Processing may not look productive, but it may be one of the most important professional skills we can cultivate.
What happens when we slow down long enough to notice what’s actually happening inside us during the paid workday?
In this conversation, I sit down with creative arts therapist Talia Smigielski of East Side Neighborhood Services in Northeast Minneapolis, MN, to explore the surprising impact of two paid hours a month spent in structured reflection.
We trace how a small organizational investment in employees can quietly reshape identity, leadership, and (in my case) self-compassion years later.
This episode explores:
Why processing is different from standard meetings
The cost of unprocessed workplace experience
My journey from workplace “Flash Flood” to(wards) “the Hush”
How reflective capacity shapes leadership and culture
Timestamps
02:08 – From childhood diary to workplace practice: how I learned self-remembering
05:14 – Fear-driven achievement in leadership spaces
08:17 – Two paid hours a month: structured reflection
24:14 – Learning to stay present instead of shutting down
35:18 – What drama therapy is and why embodiment matters
36:44 – Trauma-informed care before it had a name
49:47 – The “flash flood” and the longing to become “the hush”
53:42 – A small workplace investment with lasting impact
Music is “Waters”, composed by Twin Cities musician, Ian Crawford
