Follow Your Curiosity

CPT #74: Structure

Folks who consider themselves creative often have a REALLY hard time with structure, but it can be one of your best allies. I explain why in this short episode.

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

Please leave a review, and in it, tell us about a time when structure helped you.

Join my free creative community, The Spark! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners there in the coming months.

Comedy and Teamwork with Marc Kaye

Marc Kaye calls himself a “restless creative”—a musician, writer, and comedian who loves to tell stories and make people laugh. He also, through his company, VitalConex, uses those skills to help develop the vital connections needed for focused, united teams and creative problem solving. Marc tells me how—and why—he took the leap into stand-up, how his comedy and his writing skills have influenced each other, and how he takes both of those, and his business partner’s therapy background, and creates programs to help teams create a sense of psychological safety that lets them do difficult work from a place of greater unity.

Episode breakdown:

 

00:00 Childhood creativity shapes lifelong passion for creation.
05:37 Piano, writing, science, marketing, stand-up comedy.
07:49 Email to Gary Goldman about Last Comic Standing.
11:48 Got hooked on comedy, performed sporadically. Kids grew.
15:32 Song critique circle provides valuable but diverse feedback.
18:26 Improving character portrayal in writing and comedy.
21:41 An exercise in making unexpected connections.
23:45 Comedy, improv, and creativity in storytelling.
27:23 Adults miss suspending belief in harmless ways.
31:03 Comedy clubs are a past entertainment trend.
34:24 Challenges with DEI initiatives and team building.
36:42 Avoiding the “consultant” label
40:33 Using humor to build real interpersonal connections.
43:12 Identifying strengths and weaknesses through team activity.
46:24 Human experience involves shared emotions and perspectives.
52:26 Humor is crucial in navigating change.
54:38 Finding humor in life is a superpower.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode and in it, tell us about a time when humor made something easier for you. If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in writing and theatre.

CPT #73: Resolutions and Expectations

Setting resolutions can be a recipe for disappointment—or, if you've set appropriate expectations, a recipe for success. I explain the difference in this short episode.

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

Please leave a review, and in it, tell us about a time when lowered expectations made a difference.

Join my free creative community, The Spark! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners there in the coming months.

Professional Fandom with Gary Russell

Gary Russell has done a bit of everything in media, from acting when he was young to writing fanzines to writing for Doctor Who Magazine to working for the BBC to co-founding Big Finish Productions, which produces a variety of audio dramas for various TV series including Doctor Who, The Prisoner, Dark Shadows, and more. Gary and I talk about his journey from one opportunity to the next as a “professional fan,” including how he’s made the decision both to take and to leave various positions, why he’s always run his life on instinct, and why he thinks it’s absolutely vital to be able to admit when you don’t know what you’re doing (even when it means baptism by fire), the value of freelancing—why he wouldn’t have it any other way—and a lot more. I really think you’ll get a lot out of my conversation with Gary Russell, even if you’ve never seen an episode of Doctor Who. 

Episode breakdown:

00:00 Early desire to be a stuntman leads to acting classes/jobs.
08:56 Other kids at school unimpressed by acting jobsl.
11:35 Switching out of acting.
20:34 People are conditioned not to admit ignorance.
26:28 Recognizing natural endings and embracing them rather than holding on too long.
29:40 Facing uncertainty.
33:30 Embrace new experiences, live a fulfilling life.
36:12 Doctor Who fanzines/freelancing lead to running Doctor Who Magazine.
46:23 Input from others shaped Gary’s core philosophy.
50:14 Warriors of the Deep: Script is good, but the execution is fatally flawed.
58:15 Ignore negativity, focus on what's important.
01:04:28 The birth of Big Finish Productions.
01:14:32 Moving to the BBC to work on Doctor Who.
01:23:37 Pension provides security, but Gary will never stop working.
01:27:24 Advice for anyone interested in freelancing.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review for this episode and in it, tell us about a time when you took a leap of faith. If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in Doctor Who.

Replay: CPT #65: Mr. Twinkletoes

Our last replay of the year focuses on my favorite random discovery about an amazing actor. It’s short, and worth listening to again.

What can a simple choice from actor David Tennant tell us about creative freedom? I'll tell you in this short episode.

Please leave a review, and in it, tell us about how you might stop taking things so seriously.

Join my free creative community, The Spark! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners there in the coming months.

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

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, and experience with these ideas! Send me a note at fycuriosity.com, or say hello on BlueSky!

Replay: Rediscovering the Human with Kate Powers

Happy holidays, everyone! I'm thrilled to present my second holiday replay of the year, which was easily one of my favorite interviews of 2023, if not my very favorite. It's a perfect story for the holidays, reminding us that there's room for redemption in all of us. Enjoy!

My guest today is Kate Powers, a lifelong theatre kid who became an off-Broadway and regional theatre director. Her list of credits is long, but I wanted to talk to Kate about the unusual home she’s found for her work: maximum security prisons. Kate is the founding artistic director of the Redeeming Time Project, which uses Shakespeare to effect positive change for the incarcerated and the formerly incarcerated. She has been a facilitator with Rehabilitation Through the Arts (www.rta-arts.org) at Sing Sing Correctional Facility since 2009. 

Kate tells me how she discovered this work, how she runs her program, and the transformative effect of combining Shakespeare—famous for his depictions of all facets of human nature—with a prison population. I’m not gonna lie to you—I had goosebumps for most of this interview, and I think you might, too. If you do, I hope you’ll consider donating to help these programs transform lives—you’ll find a list of links in the show notes.

Please leave a review of the show, and in it, tell us about a time when theater transformed a part of your life.

Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre!

Join the conversation on Post.news, Spoutible, and Mastodon! And if you're feeling stuck in your own creative process, get the 6 Creative Beliefs that Are Screwing You Up, plus biweekly updates on what's going on in my world (including upcoming events) for free!

CPT #72: Listen

It seems like the simplest, most obvious thing, but the fact is, we don't always listen. Changing that could change your life. I'll tell you more in this short episode.

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

Please leave a review, and in it, tell us about a time when listening made a difference.

Join my free creative community, The Spark! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners there in the coming months.

Why You Should Start a Podcast with Jesse Jackson

Serial podcaster Jesse Jackson hosts shows on topics from Doctor Who to Babylon 5 to John Hiatt to Bruce Springsteen. I met Jesse when I appeared on his show, Set Lusting Bruce, where instead of Springsteen, I talked about my deep affection for the Norwegian band a-Ha. I wanted to hear about Jesse’s creative adventures in both fandom and podcasting, and we talk about why you should stop thinking about trying something new and just do it, what we’ve learned from our podcast experiences, and why everyone has a story that deserves to be heard. And there might be a little dishing about Doctor Who in the mix, too.

Episode breakdown:

06:54 Reading as a safe place, friendship, discovery, transition to e-books.
14:07 Nostalgia for old Doctor Who novel experiences.
16:07 All access streaming vs. the element of surprise.
24:39 Jesse’s podcast explores music and creativity, over 1000 episodes.
26:23 Embrace starting something new, let it unfold.
32:51 Prepping podcast guests.
38:21 2015 film "Springsteen and I" inspired Jesse’s podcast.
44:00 Jesse encourages listeners to hear Sarah Gregory’s story.
51:27 Ups and downs of responding to feedback.
57:14 Trying new things is okay, even if difficult.
01:01:28 Follow your own creative voice, seek feedback.
01:08:25 Podcasting Doctor Who.

Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.

Please leave a review and in it, tell us how about a time when starting a new creative endeavor made a difference in your life.

Want more? Here are some handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in music and Doctor Who.

CPT #71: No Straight Lines

Nothing in life is actually straightforward, including your creative process. I explain in this super-short episode.

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

Please leave a review, and in it, tell us about a time when you were grateful for a detour.

Join my free creative community, The Spark! We celebrate each other's creative courage, and I'll be sharing programs for subscribers and listeners there in the coming months.

Replay: ”Is There Life Outside the Box?” with Peter Davison

As you may know, every year I offer two episode replays over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. These are always two of my favorite interviews from the year—conversations that stuck with me and are worth a second listen (though, in honesty, they're all worth a second listen!).

This year, Thanksgiving in the US falls on November 23, 2023—60 years to the day since the premiere of Doctor Who. What could be more fitting, then, than to revisit my conversation with Peter Davison, who played the Fifth Doctor and brought us one of the most beloved Doctor Who anniversary specials of all time ten years ago? 

I hope you enjoy the episode!

***

I’m absolutely thrilled to be talking this week with actor Peter Davison, star of All Creatures Great and Small, Doctor Who, At Home with the Braithwaites, West End musicals like Spamalot and Gypsy, and much more. He’s also the author of a delightful memoir, Is There Life Outside the Box: An Actor Despairs, and Doctor Who fans also know him as the creator of the 50th anniversary special, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. Peter talks with me about many of those things, plus how he came to write his book, the "rise of the nerds," and more. 

Episode breakdown:

00:01:10 Childhood creativity, music, becoming an actor.

00:10:08 Taking on Doctor Who, and being unsure how to approach the character.

00:17:03 Doctor Who, and playing unpleasant characters well.

00:24:54 All Creatures Great and Small and the lessons learned from Robert Hardy.

00:35:18 Actors fear of being replaced, and the difference between US and UK actors.

00:42:13 Acting as the best job.

00:50:28 Writing his memoir.

00:55:34 The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.

01:03:07 Doctor Who fandom and the "rise of the nerd."

Please leave a review and in it, tell us your favorite Doctor Who experience or memory.

Want more? Here are some handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre and Doctor Who.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com (I have some really cool extras over there for you!)and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.