Finding Your Oxygen: Anne Odeke on Being Seen and Staying Open

When was the last time you actually met you? Not the role you perform for your family, your job, or your community, but the version of you that exists when no one else is watching?   In this week's conversation, I'm talking with playwright and actress Anne Odeke. We talk about why the rigid discipline of adulthood often acts like a clamshell that keeps our real selves hidden and how to find the medicine that helps us open back up. From the accidental path to teaching in flip-flops to her history-making play, Princess Essex, at Shakespeare's Globe, Anne shares why being seen—truly seen—is a fundamental human need.   It’s an invitation to stop overthinking your way to a creative solution and start finding the creative oxygen that lets you breathe again.   I’m Nancy Norbeck, and I’m your Messy Muse Mentor. I help people feel alive again through curiosity and play.   In this episode, we discuss: The Clamshell Effect: Why we walk around closed off and how to stay open to your own creative aliveness. Jumping into the Fire: Why the sense of discovery is more important than the end result. Princess Essex: The true story of a woman who pretended to be a princess just to be seen for a day. Creative Oxygen: Why finding what makes you feel human is a necessity, not a luxury. Ready to send your inner critic to summer camp for an hour? We get together once a month for a relaxed, co-working-style session where you can work on whatever you want—without any pressure to do it "right." We send the shoulds and inner critics off to summer camp where they're kept busy rather than getting in our way. Join the Creativity Circle.   Episode breakdown:   0:00 Introduction 0:38 From Teaching to Shakespeare’s Globe 1:52 Storytelling as a Family Nature 6:35 The Drama Teacher Who Led with Care 11:52 Stumbling into a Teaching Career 15:33 The "Yes, And" of Life: Jumping into the Fire 23:59 The Nudge that Led to Drama School 27:18 Mountview Training as Medicine for the Soul 30:17 The Clamshell: Staying Open to Everything 41:05 First Day at Shakespeare’s Globe 46:38 The Origin of Princess Essex 51:29 An Accidental Conversation at the Globe 58:42 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 1:10:54 Find Your Oxygen: Reclaiming Creativity   Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in writing and theatre. Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle. Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks! If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.