New Muse Rising is a podcast about reinvention, creativity, and the quiet awakening that happens when lived experience turns into wisdom.
This is a space for thoughtful conversations about midlife, identity, purpose, and becoming—without the noise of hustle culture or the fear-based narrative of “starting over.” Each episode invites reflection on what it means to listen more closely to yourself, reclaim your creative voice, and step into your next chapter with intention.
Through personal insights, meaningful conversations, and moments of honest exploration, New Muse Rising reframes transition as an ascent—not a crisis, but a rising.
If you’re navigating change, rediscovering your creativity, or sensing that something new is emerging within you, this podcast is for you.
In this episode of New Muse Rising Chris explores what happens after making a significant change in midlife. After taking a step that alters the direction of your life there is often an expectation that clarity will follow. But what comes next can feel quieter, less certain, and more open than we anticipate
Drawing on his recent experience of stepping away from a role he held for over eight years Chris reflects on the space that follows change and the subtle return of doubt that can appear once the initial decision has been made. He explores the internal tension between moving forward and returning to what feels familiar and why staying with that tension is an important part of the process
This episode offers a deeper perspective on what it means to stay the course in midlife. Not by forcing certainty or rushing to define what comes next but by developing the capacity to sit with uncertainty and allow something new to take shape over time
If you have made a significant change and are finding yourself in the space that follows this conversation offers a calm and reassuring place to remain and continue forward.
29 Mar 2026
New Muse Rising - Episode 10 Taking the First Step
In this episode of New Muse Rising Chris explores the moment where reflection turns into action. After letting go of the timeline, allowing the idea of beginning again, and recognising the need for internal permission, the question becomes simple but challenging what do I do now?
Drawing on a deeply personal experience Chris shares his recent decision to step away from a role he has held for over eight years. He reflects on the gap between knowing and doing and how the first step rarely feels clear or comfortable. Instead, it often begins with a quiet willingness to move even without certainty
This episode offers a grounded and honest perspective on change as something that unfolds gradually through small decisions rather than dramatic reinvention. Listeners are invited to consider what their own first step might look like and what has been holding them back from taking it
If you have been sensing that something in your life is ready to shift but are unsure how to begin this conversation offers a calm and reassuring place to start.
22 Mar 2026
New Muse Rising - Episode 9 Permission to Change
In this episode of New Muse Rising Chris explores the quiet idea of permission and how it shapes the way we live our lives. Many of us move through midlife feeling a pull toward change while waiting for the right moment or the right approval to act. But what if that permission never arrives from the outside
Through personal reflection and lived experience Chris looks at the invisible rules we carry about what is allowed at certain stages of life. He explores how waiting for certainty can quietly keep us in place and how real change often begins with a small internal shift rather than a dramatic decision
This episode invites listeners to consider where they may be holding themselves back and what it might mean to trust their own judgement. It offers a gentler way of thinking about change as something that grows from honesty rather than certainty
If you have ever felt ready for something new but unsure whether you are allowed to take that step this conversation offers a thoughtful place to begin
14 Mar 2026
New Muse Rising - Episode 8 Beginning Again
Midlife often carries an assumption that the major chapters of life have already been written. In this episode of New Muse Rising Chris reflects on the quiet possibility that still exists in the second half of life. Beginning again does not always mean dramatic change or reinventing everything. More often it begins with curiosity, reflection, and the willingness to revisit something that once mattered.
Through personal insights and gentle questions Chris explores how perspective gained through experience can create freedom. Freedom from the timeline. Freedom from the idea that growth belongs only to youth. Listeners are invited to pause and consider what parts of their life still feel alive and what small beginnings might still be waiting.
If you have ever wondered whether it is too late to explore something new this episode offers a quieter and more hopeful way of seeing the years ahead.
8 Mar 2026
New Muse Rising - Episode 7 Letting Go of the Timeline
Many of us live with an invisible schedule running quietly in the background.
By this age we should be established.
By now we should feel certain.
By now we should have figured things out.
In this episode of New Muse Rising, Chris reflects on the hidden pressure of the “timeline”, the cultural expectations and internal comparisons that shape how we measure our lives. Drawing on personal experience and midlife perspective, he explores how these expectations can quietly influence our sense of worth, progress, and identity.
Through storytelling, reflection, and a guided moment of pause, this episode invites listeners to question the idea that life has a fixed schedule. Instead, it offers a more humane view of time, one that allows for detours, late discoveries, and the freedom to become who we are at our own pace.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re behind in life, this conversation offers a gentler way of seeing where you are
4 Mar 2026
New Muse Rising - The Lift - Episode 3 Resilience
In this episode Chris focuses on Resilience, the ability to adapt, recover, and keep moving forward when life presents challenges.
Learn how building a resilient mindset can strengthen your confidence and help you navigate midlife with calm and determination.
1 Mar 2026
New Muse Rising - Episode 6 Life Beyond Urgency
For most of his adult life, Chris measured his worth by movement by how much he carried, solved, provided, and held together. In midlife, that pace begins to change, and with it comes a deeper question: who am I if I’m no longer defined by urgency?
In this deeply personal episode, Chris reflects on the identity behind busyness, the quiet link between usefulness and self-worth, and the subtle cost of living slightly ahead of your own life. This is an honest exploration of masculinity, responsibility, ageing, presence, and the shift from proving your value to inhabiting your life.
Through lived stories and a guided reflective practice, listeners are invited to consider a new measure of success one rooted not in productivity, but in aliveness, connection, and care for the future self.
A gentle, grounding companion for anyone who has spent decades moving forward and is now ready to arrive.
22 Feb 2026
New Muse Rising - Episode 5 Identity after Achievement
At 56, Chris explores the quiet shift that comes after achievement,when roles, responsibilities, and outward markers of success change. In this reflective episode, he shares personal stories, asks honest questions for listeners to sit with, and invites you to discover who you are beyond what you do. With pauses to reflect and insights inspired by Carl Jung, this episode is a gentle companion for anyone navigating midlife transitions and seeking presence, purpose, and authenticity.
18 Feb 2026
New Muse Rising - The Lift - Episode 2 Wonder
This week on The Lift: Midweek Motivation, Chris explores the power of Wonder the mindset that transforms routine into possibility.
In this uplifting 10-minute episode, you’ll discover how choosing curiosity, awe, and presence can instantly boost your mood, reduce stress, and help you experience midlife with fresh energy and optimism.
Press play, lift your perspective, and rediscover the extraordinary in the ordinary.
This episode is kindly supported by FLYGUN CREATIVE a specialist UK design and branding studio. Got a creative project in mind? Visit flyguncreative.co.uk and get in touch.
15 Feb 2026
New Muse Rising - Episode 4 Purpose without Pressure
Midlife often introduces a quieter, more persistent question: What am I here for now? Not in theory, but in this life, with these people, and with the responsibilities that have shaped who we are.
In this episode of New Muse Rising, Chris reflects on how purpose can slowly turn into pressure, especially for those who have built their sense of worth around being dependable, needed, and responsible to others. Chris explores the tension between showing up for the people in your life and not disappearing in the process, and the often-unseen line between care and self-betrayal that many people don’t recognise until midlife.
Rather than treating purpose as something to achieve or define once and for all, this episode re frames it as something quieter and more relational, rooted in presence, honesty, and sustainability. Through personal reflection and lived experience, Chris shares how purpose can evolve as roles shift, expectations loosen, and certainty gives way to listening.
This episode isn’t about having answers.
It’s about learning how to stay faithful to your life and the people in it — without turning meaning into another form of exhaustion.
11 Feb 2026
New Muse Rising - The Lift - Episode 1 Courage
Need a midweek boost? In this brief episode of The Lift, Chris encourages the power of courage, what it really means, why fear is part of the process, and how taking one brave step can unlock growth and confidence.
Perfect for anyone ready to step outside their comfort zone and rise boldly.
Your midweek motivation for the tired mind and body.
This episode is kindly supported by FLYGUN CREATIVE a specialist UK design and branding studio. Got a creative project in mind? Visit flyguncreative.co.uk and get in touch.
8 Feb 2026
New Muse Rising - Episode 3 The Loneliness of Midlife
Midlife can feel full on the outside, yet quiet and isolating on the inside. In this episode of New Muse Rising, Chris explores the universal emotions that often accompany midlife, loneliness, fear, and the deep desire to be seen.
Through personal stories and reflections, he shares the fears that many of us carry: fear of being a burden, fear of rejection, and fear that we’re “too late” to live authentically. Chris also reminds listeners that while everyone’s life looks different, the emotional struggles we face are surprisingly shared.
This episode offers guidance on being honest with yourself, nurturing authentic connection, and small practices to navigate midlife uncertainty. Chris even leads a gentle listener reflection to explore your own experiences of loneliness and connection.
Whether you’re seeking reassurance, perspective, or inspiration for personal growth, this episode is a companion for anyone navigating the evolving journey of midlife.
1 Feb 2026
New Muse Rising - Episode 2 Unlearning the Script
In this deeply personal episode, Chris explores the challenges and revelations of midlife, a time when the life you’ve carefully built may no longer feel like your own. Reflecting on societal expectations, the invisible “map of life,” and the pressures of being useful rather than honest, he shares his journey of self-discovery, courage, and realignment.
With honesty, humor, and warmth, Chris invites listeners to pause, reflect, and consider drawing their own map, a life that fits who they are now, not who they were expected to be. Featuring insights on trust, bravery, and growth, this episode is a reminder that midlife isn’t a crisis, it’s an opportunity to become more whole.
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
25 Jan 2026
New Muse Rising - Episode 1 The Heart of the Journey
What happens when you reach midlife and realise you don’t have a clear plan — just a quiet feeling that something needs to change?
In this deeply personal episode of New Muse Rising, Chris, a 56-year-old from the UK, reflects on the realities of midlife: the weight of societal expectations, the quiet loss of who we thought we’d be by now, and the unexpected clarity that arrives when we finally slow down and listen to ourselves.
This episode is as much a conversation with the listener as it is a conversation Chris is having with himself — unpacking what it means to live a life shaped by “shoulds,” success markers, and comparison, and how midlife can become an invitation to evolve rather than retreat.
Through honest reflection, gentle humour, and moments of vulnerability, Midlife Evolution explores uncertainty, reinvention, self-compassion, and the courage it takes to admit you don’t have all the answers — and don’t need to.
If you’ve ever felt behind, lost, or quietly questioning what comes next, this episode is a reminder that you’re not broken — you’re evolving.
18 Jan 2026
New Muse Rising - Trailer
Welcome to New Muse Rising — a podcast for anyone navigating the messy, exciting, and sometimes confusing middle of life.
I’m Chris, 56, living in the UK, and I’ve reached a point where I’m not sure what comes next. I’ve read the self-help books, listened to the podcasts, and still found myself wondering: What do I actually want?
This trailer episode is a quick introduction to the journey — a honest and light-hearted look at midlife, reinvention, and the search for meaning. If you’re feeling uncertain about your next chapter, this podcast is for you.
Join me as we explore what it means to evolve, to create a new map, and to rise into the next stage of life.
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