Follow Your Curiosity

Talking to God with John Roedel

The idea of "talking to God" may bring up images of saints or prophets—or a disconnect from reality. John Roedel fits in none of those categories. He's an improv comedian and poet who started writing conversations between himself and God as silly one-offs during a crisis of faith, only to find them becoming deeper and more insightful over time. One of his pieces from a few years ago went viral in the spring of 2020, to his great surprise, when the newly quarantined public found itself reflected in his words. John and I talk about being the family oddball, the perks and perils of "talking" with God (including readers' expectations), living your life according to "Yes, and..." and even enact that viral post for you.

Check out the show notes (including John's "Ten Seconds" video) at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Talent vs. Preparation with Richard Oliver

Actor Richard Oliver has performed in film, TV, stage, commercial, audio, and even video games. He also directs for his own theatre and teaches acting. Richard has been named best actor by the New York City Indie Film Awards, and was a finalist for best actor from the Lockdown Festival. While we connected online thanks to the Minister of Chance, a Doctor Who spinoff audio series, we talk about everything from whether drama school is really necessary to the ways punctuation and breathing can help illuminate a character to the importance of having fun with whatever you’re doing—and everything in between. And we do also get into the birth of the Minister of Chance (both the character and the series) and its future.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

"Writing Saved Me" with Nancy Springer

Author Nancy Springer has written more than 50 books, in genres ranging from mythic fantasy to magical realism to mystery. Her most popular novels by far are the Enola Holmes mysteries, featuring Sherlock's younger sister, the first of which is now a movie on Netflix. Nancy has often said that writing saved her life, and our conversation gets into the nitty gritty of just what that means, as well as her "free-range" childhood, what works in a novel that doesn't in a short story (and vice versa), writing a novel with no idea where you're going, and more. (Warning: Nancy's very open about her history with depression and suicidal ideation in this conversation.)

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Changing Lives on Stage with Lisa Houston

This week, I’m bringing you a current teacher who’s a former colleague of mine: Lisa Houston, who started the drama program at the Pennington School and now serves as its middle school dean of students. Among other things, Lisa tells us how she rebuilt the drama program from the ground up, how it’s expanded over the years, what it’s like to take a group of high school students overseas to perform at a major festival, and how she’s seen theater impact the kids who participate in it, and even change lives. You'll also hear about the effect teaching drama has had on her life. 

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Embracing Your Enthusiasm with Kyle Fletcher

If you've listened for a while, you know I have a VERY broad definition of "creativity," and the show is called "Follow Your Curiosity" for a reason. Kyle Fletcher is a different sort of guest—he specializes in educating others about spirits and cocktails—with a journey that's all about the curiosity. Kyle has allowed his enthusiasm for, and interest in, the beverage world to lead him down a path that has included learning how to learn about the field, channeling his interest in performance into his YouTube channel, and just plain letting his excitement run wild in a way that is infectious—even if you're not into whiskey, cocktails, or even coffee (I can say this from experience!).

Since we're in the festive season, if you're looking for some factoids to impress your friends, you'll find some here, too!

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!

Following the "Nudge" with Paige Kaufman

Paige Kaufman is an early childhood educator who went from teaching kindergarten to running a wellness center—all because she listened to the "nudge" telling her her it was time to do something different. A lot of us people would ignore that feeling, but Paige followed her curiosity into this new venture without knowing anything about starting a business. We talk about that journey, from the societal forces that make it difficult to follow that sense that we should do something we don’t expect, to the difficulty some of us have learning to trust again, to the fear of fear itself, to the things she still uses today from her kindergarten days.

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!

Protecting Your Creativity with Tracy Matthews

My guest today is Tracy Matthews, Chief Visionary Officer of Flourish and Thrive Academy and host of the Thrive by Design podcast. Tracy is a jewelry designer and entrepreneur who loves marketing. Even more than that, she loves helping other creative folks (and as we discuss, by “creative” we mean EVERYONE) get a handle on the business side of their work. If you’ve ever wondered how to make the leap from hobby to business, or if you’re struggling to find the balance between the work you love and the marketing end, you’ll get a lot out of this interview, including the importance of fun and protecting your creativity, how we often give up too quickly—but sometimes, if something isn’t lighting you up anymore, you may need to switch gears—and a lot more.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com and join the conversation on Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

Bringing Your Vision to Life with Angela Fareri

What's your vision, or dream, for your life? Can you see it clearly? If not, you might want to consider making a vision board, and this week's guest, Angela Fareri, is here to tell us not only how and why creating a clear image for your life works, but how to make a vision board for yourself.

Angela and I also talk about how vision boards and journaling can work together (we compare a process called "scripting" to mindsculpting—a coaching tool I use), and we discuss similarities between vision boarding and the SoulCollage® process. It's all about empowering the imagination on this week's show!

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and share your thoughts with us on Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!

Dragonflies at Night with Anne Marie Bennett

Anne Marie Bennett has had a varied career—she’s been an elementary school teacher, has worked in a theater, and a SoulCollage(R) trainer and facilitator. She’s written several nonfiction books about her journeys with cancer and about the SoulCollage(R) process, but this year, she’s published her first novel. She joins me to talk about her creative history as well as SoulCollage(R), the shift to writing fiction, her fascination with and research into how celebrity affects those who inhabit it, and of course, her new novel, DRAGONFLIES AT NIGHT.

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!

Quitting Is Not an Option with Orrin Evans

Over the last two episodes, we’ve heard from Todd Evans and Rachel Marianno, a brother and sister who grew up in an unusually artistic home and both became artists themselves. This week, their younger brother Orrin Evans joins me to round out the family and talk about his experience as the much younger child was similar and different, and how it influenced his career as a renowned jazz pianist and leader of the Grammy-nominated Captain Black Big Band. 

We talk about how he decided to leave college to pursue his career in music (and how his parents managed to walk the fine line of being supportive parents), how limiting his options forced Orrin to find ways to be successful—never more true than during the coronavirus pandemic—how the record industry has changed just over the last few decades, how the opportunity to visit other countries has changed him as a person, and a whole lot more. 

Check out the show notes and links at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!