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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 Jul 10, 2019
Wednesday Jul 10, 2019
David Spencer is the creative force behind the Mischief Factory, where he seeks to create fun and adventure through art and illustration. He recently illustrated a new children's book, The Epic Adventures of Huggie and Stick, and also draws his own clever characters as well as commissioned and fandom-based art.
Dave embodies the ideas of mischief and fun, and has more creative energy than almost anyone I've ever met. We talk about how he got started in illustration, as well as impostor syndrome, how he fits his art into his busy schedule, and how he interacts with kids, both to fuel his own work and to encourage theirs. (Dave is basically a big kid himself, which helps!)
Visit fycuriosity.com for full show notes and links for this episode, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Lela Rohrer Stech is an artist based in New York. Lela’s work is playful and fun, and so is she. (You’ll hear us talk about one painting I could see in the background, from a distance, and I’ve included a photo of that painting in the show notes at fycuriosity.com so you can see it, too.) In addition to her art, we talk about what she learned from living abroad, and how everything we learn somehow manages to come together in a useful way over time.
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!
Wednesday Jun 12, 2019
Wednesday Jun 12, 2019
Adam Dietz grew up in small-town Pennsylvania, went to Westminster Choir College in New Jersey, and then moved to New York to seek his fortune on the Broadway stage. Things didn't go quite the way he'd planned. Adam and I talk about what it's like to audition in New York, how to survive even without your creative dream coming true—and the effects of making that sacrifice—and how you actually can come home again and find work that fulfills your dream, even if home is a rural area rather than the big city.
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!
Wednesday May 29, 2019
Wednesday May 29, 2019
Nina Hart is a writer, dancer, stand-up comedian, and improv artist who is also a fellow Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach. Her first collection of surreal short fictions called Somewhere in a Town You Never Knew Existed Somewhere was selected as a Short Stories (Adult Fiction) category finalist in Foreword Reviews' 2014 IndieFab Book of the Year Awards. Nina was also an original member of the experimental dance troupe Contraband, in San Francisco and, playing a purple electric bass, has recorded and performed with numerous bands.
Nina joined me to talk about everything from stage fright and vulnerability to how we teach vs. how we should teach to the inner critic and just what "good" means, if anything. (Spoiler: We're not convinced it means much!) Like my interview with Dawn Kotzer, there's a lot to take in here.
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!
Wednesday May 15, 2019
Wednesday May 15, 2019
Creativity and curiosity are bigger than just the arts. They're bigger than hobbies. They're vital parts of life, and the quality of our existence. Dawn Kotzer understands how creativity links into the realities of life better than almost anyone I know. She's a coach with multiple backgrounds, including Kaizen-Muse (like me) and Martha Beck. She's also an incredibly wise soul who always seems to have the right insight for the present moment.
This is a deep conversation, and I hope you'll feel free to digest it in small chunks, if necessary.
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!
Wednesday May 01, 2019
Wednesday May 01, 2019
We think of creativity as something associated with the arts—dance, music, poetry, etc. That's why I wanted to talk to Robert Smith?, a mathematician who creates models that help improve disease control. He gained some fame a few years back for modeling zombie outbreaks—and that work has proven useful in the real world. Robert has also written several books about Doctor Who. If you're skeptical about math as a creative pursuit, or a math agnostic/atheist yourself (I hear you!), I promise you'll see things differently once you listen to this interview.
(Note: In October 2020, Robert transitioned and is now known as Stacey Smith? Because of the quantity of material predating the transition, Stacey has chosen to credit Robert for items before October 2020.)
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!
Wednesday Apr 17, 2019
Wednesday Apr 17, 2019
This month's coaching call is with my friend and former writing student, Maggie, who has several projects she'd like to be working on, primarily a novel, but also painting and weaving. She's trying to keep track of the elements of her novel, while also figuring out just how to tackle the elements that make a novel work. We also get into some of the blocks that keep her from creating in any medium. I close this episode with Charles Rafferty's poem, "Against Hesitation," which speaks to the themes of our call.
Wednesday Apr 03, 2019
Wednesday Apr 03, 2019
André Jackson is a former student of mine who has grown into one of the most thoughtful, creative people I know. André got his undergraduate degree in fashion design, but switched to fiber art in graduate school. André is also a scholar and writer. All three pursuits influence each other in deep and fascinating ways. We discuss everything from process and just what "fiber art" means to being kind to ourselves and the value of every attempt, regardless of how successful it might be.
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!
Wednesday Mar 20, 2019
Wednesday Mar 20, 2019
My guest this week is...me! I asked Domenic Sciortino to interview me, since it seemed only fair to turn the tables on myself, and to give you a chance to get to know me a little better. There's a lot here about my history with writing and music, the folks who inspire me and encouraged me, and even my favorite song.
Check out the notes are at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!
Wednesday Mar 06, 2019
Wednesday Mar 06, 2019
Domenic Sciortino isn't a name you're likely to have heard before, unless you live in York, Pennsylvania. He's an old friend of mine whose day job as a barber belies his experience with art and creative expression, which includes drawing, music, and a Beastie Boys tribute band called the Brass Monkeys. Dom's passion for the arts and his vocal advocacy for creative expression are inspiring and infectious.
Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram! You can rate and review the show here. Thanks!