Follow Your Curiosity

This message from last year might not just change your holiday, but also your whole life:

If you feel like you've lost the joy in the holiday season, you may be overlooking the very simple secret to finding it. I explain how to reclaim it in this short episode (spoiler: it applies to more than just the holidays!).

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

Could you leave a review? It's reall...

My guest today is Safiya Robinson, a storylistener, writer, and explorer of creativity. She is the author of two books and the host of the Writing Black Joy podcast, a space that celebrates the joyful narratives of Black creatives. Her work centers joy, authenticity, and the belief that creativity doesn’t need permission. In addition, she is a keen world traveller who uses her writing to explore her experiences and ph...

Ever feel like your creative work has to be perfect every single time? In this episode of "Follow Your Curiosity," I share that elite athletes only succeed half the time—and why creative people should lower their expectations and embrace imperfection, too. Discover how shifting your mindset can help you get unstuck, trust the process, and keep going, even if you miss more "shots" than not. If you believe every project you start has...

Every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas, I offer up my favorite episodes of the year. This year's Thanksgiving selection is my conversation with force of nature Lizzie Hopley. Enjoy!

(Original release date: July 16, 2025)

— Actress and writer Lizzie Hopley was born in Liverpool and trained at RADA. As an actress, she has worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Globe Theatre and recent screen work includes Black Doves ...

What does it really mean to practice patience—especially when life, creativity, or even a home repair puts you to the test? In this episode, I share candid lessons both from a year of waiting and from my 30 Bad Poems in 30 Days challenge: the struggle to slow down, the urge to keep producing, and why patience might be the most creative tool you can cultivate right now. Whether you're wrestling with a stubborn project or just want i...

Meg Hamand has had a heart for storytelling since her first poem was published in an anthology in elementary school. Since then, she’s been published in multiple print and online publications, and her debut novel is the award-winning Diamonds in Auschwitz, which simultaneously tells two stories of love, survival, and hope during World War II.

Meg joins me to talk about the challenges of working with dark...

So many of us struggle with procrastination. There are many causes of procrastination—fear of failure, fear of success, perfectionism, comparison, exhaustion, and overwhelm, just to name a few. We often need rest, but procrastination isn't the same--and tends to feed your inner critic, while eroding your motivation and productivity.

If watching your kids build a pillow fort makes you wonder where the heck that zany, wild, playful p...

Kelly Flanagan has been one of my favorite guests, and he'll be back to talk to us again in February. Here's his second appearance on Follow Your Curiosity, in case you missed it or want to revisit it. Please note that the book giveaway mentioned in the episode is no longer available.

Original release date: November 9, 2022

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When I started th...

Is multitasking real? Possible? It depends on your definition, but I'd rather talk about how the attempt affects us—why we feel so pushed to do it, and what's the price we pay? I'm sharing my thoughts in this short episode.

If watching your kids build a pillow fort makes you wonder where the heck that zany, wild, playful part of yourself went...we should talk!

Want more tips? Check out all my previous Creative Pep T...

Tony Stewart has made award-winning films for college and universities, written acclaimed software, and now has written his first book. That book, Carrying the Tiger: Living with Cancer, Dying with Grace, Finding Joy while Grieving, tells the story of Tony and his late wife, painter Lynn Kotula, as they navigate her Stage IV cancer diagnosis, treatment, and hospice, and Tony’s journey out of grief. Tony joins me to ta...

It can be one of the hardest things to convince ourselves to do when the voices of doubt, self-judgment, and perfectionism are up to their old tricks, but it really is important to take action, not just think about it. I'll tell you why—and how—in this short episode.

If watching your kids build a pillow fort makes you wonder where the heck that zany, wild, playful part of yourself went...it's time to Make Bad Art. Doors are open no...

Will Brooks is a freelance artist and designer who mostly works with licensed properties, especially Doctor Who. For five years, Will was the in-house ‘photo’ artist for Titan Comics’ Doctor Who ranges, providing more than 160 covers. He’s also produced artwork for Big Finish Productions and the Doctor Who Experience, and was the lead artist and designer for the second edition of Cubicle 7’s Doctor Who RPG, for which ...

You've probably heard someone describe a performance as "electric," or "electrifying," and may even have used that term yourself. But how does that kind of performance happen, and what does it have to tell you about your creative practice? I'll tell you in this short episode.

If watching your kids build a pillow fort makes you wonder where the heck that zany, wild, playful part of yourself went...it's time to Make Bad Art. Doors ar...

My guest this week is Richard Wilmore, the host and executive producer of the wildly successful daily talk and variety series Make Your Day Richer TV. From 2016 to 2022, he hosted the award-winning The Richard Wilmore Show. He also co-hosts the Wolf Media Fest podcast. Behind the scenes, Richard helps numerous podcasts and livestreams with production, editing, and talent booking needs through his company, Make Your Da...

All those little things you think are weird about you? They're the things that make you unique. That make you stand out. It's time you embrace them instead of running from them. I'll tell you why in this short episode.

If you’re tired of waiting for “someday”—which is NOT a day of the week—to get unstuck and step toward your creative dream, we should talk.

Want more tips? Check out all my previous Crea...

Jennae Cecelia is a best-selling author and poet known for her poetry books, Uncaged Wallflower, The Sun Will Rise and So Will We, and Healing for No One But Me. Her mission as an author is to comfort and encourage people. In addition to writing, she is focused on helping other authors learn how to successfully put their writing out into the world. Jennae joins me to talk about how she got her start with poetry, inclu...

There's a pervasive notion out in the world that art requires suffering, that suffering for it makes you more noble...etc. etc. etc. 

If you've fallen prey to this belief, you can relax: I'm about to tell you why it's nonsense.

If you’re tired of waiting for “someday”—which is NOT a day of the week—to get unstuck and step toward your creative dream, we should talk.

Want more tips? Check...

Nev Fountain is an award-winning writer, chiefly known for his work on the BBC sketch show Dead Ringers in both TV and radio incarnations. He has also contributed to many other programs, including Have I Got News for You and Newzoids. He is a principal gag writer for satirical magazine Private Eye and contributes to every issue.

He first came to write for Doctor Who when he script-edited the BBC online s...