Shows
Stepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE92. How to Handle Creative BoredomEvery creative will encounter boredom with their work and life at some point, and it can wreak havoc on our self-confidence, creative joy, and ability to see projects through to the end. The key to handling periods of creative boredom is not to try to avoid them, but to develop skills that help you move through them so you can continue to do your work and find new sources of inspiration. In this episode I talk about three root causes of creative boredom and give you a fix for each as well as a perspective change that will help...2022-10-0739 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityHurricane Coming ThroughWe have a hurricane coming to Florida, so I'm taking this week off from producing a podcast episode to give myself time to prep for it. I'll see you back here next Friday!2022-09-2801 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE91. How and Why Does Creativity Make Us Happy?Last week I looked at how suffering relates to creativity. This week I discuss how creativity can improve our lives! I talk about three different epistemological approaches to understanding how creativity can help us heal, increase our quality of life, and make us feel good: scientific, philosophical, and spiritual.Sources used in this episode:Article in Psychology today on the health benefits of creativity.Essay on the transmutation of energy by Ram Dass. 2022-09-2326 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE90. Do You Have to Suffer to Create Good Art? Kind Of, but Also Not ReallyI've had clients say to me that they feel they can't be "real" artists because they don't suffer enough. They feel like they're creative beings, but they're *gasp* pretty happy with their lives and therefore don't have much fodder for their creative work. In this episode I discuss my latest thoughts on the relationship between pain and creativity, and reassure you that if you are a human being (check?), you definitely have enough dark stuff to inform and enrich your creative work, and you don't have to suffer (much) to access it.2022-09-1624 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE89. Mind-Wandering and the Default Mode Network's Role in CreativityI thought it was time to revisit mind-wandering and daydreaming and their role in creativity. In this episode I delve into the default mode network, comprised of the parts of our brain that switch on when we enter daydreaming mode, how it works, and its relationship with creativity. I also tackle how biases work their way into scientific studies (e.g. our societal bias against mind-wandering and the default mode network's role in thinking) and why I think it's important we challenge the assumptions underlying such studies.Article in the MIT Press ReaderArticle in...2022-09-0932 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE88. Getting Through the Void Stage of the Creative ProcessHas this happened to you? You're on a roll with your creative project, getting stuff done, you feel enthusiastic and excited about your progress, and then bam! Something happens (usually some kind of setback), and suddenly you feel like you've fallen off the edge of the map. You're no longer clear on your goals, you doubt your talent and skills, and you wonder if it's a sign you should just give up. It's not! You've just entered the void. This is the part of the creative process where you enter the "here be dragons" land, a place where you...2022-09-0241 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE87. My 2022 Update on Creative Entrepreneurship and Earning a Living as an ArtistThis is my yearly episode on trying to earn a living as a working creative, where I talk about all the behind-the-scenes stuff. These days a lot of people are giving creative entrepreneurship a try, and I think it's important for those of us who've been at it for a while to talk about the real experience of trying to earn a living off our creative work. Long story short, it's not easy, but over the past year I've come to a deeper understanding of what I want and what I'm willing to commit and sacrifice on my creative j...2022-08-2627 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE86. The Feedback Episode: When to Ask--and Not Ask!--For It and How to Deal With ItI have two main pieces of advice when it comes to asking for and dealing with feedback. First, you don't have to be "good" at receiving feedback to ask for it. Some of us will never have a thick skin and that's okay. Second, if you are not sure exactly what you are hoping to get out of the feedback and ready to ask for and receive that specific advice, err on the side of not asking for feedback. Getting bad feedback or getting feedback at the wrong time can damage our creative practice and cause blocks. In this...2022-08-1936 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE85. What to Do When Your Artistic Plan Changes + When to Seek FeedbackI recently underwent a major change in my plans for my novel due to some feedback I received, and in this episode I discuss why it's important to be open to making such changes. They can lead to major creative growth, but it's also very difficult to accept a change in what we thought were our path and destination. I talk about how to know when you need to make changes, and how to know if you're on the right track. I also touch on seeking feedback and dealing with it (I'll be doing an entire episode on this...2022-08-1227 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE84. The Two Kinds of Hard Work and Which Is More Important for Creatives & ArtistsThe reason we creatives and artists fail to reach goals and achieve dreams is because we misunderstand what kind of hard work is required. We put too much of our energy into the wrong kind of hard work, leaving us with nothing left to tackle the long-term struggles of the creative life. In this episode I discuss the two kinds of hard work and how to stop wasting so much energy on the wrong kind. I give you some tips on how to deal with the challenges that lay us low on our creative journeys and the surprisingly simple...2022-08-0528 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE83. Interview! Jill Patterson and I Discuss Her Big Cycling Win + Handling the Ups and Downs of the Unconventional LifeMy sister is back! Jill Patterson, a competitive cyclist, is having a great year after experiencing a not-so-great one last year, and I invited her back on the podcast to talk about her recent big win and dealing with the ups and downs of racing. Our discussion encompasses the similarities and differences between the athletic and the creative life, and how we both handle the challenges associated with forging our own paths outside of conventional societal structures2022-07-291h 00Stepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE82. Reconciling the Tension Between Making Art and the Business of ArtIf you've ever felt insecure or angry about the fact that putting your creative work out into the world often means commercializing it, and thus changing or diluting it, this episode is for you. I discuss that tension many artists feel between art as a joyful, and private, creative process and the cruel dictates of market constraints, but I take a different perspective: that those constraints can actually be used constructively, and lead to more joyful creative experiences. Making our art into a commercial product may not be the capitulation it can so often seem to be.2022-07-2222 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE81. Do We Really Fear Success More Than Failure?You've probably heard somewhere along the way that what really holds us back is fear of success, not failure. I've never understood this, so in this episode I explore what it might mean and if it holds water. Stick around at the end of the episode for an update on how final edits are going on my novel, The Gentle History.Here is the blog post I mention, by Donald Latumahina.The episode I mention on how to judge your own creative work is #642022-07-1533 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE80. How to Be Your Own Biggest Fan (And Why It Matters for Creatives & Artists)In the creative life you must learn to be your own biggest fan: that's what's required to come through the myriad challenges you will face along the way. In this episode I discuss why it matters so much that you become your own biggest fan as a creative or artist, and what that looks like.2022-07-0119 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE79. What the Heck Does "Trust the Process" Mean, Anyway?You've probably heard it before, this admonition to trust the process. It's one of those things that's easy to say, but difficult to grasp. What is "the process," and how do we operationalize the concept of trusting it? In this episode I talk about process in a way you may not have heard before, and offer a suggestion for how to trust the process that will make you feel like you have a more active role in your path forward as a creative. I also discuss a recent experience I had of creative failure, and why I think it's o...2022-06-2419 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE78: Something New! An Exercise to Help You Find More Fulfillment AND Reach GoalsIn this episode I'm experimenting with something new: I've devised an exercise to help you figure out how to enjoy the process of reaching goals, not just the idea of reaching them. This exercise has a twofold purpose: to help you find more fulfillment and happiness in your day-to-day lives, and to help you develop internal motivation that is strong enough to keep you working toward goals past that initial burst of enthusiasm. This exercise is one I've done myself in various ways over the years in condensed form. I hope you find it useful in some way!2022-06-1734 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE77. A Summer Update + ChallengeSummer is a special time, and it calls for some special activities. In this episode I discuss why and how this summer is one of transition for me in terms of my identity and my creative activities! I also issue a challenge to any who are interested in taking it up, one I myself am participating in. Finally, I discuss a brand new project I'm taking on, one that is purely for pleasure. Let's sink into summer and make this one about taking it easy and having fun!2022-06-1021 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE76. Recognizing the Damage Formal Schooling Does to CreativityOur societal systems, including the public school system, are built to counteract subversive forces such as (too much) intellectual curiosity and creativity. We are socialized in ways of thinking and acting that run directly counter to the way creativity works. How can we begin to heal from the damage our formalized systems of learning do to our creative potential? By understanding that damage, and learning to sit with the paradoxes inherent in living within systems while seeking to transcend them through our art. 2022-06-0332 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE75. On Taking the Time You Need to Recover and AdjustHow much time should you take to rest and digest, recover from stress, and adjust to loss? As much time as you need.2022-05-2722 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE74. When Change ComesAs I process the passing of my cat, Lucy, I contemplate why we so often fail to make the changes we need to in life: because change inevitably comes with loss. But change can also be used as a method of healing. Join me in this exploration of change, grief, and moving forward.2022-05-2019 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityInterlude: My Cat LucyA little about my cat Lucy, who has reached the end of her life. 2022-05-1307 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE73. What, Exactly, Is the Creative Life?I used to think the creative life was only for "real" creatives or artists, the lucky few who are able to spend most of their day doing creative work and are probably also making a living from their art. But that's wrong. The creative life is available for anyone who wants it regardless of how much time you spend doing your creative work, and it is certainly not dependent on outside recognition of said work. There are a few simple things you can do to live the creative life, and I tell you about them in this episode.2022-05-0622 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE72. Why I Don't Seek Balance and What I Do InsteadHave you ever felt like you're living at a distance from your own life, not really immersed in it in a way that feels fulfilling or joyful? The problem could be rooted in our misleading cultural ideas around seeking balance. What we see as finding balance in life is often merely a way of shuffling things around on our already overloaded plates. In this episode I talk about why I gave up on trying to have a balanced life and what I do instead. I also give you some tips on how I manage life without to-do lists, and...2022-04-2925 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE71. Writing a Novel Without a Plan (The Intuitive Approach to Writing)In this episode I tell you what writing my novel, The Gentle History, has looked like. I am an intuitive discovery writer, which means that I rarely sit down with any kind of detailed idea of what I'm going to be writing that day. Whatever comes out when I'm in a flow state is unplanned and spontaneous, and may only loosely connect with my overarching idea of the novel, at least in early drafts. I get to know my characters and story as I go along, refining my ideas in each subsequent draft. This is not an efficient way...2022-04-2236 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE70. Interview! Pete Mosley Discusses Being Quiet and His Work as an Advocate for Quiet InclusionPete is the Author of The Art of Shouting Quietly (2015) and A Quiet Person's Guide to Life+Work (due May 2022). His latest book is aimed at those who are quiet themselves or who know quiet people, love them, and/or work with or manage them. He identifies as Quiet person, here to support others that identify as quiet. He is an advocate for Quiet inclusion and runs workshops to bring quiet people and those who lead/manage them into alignment. He is a tutor for Barefoot Coaching Ltd – one of the UK’s premier coaching companies – and has a Postgr...2022-04-151h 12Stepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE69. How to Write an eBook: The Indefinitive GuideI get meta in this episode by sharing about my creative practice of writing an ebook about creative practice. I credit my creative practice with everything good in my life, from my recovery from burnout, to finally finding my arena and my people, to finishing a novel, to my mental health management. I want to help other people develop their own life-affirming, fulfilling creative practice that helps them do good work, finish projects, and gives them a sense of purpose in life. I'm doing this episode for two reasons. The first is that I believe in the...2022-04-0826 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE68. Interview! Sophia van Hees Discusses Growing Up Shy in Australia and Her Life as an ArtistIn this wide-ranging conversation, artist and fellow PhD Sophia van Hees and I parse the difference between terms such as introversion, shy, socially anxious, reserved, sensitive, and quiet, and discuss our experiences growing up as shy, reserved children in the US and Australia, respectively.Brave Snail DesignsSophia's InstagramFind more info on Sophia's tarot deck here.2022-04-011h 01Stepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE67. Dealing With Writer's BlockDoes writer's block exist? Yes it does. In this episode I challenge those who say it's not a real thing by exploring my own recent experience with it. In my opinion, writer's block isn't just being unable to write, it's broader than that, and I talk about why, the reasons behind writer's block, what it looks like, and how I deal with it. This isn't your typical perspective (when is anything I do typical lol), and hopefully it will enlighten you a bit about the condition of writer's block and give you some more tools to deal with it...2022-03-2530 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE66. Becoming a Knight of Faith in YourselfWhat do you do when the path ahead seems hopeless, and you feel resignation coming over you? I contemplate this through a personal reckoning with Kierkegaard's contrasting Knight of Faith and Knight of Resignation archetypes.When You Don't Have the Privilege of Mental Health2022-03-1820 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE65. In Which I Read One of My Short StoriesI had a discouraging week, and so to cheer myself up I decided to give myself a break from doing a regular podcast episode and read you one of my short stories instead! This is the first time I have shared my fiction on this podcast. The story is called "The Memory of Trees," and it's about a woman going to visit the mother of her childhood best friend, a friend who once shared a terrible secret with her.2022-03-1137 min
Experientially SpeakingThe purpose and impact of ERGs with VW's Kendra PattersonVolkswagen's Kendra Patterson joins the podcast along with RedPeg's Anna Sanders and Michael Nelson to discuss the impact of employee resource groups both within the workplace and in the community. We cover how ERGs get started in organizations large (Volkswagen) and small (RedPeg), how they approach programming, how they hold leadership accountable to drive policy change, and much more. 2022-03-0453 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE64. How to Judge the Value of Your Creative WorkIt is notoriously difficult for creatives and artists to judge their own work. We cycle through extremes: one day we think we're awesome, the next we think we must have been delusional to believe we had any talent. We're even worse when it comes to other people's judgements of our work: a single critical comment can derail us for weeks, months, years. Given our sensitivities, how can we ever know the true value of our work? How do we know if it's any good, worth spending time on, putting out into the world?In this episode I...2022-03-0427 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE63. Let's Normalize Complex Feelings, Shall We?I've never been the type of person who has one feeling about anything. As an Enneagram 4, I put equal value on the lighter and the darker emotions, and I've never understood our cultural obsession with positivity. Lately, though, many people have been speaking up about toxic positivity, a type of social pressure put on us to perform positive thoughts and feelings. I couldn't be more wholeheartedly in favor of opening up space for darker emotions.My hope is that we can move to a place where not only the challenging side of the emotional spectrum is accepted...2022-02-2523 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE62. Interview! Matthew Bellringer on Neurodiversity (ADHD & HSP) and CreativityIn this episode Matthew Bellringer and I flip the script on neurodiversity, exploring it from a generative and validating perspective. Matthew is one of the most eloquent speakers I've come across on the subjects of neurodiversity and what it looks like and feels like for a neurodiverse person. As someone with ADHD and who also identifies as an HSP, Matthew speaks to both. His perspective is science-informed yet anchored in the subjective individual experience, which matches very well with my own way of seeing the world. We discuss different kinds of creativity, its links to neurodiversity, seeking accommodation at...2022-02-181h 17Stepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE61. Life as a Continuous Intentional Return to the SelfIs being performative always bad? Not when it functions to give you a better understanding of your true nature. In this episode I discuss performativity and authenticity, and the cycle of separation from and return to the self that constitutes fulfilling our potential as human beings. Learn the difference between the discomfort of straying from your true nature and the uncomfortableness of going against convention or expectation, as well as how to use performativity as a counterintuitive methodology for developing more self-confidence and greater peace with yourself and the world. This will especially resonate with INFPs and INFJs, who...2022-02-1119 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE60. The To-Do List ExperimentWhat happens when you've been living to-do list free and decide to make one? Listen to find out! You'll hear about the astonishing experience I recently had when I decided to make a seemingly benign to-do list to help me find activities to fill some of the open spaces in my life. I thought it would help me fill that time with activities that have value to me, but it had totally unforeseen and unfortunate consequences. I discuss the two different ways to view and experience time, which one modern Western society socializes us into, and why I have...2022-02-0422 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE59. How I Manage My Depression Through Creative PracticeI sought out regular treatments for decades to help me manage my depression, and nothing worked until I finally decided to step into my identity as a creative & artist and commit to making creative practice the center of my life. In this episode I talk about how and why creative practice is my anti-depressant of choice, why it's the only thing that's worked for me, and what my creative practice looks like (it's not just sitting down to write!).My standard disclaimer about mental health subjects applies here. This is my personal story. I'm not a medical...2022-01-2834 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE58. Think You Need More Self-Discipline? You Probably Actually Need LessDoes this sound familiar? You start off a creative project full of enthusiasm, and in the beginning you're able to regularly put in the work needed to reach your goal, but over time your motivation fades, you have to increasingly discipline yourself into doing the work, you start slacking off, and then finally are unable to make yourself do any work at all. You've failed, and you castigate yourself for being lazy and undisciplined. Good news! You're not lazy or undisciplined, you just haven't figured out how to develop motivation for long-term projects. Self-discipline works well in...2022-01-2132 minStepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE57. Interview! Frances Khalastchi on the Many Meanings and Uses of ArtFrances Khalastchi runs Better Bolder Braver (along with her partner Simon Batchelar), an online community for coaches that helps them learn how to market themselves in a way that feels natural, ethical, and authentic to them. In this episode we discuss her fascinating and winding path to starting her own business and the many meanings and uses of art. Frances has a background in art history and has an informed and interesting perspective on these issues. As I discuss in my summation at the end of the interview, my own perspective on my creative work has been broadened and...2022-01-141h 37Stepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of CreativityE56. It's Never Too Late, aka What Would Betty White Say?Happy New Year! In this first episode of 2022 I'm doing things a bit different. As I evolve as a creative, so does my work here on the podcast and elsewhere. That's how I keep things fresh for myself, which keeps me motivated and inspired. In this episode I discuss why it's not too late for you to achieve your creative dreams no matter what age you are, and suggest that when we feel discouraged we ask ourselves, what would Betty White say?Read the blog post this episode is based on here.2022-01-0716 min