Sam Kimberle, the founder of Creative Life Scholars, joins me this week to talk about how she got started leading groups of women toward their creative goals. We talk about how the factory-inspired education system deprives us of creative energy, how denying our creative call can fuel anxiety and depression, the power of groups to keep us on track (including doing those exercises in the books we read—the ones many of us tend to skip on our own), and the power and importance of giving ourselves p...
Mar 18, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 33
Michael Smith is a software engineer turned musician—or is it the other way around? He's worked for Google, Swiftkey, and fuboTV, all while staying active as a musician and actor on the side. I wanted to talk to Michael about how he balances the two, and also about the creative side of coding, which sounds to so many of us like a highly uncreative activity. We also talk about just what an algorithm is, how he chose whether to focus on code or music, the mathematics of music, and why the delicate...
Mar 04, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 32
Katy-Rose Bye is a well-being teacher and reinvention mentor whose curiosity led her to earn degrees in psychology and neuroscience on her quest to understand everything she can about what makes people tick. She uses neuroscience, coaching and cognitive strategies to help her clients reinvent themselves without burning everything to the ground. We talk about everything from how awareness and willpower work to the way your brain influences how you perceive how much you've eaten to how quantum mec...
Feb 19, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 31
As a young child, Rupert Goodwins was equally fascinated by science and gadgetry, and by the English language. He followed both into a career as a tech journalist, both in print--his weekly diary was one of the first blogs--and on radio and TV. He now co-writes The Big Data Show, a play that educates kids about data and hacking, and his BBC Radio 4 essay series, "Let There Be Dark," chronicles the loss of his eyesight and the process of adapting to it. We talk about how he got hooked on technolo...
Feb 05, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 30
This week, I'm talking to Jennifer Nasta Zefutie, who has accomplished what many people think is impossible: she's a working actress, and the co-founder and co-producing artistic director of the Pegasus Theatre Company in Bordentown, New Jersey. Jennifer has one of the most interesting (and unlikely) creative journeys you're likely to hear, and our wide-ranging conversation also covered loss aversion, why failure is essential, defining success for ourselves, and the theatrical improv rule of "Ye...
Jan 22, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 29
At the beginning of a new year, many of us think about new projects we want to pursue before the calendar flips 12 months later—so I wanted to talk to someone who can help us make those projects happen more efficiently than they might otherwise. Kate Hutcheson, project manager and virtual assistant, is here to tell you how planning can be your friend rather than your creative enemy, with insights into how and why things work better with a plan—and the good news that your plan doesn't have to be ...
Jan 08, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 28
Anthony Wilson's varied pursuits almost all came to him accidentally: he is a teacher, composer, and writer—in fact, he co-authored the Doctor Who-related book BOOKWYRM with previous guest Robert Smith?. In this conversation, he shares his accidental path to teaching and writing, how he dealt with the worst criticism he's ever encountered as a musician, and what we can learn from kids. We also talked about the importance of structure and how YOU are the most important audience for your work. (No...
Dec 11, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 26
Tracy Friedlander is a classical musician and host of the Crushing Classical podcast. Tracy and I talk about how she came to play the French Horn, what it's really like to audition for and perform in an orchestra, the largely untaught art of listening, and what happens when your musical dream turns out not to be quite what you wanted...and how musicians have started to make their own new paths outside the orchestra world. Even if you're not a musician, this is an inspiring interview for anyone w...
Nov 13, 2019•59 min•Ep. 24
My guest this week is Tara Sroka, a creative end of life planner who helps make this often taboo topic more welcoming and even fun. We talk about how her mother's passing continues to inspire Tara, ways to remember and honor those who've gone before us, taking fear out of the process, and how to use the idea of your own death to make your life more meaningful. Check out the show notes and links for this episode here , and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram ! You can rate and review ...
Oct 30, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 23
My guest this week is Kristen Good, a graphic designer, branding expert, and life coach. We talk about perfectionism, self-worth, vulnerability, self-care, and the willingness to get out there and do what you love without getting hung up on the nit-picky, irrelevant details that often stop us from doing our creative work. As always, check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com , and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram ! You can rate and review the show here . Thanks!...
Oct 16, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 22
