The Playful Art and Heart Podcast

In this episode: Are you holding back from creating because you're afraid it won't be good enough? In this episode, we're diving into why your art journal might be the most powerful tool you have for releasing perfectionism — and how to finally give yourself permission to begin. Why your art journal is a playground, not a performance The scientist mindset that will change the way you c...

Feeling anxious about AI replacing artists? In this powerful episode, I'm getting real about the Disney layoffs, the fear surrounding artificial intelligence, and why your human creativity is more valuable than ever. I break down why AI can never replicate what makes us truly creative—our souls, our imagination, and our ability to bring entirely new things into existence. We'll explore how to use...

Have you ever looked back and wondered what would have happened if you'd followed your creative dreams instead of the "practical" path? In this deeply personal episode, Janice shares her 20-year journey from abandoning her art school dreams at 18 to rediscovering art journaling as a burned-out stay-at-home mom—and how that rediscovery changed everything. In this episode, you'll h...

Happy Winter Solstice. Today marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year—a moment when the sun appears to "stand still." In nature, this is a sacred and necessary pause, but in our modern lives, "standing still" feels almost impossible. In this episode, I’m sharing a 25-minute reality check from a holiday checkout line that forced me to look at how we’ve turned &qu...

Tired of the constant rush? Join me for an honest, heart-to-heart talk on why slowing down and cultivating gratitude is the ultimate career move you can make. I share my journey out of a high-pace government job, the overwhelming anxiety that defined my past, and the moment I realized quitting was only the beginning of finding true fulfillment. We dive into the deep internal work —the shadow work,...

In this episode, Janice confesses her own struggles with the "overachieving trap" and perfectionism. If you've ever felt you needed external validation to be worthy, this episode is for you. We explore where our adult hang-ups about play come from and how they manifest as three powerful barriers: The Productive Trap (Guilt over time scarcity) The Monetization Mindset (Why your hobbie...

In this heartfelt episode, host Janice dives deep into finding your true self by listening to the inner voice you ignored for years. We often let "practicality" strip away our passion, but Janice shares her personal story—from being obsessed with Powerpuff Girls and Archie Comics as a child to building Hamletta Studios today. Discover why the interests that society calls "weird" or "impractical" a...

You know that journal you’ve been saving for “the right time”? Or those adorable stickers, pretty pens, and untouched art supplies you bought with so much excitement but haven’t actually used yet? You’re not alone. In this heartfelt episode, Janice explores the quiet guilt that can come from all the creative things we want to do but never get around to. She shares how those unused “creative treats...

Welcome to a brand new series, Invitation to Play ! In this episode, Janice shares the heartfelt story behind Hamletta Studios — how it began as a simple desire to make art just for fun during a busy season of life. Through her journey of rediscovering creativity after becoming a mom, she explores what it truly means to play as an adult and why creativity doesn’t need to be productive to be meanin...