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Some of the most interesting and inspiring stories I’ve heard are about people’s creative journeys and what they’ve learned along the way. The world needs to hear more of those stories, and now you can hear them on the Follow Your Curiosity podcast. Twice a month, you’ll hear a new interview where we delve into one person’s creative journey. Some of these folks will be better known than others, but they’ll all hold up a mirror to the importance of creative endeavor in every life. In the alternating weeks, you’ll hear short Creative Pep Talk episodes where I feature a creativity tool or tip to help you keep your creative energy flowing. You’ll find something you can use in every episode of Follow Your Curiosity!
Episodes
Wednesday Mar 26, 2025
Wednesday Mar 26, 2025
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.
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