Follow Your Curiosity

Creative Pep Talk #3: Perfectionism

Welcome back for Creative Pep Talk #3! This week, we're delving into the deep, dark world of perfectionism. This is an overview of the evils of perfectionism, because to truly explore it would take more than 8 minutes, but I hope it'll get you thinking about how you fall into this trap, and what you might want to do differently to keep yourself out of perfectionism's clutches so you can enjoy your creative adventures instead of letting them torment you—because where's the fun in that?

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, and experience with these ideas! Send me a note at fycuriosity.com, or contact me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

You Don't Need to Know Everything with Lisa Townsend

My guest today knows what it’s like to believe you’re not creative. Lisa Townsend spent her first 27 years believing she wasn’t before having a creative awakening that led her to try EVERYTHING. We talk about  what that looked like for her, and what she learned about fear, knowledge—what we have, what we don’t, and what we just think we have—and courage. These days, through her business, Change Your Badge, she uses what she’s learned creatively and professionally to help women get past their fear, shame, and overwhelm so they can run their businesses successfully. 

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

Creative Pep Talk #2: Permission

If you think permission slips are just for elementary school kids going on field trips, think again. Permission is absolutely vital to a healthy creative process. Listen for permission to give yourself permission!

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, and experience with these ideas! Send me a note at fycuriosity.com, or contact me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

The Unexpected Path to Opera with Dale Travis

My guest this week is opera singer Dale Travis, who has performed with companies all over the world in a career he never imagined as a child. Dale always loved to sing, but went to school for football. When an injury thwarted that plan, he auditioned for the choir, setting him on an unexpected path. We talk about his surprising leap to opera, how he lets the text and music teach him how to perform a character, the future of opera, and more. (And I promise you don’t have to be an opera fan to follow along!) Here’s my conversation with Dale Travis.

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

Creative Pep Talk #1: Who's Creative?

Welcome to the first in a series of creative pep talks—topics to help you get and stay unstuck in your creative process (aka your life). In this inaugural pep talk, I share my plan for these mini-episodes and tackle the age-old question of just who is creative—and why a lot of people believe they're not.

These episodes will come out every other week, alternating with my regular interview episodes (those aren't going anywhere!). I hope you enjoy them.

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, and experience with these ideas! Send me a note at fycuriosity.com, or contact me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

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!

Replay: Happily Homeless with Alison Miller

For the holidays, I'm giving you the chance to discover, or perhaps rediscover, two of my favorite episodes from the past year. This episode, with Alison Miller, stands out to me for Alison's absolute courage and determination to live life on her own terms, and the way life supports her in return. I hope you'll be as inspired by Alison as I have been.

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Alison Miller describes herself as an uncertain adventurer and determined warrior goddess, and as you'll hear in this interview, she's earned both titles. Alison has lived on the road on her own since the death of her husband six and a half years ago, following her own inner compass the entire way. She's crossed the country eight times, carrying the names of those loved by people around the world on her pink teardrop trailer, seeking out love and adventure as she goes. She listens only to her own guidance, discovering that there are no mistakes that can't be corrected, and that love really is everywhere. Recently, she's been making a documentary about her journey, which she plans to show as she continues her travels.