Meg LeFauve & Lorien McKenna: Brave Enough To Be Joyful (Recorded July 2021)

Let us know what you enjoy about the show!

What does it actually take to be joyful—not performative-happy, not “fine,” but truly joyful in a way that feels brave, embodied, and real?

In this episode, I’m joined by two brilliant storytellers and screenwriters, Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna, whose combined credits span beloved studio and indie projects across animation and live action—including Inside Out, Up, The Good Dinosaur, Captain Marvel, and more. Together, they also host the outstanding podcast The Screenwriting Life.

We begin with Inside Out as a doorway—asking which character each of them most identifies with (and why). Lorien claims Disgust: truth-teller, protector, and sharp point of view. Meg surprises us with Sadness—not as an identity, but as a writer’s intimacy with vulnerability, self-doubt, and instinct. From there, the conversation opens into something deeper: the stories we tell ourselves that don’t serve us, and what it looks like to rewrite them.

Meg shares an unforgettable moment of meeting her inner critic head-on—visualizing a small red chair and asking that voice to sit down while she moved forward anyway. Lorien speaks candidly about imposter syndrome, the discomfort of receiving praise, and the belief that love has to be earned—then traces how her creative work is helping her practice hope in real time.

And then we land on the heart of the episode: joy as vulnerability. Meg offers a powerful reframe—true joy requires courage, because joy opens us up. It makes us visible. It asks us to hope. The two of them explore what it means to be observed again after the pandemic, how community reflects us back to ourselves, and why friendship can be genuinely life-saving.

You’ll also hear beautiful distinctions around self-acceptance vs. self-celebration, creative presence, and what “living in the moment” looks like when you’re someone who naturally lives in the future. We close with a playful “What makes you…?” lightning round—stress hunger, curiosity hunger, overwhelm-as-a-signpost, and the small ordinary moments that carry real joy.

If you’re navigating self-doubt, trying to receive the good that’s coming toward you, or learning how to choose hope without needing certainty—this one is a ge

If you are enjoying the show please subscribe, share and review! Word of mouth is incredibly impactful and your support is much appreciated!

Support the show

🌟✨📚 **Buy 'The Places Where There Are Spaces: Cultivating A Life of Creative Possibilities'** 📚✨🌟
Dive into a world where spontaneity leads to creativity and discover personal essays that inspire with journal space to reflect. Click the link below to grab your copy today and embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected joys! 🌈👇
🔗 Purchase Your Copy Here: https://a.co/d/2UlsmYC

🌟 **Interested in finding out more about working with Lisa Hopkins? Want to share your feedback or be considered as a guest on the show?**
🔗 Visit Wide Open Stages https://www.wideopenstages.com

📸 **Follow Lisa on Instagram:** @wideopenstages https://www.instagram.com/wideopenstages/

💖 **SUPPORT THE SHOW:** [Buy Me a Coffee] https://www.buymeacoffee.com/STOPTIME

🎵 **STOPTIME Theme Music by Philip David Stern**
🔗 [Listen on Spotify]
https://open.spotify.com/artist/57A87Um5vok0uEtM8vWpKM?si=JOx7r1iVSbqAHezG4PjiPg