how do i stop waiting and starting living?

add compassion and whimsy into your life with dodie

welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week nikki is reunited with someone she's known for a very long time: musician, songwriter, author and youtuber dodie. they kick things off reminiscing about the first time they met (when nikki had a massive nosebleed!!) and they became best friends from that moment. they dive deep into something that both of them struggle with - the curse of the youtube brain (that constant feeling of "should i be filming this?"). dodie opens up about how she used to love recording every moment to chronicle her life, but now even in offline moments with friends, there's still that nagging voice asking "is this a wasted opportunity?" they talk about being introverted despite being online creators, how your sacred time to yourself becomes even more important the more you're visible, and the struggle of figuring out where you begin and where your persona ends. but the bigger conversation? nikki and dodie explore how social media has shifted, how human connection is so grounding, and how coming back to real life is the antidote to always feeling like you need to be doing more. but here's the thing they keep returning to: it's okay to just be. you don't need to constantly evolve or optimise yourself. you are enough right now. they also chat about dodie's incredible collaboration with jeff goldblum (yes, really) and quick-fire questions! if you've ever felt like you're constantly performing, burnt out from being online, or wondering when being productive became your entire personality... this one's for you. don't forget to subscribe and don't miss new episodes every thursday! Follow Live A Little with Nikki Lilly Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/livealittlepodcast] TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@livealittlepodcast] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepod [https://www.youtube.com/@livealittlepod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

you're not broken, even if you feel it with katie piper

welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week comes with a content note for conversations around trauma, disability and health struggles. nikki is reunited with someone incredibly special - katie piper. it's been 8 years since they last sat down together for an interview. they're each other's "safe person" - the kind of no-BS zone where they don't need small talk or pretence, which is rare in the performative spaces they both navigate. they dive straight into the loneliness of being in the industry when you've been through things that aren't the norm. katie and nikki talk about showing up as their "best selves" when showing up itself takes so much more than the average person - the invisibility of hidden disabilities, the constant hospital appointments, and how choosing what you do becomes a way to reclaim agency. they get real about working at unsustainable levels because of health fragility and the anxiety that comes with cancelling plans and worrying you'll lose opportunities forever. the episode explores the freedom of losing fomo in your 40s, how every day is a new opportunity to restart your life (not just your prime years at 20), and how forced solitude became a strength for both katie and nikki. katie's closing message is pure gold: the human spirit is unbreakable. even if your life has been derailed and you feel broken, you're not - because you're still here telling your story. if you've ever felt like your life was derailed, wondered if you could survive what you've already survived, or needed permission to live fully despite your circumstances... this one's for you. don't forget to subscribe and don't miss new episodes every thursday! Follow Live A Little with Nikki Lilly Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/livealittlepodcast] TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@livealittlepodcast] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepod [https://www.youtube.com/@livealittlepod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

denying an emotion doesn't stop it from existing with david larbi

on this episode of live a little, nikki lilly is joined by someone she's been wanting to have on for ages - writer, creator, and poet david larbi. nikki and david immediately click as "friends in waiting" - those people you follow and just know you'd get on with, but need that in-person connection to solidify it. they explore the importance of never dismissing what you feel - because denying an emotion doesn't stop it from existing, it just makes it harder to process. nikki shares her therapist's beautiful metaphor about emotions being like weather, which leads into a conversation about why david's poetry resonates so deeply with people: it simplifies big, difficult feelings into something beautiful and digestible. david gets vulnerable about losing his mum when he was 21, how grief became the language he learned to speak through poetry, and why he doesn't believe in "everything happens for a reason" - some things are just heartbreaking and unfair, and trying to make sense of them is pointless. the episode wraps with powerful reminders about coming out of uni, why flowers open at different times and they're all still valid, and how the caterpillar is just as worthy as the butterfly. grab a cup of tea, get cosy and remember - your value is intact now. don't forget to subscribe and don't miss new episodes every thursday! Follow Live A Little with Nikki Lilly Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/livealittlepodcast] TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@livealittlepodcast] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepod [https://www.youtube.com/@livealittlepod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

how to grieve a life you never got to live

welcome back to live a little with nikki lilly... this week comes with a gentle note that nikki is diving deep into grief and loss. nikki opens with open tabs - the tab she's loving, the tab living rent free and the tab that needs closing. but this episode is really about something nikki's been unpicking in therapy - what it's like to grieve a version of yourself that you never got to have or a life you didn't get to live. when nikki was diagnosed at six years old, she completely changed as a person... that little girl who thought life was magical and open-ended, who wanted to be a fairy when she grew up and meant it - she got pulled away too soon. nikki gets deeply vulnerable about grief mourning, realising she's been grieving someone who is still alive (herself), and how her therapist challenged her to think about her 44-year-old self looking back. this episode also introduces the fig tree theory from sylvia plath's the bell jar, nikki reflects on grief and she talks about becoming someone her younger self would have needed - someone safe, gentle, someone who stays and keeps going when she isn't able to. if you've ever grieved a version of yourself, a person you lost, a path that closed, or futures that didn't get chosen... this one's for you. don't forget to subscribe and don't miss new episodes every thursday! Follow Live A Little with Nikki Lilly Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/livealittlepodcast] TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@livealittlepodcast] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepod [https://www.youtube.com/@livealittlepod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

it's time to say no to people pleasing with tobie donovan

welcome back to live a little.. this week nikki, is sitting down with actor and longtime friend tobie donovan (from heartstopper)! nikki and tobie dive straight into cinema room dreams, the academy museum in LA (dorothy's shoes! maria's dress! the shark from jaws!), and letterboxd panic about whether to be honest or cool with your top four films. tobie opens up about the pivotal moment that made him want to act - seeing the gender-swapped production of company in the west end with jonathan bailey, he talks about wanting to tell stories in unexpected ways and create space for himself in the industry. nikki and tobie also get real about the pressure of being a people pleaser, learning to say no (tobie's been working on it in therapy), and why it's so hard to put yourself first when you're wired to make everyone else comfortable. they also discuss rejection in the acting world - how you can't internalise every no as personal and the importance of separating your value from the yes or no. tobie's wisdom? if you can't brush off rejection, you can't do the job. if you've ever struggled with people-pleasing, felt the weight of constant rejection, or just needed to hear that journaling might actually help... this one's for you. don't forget to subscribe and don't miss new episodes every thursday! Follow Live A Little with Nikki Lilly Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/livealittlepodcast] TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@livealittlepodcast] YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@livealittlepod [https://www.youtube.com/@livealittlepod] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]