169: #169 The Return to Creativity: Letting Joy Lead Your Work

This isn’t a strategy episode. It’s a wondering-out-loud episode. An episode about curiosity, colour returning to things that felt grey for far too long, and what might happen if we let joy, not pressure, lead the way.

In this episode of Messy Business, I talk honestly about how fun kind of left the business room. How work became performance, value became output, service became self-sacrifice, and visibility replaced connection. And how easy it is to stay competent while feeling absolutely nothing.

I share why joy isn’t frivolous or unprofessional; it’s essential. How play expands capacity, creativity unlocks solutions, and why clients want presence far more than polish. I talk about the invisible cost of being dependable, the pressure to keep proving yourself, and the freedom that comes from finally saying, I don’t need to do that anymore.

This episode also marks a shift. I explore what joy-led work might actually look like in 2026 - slower, smaller, more human. Experiments instead of funnels. Conversations instead of campaigns. Depth over volume. Creativity without monetising every spark. And trusting that being yourself isn’t a risk; it’s the whole point.

I share my predictions for where business is heading next: less AI slop, more real voices; less polish, more rough edges; more in-person connection; more neurodivergent-aware, capacity-led business models; and a collective fatigue with performing for algorithms instead of living real lives.

✨ Business isn’t meant to be endured. You don’t need to prove anything. Fun isn’t a bonus; it’s a compass.

📙 Read my book: Life in Business — https://libbylangley.com/book

If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram https://instagram.com/libbylangley and tell me what fun looks like for you - big or small - and what you’re ready to let joy lead towards in 2026.