Podcast Summary: Creative Pep Talk – Ep. 530

Something Simple to Do When Mental Health Derails You with Frannerd
Host: Andy J. Pizza
Guest: Frannerd (Fran Meneses)
Release Date: November 12, 2025

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and candid conversation, longtime friends and fellow creatives Andy J. Pizza and Frannerd reconnect after a six-year podcast hiatus. They reflect on the immense changes both personally and professionally since 2019, discuss navigating mental health challenges as creative people, and explore how acceptance, self-compassion, and discipline can coexist with creativity. They also delve into career shifts, the tension between ambition and reality, and the nuances of evolving creative identities online.

Fran opens up about her journey from running an online store to focusing on graphic novels, the emotional weight of depression and anxiety, and the value of befriending oneself. Andy shares his struggles, insights from therapy, and the importance of adjusting expectations. The conversation is rich with vulnerability, practical wisdom, and mutual encouragement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal & Creative Transformation During the Pandemic

• Both Andy and Fran reflect on how the pandemic forced deep introspection and disrupted career trajectories.
• The time between their recordings (2019–2025) has been filled with major life changes, shifts in ambition, and evolving perspectives:
  • “I was a different person last time. I was married, I was straight, I had an online store... that was the height of my ambition.” – Fran [06:24]
  • “It was a forced, unconsensual, introspective period for everybody.” – Fran [08:28]
• They discuss the recalibration of ambition as circumstances (mental health, aging, world events) change.

2. Mental Health, Acceptance, and Creative Practice

• The duo explores how anxiety, depression, and ADHD can weigh down their creative lives, likening mental health struggles to unpredictable “backpacks” of varying heaviness:
  • “It’s like you’re picking up a backpack, but you never know how much it’s going to weigh that day.” – Andy [13:22]
• Acceptance over Judgment: They stress the importance of non-judgmentally acknowledging mental health limitations:
  • “Not because you’re accepting something, it means you’re agreeing with what is happening. You can disagree with what is happening and accept at the same time.” – Fran [13:59]
• Coping Strategies:
  • Fran finds solace in reading, especially books on writing, as a low-energy, nurturing practice.
  • Both discuss honoring fatigue and adjusting expectations based on what’s possible day-to-day.
  • Andy references research distinguishing good stress from bad stress, emphasizing the physiological impact of acceptance vs. resistance.
• The Trap of Over-Intellectualization:
  • Both have tried to “figure out” the roots of their depression/anxiety, ultimately realizing that seeking causes is less helpful than feeling and accepting emotions:
    • “There’s this massive solace…that if we figure out the source…we’re going to be healed. But unfortunately…knowing the source won’t make us feel any better long term necessarily.” – Fran [21:14]

3. Isolation, Community, and Befriending Yourself

• The isolating aspects of freelance art—despite its appeal—can amplify mental health struggles:
  • “The dark side of the dream is: being a freelance artist, you’re so isolated.” – Andy [25:12]
• Fran highlights the importance of learning to like yourself, given the amount of time alone as a creator:
  • “If I actually went to a party and I would meet myself, I…would be my own friend.” – Fran [28:11]
• Andy underscores that loving your art starts with loving yourself:
  • “Art is self-expression. If you want to love your art, you can’t hate the thing it’s an expression of.” – Andy [31:55]
• Both discuss the vulnerability—and sometimes discomfort—of having past versions of themselves publicly archived online.

4. Evolving Creative Identities & Letting Go

• Fran describes the courage required to let go of her beloved online store to fully pursue graphic novels, equating prioritization with tough choices:
  • “I saw myself…saying no to things I wanted to do for things that I wanted to do even more.” – Fran [45:12]
• She acknowledges that not all shifts are permanent—sometimes it’s about what feels right “even if it’s just right now.”

5. The Creative Journey: Eras, Flexibility, and Returning Home

• Discussion of cyclical career paths—the hero’s journey, side quests, and returning to core passions.
• Fran and Andy both highlight how “eras” are inevitable, and skills from one creative discipline inform the next.

6. Graphic Novels, YouTube, and Process Nuances

• Fran shares her current focus: a young adult graphic novel about finding oneself, and the challenges of moving from short-form comics to long, silent, visually-driven storytelling.
• Fran and Andy connect over how previous mediums—YouTube and podcasts—have shaped their approaches to storytelling, pacing, and visual composition in new work.
  • Andy insightfully notes how Fran’s YouTube videos already resemble comics in their framing and pacing, a realization that surprises Fran.

7. Compassion for Past Selves & Ongoing Change

• Both hosts talk about the discomfort and necessity of having old work and perspectives publicly visible, and the importance of extending compassion to past selves.
• Fran reflects on productivity and how her past associations between productivity and self-worth have evolved.
• They close with the idea that acceptance, self-compassion, and adaptability are vital for a sustainable creative life.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Pandemic and Change

• “It was a forced, unconsensual, introspective period for everybody.” – Fran [08:28]
• “We were…unstoppable…now because of other circumstances, you’re like, no, you have to actually prioritize what you want to do and what you can and you’re able to do.” – Fran [10:49]

On Mental Health and Acceptance

• “It’s like you’re picking up a backpack, but you never know how much it’s going to weigh that day.” – Andy [13:22]
• “Not because you’re accepting something, it means you’re agreeing with what is happening…you can disagree…and accept at the same time.” – Fran [13:59]
• “If I picked up the backpack and it was super heavy that day, the first thing I would do would be kind to that thing…it’s a heavy day. All right. What can you do on days like that?” – Andy [18:30]

On Isolation and Befriending Yourself

• “This is why it’s so important to like yourself, Andy…if I went to a party and I would meet myself, absolutely I will be my own friend.” – Fran [28:11]
• “If you want to love your art, you can’t hate the thing that it’s an expression of.” – Andy [31:55]

On Changing Paths

• “I saw myself…saying no to things I wanted to do for things that I wanted to do even more.” – Fran [45:12]
• “It was very scary because it felt like free falling. I have no idea if this is going to work…but something within me…is telling me this is the right thing to do.” – Fran [46:07]

On Embracing Creative Eras

• “Isn’t that beautiful…that we can be flexible enough to allow those eras…to coexist one with each other?” – Fran [63:55]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 05:57 – Fran reflects on who she was the last time she was on the show; entering the pandemic.
• 08:28 – The pandemic’s forced “introspective period” and the challenges of readjusting to new limitations.
• 13:22 – The metaphor of mental health struggles as carrying a varying-weight backpack.
• 13:47 – Fran discusses the value of radical acceptance for depression and anxiety.
• 21:14 – The futility of over-intellectualizing or seeking root causes for sadness.
• 25:12 – Andy introduces “the dark side of the dream” – the isolation of freelance creative life.
• 28:11 – Fran on the importance of befriending oneself as a creative.
• 31:55 – Andy on the necessity of a loving relationship with oneself for authentic creativity.
• 45:12 – Fran describes saying “no” to good things to pursue the “best” thing.
• 46:07 – Letting go of her online store to focus on graphic novels.
• 52:27 – Fran discusses her current graphic novel project and narrative structures in comics.
• 57:07 – Andy notices the comic-like quality of Fran’s video storytelling.
• 62:47 – The concept of creative “eras” and the ongoing process of becoming.
• 66:23 – Closing reflections and promises to reconnect sooner.

Takeaways & Pep Talk Action

Backpack Repack:
Andy encourages listeners to “unpack their creative backpack,” identifying and releasing activities, roles, or expectations that no longer serve them.

• Ask yourself: What can you let go of—at least for now—to lighten your creative load?
• Consider adding low-pressure, fulfilling practices (like reading or a short daily creative burst) that feel truly nourishing during challenging times.

Final Thoughts & Tone

The episode is warm, candid, affirming, and gently humorous. Both Andy and Fran speak with vulnerability, acceptance, and encouragement, creating a comforting sense of solidarity for creators experiencing mental health struggles or creative crossroads.

Listeners will find practical wisdom for navigating creative discipline with compassion, as well as a reassuring sense that it’s okay to change, to rest, and to revisit what truly matters.