Stumbling Toward Genius

Who are your creative ancestors, and how can their stories influence your creative journey? Your creative ancestors are those people who make you, you. They build you up and inform your creativity through the things they teach you, even from a distant past. Their legacies inspire you to share their stories with future generations through your art. They are part of what I call your Artist’s DNA. Adri Norris' successful "Women Behaving Badly" series was born out of a desire to share the stories of important women whose stories have largely gone untold. These works are a window into their truth, created to inspire today’s generation with role models they might not otherwise be exposed to. Adri says of the project, “It was basically combining my love of learning with my love of drawing and painting faces and learning how to tell a story with my work.” Listen in to hear Adri talk about how she infuses her work with the power of storytelling, as well as: How she’s using her mural work to inspire both the community and the next generation of artists How she’s proving that you don’t have to pick one area of art to work in as long as you’re clear on your core Her Artist Residency and the long-overdue surprise project she’s working on now. Plus, she’ll share what her biggest challenges have taught her and the big shift that changed the way she views her work. If you’ve ever wanted to dive deep into storytelling through your art but don’t know where to start, this episode is for you.

Have you ever had a spiritual awakening that opened your eyes to a new or deeper creative practice? My friend Kim Roberts did. Her long-time yoga practice opened her eyes to the deeper dimensions of life, eventually leading her to Paris, where she started painting. Kim is multifaceted, sharing her gifts as a yoga practitioner and instructor, psychotherapist, coach, artist, and writer with the world. She joins me on Stumbling Toward Genius today to share how her many daily practices feed into one another, as well as: Her art-making process and how she opens herself up to express what’s inside From Paris to the San Luis Valley, how place inspires her work The one thing that holds her back and how she is facing her fears Plus, we talk about her book, Toward a Secret Sky: Creating Your Own Modern Pilgrimage, and she shares a glimpse into her new online program that offers women the practical tools to navigate any life transition with confidence, courage, and grace. Did you enjoy hearing about Kim’s artist origin story in Paris? I really believe many people find their creativity in Paris. My creative life continues to be sculpted by this amazing city and I would love to share that with you. If you have wanted to connect with your creative self for a long time or believe you are being called to a deeper level of writing, join me for Write Your Heart Out in Paris.

How do you know when it is the right time to write and publish your book? And then, how do you find the courage to step back from a project that you’ve poured your heart into so you can create a larger body of work? Today, you’ll hear a conversation with my friend, Heather Stimmler from the highly acclaimed Secrets of Paris website and newsletter. A labor of love, Secrets of Paris has been a trusted reference for original feature stories, useful sightseeing advice, and recommendations. She has been sharing insider information about Paris for visitors and residents for over twenty years. Now Heather is sinking her teeth into her next challenge—writing the book about Paris tourism that has long been in her heart. She’ll share why writing her book is such a challenge and, and how she’s finding her way. Listen in to hear: How Heather’s writing dreams have changed over the years and how she has taken the invitations from the universe and made them hers. Her step out of her writing comfort zone that went viral and how that’s helped push her forward How Secrets of Paris has evolved and why she still has so much to say about the City of Lights after ‌all these years How she’s learning to let ‌go and make room for the new Plus the small steps action plan that’s helping her move forward. Want more of Paris? I’ve been leading workshops in Paris since 2005. My Paris historical novel and many of my writing projects have been inspired by my time there. Come to Paris with me in September for Paris Sketchbook, a fun workshop for creative play. Or, join me for Write Your Heart Out, designed to embolden your most authentic and honest writing. 

Sometimes we get stuck thinking that someone else’s way should work for us, then we get frustrated when it doesn’t. Today, on Stumbling Toward Genius, I talk with my friend Cory Huff about how he is navigating his creativity his way. Cory Huff is Chief Marketing Officer at Productive Flourishing, founder at The Abundant Artist, and serial fiction writer. His background also includes acting in classical theater and narrative storytelling. He's been existing at the intersection of business and creativity for 15 years. In this episode, we talk with Cory about his own creative pursuits like acting and novel-writing. He also shares why he is passionate about helping artists recognize and elevate their potential through The Abundant Artist. You’ll also hear: How an anonymous benefactor set him on the path to where he is today What success means for an artist Why Cory decided to publish his fiction without expectations How he balances his business with his creative work How to be successful in your creative life on your terms Plus, we will talk about his ADHD diagnosis. Cory walks us through strategies he uses to maintain his productivity so he can publish novels, short stories, and other writing while also maintaining his business.

Do you have an unfinished project you’ve been working on for months, years, or maybe even decades? You know, the one you keep putting on the back burner for “some” day. But that day never seems to come? Today, we’re talking with Charlie Gilkey, author of the book Start Finishing about what happens to us when we don’t finish the projects we start, and how we can “start finishing.” Charlie Gilkey helps people start finishing the stuff that matters. He's the founder of Productive Flourishing, author of the book Start Finishing (2019) and The Small Business Lifecycle (2012), and host of the Productive Flourishing podcast. Before starting Productive Flourishing, Charlie worked as a Joint Force Military Logistics Coordinator while simultaneously pursuing a PhD in Philosophy. He lives with his wife, Angela, in Portland, Oregon. I’m excited to share our conversation with you. Charlie has been a tremendous influence in my life and on my creativity. Listen to hear the insight Charlie shared with me a few years ago that challenged me to think differently about the days of the week and dare to try something new. Charlie says, “It’s really hard to go and look at this other thing that no one is asking for except your inner self and prioritize it.” And yet, through his planners, books, and Momentum app (coming soon) he’s found a way to help people finish the projects that matter most. Listen as he shares: Why we’re all asking the wrong questions when it comes to our projects and how to ask the right ones The secret to planning your creative time to get the best energy The value of focusing on fewer things—how hustle culture, grinding, and head trash are keeping us from finishing and how to align your (limited) time, energy, and attention towards the things that matter most. Why not everything is meant to be finished Plus he’ll tell us more about the Momentum app and his new book, Workways coming in 2023.

Have you ever heard someone say something that felt like a dart to your heart? My guest on the show today, Krissy Shields, had just such an experience when she heard Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams speak about racism at Camp Good Life Project a few years ago. That moment became a catalyst for change in her and led her to host a peer group called Brave Circle. Krissy Shields is a wellness expert and the founder of Maha Mama, empowering families with accessible yoga, nutrition and mindfulness. She has taught in yoga trainings all around the US plus in homeless shelters, prisons and public schools, weaving in her passion for social justice, advocating for maternal health and anti-racism. She lives in NY on the unceded land of the Munsee Lenape with her family. Our conversation inspired me, and I can’t wait to share this episode with you so you can learn more about Krissy, the Brave Circle peer groups, as well as: What being in relationship really means and how to find new ways to better support people from different cultural backgrounds The difference between a safe space and a brave space and how to initiate daring intimacy What she’s learned from her stumbles — she’ll take us behind the curtain to share how she remains curious, creative, and committed Plus, she’ll introduce us to her new yearlong gardening program GROW! At The Good Place, a year long program on her farm to teach city kids about the process of seed to sprout to nourishment, where they can gain an appreciation of food and the wilds of nature.

Today on Stumbling Toward Genius I am excited to talk with one of my favorite people, Marcus McAllister. Marcus is a French-American professional artist based in Paris for the past twenty-five years. In his acrylic paintings and long-term Sketchbook discipline, he layers figures, animals, text, abstract signs, and mystic symbols to create meaningful, dream-like glimpses of his inner universe. I still remember the first time I met Marcus. It was at one of his Sunday Salons at his art studio in Paris. I left that evening with a new friend and two pieces of advice that have made a big difference for me in my own creative life. Tune in to find out what those two things are, and to hear more about Marcus' artists' journey, including what he’s learned from 30 Years of Sketchbooking, as well as: Finding his feelings in his art—The surprising way his sketchbooks help him structure his life, figure out his filters and his feelings, and enhance his memories How a simple adjustment in his process led to him finding his artistic voice Going from trepidation to motivation to finished—he’ll walk us through his in studio process and how he determines when a painting is complete We’ll also spend some time talking about how artists are navigating the post pandemic terrain and the new opportunities available now. Plus, in the video version on YouTube, we join the artist in his studio, where we’ll get an inside look at his sketchbooks and his gorgeous paintings—join us there.

Who are you writing for? ⁠Who counts in determining what we create? Sometimes we get bogged down by the idea of what our audience, peers, or the people in our lives will think of our creative pursuits. That can lead to a muddying of the waters of the creative process. In this episode, Dallas shares how she broke through those barriers to write the books that were in her heart. Listen as she walks us through: How she learned to write for herself to leverage her creativity. The life events that inspired each of her books, and how the therapeutic power of writing helped carry her through grief How a decade working on the just-released Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life reflects her growth as a person Plus the life changes that have helped her reframe her view of her writing time and ignited a new passion for investing in her creative pursuits.

What happens when you lose your mojo by making the stuff you are told to make instead of what you want to make? Today, we’re sitting down with Koosje Koene to talk about how burnout in her photography business led her to a series of dull “cubicle” jobs. It was then that she started spending all of her free time soaking in her creative pursuits and drawing each day. Now she teaches others how to develop their own creative practice. Listen as she walks us through: Why draw? How sketching challenges us to step out of our comfort zone What sketching has in common with cooking and how both practices are more about why than how The trick to lowering the stakes so you can get off the creative roller coaster, create your own sketchbook practice, and even have fun Plus, in the video, she shares some of her favorite sketches with us.

Why do you read books? We might read all kinds of books, but not have an intention for our time spent with that author. What if you read books more intentionally? Nicholas Hutchison of Bookthinkers, spends his days reading books with the aim of learning, growing and applying what he’s learned right away. I love that idea, but personally don’t have systems in place for turning bookish inspiration into action. I asked Nicholas how he manages the ideas he reads about and turns them into changes in his life. We also talked about the challenges he’s facing finishing writing his own book, his morning routines and their effects on his productivity, and much more bookish fun.

You might have the dream of writing a book. Maybe you have more than one book idea. If you’re like me, you have an abundance of ideas. One of the biggest ways we stumble in our creative work is not choosing at all. This keeps us on the sidelines of our dreams. In this solo episode, you will hear a few ways to look at how to choose among your brilliant ideas. I will share some perspectives that will hopefully help with any creative decision, not just choosing which book to write. I’ll also talk about the book I am currently writing and how I made the decision to write this now and not earlier. Be sure to check the episode webpage for my choosing checklist to help with your creative decisions.

You might not be the most organized person in the world. Writing a book calls for some degree of organization - your time, content, and chapters need a bit of order. Wrangling your ideas from chaos to order is part of the job of writing a book. In this solo episode, I share two challenges authors face and offer a few ideas to get it together to get your book written.

So many people write books based on their life experiences. This does many things for us. One main gift of writing a book from your experiences is you get to reframe and process the experience more powerfully. Writing things down helps us get clarity and confidence in ways we wouldn’t just thinking about them. Writing a book of our experiences gives us the chance to connect with other people having the same experience. This can give us a chance to be of service and also to connect with a community of people we may not have otherwise. Chances are, our problems are ones others have, too. Sharing our stories helps others live more powerfully. In this week’s episode of Stumbling Toward Genius, I talk with my friend and fellow coach Karen Wright about her second book, The Accidental Alpha Woman.

Here’s how it often goes. We have an idea for a book. It can grow inside us for years. We love this idea and we cherish it. Our idea expands and morphs and gives us a sense of having something precious. But I believe our ideas have a shelf life. Our talents are not Twinkies with no expiration date. I also believe that making our ideas real is way more satisfying than holding onto them, cherishing the sense of possibility. In this episode, I’ll share some of the common pitfalls that keep us at the starting gate of a book or any other project. You’ll hear about the new book I am writing and how I am going through all these pitfalls even though this is my ninth book. And, I’ll give you strategies that help me and my clients get past the obstacles that we stumble over when we get started with a project. I’ll also share a confession about how I responded to one of my biggest creative wins. It’s not what I expected! Finally, you’ll hear how I am getting more reading into my days. This is important to me feeling like me and I am grateful I found this way to read more.

Pam Slim seeks to connect people as communities. She believes that through our work together, we can build the kind of world we want to inhabit. Her latest book, The Widest Net, shows business owners how to connect within communities instead of speaking from afar to audiences. In this episode, Pam shares what’s at the core of her work and how even though this book felt so right, it was a challenge to write.

What are your plans for your creativity next year? Perhaps you have a project in mind and can’t wait to get started. That’s me! Or maybe you don’t know what you want to work on. There are possible projects. Your friends have clear goals. But you don’t know what you want to do. In this episode of Stumbling Toward Genius, I will share a perspective on how to focus your creative time so you feel satisfied and on track no matter what happens. It’s not goal-setting. It’s both broad and specific, and I think you’ll love it.

As a kid, Sean McMullin couldn’t stop drawing and making things. But an episode at a new school shut his artist down. Tune in to hear how Sean brought his artist back to life, and how he makes art a central part of his days.

At the end of the year, it’s tempting to just dive into planning for the next year. But if we don’t pause to reflect on the year we had, we rob ourselves of much of the empowerment and joy we earned through our actions. For creatives especially, doing an annual review process can give us the confidence and courage to brave new things. In this solo episode, Cynthia shares why it’s so important to reflect. She also shares some of the major challenges she experienced, some creative wins, including one of the biggest creative projects of her life.

Voice is one of the most important elements of writing. Somehow, even though our voice is right there within us all the time, it’s oddly elusive when it comes to expressing ourselves. Mark McGuinness, the host of the podcast A Mouthful of Air, shares some surprising perspectives on how poetry helps us access not only voice but other essentials for writers.

When you’re a writer, people will often say you have a gift with language. What if we used our words as a gift? I love the idea of being generous with your words. There are a million ways to do this. I suspect you give the gift of your words all the time. In this episode of Stumbling Toward Genius, I share a few thoughts on how to use your words as a gift to others. Plus, a special treat from one of my clients who generously agreed to give the gift of his words to us here.