The Modern Creative Woman

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Have you ever been out for a walk, only to realize you've spent the entire time having an imaginary conversation with someone you haven't spoken to in years? Or climbed into bed exhausted, only to find your mind suddenly ready to review the day's conversations, plan tomorrow, and revisit something you said fifteen years ago? You'...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Time is passing. It always has been, and it always will be. But how much of the time we have are we actually experiencing? In this episode of The Modern Creative Woman Podcast , I’m thinking about what happens when we spend our lives thinking about time: worrying that we don't have enough of it, rushing through our days, looking ahead to the ne...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art? Amy explores this very old question through psychology, philosophy, anthropology, music, genetics, and the creative process. From Plato and Aristotle to Oscar Wilde, Susan Sontag, Virginia Woolf, and Toni Morrison, she looks at the many ways humans have tried to understand the relationship between wha...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! I'd like to invite you to my online Paris Soiree. Click here to receive your invitation. Synchronicity: What Is Your Mind Trying to Notice? Have you ever thought about someone and then heard from them? Learned a new word and suddenly started noticing it everywhere? Seen an animal, image, number, or symbol repeatedly and wondered whether it mean...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! You Are Allowed to Evolve: Rethinking Purpose, Values, and What Matters Now What mattered to you when you were 15? Maybe it was friends, school, family, dating, fitting in—or simply getting through the day. Now think about what matters to you today. Chances are, some things have changed dramatically, while others have stayed surprisingly consistent....

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! As we get older, some of the things that once nourished us can quietly disappear from our lives. We socialize less because staying home feels easier. We move less. We stop taking classes, going to events, getting dressed for the day, seeing friends, or making time for the things that once brought us joy. Life changes, of course. Our families change,...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Are you waiting for life to become easier, calmer, or more interesting before you really start enjoying it? Maybe you're waiting until the kids are older. Until you retire. Until the big project is finished. Until you have more time. So much of adult life can become a series of things we need to finish before we allow ourselves to enjoy what is...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Are You Living Your Life, or Someone Else’s? Episode Summary What happens when we spend so much time online that we lose touch with our own preferences, pleasures, and experiences? In this episode of The Modern Creative Woman , Dr. Amy Backos explores neuroaesthetics and the powerful role that beauty, art, architecture, color, texture, and our physi...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! How often are you actually present for your own life? Research suggests that nearly half of our waking hours are spent thinking about something other than what we are doing. Our minds wander into the past, the future, imagined conversations, worries, plans, comparisons, and everything else competing for our attention. In this episode of The Modern C...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! This episode of The Modern Creative Woman reframes glamour as a "womanly art" — an intentional, creative practice of shaping your environment, style, and self-presentation — rather than vanity or performing for the male gaze. Dr. Amy opens with Natalie Portman's account of being sexualized young in Hollywood, then traces how women lik...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! What if the way you see the world is being shaped long before you consciously decide what you think? In this episode of The Modern Creative Woman , Dr. Amy Backos explores value priming , the fascinating psychological process through which our previous experiences, environment, relationships, media, and repeated thoughts influence how we interpret w...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! What if the images you're naturally drawn to are telling you something about yourself? Symbols have been part of human expression for thousands of years, from prehistoric cave paintings to religious imagery to contemporary abstract art. But symbols aren't only something we find in museums, books, or ancient cultures. They are part of our o...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Are we on the cusp of a creative resurgence? I think we are. In this episode of The Modern Creative Woman , I’m exploring why so many of us feel creatively starved and why I believe this is exactly the moment to bring more art, beauty, aesthetics, reading, and creative expression back into our lives. We’ll look at how our environments, architecture,...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Rest, Reset, and Keeping Promises to Yourself There is nothing selfish about taking care of yourself. In fact, you're the only person who can do it. In this episode, Dr. Amy Bakos explores why the weeks before September offer the perfect opportunity to pause, reflect, and prepare for meaningful change. Rather than waiting for January's rus...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Can looking at art actually make you more creative? Absolutely—but only if you know how to look. Many people feel intimidated walking into an art museum, worrying they won't "get it" or that they need an art history degree to appreciate what's on the walls. In this episode, Dr. Amy Bakos shares five simple ways to experience art...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Why do we procrastinate on the work that matters most? In this episode, Dr. Amy Bakos explores the psychology behind creative avoidance and why procrastination doesn't mean you're lazy—it often means you're deeply invested in what you're creating. Drawing from behavioral psychology, existential psychology, personal stories, and l...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Why does being self-conscious often leave us feeling anxious, while self-consciousness can become one of our greatest strengths? In this episode, Dr. Amy Bakos explores the profound difference between these two experiences. Self-consciousness often begins in adolescence, when we become acutely aware of how others see us. While this developmental sta...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Why do so many intelligent, capable women long to be creative but never quite begin? In this episode, Dr. Amy Backos explores three surprisingly common mental barriers that keep women from painting, writing, making art, and expressing themselves creatively. These obstacles aren't a lack of talent or time. They're patterns of thinking that...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! We spend so much of our lives trying to eliminate uncertainty. We want the right answer, the perfect decision, and reassurance that we're on the right path. But what if uncertainty isn't something to avoid? What if it's actually one of the most important ingredients for creativity, growth, and living a meaningful life? In this episode...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Have you ever thought about knitting as preventive healthcare? In this episode, Dr. Amy Backos explores the fascinating intersection of creativity, neuroscience, psychology, and fiber arts. What has often been dismissed as "women's work" is now backed by a growing body of research demonstrating significant benefits for brain health, e...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! The Male Gaze in Art: Who Gets to Be Seen? In this episode of The Modern Creative Woman , Dr. Amy Backos explores the concept of the male gaze, its origins in art and film, and how it continues to shape what we see in museums, movies, and visual culture today. From feminist film theory to museum curation, this conversation invites listeners to look...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Show Notes: The Neuroscience of Pleasure, Desire, and Creativity In this episode of The Modern Creative Woman , Dr. Amy Backos explores the fascinating connection between creativity, pleasure, and the brain's reward system. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, art therapy, and her own recent experience completing a new book manuscript, Amy di...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! Season 4 Premiere: Creativity, Meaning, and Art Therapy—Answers to Your Most Asked Questions Welcome to Season 4 of The Modern Creative Woman podcast. As we begin another year together, I'm reflecting on what an incredible journey this podcast has been. What started as an attempt to put words to something I have always understood through experi...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! In this episode of The Modern Creative Woman Podcast , Amy Backos explores one of the most powerful concepts in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): cognitive defusion. What happens when you stop treating your thoughts like facts? What changes when you learn to observe your mind instead of obeying it? Amy walks listeners through the neuroscience...

Ask me a question or let me know what you think! What would happen if you stopped documenting your life long enough to actually experience it? In this episode, we explore the growing cultural movement toward an “analog summer” — intentionally stepping away from constant digital stimulation and reconnecting with slower, more tactile, deeply human ways of living. From knitting and painting to playin...