In this episode of Chronically Candid, host Morgan Barrett talks with Book of the Month author Thea Weiss about writing her debut novel The Second Chance Cinema amid the grief of losing both of her parents and early motherhood. Morgan and Thea talk about forging ahead and taking creative leaps even when you don't feel completely 'ready', the importance of celebrating small wins, accepting rejection as part of the process, and what 'one less Buble' means.

Throughout our conversation, we cover:

• The process of getting a debut novel published
• How to make it through writing the middle of a manuscript
• Continuing to make art even though the times we're living through feel heavy
• How love, memory, and identity show up on the page

Books mentioned in this episode:

• The Second Chance Cinema by Thea Weiss
• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

You can follow Thea's work at writtenbythea.com and instagram.com/writtenbythea, and connect with Morgan at morganbarrett.co and instagram.com/morganbarrett__

Support my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morgan turns 34 today! In this Fireside Fridays episode, host Morgan Barrett pauses to reflect on where she is now—six years into taking Trikafta, three weeks into sobriety, and committed to therapy work that’s teaching her how to finally feel safe in her body.

Morgan reads a piece she wrote in 2021, about the times (pre-Trikafta) when every CF exacerbation put the brakes on whatever she had going on in her life at the moment, requiring her to cancel plans to attend to her health. The piece takes a moment to share gratitude for the version of herself post-Trikafta, acknowledging the things she now sometimes takes for granted in this healthier era of her life.

Support Morgan's work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com

Support my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of Chronically Candid feels like a cozy, heartfelt conversation between two Millennial women who genuinely get each other. Host Morgan welcomes Elizabeth Su—author, creator, and the mind behind the Everyday Millennial Oracle—and together they gently unravel what it means to acknowledge and heal our inner teen in a world that seems to ask us to disregard our feelings and experiences from those formative years.

Elizabeth shares her winding path from Silicon Valley hustle to creative self-trust, opening up about burnout, perfectionism, and the deep emotional cost of staying in spaces that don’t feel aligned. Her story is one of listening to her body, honoring intuition, and bravely pivoting—even when it meant facing rejection, uncertainty, and fear. That honesty becomes a quiet throughline of the episode: healing doesn’t come from pushing harder, but from pausing, noticing, and choosing yourself.

The conversation naturally drifts into Millennial nostalgia—not as escapism (okay, maybe a little bit), but as reconnection. Butterfly clips, singing Christina Aguilera songs to yourself in your bedroom mirror, diaries filled with feelings, and the sting of not fitting in all become portals back to the versions of ourselves that still live inside us. Both Morgan and Elizabeth reflect on how teenage wounds—people-pleasing, rejection, jealousy, and the fear of being misunderstood—don’t simply disappear with age. Instead, they wait patiently to be acknowledged.

Elizabeth explains how this insight shaped the Everyday Millennial Oracle, a deck that offers the opportunity to give yourself compassion and clarity. When they pull cards together during the episode, the messages land with uncanny tenderness—about knowing your limits, letting discomfort pass, and trusting that pain is temporary. These moments mirror Morgan’s own experience navigating new motherhood and postpartum anxiety, grounding the conversation in real, lived vulnerability.

What makes the episode especially resonant is its gentleness. There’s no pressure to “fix” yourself or rush healing along. Instead, there’s an invitation to sit with your feelings, honor your inner teen’s voice, and reclaim joy without apology. By the end, the episode feels like a reminder that growth isn’t about erasing who you were—it’s about finally welcoming them home.

You can follow Elizbeth on Instagram and TikTok, and find Morgan on Instagram.

Support my work by reading & subscribing to Chronically Candid on Substack at morgannbarrett.substack.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.