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- Make It a Production: The Art of Intentional Creative Time
Show Notes This episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice focuses on the concept of building a “container” for creative activities—a ritual framework to spark creativity and cultivate focus. Patricia and Nicole share personal examples and discuss how this approach can be applied to various activities, from art projects to difficult tasks like doing taxes.… Read more: Make It a Production: The Art of Intentional Creative Time
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Make It a Production: The Art of Intentional Creative Time
Show Notes This episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice focuses on the concept of building a “container” for creative activities—a ritual framework to spark creativity and cultivate focus. Patricia…
I Am Choosing to Listen to This Podcast Right Now
Show Notes This episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice features hosts Patricia and Nicole discussing their adventures at the Oakland Museum of California White Elephant Sale where they scored…
Showing Up: A Casual Hangs Renaissance
Show Notes On this episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice, Patricia and Nicole discuss maintaining connections with friends through simple, manageable get-togethers, sharing examples of low-key hangouts like morning…
You Don’t Serve Your Goals: 2025 Reflections & 2026 Plans
Show Notes Happy New Year! In this episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice, Patricia and Nicole review their 2025 goals and set intentions for 2026. They reflect on successes…
Louboutin Saddles & Slinky Origins
Show Notes Happy Holidays! Patricia and Nicole close out 2025 with a short episode of the Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice. They share some weird Christmas trivia and as always,…
Typewriters, Tomatoes, & Travel: 2025’s Lessons Learned
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice podcast and close out the last full episode of the year by reflecting on…
Cookbooks, Conjure, & Queers: The Best Books We Read in 2025
Show Notes In this episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice, Patricia and Nicole share their favorite books they read this year, discussing a wide range of genres from cookbooks…
Homemade Isn’t Holy: Debunking the DIY Superiority Complex
Show Notes In this episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice, Patricia and Nicole discuss the myth of moral superiority in doing things the hard way versus accepting help, especially…
Letting Go, Holding On: Lessons from Sorting a Loved One’s Belongings
Show Notes In this episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice, Patricia and Nicole discuss the emotional and practical challenges of sorting through a loved one’s belongings after their passing,…
Scroll Less, Live More: Being Intentional with Tech Use
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole discuss their ongoing efforts to reduce smartphone usage, sharing personal experiences, research findings, and practical tips for being more intentional with technology. They reflect on…
EEDA Pod Book Squad: Winning Friends & Influencing People
Show Notes In this milestone 50th episode, Patricia and Nicole launch the EEDA Pod Book Club by diving into “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” discussing its historical context,…
Tomato Extravaganza & a Fall Reset: Our Third Goals Check-In
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole catch up after a break, sharing updates about their lives, including attending a Valkyries basketball game, harvesting tomatoes, and making their home cozier for the…
Encore: Burnout is Not Your Fault
Show Notes This week we have an encore of one of our earlier EEDA Pod episodes focused on the topic of burnout, exploring its causes, symptoms, and the systemic issues…
Decluttering, Delegating, and Doing Less: The Art of Letting Go
Show Notes In this episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice, Patricia and Nicole discuss their recent efforts to declutter their home, reflecting on the emotional and practical benefits of…
The Missteps of Modern Activism: Awareness vs. Action
Show Notes In this episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice, hosts Patricia and Nicole discuss the significance of community and activism amidst the prevalence of digital misinformation. They delve…
Our Most Popular Communication Skill: Some/Many/Most
Show Notes This episode of “Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice” covers Nicole and Patricia’s recent activities, including a trip to Santa Rosa, obtaining library cards, and trying new hobbies like…
Own Your Words: How ‘I Statements’ Change Everything
Show Notes In this episode of “Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice,” Patricia and Nicole reflect on their experiences at the Trans March and discuss their recent activities involving harvesting garlic…
Encore: A Starting Place to Learn About Pride & the Queer Community
Show Notes This week, we have an encore of last year’s Queer 101 episode! Mentioned on the show: Bookshop Affiliate Storefront (links below are affiliate) Become a patron! Patreon.com/eedapod Subscribe…
Halfway Check-in: Progress, Pride, and Practical Advice
Show Notes In this episode of “Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice,” Patricia and Nicole discuss their mid-year review of personal goals, emphasizing decluttering and strengthening community connections. They offer book…
Taking What’s Best: A Guide to Self-Help
Show Notes In this episode of “Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice,” Patricia and Nicole discuss how to read self-help effectively. They delve into their views on self-help books, highlighting the…
Overachiever Syndrome: The Endless Pursuit of Doing More
Show Notes This episode of “Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice” features hosts Patricia and Nicole discussing recent events they attended, such as a Parliament-Funkadelic concert and an immersive theater experience…
Creating and Queering Rituals of Connection
Show Notes In this episode of “Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice,” Patricia and Nicole discuss the importance of rituals of connection in building and maintaining relationships. They share examples from…
Facing Feelings: Embracing Big Emotions with Curiosity
Show Notes In this episode of “Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice,” Patricia and Nicole recount their recent trip to New York City, where they celebrated Patricia’s birthday by seeing a…
Encore: We Need to Talk About Misinformation and Disinformation
Show Notes & Transcript Hi everyone! Patricia and Nicole were in New York celebrating Patricia’s birthday when EEDA Pod recording usually happens. So this week, we’re giving you an encore…
Finding Joy in the Everyday – Tips for Adding Novelty
Show Notes In this episode of “Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice,” Patricia and Nicole discuss the importance of novelty and trying new experiences to enhance quality of life. They share…
Revisiting Goals? In THIS Economy? Focusing on Purpose & Joy
Show Notes In this episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice, Patricia and Nicole discuss their progress (or not) on various 2025 goals and intentions, including decluttering, therapy, and being…
Community Building: Skills and Resources You Didn’t Know You Had
Show Notes In this episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice, Patricia and Nicole continue to focus on the importance of community and resource-sharing. They emphasize thinking expansively about who…
Survival, Solidarity, and Simple Pleasures
Show Notes In this heartfelt episode of “Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice,” Patricia and Nicole discuss recent events, including their experiences at the Oakland Museum of California White Elephant Sale,…
Embracing the Flaws of Imperfect Actions
Show Notes In this episode of “Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice,” Patricia and Nicole discuss the recent (and ongoing) Southern California wildfires and emphasize the importance of community-driven support in…
Cultivating Community & Embracing Hope in 2025
Show Notes This week on “Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice,” Patricia and Nicole reflect on their holiday experiences and their plans for the new year, including decluttering and setting realistic,…
Deck the Halls with Unwanted Fowl
Show Notes In this short episode of “Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice,” hosts Patricia and Nicole celebrate various winter holidays, discuss the absurdity of the “12 Days of Christmas” song,…
Wrapping Up the Year: Marshmallows, Musicals, and Memories
Show Notes In this reflective year-end episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice, hosts Patricia and Nicole look back on their achievements and lessons learned from 2024, sharing highlights like…
Best Books We Read in 2024
Show Notes This week, Nicole is back! Patricia and Nicole talk a bit about what has been keeping them grounded post-election and then they talk about some of the best…
Post-Election Thoughts & Advice
Show Notes This week, Patricia checks in about initial feelings after the election and offers a few bits of advice on where to focus your energy first. Mentioned on the…
Taking Care On Election Day & Communicating Hard Things
Show Notes This week we share our plans for taking care of ourselves during election day as well as some communication advice around hard subjects. We also talk about a…
Advice for the Coming Election/Holiday/Winter Season
Show Notes This week we chat about how we can prepare for the next few months. The end of the year can be difficult and complicated for some of us,…
The Impossibility of Being Perfectly Ethical
Show Notes This week we chat about how it is impossible to be fully ethical consumers under capitalism, colonialism, patriarchy, and white supremacy. These systems are actually dependent on unethical…
Why and How To Ask For What You Want
Show Notes This week we chat about some of the reasons it can be so hard to ask for what we want. We talk about the importance of asking for…
Ways to Think About Time Anxiety
Show Notes This week talk about time anxiety, specifically in the ways we’ve been seeing it show up in our own lives. There are many ways that time anxiety can…
A Medley of Best Advice
Show Notes This week we share a mélange, a medley, a menagerie, a veritable smorgasbord of some of our favorite advice. Some of it is great advice and some of…
Should We Expect Black Women to Save the U.S.?
Show Notes Many of our fellow left-leaning folks have been shouting phrases like, “Black women will save us” and “Listen to Black women.” In today’s show, we dig in and…
We Need to Talk About Misinformation and Disinformation
Show Notes It’s an election year and these internet streets are wild! This week, we give a 101 on misinformation and disinformation. We define the terms and talk about ways…
Community Care is Self Care
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole talk about the quickening descent forcing us further into conservatism in the United States and beyond and some advice on what we can all do…
Some Coming Out Advice for Pride Month
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole offer some coming out advice for folks who are queer and haven’t yet shared it (and want to). We share some of our own coming…
A Starting Place to Learn About Pride & the Queer Community
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole give a Queer 101 for straight folks who want to learn more about Pride and the queer community but don’t know where to start. We…
What You Can Do if You Think You Have ADHD
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole help demystify seeking an ADHD diagnosis, provide information to help you decide if seeking an ADHD diagnosis is right for you, and discuss how to…
How to Find a Therapist, Especially if You’re Queer or BIPOC
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole share advice on how to find a therapist that is right for you regardless of your identity with added advice for folks who are queer…
Relationship Advice for All Types
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole chat about their upcoming wedding anniversary and share their tradition of rereading their vows every year. They talk about how the ways in which their…
Library Love Letter, Part Two
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole are back to continue their chat about how effing rad public libraries are. They share some of the free online resources that they’ve encountered through…
Library Love Letter, Part One
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole chat about how effing rad public libraries are and share some of the free in-person resources that they’ve encountered at their local libraries. There are…
[Verb] Like There’s Nobody Watching
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole chat about imposter syndrome, how many of us underestimate our abilities, bartending, and high ropes courses. This episode is based on Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious…
All Hail Snail Mail!
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole chat about all the wonderful things sending and receiving snail mail has to offer as well as some of the common things holding folks back…
Burnout is Not Your Fault
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole chat about the not-so-secret primary causes of burnout and what you can (and can’t) do about it. This episode is based on Enthusiastic Encouragement &…
Everyone Deserves Help (Except for Me)
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole chat about the complexities and pitfalls of being socialized to always be helpful or useful but to never ask for or need help themselves. This…
Episode 6: Any Knife Can Be a Throwing Knife if You Believe in Yourself
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole chat about how learning a skill and becoming proficient at something often has little to do with having the newest, fanciest instruments and gear. They…
Episode 5: We Do Not Dream of Labor
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole chat about the common pressure to link people’s identities and worth to their jobs and ways in which they are rallying against it for themselves….
Episode 4: 2023, Looking Back, & Looking Forward
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole chat about what they learned this year, how they approach setting goals, and dare to have some ambitions for 2024. Note: We talk about food…
Episode 3: Spell Slot Theory
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole chat about how they mash up terms borrowed from chronic illness explanations and Dungeons & Dragons. This episode is based on Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious…
Episode 2: There’s No Such Thing as 5-Star Cereal
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole chat about perfectionism and it probably isn’t the first time! Of course, Patricia also talks about books and offers her ruminations on André 3000’s recent…
Episode 1: Breaking Rules
Show Notes Patricia and Nicole chat about why they’re making a self-help podcast. They also dig into the arbitrary rules we make up for ourselves and how they are completely…
Episode 000: Welcome to the EEDA Pod!
Show Notes We are finally making a podcast based on the popular Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice Newsletter! Patricia Elzie-Tuttle shares resources and self-help for the rest of us who…