"Hello, Goodbye"... to Producer Ariana Gharib Lee

Behind the scenes with our newest team member [View this email online]( [Invisibilia]( As we count down to our final episode, we’ll be running a feature in the newsletter called Hello, Goodbye spotlighting our team members. We hope you’ll miss us as much as we’ll miss you. Sincerely, The Invisibilia Team --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello, Goodbye to Producer Ariana Gharib Lee --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello, goodbye. I’m Ariana, a producer of this show. You can follow me on [Twitter]( and [Instagram]( Invisibilia Origin Story: Back in my mid twenties during my directionless era (it was a long era), I used to work on these big, sad drawings to let out my big, sad feelings. While I did, I listened to Invisibilia. No, I binged Invisibilia. I scribbled intently, completely immersed. I listened intently to S, the main voice in "[The Secret History of Thoughts]( as he grappled with his intrusive thoughts. I spilled a few quiet tears to "[The Problem with the Solution]( feeling freed by how families in Geel, Belgium think about mental illness. I felt almost defensive and then wow’d as "[Emotions]( turned my whole world upside down. A drawing I made while falling in love with Invisibilia, 2017. Over the years I followed along. I loved watching this show evolve. But no matter how much I listened, I still had the same questions. How did they do it? Where did they find the voices I was hearing? And why were Invisibilia’s stories so unlike anything else I was hearing on the radio? My curiosity propelled me eventually into a career in audio.. And then last year, I finally got answers. I joined Invisibilia’s incredible staff as a producer. Favorite episodes you've worked on and insights you’ve actually used in real life: I had the privilege of helping Yowei Shaw with producing "[The P-Word]( And let me tell you, if you have not watched a comedian seek the wisdom of an ex-dominatrix turned power coach, you are not living. Seeing Kasia Urbaniak and Alex Song-Xia unravel Alex’s relationship with power changed me! I became more expressive in my friendships, turned down invitations I didn’t want, and offered ones that sound more fun or fulfilling to me. Kasia was able to show me that these small changes – going just a bit less with the flow – were actually a kindness to people in my life. Expressing your likes and dislikes lets people get close to you. Me telling a goodbye story to the one and only Yowei Shaw, co-host of our show. I have also spent a lot of time thinking about something [Jill Hooley]( mentioned in "[The Problem with the Solution]( There’s this thing researchers call “emotional over-involvement.” It sounds like this: “I’d give up anything to help my mom,” or “it breaks my heart to see you feeling this way.” It’s the intense concern we express when people close to us struggle. But! What research has shown over the years is that these kinds of remarks are correlated with relapses in a variety of patients with mental illnesses. There are a few guesses as to why, but some think it’s because these comments can make patients feel so monitored, stifled, stressed out that they actually have worse health outcomes. This research really blew my mind! It suggests that the problem with trying to help people fix their problems is that the very act of trying to fix or identifying a problem can make things worse. People need breathing room to heal. BTS moments seared into brain: Me, hosts Yowei Shaw and Kia Miakka Natisse, as well as the one and only B.A. Parker talking about the gorgeous essay, [Love and Lapses](. Invisibilia producer Abby Wendle is an absolute pro at reporting and storytelling. She’s a sonic genius, too. At the beginning of the year, I spent hours researching, yes, but mainly giggling and obsessing with Abby about this [one profile of Helen Gurley Brown by Nora Ephron](. I have never laughed so hard in my life while learning *so much* about a story. Trying to resuscitate a frozen Yowei Shaw with magic tricks. Magic brought to you by (left to right) reporter/ lead producer Abby Wendle, me, research support and beloved producer therapist David Gutherz, and editor extraordinaire Neena Pathak. Neena Pathak is a great editor. That much is obvious. But also, I will cherish all the BTS baked goods I have gotten this year. Her attention to detail clearly serves her in the medium of baking too. And, she’s a great juggler. Producer Andrew Mambo is a joy. He has a leadership ability that simply can’t be taught. He always places stories above his ego. As producers, we have done a lot of glorious work together. We’ve also done a lot of unglorious work together. Luckily, we have always had help. Producer Andrew Mambo, me, and a secret Invisibilia helper. I will really miss laughing with Kia Miakka Natisse. She is a gifted writer. A creative force. Also, Kia once turned a bad dream I had into a reality TV show concept. I really, really wanted to watch. Lastly, the lovely Yowei Shaw took hours to train me when she really didn’t have the hours to train me. She nurtured my talent, emboldened me, sharpened my skills. She made me more comfortable with being myself on air and off. I wish everyone early in their career had someone like her to lean on. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. 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