, whether they’re journalists breaking a big story, or influencers talking about their favorite skincare products, or even just family members talking about things that interest them. And no matter what your personal beliefs are, it can be hard to always spot incorrect or completely false information when it comes up. So what can we do? And what difference can media literacy make in our lives? Lisa talks to cybersecurity expert Amanda Hughes, media literacy professor Julia Smith, as well as her producer McKay to find out.

When was the last time you thought to yourself, “I don’t want to be interrupted?” In our hyperconnected world, many of us find ourselves always “on call,” checking our phones rather than living in the moment. In this episode, Lisa and Ganel-Lyn Condie discuss how technology shapes our identities and the identities of our children. They also explore how to parent children of all ages in a world where people are expected to be connected 24/7. How can we allow our children the autonomy they need to flourish when we’re always one call or text away?

Kids love technology, and it can be a lot of pressure on parents to decide how much access is appropriate for each kid. How can we know if we're setting healthy boundaries with our kids regarding technology? How much screen time is too much? In this episode, Lisa joins forces with Brooke Romney, Trent Ray, and The Council of Moms (Aimee Hopkin and Kacy Faulconer) to find out. There are more resources available than ever to educate parents on helping kids use tech in a healthy way. Although every parent has a different strategy to managing screens in their home, finding an individualized approach based on the needs of your family (and supporting other parents in their tailored approaches) can be the key in healthy relationships to technology for the whole family.

It's only human to search for new, innovative solutions to our basic needs. There's a gadget for everything—and it makes fries! But in a world that’s more lonely than ever, can new technology give us the happiness and connection we crave? How can robots provide us with a better quality of life, and how do they take away from it? Alexis and Chanté from Let's Talk Sis join Lisa to discuss the next chapters of Sherry Turkle’s book, Alone Together, and break down what we want the relationship between technology and humanity to look like in the long term.

When you think about your kids using the internet, what do you think about? Is it the many uplifting and educational opportunities that exist online? Or is the first thing that comes to mine one of the many dangerous and threatening corners of the internet that you hope your kids never find? As parents and internet-users in general, safety is always a concern. We don't want to slip up and give sensitive information to a scammer or stalker. But what about our emotional safety? How can we protect our mental health while also protecting our passwords? In this episode of The Lisa Show's series on Your Life Online Lisa talks to Ricardo Rosas, data privacy expert Trent Ray, and mental health education Natasha Devon to find out.

As artificial intelligence becomes more and more effective, robots become capable of filling more and more of our desires— even our desire for human connection. Which caregiving tasks should be done by robots, and which should only be done by humans? Is a simulation of companionship better than nothing, or should we hold out for the real thing? As Lisa and Carrie Ann Rhodes discuss Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of Sherry Turkle's book Alone Together, they dive into these ethical dilemmas and more.

Most of us are on more than one social media platform. Whether it's Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter etc., each one has its own vibe and culture. So what does it say about us when what we share is molded by these unique spaces? Lisa assembles a Council of Moms with a wide range of comfort levels online, and they discuss the variety in social media and how to make it work for you. Lisa's friend Aimee gives some poignant advice on dating apps, and keeping yourself emotionally safe when using media that incentivizes you to pretend. Lisa shares her experience as a young mom in England, and how to cope when it feels like you're the only uncomfortable person in the room (or chatroom).

Can robots make us love them, and is that love real? As Lisa and Carina Wytiaz dive into the first two chapters of Alone Together by Sherry Turkle, they explore their relationships to the tools and toys around us that seem to have a life of their own--from Furbies and Tamagotchis, to Siri and Alexa. Carina shares how her experience in the tech industry affects the way she views this kind of interaction. As electronics get more human-like, what does the way we treat them say about us? And how can we set boundaries and nurture meaningful relationships?

Do you feel like the way you represent yourself online is the "real" you? Is it even possible to be completely "authentic" on social media? In this first episode in The Lisa Show's series about life online, Lisa dives into the idea of being "authentic." What does it mean? Why do we feel so much pressure to figure it out? And is it even worth trying? She talks to author and legendary blogger Gabrielle Blair, social media expert Dr. Anna Akbari, and the Council of Moms (Kacy Faulconer and Aimee Hopkin) in order to find out.

In this final installment of Lisa's Book Club on More Than a Body by Drs. Lindsay and Lexie Kite, Lisa and Whitney Call explore the final frontier of body image: peace. What would you define as the things that make you truly happy? What beliefs are you holding onto which suggest that your happiness is contingent on your physical appearance? Whitney and Lisa reflect on the impact this book has had on their own body image, how they view the natural process of changing in their bodies, and what it means to "shift your focus" to ideas that change the world for the better. They discuss the distractions which sometimes help us avoid the negative body image moments, and the discomfort of shame that has to be confronted before we can overcome it. Healing body image is accessible to everyone, and in a world where we are constantly inundated with objectification, we can overcome the comparison with ideals and with each other when we share all of the "in-betweens" along the way.

Okay. So maybe you've watched an inspiring movie. Or you read a great self-help book. Or maybe you listened to a life-changing podcast series about body image. And now you're all fired up to make changes, to live more healthily, and to be kinder to yourself. And then it's happily ever after, right? We all know it's not that easy. Even the person with the best body image in the world will run into hard days, when being healthy physically and emotionally isn't as easy as it used to be. So how can we improve our body image for good? And what does long-term self-love actually look like? In this final installment of the Lisa Show's Body Image series, Lisa talks with the Council of Moms (consisting this week of Gina James and Emily Campbell), former professional dancer Jess Spinner, professional model and actor Gabe Hansen, and body image expert Connie Sobczak, to find answers.

Lisa and Whitney dive into Chapter 6: "A Resilient Reunion", and the final chapter of "More Than a Body" by Drs. Lindsay and Lexie Kite. What can we do to combat the message that women are defined by their physical appearance? Lisa and Whitney reflect on how they have shifted their own mentalities about identity, and their relationships to their bodies. They discuss aspects of body image that have been particularly poignant over the course of the book and their body image journeys.

Most of us have figured out the first part on our own—social media has a way of making us feel worse about ourselves. But new research on the effects of social media on body image introduce a twist: we have a lot more power than we think. Despite the negative impacts of idealized images and relentless confidence-sapping messaging, social media also has the potential to be a powerful tool for good, if we apply some careful strategy to the way we use it. Lisa gathers family and friends in the Council of Moms with Gina James and Emilie Campbell, to get firsthand perspectives of social media changing the way we relate to our bodies. Body image researcher Dr. Jessica Alleva joins the conversation with fascinating results from studies which tested the ability for body image to improve, and the way social media fits into that equation. Social media guru Alison Faulkner shares her dramatic experience with body image and traumatic injury, how the demands of social media shaped her body image, and how she took back the reigns in order to heal, and share that healing with others.

Lisa continues her conversation with Alex of Sassy Confetti, and Stefanie Michelle, on Chapter 5 of More Than a Body by Drs. Lindsay and Lexie Kite, "Reclaiming Health and Fitness for Yourself". They share their feelings about beauty ideals and how unattainable body image expectations can affect us, as well as how generational trauma influences our definition of beauty. What role does genetics play in relation to diet, fitness and health? Lisa, Alex and Stefanie discuss the notion that our bodies should be instruments and not ornaments to society.

In most of our relationships, when it comes to bodies the best idea is just to not worry about things that don't pertain to us. It's their body, their health, and it's not our place to judge. But with our romantic partner, there's no escaping how our bodies play a role in the relationship. We're there for the highs and lows, the good body image days and the bad, and we all want to feel loved, desired, confident, and safe. So how do we build our romantic connection on a foundation of healthy body image? In this installment of The Lisa Show's series on Body Image, Lisa talks to the Council of Moms (consisting this week of Katie Craig, Natalie Madsen, and Suzanne Clark) and eating disorder specialist Signe Darpinian to find the best advice. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 Office on Women's Health - Relationship Safety Guidelines: https://www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety Psychology Today - Find a Therapist: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists

Lisa and her guests, Stefanie Michelle and Alex of Sassy Confetti, dive into Chapter 5 of More Than a Body by Drs. Lindsay and Lexie Kite, "Reclaiming Health and Fitness for Yourself". They share from their own journeys of body image and self-empowerment. What definition of "health" actually promotes mental and physical wholeness? Lisa, Stefanie and Alex dismantle false notions of "wellness" and share how they've found compassion for themselves and love for their bodies.

What would you do if your boss called you into their office for some feedback... because you revealed your age? Lisa shares her experience of the weird mixed messaging that so many of us experience when it comes to change and getting older. A special intergenerational Council of Moms reflects on different transitions that have impacted their body image, and how they learned to overcome personal and societal expectations for how their bodies would look or feel through pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause and all the other little transitions in between. They discuss moving past "turning back the clock" and on to loving bodies that were always meant to change.

Lisa and Whitney Call continue their conversation on part two of Chapter 4 of More Than a Body by Drs. Lindsay & Lexie Kite, "From Divided To United as Women". What changes when we replace appearance-based commentary and language with new conversations and topics? Breaking these habits is tricky, and requires a lot grace as we learn new ways to appreciate ourselves and each other. Lisa and Whitney examine their own internal monologues about body standards, and how the people in their circles responded to major changes in their appearance. Lisa remembers a compliment that felt like a dagger to the heart, and Whitney reflects on what she learned about parenting and anxiety from the reactions she received when she shaved her head. They discuss how women can find compassion and vulnerability with each other, and unite in their shared journey to self-love and a healthy body image.

How often do you go out and exercise not because you feel like you have to, or because you feel guilty that it's been too long, but because is was fun? It seems like in our busy lives often the only thing that can get us off of the couch and moving our bodies is the body shame we feel about not doing as much as we should be. But who is determining what exercise "should" look like in our lives? And is that expectation even a healthy one? In this episode of The Lisa Show's series on Body Image, Lisa talks with personal trainer Matt Peale, mental health expert John Sovec, and this week's Council of Moms (Whitney Call, Emily Spencer, and Josephine Bills) to figure out where we went wrong when it comes to exercise and how we can make things right.

In this installment of Lisa's Book Club, Lisa and Whitney Call dive into part one of Chapter 4 of More Than a Body by Drs. Lindsay & Lexie Kite, "From Divided To United as Women". They explore the competitive space that women often find themselves in as a result of societal messages which say that there's only so much space to go around—and that women should take up less. What does body image have to do with female stereotypes that suggest women are "catty" or "vicious"—and who benefits from that? (Hint: it's not women.) Whitney recalls her own journey of body transformations and how people spoke differently to her depending on her appearance. Lisa ponders the section of her closet that was once dedicated to jeans in every size. They discuss how women can stick together and celebrate each other as their bodies naturally change.

How do you know what to eat? Trying to find good information is harder than ever, especially in a diet culture-saturated world that insists "you are what you eat", distorts the idea of health, and encourages toxic relationships with food. Finding peace with the fuel which powers us is critical to enjoying a rich life and loving our bodies. Lisa assembles intuitive eating coach Saskia Carr, food scientist Michelle Menden, and the Council of Moms for a conversation about managing food and nutrition for ourselves and our kids. They discuss food rules, counteracting diet culture in their homes, and how they overcome the food anxiety, comparison, and perfectionism that so often comes to the table.

Lisa and Natalie Madsen continue their conversation on Chapter 3, "From Self-Objectification to Self-Actualization" from More Than a Body by Drs. Lindsay & Lexie Kite.

Whenever "body positivity" is mentioned, many people have a gut reaction of, "But we don't want to glorify obesity--that would be unhealthy!" It seems like many people see quote-unquote "healthy" living as something that can't coexist with loving your body at any size. On the other hand, many people are advocating for greater body love wherever body conversations are happening: in advertising, in movies, at the dinner table, and even at the doctor's office. So where is the disconnect? And how can we live our healthiest lives now, physically and emotionally, while working towards whatever goals we're shooting for? In this episode of The Lisa Show's series on Body Image, Lisa seeks to better understand what the term, "obesity" actually means, both medically and practically in the lives of those experiencing it. She talks to body image coach Amanda Martinez Beck and obesity specialist Dr. Katherine H. Saunders to hear their personal stories as well as to learn what "healthy" should really mean for each of us, and how we can all do better to help both ourselves and the people around us find the emotional and physical joy that we deserve.

Lisa and Natalie Madsen dive into Chapter 3, "From Self-Objectification to Self-Actualization" from More Than a Body by Drs. Lindsay & Lexie Kite. Natalie reflects on her experience as an actress and comedian on sketch comedy TV show Studio C through three pregnancies, and the the subtle messaging that made physical appearance feel so pivotal to success. How does self-objectification relate to people pleasing? Is it possible to push past the mental noise and get back to a "flow" state? Lisa and Natalie talk candidly about their own "beauty work" and how they keep the pressure to look good from taking over lasting personal happiness.

What role does a community play in making a safe space for all bodies? How do Eurocentric beauty standards affect us individually and collectively? Lisa sits down with Bryson Alejandro and Rachel Ostler, who share their own journeys of body love as people of color and as advocates for better media representation. Dr. Gigi Awad shares some of the psychology behind body image, the impact of idealized images on our brains, and how we can be a little more aware of stigmas that we may not even know we have, so that we can make our environment--onscreen and off--better for everyone.

Lisa and Ashley Rose Reeves talk meditation, "text parenting", and dollar voting as they finish Chapter 2, "Critiquing and Creating Your Media Environment" from More Than a Body by Drs. Lindsay & Lexie Kite. How do you manage a bad body image day? What do you say when your kids are exposed to negative messaging in media? From normalizing the highs and lows of body image, to curating what shows up on our social media feeds, there are lots of practical ways to take back control of our personal media bubbles.

Despite their best efforts, even the most motivated parents will often find themselves in a situation where they feel lost and unprepared. And this might never be more true than when it comes to talking to our kids about their bodies. It can feel like a minefield of potential lifelong trauma-- how can we possibly know what the right thing is to say? In this episode of The Lisa Show's series on Body Image, Lisa talks to the Council of Moms (this week consisting of Julie Taylor and Tamalin Christen), body image coach Amanda Martinez Beck, and mental health expert Dr. Gail Saltz to find out how what we can do to set our kids up for success when it comes to the way they see their bodies.

Lisa sits down with Ashley Rose Reeves for part one of Chapter 2, "Critiquing and Creating Your Media Environment" from More Than a Body by Drs. Lindsay & Lexie Kite. What's your earliest memory of comparing others' bodies to your own? What's so significant about Disney remaking The Little Mermaid? Lisa and Ashley reflect on the subliminal messages we absorb from the media about "acceptable" bodies, who profits from our insecurities, and how we can take back our power in a sea of information.

How do I know if my relationship with food is "healthy"? Lisa explores eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders) and their impact. Racquel shares her experience with an eating disorder, and the journey that brought her to recovery and self-love with the help of mental health professionals and dieticians. Amy Harman LMFT, CEDS-S gives insight on the ways society has normalized disordered thinking and eating, and how we can recognize counterproductive attitudes toward food in our own behavior. Lisa reflects on the subtle messages around us that encourage toxic relationships with food, and how we can work to destigmatize this incredibly common experience, so that we can heal, and encourage others around us in their journeys of healing and recovery. For more resources on eating disorder recovery and support for families, please follow the links on this episode page at https://www.byuradio.org/ Amy Harman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist. She is the author of, "Perfectly Imperfect: Compassionate Strategies to Cultivate a Positive Body Image" and currently practices in Fairfax, VA where she treats all types of eating disorders and provides Family-Based Therapy. Find more about her work at https://www.reflectwholenesstherapy.com/

Lisa and Kacy continue discussing Chapter 1, "Rising with Body Image Resilience" from More Than a Body by Lindsay & Lexie Kite. Does your response to seeing yourself on a Walmart security cam say something about your resilience? How much of your identity is shaped by what you think people see when they look at you? Lisa and Kacy compare what they learned at home growing up, and the experiences their kids are having in a media-saturated world that glorifies narrow, unattainable beauty standards. They process a lifetime of complicated feelings about swimsuits, and how they can nurture the feeling of being "at home" in their bodies.

In the online discussion about body image, there's often a disconnect when it comes to the terms that are used. Some people talk about "body shame" with an understanding that it is a negative and toxic emotion that can lead to serious trauma and mental illness. Others will talk about "body shame" to refer to what they see as a healthy motivation to eat healthier foods and exercise more regularly. How can people who are using the same phrase to refer to almost opposite ideas have an effective conversation about how we can best take care of ourselves? In this installment in The Lisa Show's Body Image series, Lisa tries to establish a foundation of common understanding around shame, positivity, guilt, and love, so that we can be in the best frame of mind to start improving our relationships with our bodies. She talks to the Council of Moms (Tamalin Christen and Julie Taylor), head of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating Mike David, and reevaluates her own history with body shame in the process.

Lisa kicks off her book club on More Than a Body by Lindsay & Lexie Kite. She and Kacy Faulconer break down their first impressions of the book and personal relationships to the topic (and one of the authors), and begin their discussion on Chapter 1, "Rising with Body Image Resilience".

At the beginning of a new year and a new series on Body Image, Lisa and Kacy discuss the tragic legacy of Helen of Troy — the "most beautiful woman on earth" of myth and legend — and how body comparison and beauty expectations affect the way we see ourselves in the age of social media. Lisa reflects on the changes in her own body image over time, and the common ground in many stories of body image and self-love.

In the special episode of The Lisa Show, Lisa is joined by family practice physician (and her older brother) Dr. Chris Valentine to talk about what he wishes parents knew about taking care of their kids, and how everyone can be a little bit safer in the new year.

In this special edition of The Lisa Show, Lisa is joined by actor, comedian, and parent Whitney Call to answer more listener-submitted questions. How do you parent children that act like they hate you? What's a reasonable bedtime for teenagers? What can friends with no kids do to support parents?

There's no time like the holidays for delicious, unique, and memorable food! And there's never a better time to ditch the guilt and reframe the way we think about the foods we love. Lisa sits down with lifestyle guru and long-time friend of the show, Carrie Ann Rhodes, for some secrets on finding healthy and happy approaches to food for ourselves and our families.

Lisa sits down with her producers Becca and McKay to talk about their favorite holiday memories, smells, gifts, foods, and more.

In this special edition of The Lisa Show, Lisa is joined by actor, comedian, and parent Whitney Call to answer listener-submitted questions.

Lisa sits down to talk with Lisa Show producers Becca Hurley and McKay Menden about what they've learned throughout the production of the Self-Care series. They talk about what they've changed, what's working, what isn't, and what they still need to improve.