Your Creative Mind

New Feature. Every Other Week: Learn about my one of my great passions, The Real World Tarot. It's the method I use to get real clarity on everything from writing to career and life decisions. I created this deck, and I'll be exploring its application in creativity, decision-making, and life-planning. If you find yourself at a crossroads, these episodes will give you ideas on how to make decisions and rise to challenges.
The Hierophant
Stone columns. A scroll. A figure who won't let you skip the reading assignment. That's The Hierophant. It's the card of authority, knowledge, and the discipline of knowing before you act.
In this episode, you'll hear a real reading where a skeptical husband's cards pointed straight to a health issue he'd already been warned about — and why the information he needed had been sitting in front of him all along. You'll learn why today isn't the day to leap, and what it actually takes to stop rationalizing and start listening to what you already know.
This deck isn't available anywhere else. It's exclusively mine. If today's episode has you wanting to work with The Hierophant and the rest of the Real World Tarot deck in your own hands, reach out. I'd love to set you up with a deck of your own, or book you in for a reading.
 
Connect with Izolda
Website: https://IzoldaT.com
Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call
New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg
What you need to know today. Choose your Real World Tarot card here.
Follow the podcast's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realworldtarot/
This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset
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Tom Mullen and Maria Messias Mendes co-wrote One Night at the Blackbird which Goes Up in August 2026, at the Broadway Bound Theatre Festival.
What does it take to start a playwriting career at fifty-nine or co-write a play with someone whose life experience looks nothing like your own? Meet Tom Mullen and Maria Messias Mendes, co-writers of One Night at the Blackbird, premiering this August at the Broadway Bound Play Festival in Manhattan's Theater District.
In this conversation, they open up about reinventing a creative life later in life, building trust with a co-writer, and pulling true New Orleans jazz history into a story about a banished angel who's tired of the music. If you're weighing a late-in-life creative reinvention or a bold new collaboration of your own, this episode offers real, usable proof it's possible, and seats for this festival run are limited. For more on building a confident creative life at any age, find Izolda's coaching work at https://IzoldaT.com.
Learn More!
blackbirdtheplay.com
https://www.instagram.com/faldahrah/
https://Broadwayboundfest.com  
 
 
Connect with Izolda
Website: https://IzoldaT.com
Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call
New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg
What you need to know today. Choose your Functional Tarot card here.
This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset
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How WWII historical mystery novels and 1970s NYC thriller writing connect past and present through emotional truth and creative intention with author, filmmaker, and NYU professor, Rosanne Limoncelli
What if the way you write, or create anything, could actually change how you see people?
In this episode, author, filmmaker, and NYU Tisch professor, Rosanne Limoncelli shares how historical fiction writing becomes a practice of attention, empathy, and creative awareness. From WWII mysteries to 1970s NYC thrillers, her work shows you how story can shape the way you understand life itself.
You’ll hear how a consistent creative writing practice builds emotional clarity, strengthens imagination, and helps you stay connected to your voice and your inner storyteller, even on the busiest days.
If you’re a creative entrepreneur, performer, or someone rebuilding your creative rhythm, this conversation will meet you where you are.
Listen and notice what shifts in how you approach your next creative moment.
Connect with Rosanne
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/rclbrooklyn/ 
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/rosanne.limoncelli/ 
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosanne-limoncelli-phd-80a6255/ 
Substack
https://substack.com/@rclimoncelli 
 
Rosanne C Limoncelli (Jun 28, 2026, 11:25 AM)
https://www.mysteriousbookshop.com/events/56439 
Connect with Izolda
Website: https://IzoldaT.com
Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call
New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg
What you need to know today. Choose your Functional Tarot card here.
This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset
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What happens when clown, comedy, and philosophy come together? A masterclass in creative thinking, audience connection, and artistic courage with Rich Potter.
What if asking one better question could change the way you think about creativity, purpose, and possibility? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, I sit down with clown, variety entertainer, storyteller, creator of God! The One-Man Show, and my husband, Rich Potter, to talk about turning childhood curiosity into meaningful creative work. Together, we explore overcoming creative procrastination, rewriting with confidence, collaborating as creative partners, and using humor to examine life's biggest questions. Whether you're a writer, performer, entrepreneur, or simply looking to build a more consistent creative practice, you'll come away with practical ideas for strengthening creativity, cultivating curiosity, and finding confidence in your own artistic voice one thoughtful question at a time.
If you want to know more about God the One-Man Show, head to https://godtheonemanshow.com for information on the New York City performances July 17th and 18th, 2026. Or if you'll be at the Edmonton Fringe Festival, you'll get your chance to catch God as he creates the universe in August.
Connect with Rich
https://godtheonemanshow.com/
https://www.instagram.com/awfulcute/ 
 
Connect with Izolda
Website: https://IzoldaT.com
Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call
New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg
What you need to know today. Choose your Functional Tarot card here.
This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset
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Why your talent isn't the problem: your silence is, and how to fix it without feeling fake.
Does the thought of introducing yourself at an industry event make your stomach drop?
You're not alone, and you're not broken. In this episode, you'll learn why so many talented artists, playwrights, and creatives freeze when it's time to talk about their own work, and exactly what to do about it. Drawing from real classroom moments teaching young artists who'd rather whisper their ideas at lunch than present them aloud, you'll walk away with five practical techniques for building creative confidence, networking without feeling fake, and getting yourself into the rooms where opportunities for grants, exhibitions, and productions actually happen. If self-promotion makes you cringe, this episode will change how you think about being seen.
Connect with Izolda
Website: https://IzoldaT.com
Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call
New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg
What you need to know today. Choose your Functional Tarot card here.
This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset
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Polished creative work starts with messy, uncomfortable first attempts. This episode is one, and that's entirely the point.
What would it take for you to pick up a creative practice you've been avoiding live, on mic, in front of your audience?
In this raw, unfiltered episode, Izolda does exactly that. She returns to guitar after months away, mid-episode, imperfect and unpolished. She reflects on grief, creative accountability, and why complacency quietly kills a well-lived life. You'll walk away with one practical strategy for restarting a stalled creative practice: the accountability promise made publicly. Whether you're a writer, musician, or multi-passionate creative entrepreneur rebuilding momentum after burnout, this episode meets you where you are. Because the return matters more than the absence.
 
Connect with Izolda
Website: https://IzoldaT.com
Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call
New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg
What you need to know today. Choose your Functional Tarot card here.
This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset
Listen on These Channels
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A memorable lesson in setting boundaries, reclaiming artistic focus, and stopping the cycle of overfunctioning in creative leadership roles.
What happens when the creative work you love starts feeling like one more obligation on an already overloaded list? In this episode of the Your Creative Mind podcast, Izolda Trakhtenberg shares a candid story about burnout, leadership, overcommitment, and the surprising power of stepping back. If you’re a writer, actor, musician, or creative entrepreneur who struggles with people-pleasing, creative exhaustion, or balancing artistic goals with daily responsibilities, this conversation will feel deeply familiar. You’ll hear practical mindset shifts for protecting your creative energy, setting healthier boundaries, prioritizing self-care without guilt, and reclaiming time for the art that matters most to you. A thoughtful, encouraging episode for creatives who are tired of carrying everyone else’s circus.
 
Connect with Izolda
Website: https://IzoldaT.com
Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call
New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg
What you need to know today. Choose your Functional Tarot card here.
This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset
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Why Journalists Make Some of the Most Visionary Fiction Writers
What happens when real-life chaos meets a creative calling you can’t ignore? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, Izolda sits down with USA Today bestselling author and longtime cultural journalist Sarah M. Seltzer to explore how storytelling, Jewish feminism, and creative resilience can shape a meaningful artistic life.
You’ll hear practical, heartfelt strategies for sustaining creativity during overwhelming seasons, balancing motherhood with writing, and transforming personal history into grounded, compelling narrative art. Sarah shares mindset tools, creative-process insights, and the small rituals that keep her inspired in a noisy world.
If you’re building a life filled with creativity, curiosity, and confidence, this conversation will give you encouragement, direction, and a renewed sense of possibility.
One last thing. If you love the music of the 60s and 70s, this episode will be your jam!
Sarah's Debut Novel: The Singer Sisters
Connect with Sarah
https://sarahmseltzer.com/
https://www.instagram.com/sarahmseltzer 
https://bsky.app/profile/sarahmseltzer.bsky.social 
 
Connect with Izolda
Website: https://IzoldaT.com
Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call
New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg
This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset
Listen on These Channels
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Every creative entrepreneur who's ever felt guilty taking a day off needs to hear this one specific mindset shift before summer starts.
What does it really mean to choose yourself when the world keeps waiting to choose you first? In this raw, soul-searching episode, host Izolda Trakhtenberg pulls back the curtain on the psychological trap that snares so many creative entrepreneurs — the addiction to being chosen. Through her personal experience navigating an uncertain teaching position, two powerful Broadway shows, and the morning meditation practice shifting her mindset, Izolda shares why choosing yourself first is the most radical act a working creative can take. You'll walk away with a concrete mantra practice for building creative confidence, plus fresh insights on setting boundaries, releasing guilt around rest, and owning your creative business with clarity. Because the most successful creatives don't wait for permission — they decide.
Connect with Izolda
Website: https://IzoldaT.com
Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call
New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg
Get your revelation for today. Choose your Functional Tarot card here.
This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset
Listen on These Channels
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Practical lessons for performers, writers, and creative entrepreneurs on taking bold creative risks and trusting your artistic instincts on stage and beyond.
What if the way you create, on stage, on the page, or in music, could feel as alive, urgent, and meaningful as a live performance? In this episode of Your Creative Mind, Izolda Trakhtenberg shares powerful insights from three unforgettable productions: from live-looped musical storytelling and Broadway-style spectacle to emotionally charged high school theater. You’ll learn how to build layered creativity in real time, strengthen emotional connection with your audience, and treat your work as an offering that invites collaboration and confidence. If you’re a writer, musician, or performer seeking practical ways to deepen artistic expression, overcome fear of being seen, and create work that resonates, this episode gives you inspiring, real-world creative process strategies you can use immediately.
Reviews on three shows: Mexodus, Schmigadoon, and In The Heights.
Connect with Izolda
Website: https://IzoldaT.com
Book Your Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/izoldat/discovery-call
New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/90481/izolda-trakhtenberg
This episode is brought to you by Brain.fm.* I love and use brain.fm! It combines music and neuroscience to help me focus, meditate, and even sleep! Because you listen to this show, you can get a free trial and 20% off with this exclusive coupon code: innovativemindset. (affiliate link)URL: https://brain.fm/innovativemindset
Listen on These Channels
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | MyTuner | iHeart Radio | TuneIn | Deezer | Overcast | PodChaser | Listen Notes | Player FM | Podcast Addict | Podcast Republic |
*Affiliate Link