"You need to uncouple your self-worth from your income." Amy Bernstein does not like the word "retired". Our hosts, Stephanie McCullough and Kevin Gaines, aren't too fond of the word either. A former journalist and federal government communications veteran, she didn't quit anything cold. She shortened her commute first, then went part-time, then, when the pandemic made her last part-time job untenable, took the final step. What followed was less a plan than experiments guided by whatever sparked joy. These "experiments" included playwriting classes, a first novel written on the train, and a book-coach certification that flipped a switch. Six novels and a nonfiction guide for doubting creatives later, Amy has built a life that pays in confidence and craft more than dollars, and insists that trade is no downgrade. She believes that culture rewards money, title, and productivity so completely that anything creative reads as indulgence, something to feel guilty about squeezing in around "real" obligations. Reading a book, listening to music, mastering a soufflé. These are creative acts whether or not monetized, and treating unmonetized creativity as worthless has it backwards. Her book, Wrangling the Doubt Monster, does not promise to cure self-doubt; it normalizes it, insisting doubt can ride along without driving the car. Stephanie and Kevin are all about the idea that retirement rarely trips people up financially. It is the identity vacuum of "who am I once the job title disappears" that catches people off guard, and creativity is where many will find their answer!   Key Topics: From "Have To" to "Want To": Redefining Retirement

Overcoming the Guilt of Taking Time for Yourself

Normalizing Creative Self-Doubt

Permission to Experiment (and Fail) Without a Master Plan

Creativity as Therapy

Stephanie and Kevin's Wrap Up