Create Out Loud With Jennifer Louden

Join the conversation with one of the most decorated American distance runner Lauren Fleshman as we discuss the mission that drove her to write her NYT's bestselling memoir Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World. We talk about how to write when you have a big story to tell, how to write when depressed, and why it's okay to move on from something that has been your calling. Enjoy!   Episode resources:  Find out how to work with me here. I'd love you to join me on one of my Retreats or Writing Intensives. My book, Why Bother: Discover the Desire for What’s Next, is a great resource for learning to create out loud.  Your feedback is so important to me! You can leave a review on Apple podcasts, or email me at jen@jenniferlouden.com

Jen recently shared in a solo episode that she's been working her way through burnout and in this episode, she shares her new project and how she approached it in a new way to refind her spark. Is it possible to change our patterns and create out loud without burnout? Let's find out.   Episode resources:  Find out how to work with me here. I'd love you to join me on one of my Retreats or Writing Intensives. My book, Why Bother: Discover the Desire for What’s Next, is a great resource for learning to create out loud.  Your feedback is so important to me! You can leave a review on Apple podcasts, or email me at jen@jenniferlouden.com

In this bonus episode of Create out Loud, I interview a force of nature, Shannon Watts. In case you don't know Shannon, she founded Moms Demand Action, now the largest women’s volunteer organization in America. She's been called a “summoner of women’s audacity,” named a Time Magazine 100 Most Influential People, a Forbes 50 over 50 Changemaker, and a Glamour Woman of the Year. She writes a popular substack https://shannonwatts.substack.com/about I'm working as a book coach with Shannon on her new book about helping you find your audacious spark and play with fire to change your world. I wanted to talk to Shannon about this transition she is in after 10 years leading Moms Demand Action, about writing, and about sparks. If you wonder how someone like Shannon has accomplished her goals and how you can do it too, in your own wonderful unique way, you'll love this episode.   Episode resources:  Find out how to work with me here. I'd love you to join me on one of my Retreats or Writing Intensives. My book, Why Bother: Discover the Desire for What’s Next, is a great resource for learning to create out loud.  Your feedback is so important to me! You can leave a review on Apple podcasts, or email me at jen@jenniferlouden.com

In this bonus episode of Create out Loud, I explore burnout, the power of quitting, and how your desires are allowed to change - in fact, they must be allowed to morph and grow with you or you will fall into Why Bother.   Many of us were raised to believe if you start a project, you have to finish it or you are a failure. But that isn't true! But how to know when to quit, when to change your focus?   I'll explore that and more in this short but juicy episode with lots of personal updates including what's happening with my creative life.   Episode resources:  Find out how to work with me here. I'd love you to join me on one of my Retreats or Writing Intensives. My book, Why Bother: Discover the Desire for What’s Next, is a great resource for learning to create out loud.  Your feedback is so important to me! You can leave a review on Apple podcasts, or email me at jen@jenniferlouden.com

In this last episode of season 2 of Create Out Loud, I share with you some tips for creating out loud, making your thing, finding your desire to create, putting pen to paper (and brush to canvas)...    Listen to the episode to learn:    What it means to give yourself permission to be seen as a creator  Why quantity over quality can help you produce better work  My top tip for picking a project up again when it’s been forgotten  How to be uncomfortable with uncertainty  How to create a daily habit without becoming prisoner to it  Why forgetting about talent is one of the best things you can do for your creative work Why you are not your work and why you need to remember that    This was one of my favorite solo episodes to record, because I got to share with you the tips for creating out loud that I usually only share during one-on-one coaching or on retreats.    Episode resources:  My book, Why Bother: Discover the Desire for What’s Next, is a great resource for learning to create out loud.  Your feedback is so important to me! I’d love to bring back Create Out Loud for a third season, but I need your feedback about what you’d like to hear on the new season. You can leave a review on Apple podcasts, or email me at jen@jenniferlouden.com

Does the thought of the climate crisis decimating our world fill you with thoughts of doom and gloom…  Thoughts like:  No matter what I do it doesn’t matter…  Why bother with ANY of my desires if there won’t be a world to live in?...  I’m powerless in the face of large corporations that continue to ignore their impact on the planet so they can profit…  Take a deep breath. And another one.  In this episode of Create Out Loud, I talk about one of the topics that moved me to write my book, Why Bother? Discover the Desire for What’s Next – climate change. Climate crisis. Climate emergency.  Instead of stopping the conversation with “we’re doomed”, I’m challenging you in this episode to think about what you can do, as someone who creates. How can you use your creativity, and your desire to amplify the message, provide support to climate scientists, and spread the message of hope. Because without hope, we give up, and if we give up on trying to solve this problem then we are 100% doomed.  Do I know if hoping and creating will cause global change?  No. But I know what the immense cost of doing nothing is.  Listen to the episode to learn:  Why you don’t need to be a climate scientist to talk about climate change  How you can leverage your creativity to make a difference  Why thinking about global impact will keep you stuck… instead, think about community impact  Why we need to make the problem smaller and ourselves bigger    Resources:  A lot of my thinking about climate change is informed by A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety by Sarah Jacquette RayGet your copy here: Amazon | Bookshop Check out the first chapter of my book, Why Bother: Discover the Desire for What’s Next right here

This episode is all about how seeking wonder can help you bother again and embracing the natural fallow period after you finish a big project. I’m joined by Andrea Scher, author of Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways to Wake up Your Creativity and Find Your Joy, to talk about how to fill up your creative well when its run dry..  We talk about the power of mixing up your routines to try something new – going for a walk and finding a new plant, taking pictures, going to a new restaurant – as a way of sparking creativity and finding desire.  Our brains react in fear to trying new things, to hanging out in the liminal space of venturing into the unknown, but it’s when we put ourselves in those spaces that we grow.  We also talk about how the pressure to monetize our creativity keeps us stuck not creating. Instead, what would it look like if you created without the expectation of making money, or “being creative”, or even getting better at what you create? What would it look like if you created for creativity’s sake?  Listen to the episode to learn:  How to seek wonder in your everyday life How to find ambition and creativity as you age Why just being there in life is enough How to bother when it seems like your life is falling apart What Andrea and I’s superpowers are  Check out these resources:  Andrea’s podcast The Creative Superheroes, and look for me in a recent episode!  Andrea’s book Wonder Seeker: 52 Ways to Wake up Your Creativity and Find Your Joy - Get your copy here: Amazon | Bookshop Unbound by Kasia Urbaniak

Not everyone listening to this podcast wants to make money by being creative, but a larger number of people believe that they CAN’T make money from creative pursuits. That is NOT true!   I’m joined by the author of The Middle Finger Project and Meat and Hair, Ash Ambirge, to give a big ol’ middle finger to the idea that you can’t make money by being creative.    We talk about how important it is to devote time to your happiness, how to manage multiple streams of creative income, and just how important it is to believe that you can make money by being creative.    Ash Ambirge runs three businesses that she built herself, and is currently curating a fourth. How did she do it? Ash has ALWAYS had an entrepreneurial spirit, and in today's episode, Jen and Ash discuss how being creative shares a lot in common with running a business.   Listen to the episode to learn:    How Ash is able to devote two whole days to happiness, not work  How to ignore your itty bitty shitty committee telling you that you can’t make money by being creative  How Ash is dedicated to giving the middle finger to imposter syndrome  Why getting started in your business doesn’t have to be complicated  Just how effective a simple newsletter can be How important it is to create a system to sell your work    Episode resources:    Ash Ambirge’s latest book, The Middle Finger ProjectGet your copy here: Amazon | Bookshop Ash has two amazing newsletters that I highly recommend joiningMeat and Hair, a creative writing newsletter The Middle Finger newsletter for tips on making money online Wynter, a nifty tool to see test how your messaging is landing ConvertKit, an email marketing tool best for deliverability and segmentation Buzzsumo, a tool that shows you what high-quality content looks like  Zapier, a productivity platform that connects all of your apps

Do you spend thousands on marketing, or hours researching trendy new marketing strategies… and it doesn’t move the needle forward?  Then this episode of Create Out Loud is for you.  In this episode, Jen Louden talks about the importance of ecosystem marketing.  It’s all about finding out where your people are, and communicating with them there.  Not to sell anything. Just to connect.  Are you…. sweating just thinking about that? Are you thinking “that’s not me! I don’t do all that social media stuff?”  Or do you just desperately wish your book could market itself (don’t we all)? Reaching out and connecting with people can be terrifying, but when we do it IT WORKS.  In this solo episode, Jen talks through why ecosystems are so important and how they can be nourishing instead of scary.  Listen to the episode to learn more about:  What ecosystem marketing is  Why relying solely on traditional marketing is giving up control  Why YOU are the only one who can build and connect your ecosystems  How being in relationship and connection with your audience can make you a stronger writer How connecting with others doesn’t have to mean relying on technology or social media  Episode Resources:  Check out the Create Out Loud episode with Pam Slim about her book The Widest Net.  Buy The Widest Net by Pamela Slim Here’s a great newsletter about making money from creative pursuits. It’s a bit bro-y, so take the good parts and leave the rest. Need an extra push to get started on your non-fiction book? Check out this free resource.

We can be remarkably uncomfortable discussing money, but what if we shifted our relationship with the topic by instead recognizing how money can facilitate freedom, power, and creative potential? This is Paco’s mission. As a creative, author, consultant, and coach, Paco is passionate about empowering people, particularly those who identify as women, to step into their power.    On today’s show, Jen and Paco discuss:   How business instincts can be artistic, creative, and fulfilling How to make it as independent contractor How to figure out how much you’re “worth” when finding clients What it means to schedule financial “time” Shifting your mindset towards your business to focus on problem solving   You will love Paco’s ideas and even more, her comforting truth-telling vibe!   Paco de Leon is an author, illustrator, musician. She is the founder of The Hell Yeah Group, a financial firm dedicated to inspiring creatives to engage with their personal and business finances and Hell Yeah, Bookkeeping, a bookkeeping agency for creative businesses. Her career experiences in banking, business consulting, financial planning, and wealth management have informed her financial philosophies.    She is a TED speaker and her work has been published or featured in The New York Times, Bloomberg, Vice, TIME, on other publications, and on NPR. She lives in Los Angeles with her wife.   https://www.amazon.com/Finance-People-Getting-Grip-Finances/dp/0143136259   https://thehellyeahgroup.com/   https://www.ted.com/talks/paco_de_leon_the_secret_to_being_a_successful_freelancer?language=en   LINK TO VIDEO: https://youtu.be/3oS5Sh-NFsg

Work, relationships, kids, friends… Do you find that everything comes BEFORE your creative desires?  Or has it been so long that you can’t remember what it’s like to take some time to just be curious, and play with creativity?  Author Eve Rodsky joins Jen Louden in discussing how our patriarchal society has carved away the time and space women need to pursue their creative passions, and how to reclaim that creative space – your unicorn space.  Eve Rodsky has spent years researching the hours of unpaid and unrecognized labor that women are conditioned to do, and how it has affected our ability to be creative. Her book, Fairplay, outlines a new system for managing the household that divides labor fairly, and allows plenty of room for creativity and play.    Her new book, Find Your Unicorn Space talks about reclaiming the space for curiosity, connection and completion needed to live creatively.  Eve and Jen discuss how to engage in curiosity, the importance of connection in establishing a creative routine, and why completion doesn’t have to mean finishing the whole thing.  Listen to the episode to learn more about:  How the unpaid labor that falls on women constrains creativity and curiosity  A new system for putting your unicorn space FIRST  How to spark curiosity and follow that spark  Why creativity is not f*cking optional  Why you don’t need to be afraid of completion  Get a copy of Eve Rodsky’s books here:  Find Your Unicorn Space Fair Play

Do you have to choose between writing for passion and writing for pay?   Getting paid to write seems like a fantasy to most, and getting paid to write something you are truly passionate about seems even more far-fetched.   Bestselling author Susan Shapiro joins Jen Louden in discussing what it takes to write what you’re passionate about AND get published in different genres.    Susan Shapiro is the bestselling author/coauthor of 17 books across multiple genres. She has written novels, memoirs, poetry, and more recently – The Book Bible and Byline Bible, two books that guide writers on how to get their work published.    Susan and Jen discuss how to balance your passion for writing with the practicalities of the publishing world, as well as some hard truths about what it takes to get paid for your writing.    Listen to this episode to learn more about:  How to balance writing about your obsessions with giving your audience what they want Two powerful prompts that will help you write the kinds of stories only YOU can write How to show vulnerability when writing memoirs, while still maintaining boundaries When to accept edits to your piece – and when to push back  The power of literary matchmaking The biggest mistake that holds writers back from being published – and how to avoid it How to create energy for writing, every single day   Get a copy of Susan Shapiro’s books on writing here:  The Book Bible The Byline Bible     Visit jenniferlouden.com/podcastkit to get instant access to a collection of audios that will help you with some of the most common struggles we creatives have to manage, including:    The fear of choosing Falling into compare and despair, managing the inner critic(s) Feeling too exposed and vulnerable when you put yourself or your work into the world

Have you ever had a grand idea for a creative project, only to never actually start it?  You get excited about your big (or small) project, but you can’t wrap your head around how to start it.  In your mind it’s perfect, so how can it ever be as good in reality? Why do you feel fear and dread when you think about starting? Starting a new project can be one of the hardest parts of the creative process.  Some of the greatest writers of our generation have talked about the fear of writer's block. Nobel prize winners like Toni Morrison believed every writer faces it. Emotions of dread and uncertainty at starting a new project can get in your way, and experiencing a creative block before you even start can often nip a project in the bud before it has the chance to come to fruition.  Even in the depths of doubt and overwhelm, there are ALWAYS strategies to get back into it, and figure out how to start making progress on what you desire.  In this solo episode, Jen talks about why starting a project can be scary, and how to implement small strategies to help you get started today.    Listen to the episode to learn:  Why the plunge into the unknown feels so scary – it’s science!  How to create an emotionally safe environment for you to start  Why working in itty bitty containers at a time helps keep the momentum going in your project How to acknowledge progress, instead of chasing perfection Why you don’t always have to start at the beginning How to get honest with yourself about your schedule  A reminder that you’re not married to every project you want   Visit jenniferlouden.com/podcastkit to get instant access to a collection of audios that will help you with some of the most common struggles we creatives have to manage, including:    The fear of choosing Falling into compare and despair, managing the inner critic(s) Feeling too exposed and vulnerable when you put yourself or your work into the world

What are your deepest desires? What is the mystery between you and those desires? Who belongs with you explore those desires?  Even though she wrote and published as part of her career as a psychiatrist, Sarah Flick never considered herself a real writer. Even though she had wanted to write since she learnt how to read at three, a busy professional and personal life got in the way. That is, until she attended a retreat with me! Sarah is my first long time student and client to be on the show and she’s a treasure. Sarah's written a gorgeous book Desire, Mystery, and Belonging and we discuss its long beautiful evolution and much more.   How to give ourselves “permission” to write Why creativity brings us to our most authentic self How to locate and maintain a life of desire A practical barometer for feeling desire in our lives Why creativity will always lead to a sense of belonging "What a marvellous treasure you hold in your hands, an intimate guide to desire, mystery, and belonging, three qualities we all need to live a life of meaning, beauty, and presence"   Get a copy of Sarah's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Desire-Mystery-Belonging-Sarah-Flick/dp/1953445217/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1QJNK9EVEDNLF&keywords=Desire%2C+Mystery%2C+and+Belonging&qid=1647956326&sprefix=desire+mystery+and+belonging%2Caps%2C817&sr=8-1     Visit jenniferlouden.com/podcastkit to get instant access to a collection of audios that will   help you with some of the most common struggles we creatives have to manage including fear of choosing, falling into compare and despair, managing the inner critic (s), and feeling too exposed and vulnerable when you put yourself or your work into the world.

In addition to being an actress, improviser, and best-selling author, Sam Bennett is a highly respected creative coach whose business, The Organized Artist, has inspired thousands to channel their creative urges into RESULTS.   Sam is the author of ‘Get it Done’ From Procrastination to Creative Genius in 15 minutes a day, a wonderful book for creatives on how to be more CREATIVE, CONSISTENT, SUSTAINABLE and SANE.  The beauty of Sam's work is that she's her number one customer - as a wildly creative but easily-unmoored creative herself, Sam created this philosophy to help herself, and by extension, she's helped so many.  On today's show, Sam and Jen discuss: Why you might be a terrible judge of your own work How not to get stuck just because you’ve made a decision Performing isn’t just for actors and how acting allows Sam to use 100% of herself How ‘the prison of desire’ can stop you from growing and experiencing new things How to push through the "groan zone" that accompanies every creative project How and why creative productivity can boost our self-esteem The difference between our lives and our "lifestyle." The secret ingredient to knowing whether or not a creative project is "worth it."   Visit jenniferlouden.com/podcastkit to get instant access to a collection of audios that will help you with some of the most common struggles we creatives have to manage including fear of choosing, falling into compare and despair, managing the inner critic (s), and feeling too exposed and vulnerable when you put yourself or your work into the world.

Has your work ever been greeted by a firestorm of furiously polarized tweets, both in fierce support and rampant opposition to what you have to say? In addition to being scathingly funny, bitingly honest, and sharply observant, author, essayist, and humorist Heather Havrilesky's work has always been provocative. And her latest memoir, Foreverland: On the Divine Tedium of Marriage does not disappoint.   By writing honestly (and hilariously) about motherhood, marriage, and the contemporary female experience, Heather has amassed passionate supporters (Jen among them), in addition to nasty critics. But at the end of the day, shouldn't that be our chief aim as artists? In this episode, Jen and Heather unpack HOW creatives can truly get to the root of honesty in our work, so we too can inspire our audience.   How Heather handles negativity and misreading of her work Sometimes the beauty of writing is learning how you feel on the page Writing honestly to accept what you’re made of Readers can see through everything so you’re better off being honest How the editorial process of her latest memoir helped her grow closer to her husband Why Jen was afraid to ask Heather to be on the podcast How self-acceptance feeds your creativity The form and structure of Foreverland, and how it shifted from a collection of essays to a narrative experience How Heather has navigated her career and why she feels like she’s just starting to take her writing more seriously, 25+ years in Taking an experimental approach to writing and learning as she goes Writing about and for women with more and more madness and freedom over time Can you stand behind your work?  Comparing yourself to people you admire and professional envy   Visit jenniferlouden.com/podcastkit to get instant access to a collection of audios that will: help you with some of the most common struggles we creatives have to manage including fear of choosing, falling into compare and despair, managing the inner critic (s), and feeling too exposed and vulnerable when you put yourself or your work into the world.

One of the questions I’m asked often is, ‘how do I stick with a project?’ followed closely by, ‘how do I know when a project is done?’ We want to see our creative endeavors through to completion, but it’s not always easy to do or be done. This is particularly true if a project has hit the skids or we’ve lost our way in the mushy middle or it’s a big damn  project that takes a honking long time.    Seeing your creative endeavors through to a conclusion (notice I did not write THE conclusion), is about asking the right questions…   What do I want out of this?  What financial impact will this project have on me?  If I died doing this, would I be satisfied?  What is finished for me?   These types of questions can help us ground ourselves before we dive in, and not fall into extremes of isolation, apathy, or frustration.   Sit down, buckle up, and grab a journal, because this solo episode is brimming with tips to help you create out loud and know when you have. We also cover...   Why my book Why Bother? took 10 years to write Knowing what you’re looking for in doing a project  Why creative work sometimes gets harder the more experienced you are How to stay motivated throughout your project and avoid common demotivating factors The subtle dangers of easy access to learning  The power of embracing frustration and confusion How to know when you’re finished with a project when you want to keep working on it How to define what finished looks like -- what is “good enough” for you?   Visit jenniferlouden.com/podcastkit to get instant access to a collection of audios that will: help you with some of the most common struggles we creatives have to manage including fear of choosing, falling into compare and despair, managing the inner critic (s), and feeling too exposed and vulnerable when you put yourself or your work into the world.

Sue Monk Kidd is one of the world's most beloved writers, occupying a rare intersection of critical and commercial success writers dream of.    Perhaps most recognized for her #1 New York Times Bestsellers, The Secret Life of Bees, which went on to become the basis for a blockbuster movie, and The Invention of Wings, her earlier works, When the Heart Waits, an autobiographical account of a spiritual awakening, and Dance of the Dissident Daughter, a memoir that explores feminist theology, were groundbreaking for millions of seekers too.   And yet, she's still willing to acknowledge how hard it is to start a new project. Sue says that every time she sits down to start a new project, she feels like a beginner. Fortunately, she listens to her soul and her craft, and together, they get here there.   Jen and Sue also discuss:   How Sue consistently taps into what women are feeling and experiencing Recurring themes throughout her body of work How writing memoir helped her find courage and freed her to write fiction How she pivoted in her spiritual life but maintained her creative beacons Writing as an act of courage that serves your soul Why Sue believes our salvation is in our imagination The importance of writing what you deeply care about  Creativity as playing with what you love  The two questions to ask yourself when starting a novel Using imagery and collages as part of the writing process  Why Sue still feels like a beginner  How she dealt with the staggering success of The Secret Life of Bees How perfectionism stymies writing Method and mystery, beginning the writing process, and writing rituals Doing research for historical fiction What Sue would say to her younger self Reflecting on her spiritual path The importance of the simplicity of being Creating as a spiritual act, writing as prayer Transitioning between projects The tension and energy that goes into writing a book Get a copy of Sue's books here:   The Secret Life of Bees AmazonBookshop   The Invention of Wings AmazonBookshop   When the Heart Waits AmazonBookshop   Visit jenniferlouden.com/podcastkit to get instant access to a collection of audios that will help you with some of the most common struggles we creatives have to manage including fear of choosing, falling into compare and despair, managing the inner critic (s), and feeling too exposed and vulnerable when you put yourself or your work into the world.

Have you seen those beautiful, colorful bottles of Method Soap at Target? They're most likely the work of today's guest, Lisa Congdon, who is one of the world's most recognizable graphic designers, a fine artist, and an illustrator who creates for clients such as Amazon, Comme des Garcons, Crate & Barrel, REI, and MoMA.    She’s also the author of ten books, including Art Inc: The Essential Guide to Building Your Career as an Artist, and Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic, the host of The Lisa Congdon Sessions podcast, and she teaches on the faculty of Northwest College of Art.    But you might be surprised to learn Lisa didn't discover her true passion for design until her 30s, and at that point, she assumed it was too late to make it her career. Little did she know she had an entire journey of discovery ahead of her, and so much of that had to do with finding her voice.    0:42 - Why we tell ourselves we’re too old to be creative 1:40 - How imposter syndrome intensified when her career blew up 6:30 - Learning to stand in your creative power 7:00 - How Lisa manages to handle the various aspects of her career and life that bring her joy 12:18 - How to surround yourself with a great creative team 17:15 - Gauging whether or not to say yes to a creative opportunity 21:15 - Listening to your gut 22:43 - Knowing how much to charge for creative services 28:43 - The complicated nature of social media 33:33 - The elements of artistic voice 39:27 - Remembering that we hit multiple impasses in our creative work and that’s not a problem   44:48 - Working with the pressure to produce 48:15 - Developing grit in your creative life through physical challenges    Get a copy of Lisa’s books here:   Art Inc: The Essential Guide to Building Your Career as an Artist Amazon Bookshop   Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic Amazon Bookshop   Visit Lisa’s shop and world: https://lisacongdon.com/   Visit jenniferlouden.com/podcastkit to get instant access to a collection of audios that will: help you with some of the most common struggles we creatives have to manage including fear of choosing, falling into compare and despair, managing the inner critic (s), and feeling too exposed and vulnerable when you put yourself or your work into the world.

Pamela Slim is a dynamic beloved thought leader and has been in the trenches with creative businesses for decades. Her breakout book Escape From Cubicle Nation hit the scene in 2009, and since then she’s launched many creative projects, including founding a beloved brick-and-mortar small business incubator, The Main Street Learning Lab at K’é, and two more books, Body of Work, and her latest The Widest Net.  Get Pam's free workbook: https://pamelaslim.com/the-widest-net/ If you want to connect with customers but the idea of building an empire makes you queasy, you will adore this episode. We cover so many practical ways to build a values-based creative business including: How Pamela has allowed herself to keep learning, growing, and changing by following the work itself, even though her first book Escape From Cubicle Nation was quite sticky How she sees herself as an author practitioner The branding and audience building price creatives have to play when making pivots How justice, inclusivity, and equity are baked into everything she does and shape her creative choices The complex dynamic of her identity and really understanding the appropriate role to play in community building and issues of human rights and justice Her willingness to take on complexity and hard topics in her work How her latest book The Widest Net uses community building as a framework for finding an audience or customers for a business The creative process as putting pieces of a puzzle together Struggling through the creative process when writing The Widest Net and how she overcame writer’s block Why she wanted to bring The Widest Net framework out into the world as an alternative to all the empire-building, crush it, smash it, look at me, hustle, influencer stuff, which can be harmful and play into white supremacy culture and the patriarchy The harm people experience when searching for a singular life purpose and how she uses the metaphor of finding roots as an alternative The guidance in being drawn toward things that evoke a strong emotional reaction, paying attention to clues for where you might want to contribute through your creative energy The power in focusing on how and who you’re going to serve How introverts can build relationships while staying true to their natural wiring A deep dive into what it means to build a business ecosystem and how Ways to get support in building your business ecosystem How her book launch strategy has changed from book to book The heartbreak of evolving your business, changing relationships, and the emotional skills required to navigate it all Why Pamela is learning about crypto and NFTs while recognizing the disturbing components     Get a copy of Pamela’s book here: Escape From Cubicle Nation Amazon Bookshop   Body of Work Amazon Bookshop   The Widest Net Amazon Bookshop Or get a free copy here: https://pamelaslim.com/the-widest-net/   Visit jenniferlouden.com/podcastkit to get instant access to a collection of audios that will help you with some of the most common struggles we creatives have to manage including fear of choosing, falling into compare and despair, managing the inner critic (s), and feeling too exposed and vulnerable when you put yourself or your work into the world.