Follow Your Curiosity

Novelist Michael McLaughlin trained as a doctor for more than a decade before deciding that medicine wasn’t where he wanted to be after all. He moved back into his first love—fiction writing—in stages, moving to medical communications before deciding it was time to write full-time. Michael tells me how and why he made that shift, including how he wrote his first book, on career change, before jumping into the world of long fiction....

We often believe that the best way to do good work—of any kind—is to do it well. Seems obvious, right? What if I told you the opposite is often true? I explain in this short episode.

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Author Matt Leyshon spends his days as a software engineer before morphing into a fervent writer at night. He’s best known for his writing and research for his debut novel, Jack the Ripper: Live and Uncut, which has received the Jack the Ripper: Book of the Year award for fiction from the Ripperology community. He has also appeared as a Jack the Ripper expert at MegaCon and on the History Channel.

Matt joins me to talk about why th...

Building on last week's conversation with Nina Hart about Keith Johnstone's book, "Impro," here's why putting on a persona can be a valuable part of your creative process.

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My friend and fellow Kaizen-Muse creativity coach, Nina Hart, was one of my first guests, and she comes back to the podcast today. Nina is an author and performer—including being an original member of San Francisco’s experimental dance troupe, Contraband, and, playing a purple electric bass, recording and performing with numerous bands—and I invited her to dig into Keith Johnstone’s groundbreaking book on theatrical improvisation, ...

It's the 50th pep talk! And it's time to give ourselves credit. Why? And How? I'll tell you in this short episode.

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Jodi Krangle is a Toronto-based voice actor who works with major brands all over the world including Dell, BBVA, HGTV, Nespresso & Kraft. She's been heard in thousands of your favorite commercials and websites, so odds are very good that you’ve already heard her voice. She also hosts the Audio Branding podcast, which delves into how to make an impact with sound, and how sound influences us. We talk about her journey to voice acting...

Our concept of "normal" can be one of the biggest creative obstacles we face (and the same is often true outside the creative process). And in one particular case, it's just plain wrong anyway. I'll tell you why in this short episode.

The link I promised: Writing Begins with Forgiveness.

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My guest today is Michael Hearns, a veteran law enforcement officer whose experience includes working undercover with Miami’s vice, intelligence, and narcotics unit—yes, like Miami Vice—and has also worked as a technical consultant on a variety of movies and tv shows. These days, Michael is the author of the Cade Taylor police thrillers, including Trust No One. We talk about his law enforcement career, how realistic police shows (i...

We all know resolutions don't work, or at best, don't work for long. So what does? I'll tell you in this short episode.

Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my Creative Pep Talk episodes

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!

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, and experience with these ideas! Send me a note at fyc...

Award-winning poet, performer, playwright, and educator Maria James-Thiaw has published several books of poetry and founded the Reclaim Artist Collective, which seeks to to raise consciousness about social justice issues impacting marginalized communities through its arts-based, anti-racist curriculum. Her latest collection, Count Each Breath, examines her experiences as a Black woman in the American healthcare system.

Maria joins ...

Every year at the holidays, I feature one of my favorite episodes from the past year. I hope you find encouragement in my conversation with John Noltner of A Peace of My Mind.

My guest today is John Noltner, a writer and photographer whose project, A Peace of My Mind, has produced three books, the latest of which is Portraits of Peace: Searching for Hope in a Divided America. John’s freelance photography...

Lowry Olafson knew from a young age that he wanted to be a musician, and like so many other aspiring musicians, had to figure out how to make it work—and he did: he has released nine albums and performed around the world. He is also the founder and creator of PowerSongs—deeply meaningful, personal songs for a wide range of individuals and groups—and PowerSongs Pro, for businesses and other organizations. Lowry talks with me about t...

I've been under the weather, so here's a pep talk from last year: a simple tool that can make your life SO much better. ASK. Yup, that's it. It's simple, but not always easy — but the benefits are totally worth it. I'm sharing how it's helped me and why you should step out of your comfort zone to ask more often, too.

I'll be back next time with something new! :)

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As always, at the holidays, I feature one of my favorite episodes from the past year. For Thanksgiving, I'm highlighting my conversation with Jon Davey, who shared his unique perspective on finding your own way when you don't seem to fit into the mold of "normal." Enjoy!

Actor, photographer, and filmmaker Jon Davey has appeared in more than 50 episodes of Doctor Who since its revival in 2005, particularl...

When I started this podcast in 2019, Dr. Kelly Flanagan was one of my inaugural guests, and his episode, “The Gifts of Creativity,” remains one of my favorites. Kelly has just published his first novel, The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell, and I wanted to talk to him about how that experience differed from writing nonfiction, and about the book itself. We delve into those questions and various subjects raised by the book,...