Rom-Com Lessons for Real Life with Sheila Kazan

"I know what it feels like to be the bird in the cage that doesn't sing. I know that feeling and I don't want to go back to that again."Sheila Kazan, creator of the podcast Small Talk with Sheila chats with me about navigating the expectations of her Iranian immigrant parents – who envisioned her becoming a lawyer – and her own desire for creative expression. From discovering the power of acting in a sixth-grade English class to dropping out of law school and working in the heart of Hollywood, Sheila discusses the 'messiness' of a creative life. Now balancing a career in tech with her passion for storytelling, she explains why we should give ourselves the same grace we afford our favourite rom-com characters and why perfectionism is the greatest barrier to artistic fulfilment.The Law School Dropout: Sheila recounts the 'messy and dark' moment she realized she was living someone else's life and her bold move to Arizona to discover who she actually was.Creativity in Corporate Spaces: How Sheila carves out room for her expressive self while working for tech giants like Meta and Slack.The 'Bird in the Cage' Warning: A powerful discussion on the emotional price of suppressing your creative side and why 'just doing it' is the only cure for perfectionism.Ambition vs. Burnout: Practical advice on managing the 'pendulum swing' of a multi-passionate life and recognizing when you’re steering towards a crash.You might also like:From Serving Fries to Performing Stand-Up with Rabiah CoonCakes, Crochet and Connecting in the Metaverse with Shawna CureeFrom Law to Literature with Mary AdkinsSupport the showFollow @CreativityFoundPodcast on InstagramWant to be a guest on Creativity Found? Send me a message on PodMatch, herePodcast recorded with Riverside and hosted by Buzzsprout