I'd Almost Do This Job for Free: A Costuming Teacher on Art as Self-Care, Late Bloomers, and the Ripples You Don't Expect

Steph spent decades working jobs that paid the bills but never quite fit who she was, iincluding a painful stint in the music industry where the pressure to be someone she wasn't eventually pushed her out entirely. Now, turning 50, she's a costuming and makeup teacher at a Los Angeles high school with a performing arts program, making foam wigs for Seussical, teaching kids to embroider their denim, and fielding a hundred students who call her Miss A like she's the person they've been waiting for. This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered if they'll ever get to do the thing that actually feels like them.

Steph talks about what it means to finally have work that hits every one of her delivery mechanisms: creativity, community, and her kids getting to watch her do something she loves. She shares why that in itself has become one of her most essential forms of self-care. She also shares the story of the student who got into Princeton writing about quilts they made together for families displaced by the LA fires. A warm, funny, deeply human episode about following the winding road to yourself.

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If a big life change has you wondering what comes next, LifePlans (a company Lissy supports in an advisory role) offers personalized expert guidance to help you think it through and move forward with confidence. Learn more at ourlifeplans.com.

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