I’ve come to believe that play and creativity can completely change the way we move through our days. For me, it started when I decided to bring Halloween back into my life and create a whimsical “crow lady” character, and that one spark of joy gave me more energy, focus, and flow than I’d felt in years.    In this episode, I share how that experience opened my eyes to the bigger question of why joy matters so much in medicine and in life, and why so many of us, especially women in medicine and working moms, tend to abandon it. What would happen if you treated joy as a vital sign, right alongside sleep or nutrition? How might your days look if your calendar held space for wonder and curiosity, not just obligations? I’ll walk you through simple flow enhancers like gratitude, novelty, and embodiment, as well as the disruptors that scatter our attention. My hope is that this conversation encourages you to see play as a prescription for resilience and growth, and maybe even helps you reclaim your own sparks of joy.   Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Introduction and Halloween Confession 03:34 Becoming the Crow Lady and Finding Flow 05:09 Glee and Creativity Boost Productivity 07:42 Self-Abandonment and the Need for Play 10:37 Play and Creativity as the Sixth Vital Sign 13:08 Flow Enhancers vs. Flow Disruptors 16:40 Practical Tools to Protect Your Flow 18:05 Catalyst Question on Gamifying Your Day   Links Catalyst Archetype Catalyst Advantage   Connect with Lara:  Website The Catalyst Way YouTube Instagram  Facebook LinkedIn TikTok     Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm