Rewriting Your Story: Why the Arts are Essential for Well-Being with Dr. Tasha Golden

What happens when the story you built your life around no longer holds? This week, we sit down with Dr. Tasha Golden behavioral scientist, former touring musician, published poet, and one of the leading voices at the intersection of creativity, mental health, and systems change to explore what it means to outgrow an identity, confront burnout, and imagine new ways of being well in a world that often makes that feel impossible. Dr. Golden’s path spans both sides of the brain: from international touring as a singer-songwriter to pioneering research on creativity-driven growth, wellbeing, and innovation. After severe burnout and depression ended her music career, she began asking deeper questions about mental health, meaning, and the role of the arts in human survival—questions that ultimately led her to a PhD in public health and global work at the forefront of arts-and-health research. Together, we unpack: Why burnout is not a personal failure, but often a structural one How capitalist systems push creatives into false “all or nothing” narratives Why wellbeing is more than the absence of suffering—and why suffering doesn’t negate meaning or beauty The limits of language when describing grief, growth, and resilience Creativity as an act of refusal, not escapism Imagination as a practical tool for survival, agency, and change What it means to “go upstream” and question the systems that keep us dysregulated and stuck We also explore post-traumatic growth, the myth of resilience as “bouncing back,” and why some of the most transformative growth comes not from optimism, but from a grounded refusal to accept the world exactly as it is. This conversation is for creatives, thinkers, and anyone navigating grief, transition, or burnout, especially those who feel caught between survival and meaning, realism and hope, science and soul. Listen to the full episode to explore how creativity doesn’t just help us cope but also helps us reimagine what’s possible. 🎧 New episodes of Too Much every Monday. 📍 Follow the podcast: @toomuchwithdlh 💫 Follow Denise: @deniselovehewett 🎙 Follow Dr. Golden: @tasha.golden Go to https://www.tashagolden.com/toomuch for free resources and information on how to work with her 📨 Questions, reflections, or submissions: [email protected]