Once Upon an Upset

Latest Episodes:

The Girl Who Was Born with Glue in Her Brain Dec 29, 2021

Show notes

“Once there was a girl who was born with glue in her brain.
At first she didn’t know about the glue. She only knew that something seemed wrong about her brain, because so many of her thoughts seemed to get stuck to it.
No matter where she happened to be, she would notice herself thinking these same thoughts, again and again. Even if she tried not to think these thoughts, there they were . . .”

— FROM 'THE GIRL WHO WAS BORN WITH GLUE IN HER BRAIN’

The Girl Who Was Born with Glue in Her Brain is about a girl with a handful of thoughts that keep her from being able to enjoy life as much as she would like to, and what she eventually decides to do about it.

Click here to purchase the illustrated book version of this story.
(Suitable for teens and adults.)
The Girl Who Was Born with Glue in Her Brain was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.

Red Flowers Dec 22, 2021

Show notes

“Once there was a man who loved his flower garden.
Only red flowers grew in his garden, and he was proud of every one. ‘The finest flowers are red,’ he’d say. ‘And flowers of any other color simply don’t belong here.’”

— From 'Red Flowers'

When a man notices flowers of unfamiliar colors blossoming in his town, he worries they’ll ruin his garden and he tries to ban them.

Red Flowers is a story about how much more beautiful the world is when a person is willing to open up their perspective and let the perspectives of others become part of their own.

(Suitable for all ages.)

Red Flowers was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.

New episodes every Wednesday!

For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.

Bridges Of Understanding Dec 15, 2021

Show notes

“I think what every upset is missing, is a bridge of understanding. There are many people who are builders of these bridges of understanding, but many of them are not building these bridges because the work is so tedious.”

— FROM 'BRIDGES OF UNDERSTANDING’

(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)

Bridges of Understanding was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.

New episodes every Wednesday!

For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.

The Tea Party Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

“Once, there was a little girl who wanted to have tea with her mommy. But her mommy was very busy. ‘As soon as I’m done with my grown-up work, I would love to have tea with you!’”
— From 'The Tea Party'

The Tea Party is a story about the creative ideas people come up with to try to connect with each other, when they imagine they’re not enough just the way they already are.
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Tea Party was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.

New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.

Listening To Our Younger Selves Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

“I remember being little and carrying the weight of all the stories I was secretly collecting about my own experiences. I wanted so badly to share these experiences with someone who might have had the time to understand and appreciate what I was going through. But I couldn’t find the right person.”

— From "Listening To Our Younger Selves”

Listening To Our Younger Selves is a conversation about the the stories we carry inside us and the important messages they have for us, if we take the time to listen.
(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)
Listening To Our Younger Selves was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.

New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.

The Bird Who Swallowed the Cell Phone Dec 01, 2021

Show notes

“One afternoon, Little Bird was staring up at the sky, thinking about lunch. At the same time, in the luxury apartment building next to Little Bird’s tree, a human was out on his balcony, talking on his cell phone.”
— From 'The Bird Who Swallowed the Cell Phone'
When Little Bird swallows a cell phone, he inadvertently offends all the other birds in the neighborhood with his new chirp. The Bird Who Swallowed the Cell Phone is a story about the trouble that can happen when people assume they understand the reason for other people’s behavior, instead of asking them questions to find out for sure.
(Suitable for all ages.)
The Bird Who Swallowed the Cell Phone was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.

New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.

OCD: You Do Not Have a Monster in Your Brain Nov 27, 2021

Show notes

“If you or someone you know has OCD behavior, please do not refer to this behavior as an OCD monster. Why did anyone come up with the idea that having a monster in your brain would help make anything better?”
— from 'OCD: You Do Not Have a Monster in Your Brain’

OCD: You Do Not Have a Monster in Your Brain, is a conversation about Intrusive thoughts and reassurance-seeking OCD, with some ideas for understanding these types of behaviors, and some ideas for how to shift to more creative, self-affirming behaviors.

(Suitable for teens and adults.)
OCD: You Do Not Have a Monster in Your Brain was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.
New episodes every Wednesday!
For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.

Communicating-To-Be-Understood Nov 24, 2021

Show notes

“From what I’ve noticed, we communicate-to-be-heard in moments where we feel threatened. Maybe because of a dangerous situation, but more often, I think it happens when we’re triggered by someone who did something that upset us. Or when we’re trying to avoid getting triggered by someone who might do something to upset us.”

-from 'Communicating-To-Be-Understood'

Communicating-To-Be-Understood is a conversation about understanding why we feel triggered by other people’s behavior and why they feel triggered by ours. And how we can still share who we are and create more fulfilling connections with the people in our lives.

(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)

Communicating-To-Be-Understoodwas written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.

New episodes every Wednesday!

For illustrations, episode transcripts, children’s books and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.

What I Learned About Anger Nov 16, 2021

Show notes

“I smiled and said hi and she stopped what she was doing, but only to glare at me. ‘I will not be responding or smiling to anyone,’ she explained. ‘I am at this retreat for peace.’” —from ‘What I Learned About Anger’

What I Learned About Anger is a conversation about meeting a very angry person at a meditation retreat, and the unexpected way she was treated.

(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)

What I Learned About Angerwas written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.

New episodes every Wednesday!

For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.

The Sea of Associations Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

“Sometimes I like to think of my mind as an ocean and myself as someone fishing.”

-from ‘The Sea of Associations’.

It’s easy to get bogged down by our reactions to everyday upsets. Whether those upsets are coming at us from the world, or in our homes, or in our own heads. The Sea of Associations is a conversation about what happens to us in these moments of upset, and offers some suggestions for how to reframe our perspective, so our upsets don’t keep us feeling let down, disappointed and unexpressed.

(Suitable for tweens, teens and adults.)

The Sea of Associations was written by Jessica Laurel Kane; music by Jerome Rossen at Freshmade Music.

New episodes every Wednesday!

For illustrations, episode transcripts, merchandise and more, visit www.onceuponanupset.com.

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