Follow Your Curiosity

Wrangling the Doubt Monster with Amy L. Bernstein

Amy L. Bernstein is a multi-genre novelist, award-winning journalist, speechwriter,
playwright, poet, and nonfiction book coach. Her new book is Wrangling the Doubt
Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration. Amy teaches a variety of writing workshops and is a frequent guest on podcasts to discuss writing, publishing, and creativity. Amy joins me to talk about the difference between writing for hire and writing for yourself, the pros and cons of MFA programs, how deadlines can work for or against us, the universality of self-doubt and how it keeps us stuck, and a lot more.

Episode breakdown:

 

00:00 Introduction

01:14 Creative childhood and family influence.

02:14 Societal expectations and practicality pressures.

06:13 Navigating challenging career paths and personal fulfillment.

09:44 Shift from writing for others to personal projects.

14:25 Distinction between work and personal writing.

18:29 Importance of passion and creative drive.

21:37 Challenges of balancing work and creative pursuits.

25:43 Creativity hindered by productivity culture.

26:58 Thinking as part of the creative process.

31:09 Using local settings in novels and plays.

33:03 Introduction to Wrangling the Doubt Monster.

36:17 Universal nature of self-doubt in creativity.

44:06 Utilizing deadlines in different contexts.

48:39 Self-criticism and perfectionism in creativity.

50:55 The impact of upbringing on creative work.

54:35 Amy’s current projects and book coaching.

 

Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

CPT #100: Take a Chance

Sometimes we don't act on ideas because we're convinced we can't sustain them long-term. Here's why you should take a chance—and how taking the leap on creative pep talks worked out for me. 🎉 Spoiler: This is pep talk ONE HUNDRED!!! 🎉

Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks!

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Changing Lives with Wendi Gordon

My guest today is Wendi Gordon, a mental and spiritual health writer, speaker, and coach. Wendi writes for various digital media outlets, including her own “Changing Lives” newsletter, where she shares her mental and spiritual health struggles and the resources and practices that have helped her change her life to help others change theirs. Wendi talks with me about how she chose to become a pastor, the art of writing in a church environment, including having a weekly prompt and having to deliver the product to a live audience; how sermon writing has influenced her current writing; her surprise decision to move to Maui from Pennsylvania and why she moved to Texas; what she’s learned from spending time in nature, and a lot more.

Episode breakdown:

00:00 Introduction to Wendi Gordon and her work in mental and spiritual health.

01:18 Wendi's early creative experiences and the influence of writing in her life.

02:42 The creativity involved in being a pastor and related social work.

03:56 Journey to becoming a pastor inspired by a mentor.

06:22 Life-changing move from Pennsylvania to Maui and experiences in Hawaii.

08:21 Return to pastoral work and the impact of the pandemic on her career.

10:45 Facing political and denominational challenges in the church.

14:37 Transition from pastoral work to freelance writing and coaching.

17:18 The process of writing sermons and the influence of the church lectionary.

20:16 Facing public speaking and feedback as a pastor.

22:53 Unexpected reactions to sermons and dealing with feedback.

25:49 The creative process in freelancing and article pitching.

28:32 Bringing personal struggles into writing and helping others.

32:04 Addressing mental and spiritual health.

36:41 The intertwining of mental health with societal and political realities.

39:17 Sharing personal experiences to connect and help others.

42:14 Deconstruction and leaving behind harmful religious beliefs.

44:13 Viewing creativity as a spiritual experience.

47:27 Influence of nature and photography on creativity.

51:20 Spiritual and collective experiences at Bruce Springsteen concerts.

54:11 Impact of travel and different cultures on creativity.

57:04 Digital detox and the importance of being present in nature.

58:44 Encouragement to engage with nature and stillness.

 

Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

 

CPT #99: Trust Yourself

Why should you start trusting yourself, and how do you start doing it more? I answer these questions in this super short episode.

Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks!

Could you leave a review? It's really easy, and it helps SO much. Thanks!

If you'd like to stay up to date on things like my courses and also get podcast and event updates, and my latest musings, subscribe to The Spark!

Poetry and Viral Success with Jennae Cecelia

Jennae Cecelia is a best-selling author and poet known for her poetry books, Uncaged Wallflower, The Sun Will Rise and So Will We, and Healing for No One But Me. Her mission as an author is to comfort and encourage people. In addition to writing, she is focused on helping other authors learn how to successfully put their writing out into the world. Jennae joins me to talk about how she got her start with poetry, including her family’s reaction to the idea of poetry as a career; the unexpected experience of having a viral self-published poetry book; how she helps other authors master the art of self-publishing; what it’s like writing custom poetry for others, and more.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction
01:10 Jennae discusses her childhood imagination and family influences
03:55 Role models and seeing creativity as a realistic pursuit
05:16 Leaning into creativity after early publishing success
08:07 Family reactions to pursuing poetry as a career
10:49 Reflecting on misconceptions about job security and risks
13:39 Jennae's self-publishing strategies and viral book success
16:56 Building momentum with multiple books and Amazon rankings
20:36 The importance of poetry in paperback form
22:38 Impacts of viral success on her perspective and career
26:14 Jennae's writing process, journey from simplicity to detail
30:07 Finding readers through specificity in poetry
33:00 Advice for authors and importance of perseverance
37:34 Managing perfectionism in writing and publishing
40:49 Custom poetry projects and their meaningful connections
45:56 Emotional experiences writing for others, from weddings to memorials
49:12 Deciding to traditionally publish for broader reach and goals
55:09 Reflecting on the challenges and anticipation of traditional publishing

Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

CPT #98: Be Brave

I'm just back from this year's Gallifrey One Doctor Who convention, and it's reminded me of the importance of being brave. How? Why? I'll tell you in this short episode.

Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks!

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If you'd like to stay up to date on things like my courses and also get podcast and event updates, and my latest musings, subscribe to The Spark!

Crafting Worlds with Mark Morris

Horror author Mark Morris has written and edited around fifty novels, novellas, short story collections and anthologies. His script work includes audio dramas for Doctor Who and a Doctor Who spinoff series, Jago & Litefoot, and the Hammer Chillers series. His most recent work includes a new novel, That Which Stands Outside, and a 30th anniversary short story collection, Warts And All. Mark’s work has won numerous awards, including two British Fantasy Awards, and two New York Festival Radio Awards. Mark talks with me about how he got his start as an author, being welcomed into the horror writing community, the differences between writing his own novels and working on tie-in fiction for franchises like Doctor Who, Spartacus, and Predator, making the switch to writing audio scripts, and more.

You’ll hear us talking about one of the stars of the Jago & Litefoot series, Christopher Benjamin. Christopher Benjamin was beloved among Doctor Who fans for his portrayal of Henry Gordon Jago, and one of the few actors to appear in not only the classic series but in the new series as well. His 70-year career spanned stage, radio, television, and film, including shows like The Saint, The Forsyte Saga, and the 1995 Pride and Prejudice miniseries. Christopher Benjamin passed away at the age of 90 on January 10, 2025, and I’d like to dedicate this episode to his memory.

Episode breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

02:01 Creative childhood and early storytelling.

04:55 Transition from history degree to writing career.

06:45 Determination to succeed.

12:09 Success with first novel, "Toady," and publicity.

20:29 Encouragement from horror writing community.

31:35 Writing tie-in fiction for Doctor Who and others.

39:22 Challenges of tight deadlines and research.

40:58 Insights into writing and editing processes.

44:17 Novelization of "Wild Blue Yonder" Doctor Who special.

46:25 Transition to writing for audio and challenges.

54:38 Upcoming projects and advice for young writers.

56:48 Emphasis on persistence and not turning down opportunities.

 

Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

 

 

CPT #97: Have Fun

It's incredibly counterintuitive, and can even be difficult, but one of the most important things you can do when the world is falling apart is have fun. I explain why in this super short episode.

Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks!

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Traveling in Wonder with Autumn Carolynn

Photographer and author Autumn Carolynn’s relationship with wanderlust started early in her life, with a semester abroad in England. From there, she’s held a variety of travel-related positions, including flight attendant and travel agent, and all of them have allowed her to pursue photography around the globe. During the pandemic, she combined her photography with her travel stories, and the result is “Traveling in Wonder: A Photographer’s Tales of Wanderlust,” which encourages readers to embrace exploration and life’s everyday challenges. Autumn joins me to talk about the surprising gut instinct that changed the direction of her life, the realities of life as a flight attendant (including the wide range of life skills required for and learned on the job), the importance of traveling now rather than putting it off for retirement, and how she sees the intersection between travel and creativity. If you’re looking for inspiration to buy that plane ticket, this is it!

Episode breakdown: 

00:00 Introduction

05:15 The alchemy of photo development

09:59 13 countries in 13 weeks

12:53 Secretive travels shared via Facebook

14:57 Exploring global fast food menus

18:13 Lost in Budapest

23:14 Gut feeling cancels Australia trip

25:44 Intense flight attendant training

29:34 Moving abroad: Not so simple

31:57 Adventure in Australia

38:10 Handling in-flight medical emergencies

41:53 "Traveling in Wonder" book release

43:28 Building a creative art business

47:20 Capturing memories for mom

50:05 Seize opportunities while able

55:48 Embrace new experiences

 

Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

 

CPT #96: Follow Your Energy

When there are a lot of things you could work on, which one do you choose? My answer is always the same, and very simple, though it's not always obvious or easy to follow thanks to the way a lot of us are taught: follow your energy! I explain why—and why ignoring the call of that energy can undermine us over time—in this short episode.

Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks!

Could you leave a review? It's really easy, and it helps SO much. Thanks!

If you'd like to stay up to date on things like my courses and also get podcast and event updates, subscribe to The Spark!