Creativity Factory’s “Mind Matters”: Where Youth Voices and Mental Health Meet
Project “Mind Matters: Stories of Youth and Mental Health”
Creativiy Factory (Fabrika kreativnosti) is a civil society organization and a small, independent media outlet from Vojvodina that connects art, journalism, and socially relevant topics through innovative audio and multimedia formats. Through podcasts, visual storytelling, and contemporary narrative forms, Creativity Factory creates space for voices that are often marginalized in mainstream media discourse, with a special focus on mental health, gender equality, cultural heritage, and youth.
The project "Mind Matters: Stories of Youth and Mental Health", implemented with the support of the Goethe-Institut within the Innovation. Media. Minds: EU Support to Public Service Journalism in the Western Balkans program, focused on the mental health of young people and their relationship to social and systemic pressures. Through the podcast series Umologija and accompanying multimedia formats, the project created a safe space for personal testimonies, reflection, and public dialogue, contributing to the destigmatization of mental health and strengthening media literacy among audiences.
© Creativity Factory
Guilt and shame: emotions we carry but didn’t choose
This episode explores how guilt and shame shape mental health, body perception, and identity. Through personal stories of illness, everyday pressure, and refugee experiences, we examine the difference between guilt and shame, their psychological consequences, and the influence of gender roles and social expectations. The episode opens space for understanding, psychological support, and a gentler relationship with oneself.
Burnout at work: when working hours consume your life
This episode examines working hours in Serbia, overtime, and the mental health of employees. Using data on wages, labor laws, and real-life examples, it analyzes how chronic stress and financial insecurity lead to burnout. By comparing the right to disconnect and the four-day workweek with local working conditions, the episode raises questions about meaning, boundaries, and the price paid for a “good job.”
Women are not afraid of the dark: sexual harassment in Serbia
This episode explores the safety of women in Serbia and examines sexual harassment in public spaces, clubs, and public transport. Through personal testimonies and conversations with activists and experts, it analyzes violence in nightlife, gender-based violence, and the lack of systemic response. The topic raises questions of collective responsibility, the right to free movement, and women's safety in Belgrade and beyond.
Humor as therapy: Nenad Milosavljevic – satire, politics, and surviving in Serbia
This episode investigates humor and satire in Serbia through a conversation with Nenad Milosavljevic (NjuzNet, 24 minutes). It examines political satire as a form of resistance, the limits of humor in times of crisis, and its role in mental health. It shows how laughter becomes a coping mechanism in a society burdened by political absurdities and collective trauma.
Humor as therapy: Jagoda Jovanovic – from diplomacy to stand-up
This episode tells the story of Jagoda Jovanovic, who left diplomacy to pursue stand-up comedy in Serbia. Through discussions of humor and politics, freedom of speech, and the experience of being a woman in stand-up, it explores creative resignation, personal transformation, and humor as therapy after loss. It is an intimate story about the courage to leave the system and find one's uncensored voice.
Humor as therapy: Nikola Radojlovic – why we laugh at taboos
This episode features a conversation with Nikola Radojlovic. Through dark humor, disability, and social critique, it examines how stand-up comedy breaks taboos and pushes the boundaries of humor. The focus is on original stand-up, political satire, and the question of where a joke ends and responsibility begins in contemporary society.
Doomscrolling and algorithms: how social media affects our brain
This episode explores how digital habits affect focus and mental health. It examines brain rot, echo chambers, and the influence of influencers on digital identity, as well as what happens in the brain while scrolling. With practical tips, it offers tools for regaining attention, time, and balance in the digital world.
Happy aging: why we fear aging and how to live better now
This episode examines the psychology of aging, fear of growing old, and mental health in older adulthood. Through scientific insights and personal stories, it discusses loneliness, active and successful aging, and subjective well-being. It highlights how small everyday decisions—relationships, movement, and self-care—build quality of life later in life.
A short emotional pause: how one breath helps us react better
The episode focuses on emotional intelligence, emotional regulation, and techniques for calming intense reactions. It explains how to create an emotional pause before responding, manage emotions in conflict, and develop assertive communication for healthier relationships and stronger emotional literacy.
Small tools for surviving the day: finding calm amid everyday chaos
This episode explores simple mental health rituals—stress-free planning, mindful breathing, and silence as a reset. It shows how lists, exhaling, breaks, and small daily practices help with anxiety, exhaustion, and overwhelm, restoring calm and focus.
Body awareness: learning that our body is not an ornament but a part of us
This episode examines body awareness through feminism, women’s health, and mental well‑being. Through stories about exercising, menstruation, and the menstrual cycle, it opens topics of body anxiety, self‑confidence, and the mind-body connection, encouraging women to understand, accept, and appreciate their bodies.
How society puts us in boxes – and how to break free
This episode explores the societal molds that shape us from childhood. Through stories from school and everyday life, it raises questions about obedience, authenticity, and personal freedom, encouraging critical thinking and the courage to break imposed patterns.
Burnout and hustle culture in Serbia: how to survive work under capitalism
This episode examines how overtime, economic pressure, and poor leadership affect employees’ mental health and boundaries. It explains how to recognize burnout, distinguish a true leader from a boss, and build a healthier work culture in a system where hard work often does not guarantee a dignified life.
Supporting queer community in Serbia: coming out, safe spaces, and rights
This episode shares the experiences of LGBT+ youth regarding coming out, family acceptance, and everyday discrimination. Through an interview with the organization Grupa Izađi, it explores psychological support, safe spaces, and advice on how to be an ally of the queer community in Serbia.
Strength begins where we embrace our sensitivity
This episode explores high sensitivity - what it means, how to recognize it in children and adults, and how it differs from anxiety or attention disorders. In conversation with psychologist Zana Erdeljan, it presents the D.O.E.S. model and ways to support the socio-emotional development of highly sensitive children.
Mental health: a right or a luxury
This episode examines access to therapy in Serbia, stigma, and financial barriers to seeking help. Using data on depression and anxiety and an overview of psychotherapy approaches such as CBT, REBT, and Gestalt, it questions whether mental health is truly a right—or a privilege.
ADHD or stress: how to tell the difference between attention disorder and modern chaos?
This episode explores the difference between everyday distraction and actual ADHD. Through expert insights and personal experiences, it shows what life with ADHD looks like, what institutional support exists in Serbia, and why early recognition matters - for both children and adults.
Dreams and their meaning: how science interprets what we dream
This episode explores what happens in the brain during REM sleep, how lucid dreams occur, and how dreams influence emotions, memory, and creativity. In conversation with neuroscientist Jovana Bjekic, it explains how EEG and modern research interpret dreaming and whether dreams can become a tool for emotional growth and self-understanding.
Stress, body, and mind: how activism and pressure affect health?
This episode examines how chronic stress affects the body, emotions, and daily functioning. In conversation with psychologist Filip Bozic Dejanovic, it explains the mind-body connection, symptoms such as insomnia, pain, and immune issues, and the effects of burnout and activist exhaustion. It also discusses why “Googling symptoms” can worsen anxiety and how self-care and balance help preserve mental health.
How diet affects mental health: the role of microbiome
This episode explores how the gut microbiome - the “second brain” - affects mood, stress, and immunity. In conversation with nutritionist Branislava Teofilovic, it discusses how healthy food, fermented products, fiber, and diverse ingredients boost serotonin production and psychological resilience, while processed foods and sugars can worsen anxiety and depression. It highlights the best foods for a healthy microbiome and how meal planning contributes to long-term physical and mental well‑being.
How to set boundaries at work and in life without feeling guilty
This episode explores how to recognize mental, emotional, and professional limits - and why learning to say “no” is important. Through a conversation with psychologist Nikolina Romakov and experiences of students blocking their faculty, it raises questions about personal and social boundaries, exhaustion, and responsibility. It shows how healthy boundaries prevent burnout, protect mental health, and help maintain balance between work, activism, and private life.
Generational gap: why don’t boomers and Gen Z understand each other?
This episode explores the generational divide between Boomers and Gen Z—from different values and attitudes toward authority to how young people use protests, social media, and music as tools of resistance. Through conversations with activist Jelena Bozic, sociologist Aleksandar Tomasevic, and musician Andrija Gavrilovic, it analyzes why older generations often fail to understand the demands of young people and whether it is possible to build a bridge between stability and authenticity, tradition and change.
Funded by the European Union, the Innovation. Media. Minds.: Support to the Public Service Journalism in the Western Balkans Program, is managed by the Goethe-Institut on behalf of the European Commission and in collaboration with its implementing partner DW Akademie.