E108. The Anatomy of Creative Breakthroughs
Creative breakthroughs can't be ordered up like a menu item, but there are things you can do to facilitate them. I discuss one such method in this episode.
Feb 03, 2023•21 min
Stepping Off Now: Lessons in the Art and Craft of Creativity
Stepping Off Now is a podcast about how to live your creative best life. I’m Kendra, a social scientist and writer. I spent decades feeling creatively unfulfilled while I pursued conventional life goals, culminating in severe burnout that took years to recover from. This podcast chronicles my journey in real time as I find my way home to my essential creative self. I discuss topics like harnessing the intuitive creative process, using creativity to manage mental health, and sorting through all the external pressures and expectations to figure out what YOU really want. My hope is that you’ll find inspiration and solace here. You are not alone, and you are stronger and wiser than you know! You can find out more by visiting my website, kendrapatterson.com.
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Episodes
E107. Playing the Long Game: Inspirational Hollywood Stories
Recently a number of comeback stories have emerged from Hollywood, and in this episode I talk about four that have resonated with me: Michelle Yeoh, Jennifer Coolidge, Ke Huy Quan, and Brendan Fraser. Each one of these actors has struggled over decades with various setbacks, and has emerged victoriously in this year's awards season. Their stories are inspirational, and I take heart from their journeys. Living the creative life is about playing the long game, and these four show us what that look...
Jan 27, 2023•26 min
E106. The Sneak-Attack Motivation Killer
In this episode I discuss how to deal with a motivation killer that can take you by surprise, because it's not one we are told we need to expect or be wary of. There's little to no information about it online, and I really had to dig deep to figure out how to handle it in my own life. What is this sneak-attack motivation killer? You'll have to listen to find out!
Jan 20, 2023•27 min
E105. Dealing With Lack of Clarity in the Creative Experience
Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you try to find clarity around your art and what you're trying to convey with it, you're always stuck in the weeds? I certainly do. Even after years of writing and revising my novel, I often feel no clearer about what I'm trying to write than I was at the beginning (well, maybe I feel a little clearer!). In this episode I have a conversation with an inspiring video by industrial designer John Mauriello about the "black puzzle" of creative work. I discuss ...
Jan 13, 2023•24 min
E104. Why Do We Feel Nervous When Things Are Going Well?
Have you ever noticed that you get anxious when things are going well? It feels like we're always waiting for that inevitable downswing. Creativity, motivation, and inspiration come in cycles, and high and low times follow on each other. In this episode I address why creatives and artists struggle so much with the roller coaster nature of creative work, and share some tips that can help us appreciate both the highs and lows. The major takeaway? We need to learn how to detach value from excellenc...
Jan 06, 2023•34 min
E103. Special Release: Aron vs. Dabrowski on Being Highly Sensitive
In December I release some of my previously recorded Patreon bonus episodes as a treat for myself and my listeners. In this one I take a look at the updates to Elaine Aron's theory about HSPs (highly sensitive people) included in the 2020 re-release of her 1990s classic The Highly Sensitive Person, including new research on HSPs. I then discuss the similarities and differences between Aron's theory and Dabrowski's on the five types of OEs (overexcitabilities), and why I prefer Dabrowski's take o...
Dec 30, 2022•37 min
E102. Holiday Help: Dealing With Holiday & End-of-the-Year Blues
Stressed out or feeling lonely this holiday season? Angsty about yet another year gone and little progress to show for it? I have some thoughts to share on these common end-of-the-year feelings, and share some the wisdom from Nick Cave and Taylor Swift. Nick Cave's newsletter Switched On Pop's episode on Taylor Swift's new album...
Dec 23, 2022•20 min
E101. Special Release: Eastern vs. Western Storytelling Structures
This week I'm releasing one of my Patreon bonus episodes as part of my December special content! I discuss the "kishotenketsu" style of storytelling and how it differs from the Western three-act structure. I also include a brief update on how things are going with my novel revisions. Enjoy! Sources used in this episode: The Healing Power of Japanese Literature The significance of plot without conflict Kishotenketsu for Beginners Diversity Plus: Diverse Story Forms and Themes, Not Just Diverse Fa...
Dec 16, 2022•37 min
E100. Interview! Lindsay Getz on Combining Art & Spirituality
Lindsay is a thirty-eight year old creative, artist, medium and mother of two young boys, living in Burlington, VT. After ten years working for her family's real estate development company, she left her executive level job in 2020 to both recover from the burnout of having two young kids while working full-time, as well as to pursue her curiosities in creativity and spirituality. While recovering from burnout, she turned to her lifelong passion of acrylic painting, as well as meditation and writ...
Dec 09, 2022•1 hr 18 min
E99. Creative Courage Starts Small
We usually think of courage as associated with taking big actions and big risks for that big payoff. That's certainly a type of courage, but thinking that way can hold us back from ever taking action for change in our own lives. Taking big risks is scary! There's another way to view courage, as composed of small, everyday actions that can lead to transformation over time. In this episode I outline 4 facets of creative courage that don't require you to take big steps. Small steps can lead to wond...
Dec 02, 2022•31 min
Let the Holidays Begin + Thoughts on Social Media
Last year I inaugurated a tradition of taking Thanksgiving week off from podcasting, but I forgot to announce that last week, so I recorded a mini-episode with some info on my holiday plans through the end of the year for this podcast plus some thoughts on my recent decision to leave social media.
Nov 25, 2022•7 min
E98. Two Perspectives on Art as Healing
We all know that engaging with art, either as a creator or a consumer, can be healing, but what does that mean and how does it work? In this episode I discuss some research on how the passive or active consumption of art and/or the creative process can impact not only mental but physical health. Then I talk about making art that creates healing for its consumer, what making such art looks like from the artist's point of view, and how consumers engage with such art. Literature review on art and h...
Nov 18, 2022•34 min
E97. Art vs. Entertainment: What's the Difference?
As I continue on my creative journey of revising my novel, I'm intentionally editing with the perspective of making it more entertaining to read (at least I hope I'm accomplishing that!). This has caused me to reevaluate my relationship with my creative process and with the concept of art. Is there really a difference between "art" as a pure form of self-expression, and "entertainment" products that are created to be consumed and enjoyed by others? As you can expect if you are a long-time listen...
Nov 11, 2022•26 min
E96. Why I Don't Try to Get Over Shit Anymore (and what I do instead)
If you are an HSP, INFJ, INFP, or other type of gentle/sensitive soul, you have probably had people respond to your expression of emotions by telling you to just get over it. Our sensitivity to the world around us and the intensity with which we experience life can seem excessive to less sensitive types. We are told we need to learn coping skills, how to be more resilient and less sensitive. But I don't believe anymore that this is the only or best way to survive and thrive as a gentle soul in t...
Nov 04, 2022•20 min
E95. An Analysis of Elia Kazan's Actor's Vow (It's not just for actors!)
When I came across director/producer/actor/writer Elia Kazan's Actor's Vow a few months ago, I couldn't believe what I was reading. Here was a blueprint not just for how to act on stage or in front of the camera (Kazan was a proponent of method acting), but how to approach doing art of any kind. Not only that, it could be considered a statement on how to live, how to Be. In this episode I talk about living authentically, sharing our truth, and excavating the self for art in a compassionate way. ...
Oct 28, 2022•23 min
E94. Midlife "Crisis" My Ass
There's no question midlife brings with it both surprises and challenges...but does the change we go through in this period of life have to be a "crisis"? In this episode I discuss why I'm convinced the middle stage of life can be one of our best times, if we are careful and deliberate about how we approach it. If you are approaching the middle of life, in it now, or struggling with its legacy, hopefully this episode will provide some tools to help you reconceptualize what it means and how you c...
Oct 21, 2022•31 min
E93. Balancing Routine and Change in the Creative Life
One of the most challenging things for creatives and artists to learn is how to maintain a strong creative practice, which is based on routine, with our need for the inspiration that changing things gives us. In this episode I talk about how to shift your focus from activity-based change to energy-based change, so that you can create change that not only supports your creative practice but makes life more fun (and thus inspirational).
Oct 14, 2022•30 min
E92. How to Handle Creative Boredom
Every 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 p...
Oct 07, 2022•40 min
Hurricane Coming Through
We 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!
Sep 28, 2022•2 min
E91. 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....
Sep 23, 2022•27 min
E90. Do You Have to Suffer to Create Good Art? Kind Of, but Also Not Really
I'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 ...
Sep 16, 2022•24 min
E89. Mind-Wandering and the Default Mode Network's Role in Creativity
I 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 assumpti...
Sep 09, 2022•33 min
E88. Getting Through the Void Stage of the Creative Process
Has 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 ...
Sep 02, 2022•41 min
E87. My 2022 Update on Creative Entrepreneurship and Earning a Living as an Artist
This 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 sa...
Aug 26, 2022•28 min
E86. The Feedback Episode: When to Ask--and Not Ask!--For It and How to Deal With It
I 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...
Aug 19, 2022•37 min
E85. What to Do When Your Artistic Plan Changes + When to Seek Feedback
I 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 epis...
Aug 12, 2022•27 min
E84. The Two Kinds of Hard Work and Which Is More Important for Creatives & Artists
The 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 ...
Aug 05, 2022•28 min
E83. Interview! Jill Patterson and I Discuss Her Big Cycling Win + Handling the Ups and Downs of the Unconventional Life
My 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 structures
Jul 29, 2022•1 hr
E82. Reconciling the Tension Between Making Art and the Business of Art
If 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...
Jul 22, 2022•22 min
E81. 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 #64...
Jul 15, 2022•33 min
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