Episode Overview

Episode Title: “I felt like a bird that couldn’t fly” (Thiago Maia bonus episode)
Podcast: Daring Creativity. Daring Forever.
Host: Radim Malinic
Date: September 25, 2025
Guest: Thiago Maia, Brazilian animator, designer, and creative based in London

This bonus episode revisits and deepens the conversation with Thiago Maia, whose journey through creativity, business, and personal struggle provides an honest look at the challenges behind the scenes of a creative life. The focus is on mental health, authenticity, and the hard truths about success and happiness in the creative industry.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Letting Go of Perfectionism and Embracing Authenticity

• Radim (Host) reflects on Thiago's honest self-assessment:

  • Cites the pressure within creative industries to measure up to high standards and perfect portfolios.
  • Emphasizes the importance of "showing up with all your doubts, insecurities, and imperfections—and making them count." ([01:13])
  • Quote:

    “Being honest with what you can do and how you can do it, it goes against the toxic perfectionism that can paralyze so many people.” — Radim [01:13]

• Thiago on his creative identity:

  • "I like to say more like a magician. I solve people's problems in a creative way. I'm not the best animator in the world, I'm not the best designer in the world, but I make shit happen. That's what I do." — Thiago [00:53]
  • The idea of execution over idealization—valuing action and authenticity above waiting for perfection.

2. The Impact of Depression on Creative Life

• Thiago's struggle with mental health:

  • Opens up about experiencing depression during and after COVID-19, despite professional success ([02:25]–[03:26]).
  • Discusses losing enjoyment in both personal and professional achievements, simply “ticking boxes” without fulfillment.
  • Quote:

    “I lost the enjoyment of the process… there I feel I lost the happiness.” — Thiago [02:25]

• Host's perspective:

  • Explains how depression can still linger (“hangover of depression or the residue of it”), impacting both motivation and the ability to find happiness in success ([03:26]).

3. Creative Freedom vs. Feeling Trapped

• Thiago on happiness and freedom:

  • Associates happiness with freedom, both creatively and personally.
  • Laments how running a business, being in a relationship, and parenthood each brought their own forms of limitation rather than liberation.
  • Memorable moment:

    “I felt trapped. I felt a bird inside a small cage, then couldn't fly.” — Thiago [05:43]

• Reflection by Radim:

  • Recognizes the devastating effect of lost freedom on a creative's work, relationships, and overall well-being.
  • Suggests that true creative fulfillment is tied to the privilege of pursuing work on one’s own terms.

4. The Stigma Around Mental Health & the Importance of Help

• Thiago on vulnerability and therapy:

  • Shares his journey from avoiding any discussion of mental health (“boys don’t cry, you just move on”) to seeking therapy, partly due to encouragement from a friend.
  • Identifies generational resistance to therapy and the dangerous effects of suppressed feelings.
  • Quote:

    “I was in a situation then… I was like in autopilot… just going to try and survive. And it hit me really badly. That's why I love sharing thy story... I realize as being like a 80s kid, I realize we grow up like swallowing that shit. Boys don't cry, you just move on. The only way to go is pushing through.” — Thiago [07:58]

• Host’s call to action:

  • Encourages listeners to confront their own “baggage” and seek help, breaking the cycle of silent suffering ([09:05]).
  • Quote:

    “You just drag that baggage with you on your back to another day, to another destination, and it’s never going to get lighter... that baggage just doesn't go away until you really empty that bag above it all and tell yourself, how much of a person do you want to be going forward and how much of that heaviness do you want to carry forward?” — Radim [09:05]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Thiago:

  • "I'm not the best animator in the world, I'm not the best designer in the world, but I make shit happen. That's what I do." [00:53]
  • "I lost the enjoyment of the process… there I feel I lost the happiness." [02:25]
  • "I felt trapped. I felt a bird inside a small cage, then couldn't fly." [05:43]
  • "I didn’t even give a fuck... I was like in autopilot, in automatic and I didn’t even think. I was just going to try and survive." [07:58]
  • "Boys don’t cry, you just move on. The only way to go is pushing through." [07:58]

• Radim (Host):

  • "Letting go is part of self acceptance because saying what you can do and how you can do it creates a space for you." [01:13]
  • "There’s never such thing as the end of problems. And we do see happiness as the ultimate sort of definition of freedom. But maybe it’s just contentment, maybe it’s just not needing to fight another battle." [06:10]
  • "That baggage just doesn't go away until you really empty that bag above it all." [09:05]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:53 – 01:13: Thiago describes his creative identity and approach.
• 02:25 – 03:26: Discussion on depression, “ticking boxes,” and losing joy in achievements.
• 04:48 – 06:10: The difference between creative freedom and feeling trapped; bombshell “bird in a cage” metaphor.
• 07:58 – 09:05: Thiago’s candor about mental health stigma, therapy, and the struggle to express vulnerability.
• 09:05 – End: Host’s reflections on the universality of creative struggle and encouragement to listeners.

Episode Tone and Takeaways

• The conversation is raw, vulnerable, and deeply honest, shining a light on the internal battles many creatives hide behind outward success.
• Both Thiago and Radim champion authenticity and self-compassion in facing the ongoing challenges of creative lives—urging listeners to value the messy process, seek help when needed, and redefine what freedom and happiness mean.
• Thiago’s imagery of “a bird in a cage that couldn’t fly” underscores the cost of unaddressed restriction, both internally and externally.

This episode is a must-listen for those experiencing similar struggles, anyone working creatively under pressure, or listeners seeking reassurance that even accomplished creatives face profound challenges—and that nobody has to carry their weight alone.