Domenic Sciortino is a creative powerhouse. By day, he’s a barber. Much of the rest of the time, he’s an artist, musician, and now, a talent buyer for a local entertainment venue in Pennsylvania. Dom was one of my first guests on the podcast, and I’m thrilled to have him back to talk about the intersection of art and commerce, with stops at creative courage (specifically, the courage to fail in and with a crowd), why you should always aim to please yourself first with your creative work (even if...
Apr 24, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 231
One of the hardest things to do when we've created something is to leave room for other people to see it through their own lens. I share some thoughts on why it's a good idea to step back, and how to know which opinions are worth listening to, in this short episode. Could you leave a review? It's really easy, and it helps SO much. Thanks! Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Read this week's article, which is on Failure and Regret ....
Apr 17, 2024•7 min•Ep. 230
On January 3, 2019, I took a huge leap and launched the Follow Your Curiosity podcast. Five years later, to no one’s amazement as much as mine, I’m still going strong. I wanted to look back at what I’ve learned since 2019, so I asked my friend Domenic Sciortino, who interviewed me back then, to come back and do it again. Together, we look at how the show got started, what initially gave me the idea for a podcast, what curiosity is, who my “dream guest” might be, why you should start where you ar...
Apr 10, 2024•57 min•Ep. 229
What happens when we let our creativity lapse? You may think there's no effect on us, but you'd be wrong. I explain in this short episode. Read my article on lapsed creativity here . If you recognize yourself here, I'd love to hear your story and learn from your experience. If you can spare 30 minutes, contact me and we'll set something up! Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Please leave a review , and in it, tell us about a creative dream of yours. ...
Apr 03, 2024•6 min•Ep. 228
Raquel Drosos started writing when she was five, and has rarely stopped. As a teenager, she wrote and published three young adult novels under her maiden name, Raquel George. Games of Chance is her first book for adults. She also blogs about parenting and the creative process. Raquel talks with me about the intersection between acting and writing, plotting vs. writing by the seat of your pants, the moment when your characters come to life in your head (which is not a sign of madness!), her next ...
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 227
It's easy to think of "normal" as an insult, or at least not something to aspire to. You might want to rethink your perceptions of normal, though. I explain why in this short episode. Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Please leave a review , and in it, tell us how you embrace normal. Join my free creative community, The Spark ! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners there in the coming ...
Mar 20, 2024•5 min•Ep. 226
Alex Poppe decided when she was in her 20s to leave her corporate job and become an actor, with no acting experience at all. After acting for 12 years, she followed her travel instincts, becoming certified to teach English overseas and moving to multiple countries, including Iraq, to pursue teaching and humanitarian work, and writing. Alex is the author of four works of fiction: Duende , J inwar and Other Stories , Moxie , and Girl, World . Her writing has won numerous awards, including the Inte...
Mar 13, 2024•58 min•Ep. 225
My guest this week is Kerry Malawista, a psychoanalyst and writer who uses writing to heal. She’s the co-director of the New Directions in Writing project, which offers programs in writing from a psychological perspective. Her publication credits include the Washington Post , New York Times , and Delmarva Review , which nominated her for a Pushcart Prize. Her first novel, Meet the Moon , focuses on a young teen after the loss of her mother. Kerry talks with me about how she came to writing later...
Feb 28, 2024•55 min•Ep. 223
Do you give yourself credit for your creativity? A lot of us don't, including people you wouldn't expect. You really should recognize your own creativity regularly—I'll explain why in this short episode. Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Please leave a review , and in it, tell us how you recognize your creativity—or how you'd like to. Join my free creative community, The Spark ! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing program...
Feb 21, 2024•5 min•Ep. 222
Kevin Carey came to writing and filmmaking later in his career, but has wasted no time producing a wide range of poetry, fiction, and documentaries, including a crime novel, Murder in the Marsh , and a middle grade novel, Junior Miles and the Junkman . He’s also the coordinator of creative writing at Salem State University in Massachusetts, where he teaches intro and upper level creative writing courses. Kevin tells me how he got his start with writing, how his MFA experience changed both his wr...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 221
It sounds so simple, but we hardly ever let ourselves be happy, especially with our work. Why is that a problem? I explain in this super short episode. Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Please leave a review , and in it, tell us about a time when you let yourself be happy. Join my free creative community, The Spark ! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners there in the coming months....
Feb 07, 2024•5 min•Ep. 220
Tim Myers does a bit of everything: he’s a writer, songwriter, storyteller, visual artist, and senior lecturer at Santa Clara University, where he teaches writing. We got together to talk about the nature of creativity, which Tim calls a “sacred mystery,” including everything from the way our childhood creativity is changed by the culture as we become adults, the necessary role of play in the creative process, the transcendent experiences of awe and wonder and how they fuel us, the wisdom of fol...
Jan 31, 2024•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 219
Folks who consider themselves creative often have a REALLY hard time with structure, but it can be one of your best allies. I explain why in this short episode. Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Please leave a review , and in it, tell us about a time when structure helped you. Join my free creative community, The Spark ! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners there in the coming months....
Jan 24, 2024•5 min•Ep. 218
Marc Kaye calls himself a “restless creative”—a musician, writer, and comedian who loves to tell stories and make people laugh. He also, through his company, VitalConex, uses those skills to help develop the vital connections needed for focused, united teams and creative problem solving. Marc tells me how—and why—he took the leap into stand-up, how his comedy and his writing skills have influenced each other, and how he takes both of those, and his business partner’s therapy background, and crea...
Jan 17, 2024•58 min•Ep. 217
Setting resolutions can be a recipe for disappointment—or, if you've set appropriate expectations, a recipe for success. I explain the difference in this short episode. Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Please leave a review , and in it, tell us about a time when lowered expectations made a difference. Join my free creative community, The Spark ! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners t...
Jan 10, 2024•8 min•Ep. 216
Gary Russell has done a bit of everything in media, from acting when he was young to writing fanzines to writing for Doctor Who Magazine to working for the BBC to co-founding Big Finish Productions, which produces a variety of audio dramas for various TV series including Doctor Who , The Prisoner , Dark Shadows , and more. Gary and I talk about his journey from one opportunity to the next as a “professional fan,” including how he’s made the decision both to take and to leave various positions, w...
Jan 03, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 215
It seems like the simplest, most obvious thing, but the fact is, we don't always listen. Changing that could change your life. I'll tell you more in this short episode. Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Please leave a review , and in it, tell us about a time when listening made a difference. Join my free creative community, The Spark ! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners there in the...
Dec 13, 2023•7 min•Ep. 212
Serial podcaster Jesse Jackson hosts shows on topics from Doctor Who to Babylon 5 to John Hiatt to Bruce Springsteen. I met Jesse when I appeared on his show, Set Lusting Bruce , where instead of Springsteen, I talked about my deep affection for the Norwegian band a-Ha. I wanted to hear about Jesse’s creative adventures in both fandom and podcasting, and we talk about why you should stop thinking about trying something new and just do it, what we’ve learned from our podcast experiences, and why ...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 211
Nothing in life is actually straightforward, including your creative process. I explain in this super-short episode. Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Please leave a review , and in it, tell us about a time when you were grateful for a detour. Join my free creative community, The Spark ! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners there in the coming months....
Nov 29, 2023•6 min•Ep. 210
Comparison and self-improvement are great ways to reject yourself. I explain why—and what to do instead—in this short episode. Read the post from Dr. Kelly Flanagan that inspired this pep talk. My previous pep talk on comparison and self-rejection . Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Please leave a review , and in it, tell us about a time when self-acceptance made life easier. Join my free creative community, The Spark ! We celebrate each other's cre...
Nov 15, 2023•9 min•Ep. 208
What’s it like to doubt the beliefs of the strict religious community you grew up with? What’s it like to leave? Where do you find the courage and strength to make that choice, and to adapt to your new life? Director Scott Homan and writer and musician Ryan Sutter have lived these questions, and collaborated to tell the story in the new documentary, Witness Underground . The film focuses on Ryan’s love of music and the musical relationships within the Jehovah’s Witness community that sustained h...
Nov 08, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 207
The Rolling Stones have a new album, and Mick Jagger has some great creative advice for us all. I explain in this short episode. Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! You can read the interview with Mick Jagger here . Join my free creative community, The Spark! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners there in the coming months. https://fycuriosity.substack.com...
Nov 01, 2023•9 min•Ep. 206
Director, animator, and author Kevin Jon Davies grew up enthralled by Doctor Who and Spike Milligan’s The Goon Show . When he discovered the original Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio show, it seemed like the best of both worlds. Before long, he was doing animation for the TV series. Kevin tells me how he got into animation, how he moved from animation into directing—including directing 30th anniversary documentaries for both Doctor Who and Hitchhiker’s in the same year—and all about the pr...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 205
We don't talk about it much in creative circles, but it's really important to know when and why to let go of your creative work. I'll tell you more in this short episode. Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Join my free creative community, The Spark ! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners there in the coming months....
Oct 18, 2023•9 min•Ep. 204
My guest today is Hilary Hattenbach, a freelance writer based in LA. Hilary majored in magazine journalism but ended up working in entertainment marketing for studios like Disney and 20th Century Fox before a chance meeting in a bakery led her to do-author The Kitchen Decoded Cookbook. Hilary tells me about that meeting and the cookbook that resulted, why being in an “artistic adjacent” field didn’t work for her, and how she began working as a freelance writer instead. She also has some great in...
Oct 11, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 203
You need a strong NO in order to have a strong YES in any part of your life, including your creative process. I'll tell you why in this short episode. Please leave a review , and in it, tell us about a time when saying no made a difference. I'm experimenting with my own writing over on Substack! It's called The Spark, it's free, and I hope you'll join us! Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, and experience wit...
Oct 04, 2023•7 min•Ep. 202
Romana Hasenöhrl has traveled all over the world and is the author of several books, including two novels, the second of which is currently in progress. She also coaches writers, who call her "Romana Rocks," and is an astrologer. Romana joins me to talk about how travel has influenced her writing process and her creativity, how astrology is a useful tool to see ourselves in a new light (and to see our characters more completely, too), the biggest advice she gives anyone starting a writing projec...
Sep 27, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 201
Life happens. Stuff goes wrong. It's a cliché, but when you're handed lemons, sometimes the best thing to do is to make lemonade. I'll tell you why in this short episode. Please leave a review , and in it, tell us about how you made the best of a bad situation. I'm experimenting with my own writing over on Substack! It's called The Spark, it's free, and I hope you'll join us! Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! I'd love to hear your feedback, question...
Sep 20, 2023•6 min•Ep. 200
Author Rahna Reiko Rizzuto wrote the way many of us do as a child and teen, but didn’t truly turn to writing until she discovered, at the age of 30, that her Japanese-American mother, and her family, had been stripped of everything and put in an internment camp during World War II. The book she produced in her quest to understand these events, Why She Left Us , won the National Book Award. Her two subsequent books, Hiroshima in the Morning and Shadow Child , continue to explore themes of war, ra...
Sep 13, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 199
What can a simple choice from actor David Tennant tell us about creative freedom? I'll tell you in this short episode. Please leave a review , and in it, tell us about how you might stop taking things so seriously. I'm experimenting with my own writing over on Substack! It's called The Spark, it's free, and I hope you'll join us! Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, and experience with these ideas! Send me a n...
Sep 06, 2023•5 min•Ep. 198
