Unburdened Misfit (private feed for info@mansimakes.com)

About Unburdened Misfit (private feed for info@mansimakes.com)

Reflecting on a life that has had its fair share of unexpected turns and twists, pivoting every five years and re-discovering the person I am while becoming the person I hope to be. littletokensbigripples.substack.com (https://littletokensbigripples.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Put your self first

Category

arts · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 May 2024

Latest episode

18 Jul 2025

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 Jul 2025

   An invitation to the Ripple Circle

   As you know, I deleted Instagram and Facebook from my phone last November. Unfortunately, I have found myself posting again on and off, but only because I miss the connection. Still, every time I go back, I’m reminded: these platforms weren’t made for depth. They’re built for performance. And I’m not interested in performing. The Ripple Room (http://littletokensbigripples.com/the-ripple-room) is lovely. Grounded. Slow. Intentional. And I cherish what we’re building in those monthly live sessions. But one hour a month doesn’t feel enough. And I don’t want to fill my calendar with more Zooms—you probably don’t either. So, I’m returning to what’s worked beautifully in the past: A private community space that belongs to us. A space that’s not crowded with thousands of people, countless fast-moving reels and infinite doomscrolling. But a sanctuary—a virtual cafe—where conversations are honest, deep and supportive. Introducing The Ripple Circle (http://circle.littletokensbigripples.com) A quiet, asynchronous space for people like us—those who want to stay connected to the practice of presence, creativity, and reflection… without the noise of social feeds. This is me building a quiet corner of the internet with you. Whether you paint, write, cook, garden, compose, or create in ways that don’t fit neat categories—this space is for you. Not another social feed. Not a content hub. Just a space to exhale, share what’s real, and be witnessed—without pressure. This is for you if: * You miss real community gathering spaces * You want creative witnessing without the pressure of being “on” * You’re done with spaces that feel like newsfeeds when what you want is a conversation across the kitchen table * You want to be part of something small, slow, and human What you’ll receive every month: * A gentle prompt to reflect on your own creative journey (not assignments, invitations) * Honest stories from my own practice: the messy middle, the quiet breakthroughs, the resistance I wrestle with * A space to share your journey—the flickers of joy, the doubts that linger—and be seen without judgment * Real conversation about what it feels like to create—not just what to make or how * Peer-to-peer creative mentorship that happens through shared experience, not expert advice * Occasional analog surprises like snail mail exchanges that remind us the world is bigger (so. much. bigger) than screens You’re not paying for downloads or tutorials. You’re supporting a space that helps you come back to yourself. A few things that make this different: * Small by design (think neighborhood block party instead of a ColdPlay concert) * Thoughtfully paced, not frantically active. Think of it as a small circle of creative friends who check in regularly—some weeks quieter, some weeks more active, but always intentional. * Focus on being, not building. Unlike other online communities that focus on networking or skill-building, this is about creative companionship. It's not about getting ahead—it's about going deeper. Together. $10/month keeps this space ad-free, intention-filled, and grounded in presence over pressure. 🌀 This is separate from the Ripple Room, which continues as its own monthly gathering. If you’ve been longing for a space that honors your creative life, without adding more noise—this is your invitation. A different kind of creative community is possible. Let’s build it together. Will you come? XOXO Mansi. Thank you for subscribing. Share this episode (https://littletokensbigripples.substack.com/p/an-invitation-to-the-ripple-circle?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=share&action=share&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjE3MTQ4MSwicG9zdF9pZCI6MTY4NjgwMzgwLCJpYXQiOjE3NTI5ODYwMzQsImV4cCI6MTc1NTU3ODAzNCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTgwOTc2MyIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.XoJbPLBMMifJU1vUxo3jxowIUxE8_DaYpz4PmDIZTS0&utm_campaign=CTA_3).

2. 

   14 Jul 2025

   A Conversation on Beauty Culture: Part 2

   This morning, Jeannie Ewing (https://substack.com/profile/91570764-jeannie-ewing) and I went deeper into our conversation around Beauty Culture. After peeling back the layers of pressure and performance in our first conversation (https://littletokensbigripples.com/daily-feed/beauty-culture-substack-live), we kept circling back to the questions that lingered: * What happens when the currency loses its value? * When the face that once opened doors becomes invisible? * When we’re told to “age gracefully”—and no one explains what that means or who gets to decide? Jeannie shared the story of an 80-year-old woman who wrote asking if getting her eyebrows tattooed would be “too vain.” Eight decades into life, and still asking permission to feel comfortable in her own skin. I talked about my daily reality—my husband telling me to “fix” my gray hair, the $250 I spent every six weeks for decades just to maintain an appearance that made others comfortable. I remembered the burgundy blunt-cut wig I bought when I felt sick and frail. How differently I was treated in Jamaica when I wore it. How even my eight-year-old daughter noticed. We talked about the cruelest irony: that men become “distinguished” with age while women are taught to fear becoming invisible, irrelevant and discarded. But something else emerged, too. The recognition that this invisibility—this release from being constantly looked at and judged—can become its own form of freedom. When you stop performing beauty for others, what’s left? When you’re no longer trying to earn your worth through appearance, who do you become? Jeannie spoke about her daughter Sarah, whose face doesn’t conform to cultural expectations but whose presence has become a quiet revolution. In a craniofacial conference, watching strangers gape and turn their heads, she realized how starved our culture is of diverse representations of humanity. I shared about finally—at 46—discovering my worth independently of how I look. About choosing the privilege of being alive over the exhaustion of constant maintenance. About asking myself why I need mascara for the women entrepreneurs meeting but not for school pickup. These are our stories, shaped by our particular experiences as middle-aged women navigating beauty culture and belonging. Your story might look completely different—and we want to hear it. * Maybe you've found joy and confidence in beauty rituals. * Maybe aging has brought unexpected freedoms we haven’t considered. * Maybe you’re struggling with questions we didn’t touch on, or you’ve discovered wisdom in places we haven’t looked. This isn’t about finding the “right” way to age or the “correct” relationship with beauty. It’s about creating space for the honest conversations we rarely have—the ones that acknowledge both the pain and possibility of inhabiting these changing bodies in a culture obsessed with youth. What we’re learning is that worth doesn’t depreciate with age. That visibility isn’t the only way to matter. That maybe, after decades of performing acceptability, we can finally choose presence over perfection. True joy over what feels fabricated or “acceptable.” But we’re still figuring it out. And we suspect you are, too. Some questions for reflection: What has your relationship with beauty and aging taught you that you didn’t expect? Where do you find yourself performing for others, and where do you feel most authentically yourself? What messages about aging—spoken or unspoken—did you absorb growing up, and how are they serving you now? If beauty standards didn’t exist, how would you choose to care for yourself and present to the world? What do you want the young people in your life to understand about worth, beauty, and the privilege of growing older? Your perspective matters. Whether you agree with us or see things differently, whether you’re 25 or 75, whether beauty has been burden or blessing in your life—we want to hear from you. This conversation doesn’t end here. Thank you Tiffany Chu (https://substack.com/profile/119143517-tiffany-chu), Michele Wood (https://substack.com/profile/76279672-michele-wood), Laura Jane Roland (https://substack.com/profile/31698754-laura-jane-roland), and many others for tuning into my live video with Jeannie Ewing (https://substack.com/profile/91570764-jeannie-ewing)! Thank you for subscribing. Share this episode (https://littletokensbigripples.substack.com/p/a-conversation-on-beauty-culture?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=share&action=share&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxNjE3MTQ4MSwicG9zdF9pZCI6MTY3NjgyNTE5LCJpYXQiOjE3NTI1NzA1MjMsImV4cCI6MTc1NTE2MjUyMywiaXNzIjoicHViLTgwOTc2MyIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.89665i_6M2kafgFGhBckGJh4vO1UnJG9BvWkMFRY63g&utm_campaign=CTA_3).

3. 

   29 Jun 2025

   Experimental Ripple June 29: Live token-making in my backyard

   MANSI MAKES demonstrates a simple watercolor token-making technique with liquid watercolors and metallic colors in her backyard, revealing how uncomplicated watercoloring and simple florals can be.

Who has been a guest on Unburdened Misfit (private feed for info@mansimakes.com)

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jeannie Ewing
• Felicity
• Kristin Tweedale

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

157,706

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

39

Social presence

0

YouTube

86

Engagement

32

Contact Unburdened Misfit (private feed for info@mansimakes.com)

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.