Welcome to the Brave Women at Work Podcast. This is your host, Jen Pestikas. I’m so glad you’re here. Hey everyone. How are you doing out there? So do you have someone in your life that has made a brave pivot? So lemme give you a few examples. Maybe you have a friend, a family member, or even a colleague that has made a leap into a new career or left their career to be a mom or a caregiver or full time left a relationship that was draining them.

Whenever I hear stories like this, I am both odd on one side and honestly I’m triggered at the same time. So you’re probably like, wow. Is she kind of a meanie? Like why is she triggered? Friends I have always struggled with big changes. You wouldn’t think so, but yeah, if my husband, if I was interviewing here him here, he would air out all the dirty laundry about how I do really struggle with like big pivots or big changes.

So every time I’ve left a job, I’ve cried and I’ve grieved, and you know what, that’s okay. That’s just kind of my process. I get really emotional. I get so invested in things that I get emotional. I cry, I struggle with leaving, and I’ve agonized over these big changes. I’ve made pros and cons lists. I’ve asked everyone I know from like my mom to my friends and family members, until I wind myself into a tight ball of anxiety, to be honest. And so some people release that control of the known and bravely pivot into the unknown. And so my guest today, Dr. Vasu Talia, has done this with her monstrous move from medicine to art, talk about different sides of the brain. So I met Dr. Vasu through a coaching inquiry into Brave Woman at Work but then I realized that, you know what, coaching wasn’t the right fit for her. And I’ve said that before it’s either a fit or it’s not a fit and in this case for Dr. Vaso, I’m like, no, this isn’t the right fit.

But I did invite her to be part of the larger Brave Woman at Work and Hunter Street Press communities because there’s so many amazing powerhouse women in that community that I’m fortunate to be a part of. So I am pleased to have an opportunity to chat with her today on the show. During our discussion, Dr. Vasu and I chatted about what led her to get into medicine in the first place. How she knew it was time to move from medicine into the world of art, what the response was from others in her family and in her community. When she decided to make that pivot, how picking up a paintbrush has made her find something deeper within herself. We also chatted about the intersection between science, art and healing and where Dr. Vasu’s work is headed. And then finally, we kind of touched on something she does this as a workshop. I wanted to ask her what a personal mandala is and how it is a healing exercise in of itself.

Here is more about Dr. Vasu. Dr. Vasu Tolia is a physician turned healing artist and emeritus professor of pediatrics. After spending over 40 years in academic medicine establishing Michigan’s first pediatric and endoscopy unit and publishing over 150 research papers. She embarked on a second career creating healing focus, art grounded in Neuroaesthetics.

Her work has been featured by the Washington Post, appear on CDC Journal covers and has been included in Art Treasuries 2026 collector’s annual. Through her unique charitable giving model, our collectors can direct proceeds to organizations supporting mental health, autism research, and vulnerable populations. Vasu’s bold statement of claim is healing never retires, it just picks up a different path. So you can learn more about Dr. Vasu and her art and actually even purchase some at vasutolia.art.com, which we’ll link in the show notes.

So if the podcast of Brave Women at Work has helped you personally or professionally share it, I would love for you to share it with a family member, a friend, or a colleague. And you know it, if you’ve been a long time listener, your ratings and reviews, they help this show gain continue to gain traction and grow. So just a quick update, if I haven’t mentioned it recently, we have over 105,000 downloads. So 105,000 downloads in over 38 countries. And it just keeps growing and it’s just it’s just so amazing. And here we are at the 200th and 75th episode. So again, I am so humbled and grateful for you as a listener, whether first time or every week or here and there as you can fit it in.

And of course, don’t forget to also download the freebies on the Brave Woman at Work website. There are three out there today. So the 10 tips to win your next negotiation, 24 career and leadership tips and five ways to managing your imposter syndrome.

Alright, let’s welcome Dr. Vasu to the show.

Hello there, Dr. Vasu. It’s been a long time. Welcome to Brave Woman at Work. How are you today?

I’m very well, thank you, Jen, for I’m honored that you asked me to be on your show.

Oh, of course. I love your story. So for everyone I used to find all of my guests on LinkedIn and I found, how did we connect originally, Dr. Vasu? How did that go? Did I don’t know. You tell me. Do you remember?

Yeah, I think I, I connected with you from one of the discovery calls. Oh yes. And then you invited me for this Thrive in 25 conference. Yes. Yes, that’s right. So again, everyone, it’s not always via LinkedIn, although I found a lot of people through LinkedIn, which I love. Dr. Vasu, why don’t you tell us a little bit about you and your background story, which is so interesting, and where you are today?

Okay. Let me start by saying that I have really at this stage of my life led two very professionally distinct lives, but they have somehow merged together as time has passed, and because they are both about the same thing, healing just through completely different languages. For 40 over 40 years, I was a pediatric gastroenterologist and a tenured professor at Wayne State University. I established Michigan’s first pediatric endoscopy unit, and performed the first flexible pediatric endoscopy in Michigan, and I was on a tenure track, so a lot of teaching, mentoring, publishing, research. So medicine was just not my career, it was my identity, it was my passion, my purpose, and that’s how I identified myself. And then came retirement and honestly, I was completely unprepared for the void that followed. After four decades of being Dr. Tolia, of having this clear mission every single day, I suddenly I didn’t have an identity.

I was just, not that I minded not being a doctor, but the structure and the purpose, I really missed it. I felt lost. So my husband encouraged me to try and do some other activities because I’m not the kind who can just sit and watch sitcoms and just read books. Although I do enjoy reading books and I belong to a couple of book clubs, but that was not how I could just fill my time.

So, at first, I picked it up just to fill time to fill the emptiness, and it was very daunting at first. To become a novice again in a field that was totally new, but I persisted. Persistence is my middle name. And it was art, correct? It was an artist that you decide? Yes. A paintbrush. They were frustrating few, first few years, but then something unexpectedly unraveled during COVID time. I let myself go and I was able to create art freely, but just differently. And as I was doing it, I also noticed that I was much calmer and I was at peace with myself having this emerging artist identity or a novis artist identity. And then in COVID there was a call from Washington Post about COVID art. I submitted something and it got reckoned as amongst the top 20 in the nation. Wow. The year after that, CDC solicited that artwork for the cover of the Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases, which was dedicated to COVID-19. So I felt like my medicine and art came together. So what started as a retirement hobby evolved into something I couldn’t ignore. I found myself creating intentionally, being curious about why art was helping me. It was like my meditation as to what was happening. So I started researching a new field, which is called neuro arts. You know how neuro arts, yes. Okay. How arts affect our brain. So having learned all that I mean, today I create art relentlessly. Anytime I have a spare moment, I’m just thinking about a new show or a new artwork, and I’m very enthusiastic about it. And because of some of the accolades I have received and some awards, and I was very recently, just this month featured in the Art Collectors Journal, 2026 Wow. Selected six artists, and I’m one of them.

So, I feel very honored about that. But most importantly, Jen, I have a few missions in life, like women’s empowerment, protecting the planet, raising awareness for mental illness and helping kids and adults with neurodivergence. So I combine my passion with this purpose and mission that 50% of the sales from my website and my artworks go towards the charity the customer chooses. And that makes me feel very fulfilled.

Oh, that’s amazing. I did not know that part. So did you always have in your plan, right? I don’t know, tell me, talk to me about and take me back. So as a child, did you want to be a physician? Let’s start there. What did you wanna be when you grew up as a youngster.

To be honest with you, at, 50 years ago in India the career choices were limited to science, arts and commerce. Okay. So most of the women went into arts, but my best friend’s brother was studying to be a doctor. So she told me let’s take biology and we’ll become doctors and that’s how I became a doctor. I had no role model that I followed or anything. So it just happened accidentally and I’m very happy that this happened because it really gave me the identity and fulfillment that I don’t believe I would have had, had I just chosen arts at that stage in my life. ‘Cause arts really meant more like home science and embroidery and cooking. Oh, I see. Yes. Things like that, it wasn’t really more about figurative arts or ceramics or anything that I know of, but I mean, what do I know? I never pursued that branch. You didn’t? Yeah. You didn’t pursue that. Those options were there. Yeah.

Yeah. So fast forward, what was the moment? Was there a moment? Was there an inkling, an intuitive nudge? Because going from, I don’t know if I’ve ever met someone that has gone from such one end of the career spectrum to another. That’s why I’ve always found you so fascinating. I’m like, I have never heard of a physician, tenured, long physician becoming an artist. And so it’s like different sides of the brain. It’s like different identities. So was there a moment that you said, oh yeah, I’m gonna pick up a paintbrush.

No, it was out of reluctance really to try and find something to do. And I have to thank my husband for encouraging me to try and do something and persist at it and not get frustrated he picked up golf also later in life and it’s a very frustrating sport for him at times. Some people are very good and some days are very bad, so he kind of told me that, unless you keep at it. So I took a few lessons Jen, I went to a local art center and took a few lessons and it was very frustrating. I can’t tell you how I passed those days and somehow made through it. And it’s I guess I always had the seed in me to do something beyond what is expected.

I’m just so glad that I have found this niche because it’s, what medicine teaches you is to see the whole person, not just the presenting symptoms, oh, wow. Okay. There’s a lot more to it, to listen deeply, to understand that healing is not just about fixing a problem or what is broken. It’s about restoring hope, dignity, and the wholeness of the person, and it just happened automatically. I didn’t realize it, but those concepts, that idea about holistic healing, the connection between mind and body about the power of hope were helping me prepare for this second stage in my life. The physician that I absolutely was the foundation for what the artist I have become.

Wow. And so I know this was something that you picked up in retirement, but did you have, because everyone knew you as Dr. Vasu, right? And so all of a sudden you’re like, Hey, by the way, everybody, my family, I mean your husband was loving and encouraging, which is so important, but maybe friends or other family members, maybe you didn’t care. I don’t know. But were other people like. You’re gonna do what? And what was the response when you said, I’m gonna become an artist, or maybe there wasn’t any response you tell me.

It’s a complex issue and I’m glad you are asking me because many other people who hesitate to change careers maybe they would like to take a cue from this. Yes. There were people like saying, what, you are going to throw up a career as a doctor? And become an artist. Yes, I could have continued to work. But I feel I was at a stage when I just wanted to do something different. My children were very supportive. Mom, do what you want to. My husband said, just be sure because I know that you will miss it. Make sure your plan for it. So that plan kind of started in insidiously a year before I retired and I thought about it and my friends and all that, some of them had retired and some of them were still working. And overall I would say that I had support rather than any contradiction where, and if there were any questions in people’s minds, they definitely didn’t voice them to me.

What I've learned, from this transition is that when you make a decision that may not fit other people's narrative of who you are supposed to be they will project their own fears onto you. Share on X

Okay. So they were not brave enough maybe to say anything. Yes. But even your family was like, Hey, be sure and you prepared. Yes. What were some of the emotions, we talk a lot about this in that turn and that transition, what were some of the emotions you were feeling? You have one identity and now you have, your, molting your skin right and you’re changing. What were some of the emotions that were coming up for you?

Yeah. That’s such a special way of expressing molting the skin. Yes. Yes. Creating another identity and skin. Yeah. And Jen, it’s, this is such an important question because I feel the fear of how others will respond stops so many women from making brave choices. And like I said, the responses were mixed and honestly, the hardest critique was me, which is what you’re asking me right now. From hearing what’s nice for her, I would often unspoken questions like, why would you walk away? And I asked that to myself also, and what am I going to do with a hobby? And I haven’t yet developed it. Why waste that training? I felt I had given enough in that training, and I had created many legacies with my publications. I had trained many junior faculty and fellows, who became division chiefs eventually at other places and were very highly successful. But I wanted to move beyond the identity wrapped up in these kinds of credentials. And to be honest with you, the traditional art world itself is full of so much skepticism. I have had no formal art training. Like I don’t have a B FA or MFA. I haven’t struggled as an, artist, although I’m struggling then, but I didn’t have to worry about making a living with art. And that’s where I think my purpose and persistence were so important because it’s so easy to not push yourself to become the best or better than what you are if you don’t have that kind of a monetary purpose. I was an outsider in the art world. Like it took me a few years before becoming part of the artist societies. Oh, wow. They also look for, to make sure that, you are creating credible art before accepting, in their fold.

So it was a struggle and at times I really wanted to give up, why am I doing this? Why am I not just happy sitting and having fun all the time? But as time went on, and I discovered art and became absorbed in it. More than the fun I felt I went into a zone and I felt like I wanted to wipe out and brush out everything else from my mind and just focus on the canvas and my paints and whatever else I wanted to use there, and that I think kind of kept me going and having achieved that stage. Now that I know the lights and shadows and values and things like that, it’s become a lot more interesting. So what I’ve learned, from this transition is that when you make a decision that may not fit other people’s narrative of who you are supposed to be they will project their own fears onto you. Their skepticism is often about their own inability to imagine doing, making a similar leap. So I think you just have to be firm and I’m glad I stayed that way and the work is speaking for itself. So I feel fulfilled and happy and want to continue doing this.

Oh, that’s so great. So you talked about how the work you’re doing is all about healing, whether it was as a physician. Or as an artist, how do you feel picking up the paintbrush and becoming an artist? How do you think that’s healed you?

It feels very good, and I feel that I sometimes don’t have enough time, like life gets in the way, but you do want to have fun, be with the family, travel, and do other things too. But what I have also realized is that, my own need to heal from having this career transition. Until I had healed myself, I didn’t feel that purpose of wanting to spread this message.

In medicine you are trained and you eventually become an expert if you do a key opinion leader authority and you cannot show any kind of uncertainty in your decisions because you cannot let your emotions interfere with your clinical judgment. So you develop this professional armor that protects you from the enormity of your dealing with helping sick kids, terrified parents, life and death decisions. That armor served me well in my medical career, but it didn’t mean that I never really, it really meant that I never really processed my own experiences, my vulnerability. So, although I identified with the families and their crisis with the situation, so subconsciously I was always the healer. One who did not need any healing, but it was only when that phase passed, I realized that there was no expertise for me to fall back on, no credentials that could help me. I was a beginner, a fumbling person, making all kinds of mistakes, feeling uncertain, and that vulnerability, to be honest with you, cracked something open in me that kept me going.

So painting, taking time to paint has become this space where I don’t have to have any of these answers, where I can explore without a diagnosis to deal with, where emotions can just exist without needing to be fixed or categorized or treated. So this transition, the grief of leaving medicine, the terror of not knowing who I was anymore, the excitement of new discovery. This joy of creation has made me a better whole, I feel, than, the struggling person that I was at the beginning of this transition.

Yeah I don’t know if, I mean, I didn’t know you then, but I know you as such, like a calm and open presence, so energetically would you say you’re really different now than you were then? Like just to even be around, like your energy is different. You’re just different as a person.

I feel I’m a much calmer person. Yeah. I’m not that hyper on and this kind of deeper healing comes from integration that, the medical career is the basis of who I am today. But to rediscover other aspects of medicine that I was never exposed to, like neuro arts. I mentioned. I’m finding it very fascinating that, and. My art practice also teaches me that I don’t always have to understand everything to trust it. You know that not every problem needs solving that sometimes healing looks like just sitting with discomfort rather than trying to fix it and just staring at the canvas and see what should I put, what line or what shape or what should I do with it? It is kind of very calming and that is what is healing. Yes, it allowed me to heal in a way medicine never could.

Yeah, so like the idea of real faith, right? Yes. You can not have to know it or have it in print, or have it in a mathematical or scientific equation to trust it and to surrender into that growth and that healing. Absolutely. Yeah. Wow. That is so beautiful. So talk to me a little bit about this neuro arts. We’ve never talked about this, so what got you into the study? What is it and are you gonna be doing anything with it in the future?

I can tell you with scientific certainty that viewing or creating art changes our physiology. It reduces cortisol levels. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, like certain colors and composition often lower the blood pressure, slow… Share on X

I am so glad you asked this question because this question is becoming, it’s defining my second career because I refuse to see science and art as separate when it comes to healing, having felt what I have felt during this process. Western medicine has this kind of a reductionist approach that we break down the body into systems and systems into organs and organs into cells, and cells, into molecules, and go on and on. It’s powerful for diagnosis and treatment, but the clinician has to find the wholeness of the human experience while treating a patient.

A patient comes with you with a stomach ache doesn’t mean nothing else is going on. So you have to try and fathom that it’s not that you just fix that stomach ache and forget about whatever else is happening in the body. Now that I’m finding more about neuro arts, the science of how arts affect our brain and bodies, I can tell you with scientific certainty that viewing or creating art changes our physiology. It reduces cortisol levels. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, like certain colors and composition often lower the blood pressure, slow the heart rate, reduce the pain perception, but it goes a lot deeper than that.

Also, Jen, because art heals through meaning, meaning making, giving form to the experiences that feel formless, that are so important in handling all these things. My unique position that I can speak both heart and science fluently, helps me deal with it or helps me give more meaning to the art that I make and how I just apply all these principles that I know into taking care of, creating art, but i’m telling you that it’s not like it’s a set of standards or guidelines or algorithms like in medicine, you have to be very willing to bend them and work around them and modify them. So there is a lot of freedom in doing this. And if you felt that you didn’t achieve it, you can put it away for a while and then look at it again, because maybe you will look at it with a different perspective rather than keeping working on it for hours and hours together. The best healing happens when we honor both the sides of the equation. Yeah, like using science, precision and arts expansiveness, you asked me about whether I’m going to be doing more and more with the neuro arts. Yes I intend to because I’m working with some of the junior people at University of Michigan to try and develop ideas about how to integrate viewing of the art with patient experiences or combining art with music and see how they felt. Because art is a lot beyond just the painting and drawing, there are so many forms of art, like sculpting and ceramics and fiber art and you name it. Yes. In fact, I feel that whatever the person enjoys doing and gives them pleasure be it, even like knitting and cooking is a form of art, so it’s just doesn’t have to be visual art the way we commonly think about it. It can be so many other thing like dancing also that, performing arts and things like that. So we may do some multisensory experience things, but so we are going back and forth, trying to explore.

Yeah. You’re exploring. Yes. What’s interesting about that, and I’m being facetious here, but wouldn’t it be? I mean, now I’m dreaming with you, right? So I’ve been to doctors and I’m gonna give you a compliment here. The way you’re talking about medicine, you always saw, even in your physician part of your career as seeing the whole body. And I’m not here to rip on Western medicine, but I have been to doctors and I’m sure you had colleagues that their areas of specialty was this or that, and they just did their lane, they didn’t look at it as the whole system. And I love the work that you’re talking about and that you’re doing because wouldn’t it be interesting if there was an illness where the prescription is the medicine or is like the traditional approach, but it is also meditation, it is also art therapy, it’s also picking up a paintbrush, you’re listening to music. Wouldn’t that be beautiful? If we could get to that point where we could have a more holistic healing plan

it would be absolutely be beautiful. And Jen, I predict that just the way we are talking about being health conscious about what we need, how we exercise, how we sleep, because these are all pillars of staying healthy. That taking rest is also important. I really project that in next decade or so practicing some kind of art or artful activity, will become a fourth pillar of this foundation, that people when they proactively practice these kinds of things, they hopefully it’ll prevent them from getting into the stressful situations that decompensate them. Creates a burnout or a mental breakdown and a crisis and things like that. So if some of these are proactively integrated in the workspace and in personal life, by teaching to the students and everybody, like even we as physicians need to learn that this component should be practiced, alongside prescribing the medications I think it’ll be so wonderful to have that kind of combined approach of western medicine and holistic therapy in taking care of patients.

Yeah, definitely a beautiful I don’t wanna say a dream, but like a vision, right, of what it could be to heal. Yes. And speaking about that, I’m just curious, this is me just being curious when, so everyone listening, we had the Thrive in 25 conference this summer, and Dr. Vasu could not come. She had a death in her family and we were so sad. So sorry to miss her, but one of your presentations I had signed up for. So man, you’re gonna have to offer this virtually so I can attend this, maybe you’ll do it virtually if you can, but you were talking about personal mandalas and I just wanted, ’cause we’ve never talked about it on the podcast, I wanted you to define what that is and if we have to take a class to do it or if we can do it on our own. If you ever hold the virtual, I will absolutely take your class. But just tell us a little bit about that presentation you give and what it’s all about.

Sure. I’m so glad to have this opportunity now, which I didn’t have then. Yeah. So the word mandala means it comes from Sanskrit and loosely it means, a center or a sacred space, and mandalas appear in many Eastern traditions in the indigenous populations, spiritual and contemporary art practices Also they’re incorporating mandalas psychologically, the circle naturally draws the eye inward and creating a sense of containment and order. In modern settings, mandalas are often used as religious symbols, but they are also very huge tools for reflection, focus, and emotional regulation. Science tells us that both creating and viewing mandalas can induce meditative brain states, reduce anxiety, promote focus, and that symmetry itself is very calming to our pattern seeking brains and my work explores themes of transformation, women’s empowerment and resilience. So when someone is going through the transformation and sees my works and connects with it, there are mandalas wherever you see them. And a personal mandala is really created by an individual to represent their inner state in that particular moment. So there is no right or wrong mandala, you don’t require any artistic skills, but if you like, I’ll definitely think about putting an online course

Oh yeah, it’ll be fun. Yeah. Even if it’s just I’m your Guinea pig, it would be really cool. Yes. I did look, so for everyone, if you Google this there are like instructions online, but if Dr. Vasu ever decides to do something, I will definitely put it out there for the world to see. But yeah, I think it is a beautiful beautiful practice and speaking about the art and the art that you create. I looked at your website and it has grown, or at least for me, it has grown since the last, the first time we met. You have these beautiful, I have to tout them, not only is your artwork just gorgeous on the site, so we’ll link that up in the show notes. But you also have wearable art, like you have just beautiful things like handbags and scarves and all types of things. So tell us a little bit more about maybe the work that you love on your side or your more recent work. And then also, when did you decide to get like more wearable art as well?

Okay. I mean, all these, outlets are available, on my website. I evolved my practice into incorporating more than just original art because I felt some of the patterns were beautiful and, they were encouraging. Jen, not everybody can afford to buy an original piece of art all the time. Although I have them in all sizes, like four by four inches of canvas to four feet by four feet also, the paperwork are cheaper, but overall I divide up my works so into like figures and nature and and nature includes animals besides things and abstract, because I feel the, as I abstract and semi-abstract from representational, like an identifiable woman with all the characteristics of a photograph that kind of art to semi-abstract and abstract it. But just to give the gist and also give you the gestures and their emotions, to project them in that state. I’m find I’m finding it a lot more difficult, but more appealing because like when I make a woman’s figure, I purposely try not to make them resemble anything or just have a very abstract facial features because I want every woman to identify with that.

Particular form of women, I create women as role models and show them courageous roles like climbing up the steps and a diva coming out of a theater and a woman standing taller than the buildings around her, to inject qualities, that I want women to look up to, to become more powerful and embrace their own qualities and develop whatever into whatever they want to be. So all these different forms of artworks and the wearable art when somebody wears it. I thought of wearing my own shirt today, but Maybe next time. Maybe next time. Yeah, sure. I didn’t there is, this kind of like coffee mugs and notebooks and all, just makes it more accessible, then people may not want to spend, 200 to $2,000, but they can certainly want to spend $20 to buy something. Just making it accessible to everyone. Yes. That’s the whole purpose behind doing that, I think it’s nice to see it.

I think it is absolutely beautiful. So for everyone, go to Dr. Vasu’s site and we will link that up again in the show notes. Yes I’m really excited for more work to come out. Are there any previews or themes you’re exploring right now? Not to put pressure on you in any way, but are there any things that you are kind of birthing or anything you wanna share that’s maybe coming out at the turn of the new year or spring of next year?

Yes, actually I’m being approached to have an additional solo show besides the one I have planned for November and December at a gallery in Michigan, in Detroit area. And so in that, I’m thinking of doing women with, actually figures I shouldn’t say women, I will have men and children in there too. I’m going to use a lot of metal leaf, like silver, gold and copper leaves. Ooh, yes. These paintings and I was just being approached for doing another solo show in May and June. And I’m thinking of this one, I may focus on animals because I have a few paintings on animals already, so maybe add a few more in there, because this is a smaller gallery, so I’m working along those lines still thinking these are all its just coming out. Yes. Yeah. That yet put onto Canvas yet, but, i’m thinking along those lines.

Oh, that’s lovely and everyone will see it on your site. Yeah. As we’re wrapping up here, what are do you believe are one to two ways that women can be braver at work today?

There is no expiration date on becoming who you are meant to be. Share on X

This is a very important question, Jen. I’m glad, so glad you asked me. Having made one of the previous professional decisions in my life after 40 years in one field, I have serious thoughts on that.

First of all, I would tell all women to give yourself permission to pivot at any age, at any stage in your life. We have this narrative in our culture that you are supposed to be figuring out your path by 25, establish yourself by 35, and then just coast on that identity for the rest of your life. And I think it’s nonsense. Especially limiting your thinking, so I personally feel that you are never too old to start something new. You don’t have to enjoy retirement. You can graduate to a new aspiration during your retirement and what I have earned that there is no expiration date on becoming who you are meant to be. If you are in a career that no longer serves you and you are feeling that pull towards doing something different, and you are scared, but you also feel excited about trying to do something like that, about that possibility, then let your inner wisdom take over and talk to you, listen to it, because these opportunities don’t come again that easily.

When you have thought of making a transition, you and you have to plan it, you can’t impulsively do it, especially if your living depends on it, that you are the breadwinner, or whatever you are doing, you can’t do it, but your skills, your wisdom, your credibility from your previous life will transfer with you.

It’s not like your foundations that you had before will just melt away and you have to start totally from scratch. No they will absolutely be with you and guide you, and not in many obvious ways, but they are there, that experience, you cannot never discount. My medical practice absolutely informs my art practice and that is what has made me want to dig deeper into why arts, to what I have experienced and I have seen others talk about it. So Brave Women at Work give yourself permission to evolve. You don’t have to have it all figured out. But you just have to take that next step, so that you know you can fulfill your other aspirations as well.

So Brave Women at Work give yourself permission to evolve. You don't have to have it all figured out. Share on X

I love that and I love that you’re reminding us at any phase, even as you’re rounding out one career and starting a new one, even in retirement, it’s not over, it’s not over until they say it’s over. And it could be at any time, at any phase of your life. So thank you so much. That was beautiful. So how can women find you and your work online? How can they connect with you?

They can go to my website at www.vasutolia.art, and there is a form in there because I also have besides artworks, I also create exercise packages like for creating self-expression and creating mandalas and all that are available there, but there is an inquiry form there. You can definitely reach out if you wanna know something more, and I’ll be most happy to connect with you. And I’ll also be giving a magnet Jen for people to download. Oh, great. When you know it’s about self-expression and creativity. So I will send you the link so you can put it in the notes.

Yes. Thank you. That’s lovely. What a wonderful gift for all of the listeners. Dr. Vasu, I appreciate that you, and this is the beautiful thing about being a coach and a podcaster, is you never know who’s gonna pop into your inbox and you just popped in and it’s been so fun to get to know you and to talk with you today. I love the work you’re doing, and please keep in touch. So thank you so much.

Sure. Thank you so much for having me, Jen. It’s been a pleasure and honor.

That’s a wrap of my discussion with Dr. Vasu today. I hope you found our conversation both valuable and inspiring.

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Until next time, show up, pivot and be brave.