Creative Momentum with Meg

Jem Splitter, writer, director and producer on letting ideas take their timeWriter, director and producer Jem Splitter joins Meg Dunley on Creative Momentum with Meg to explore the less visible parts of creative work: mind wandering, letting ideas develop, finding a creative career path and learning to trust the stories we want to tell.Jem shares how one musical spent around five years in the dreaming stage, why a lack of routine can sometimes support creativity, and why the inner critic needs to give instinct some space before the editing begins.They also discuss plotting, inspiration through reading and misreading, the importance of tone in storytelling, and the role of persistence in building a creative career.In this episode:·       Finding a winding path into creative work·       Making space for daydreaming and mind wandering·       Why some ideas need years to develop·       Balancing instinct, plotting and editing·       Finding inspiration in reading and everyday life·       How tone establishes trust with an audience·       Finding the courage to pursue creative workWho should listen?Writers, screenwriters, storytellers and other creatives who want to understand their own process, especially those who feel they should be more productive or have a clearer path into their creative work.Find Jem Splitter:·       Instagram @jemonmeringue·       Displaced webseries·       Watch Displaced https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFweqDjw1S-myxlSnmekZzS_HqFsc9bl2Read the full interview: https://megdunley.com/2026/10/27/jem-splitter-interview/More episodes: https://megdunley.substack.com/s/creative-momentum-with-meg-dunleySubscribe to Creative Momentum with Meg on your favourite podcast platform so you don't miss future conversations.MusicA special thank you to Yvonne Morton for the beautiful music that accompanies each episode. You can find Yvonne on Bandcamp and Instagram. Get full access to Musings with Meg at megdunley.substack.com/subscribe

Maddy Tyers, actor, writer and producerHow do you keep creating when work, parenting and everyday life leave little spare time? Melbourne-based actor, writer and producer Maddy Tyers talks with Meg Dunley about making sketches and developing projects in the small pockets of time available, collaborating with her husband Jimmy, and finding creative inspiration in ordinary life. Maddy also shares how a personal story became a children’s book and why she believes we do not have to wait for permission to begin making things.In this episode·       Creative work around paid work and parenting·       Collaboration and creative shorthand·       The story behind Maddy’s children’s book·       Finding comedy in everyday life·       Taking the first step without waiting for permission·       Rest, films and other ways to refill the creative cup·       What home feels like on set with your peopleWho should listen: Writers and creatives trying to make room for their work alongside the rest of life, anyone who has been waiting to begin, and anyone interested in collaborative creative practice.Connect with MaddyMaddy is a Melbourne-based actor, writer, producer and voiceover artist, and co-creator and producer of Win Win Productions. Credits include Neighbours, Back in Very Small Business, City Homicide, The Elephant Princess and Lego Masters Australia.Website: maddytyers.comInstagram: maddytyers/Facebook: maddy.tyersTikTok: maddytyersYouTube: Win Win ProductionsPodcast: Sonny DispositionRead the full interviewhttps://megdunley.com/2026/10/14/maddy-tyers-interview/Episode pagehttps://megdunley.substack.com/s/creative-momentum-with-meg-dunleySubscribeIf you enjoy conversations about creativity, writing and the many ways people make things, subscribe to Creative Momentum with Meg so you don't miss future episodes.MusicA special thank you to Yvonne Morton for the beautiful music that accompanies each episode. You can find Yvonne on Bandcamp and Instagram. Get full access to Musings with Meg at megdunley.substack.com/subscribe

Amy Coomer: Writing, self-publishing and finding creative focusIn this episode of Creative Momentum with Meg, author Amy Coomer talks about writing around part-time work, finding a routine that suits her natural energy and learning to trust her creative process.Amy shares her experience of self-publishing her debut novel, the unexpected success of a book trailer on TikTok and the importance of protecting your creative work from social media comparison.We discussWriting as a night owl.Being a pantser and finding structure.Sharing work with a trusted editor.Self-publishing and the changing publishing landscape.Finding inspiration in everyday situations.Writing in cafés.Social media, comparison and AI.The importance of human-made art.Who should listen?Writers at any stage who are looking for encouragement around creative routines, self-publishing, finding focus and protecting their attention.Find AmyInstagram: amycoomerTikTok: amycoomerauthorWebsite: www.amycoomer.comRead the full interviewhttps://megdunley.com/https://megdunley.com/2026/09/30/interviews-with-creatives-amy-coomer/SubscribeIf you enjoy conversations about creativity, writing and the many ways people make things, subscribe to Creative Momentum with Meg so you don't miss future episodes.MusicMusic for Creative Momentum with Meg by Yvonne Morton. Get full access to Musings with Meg at megdunley.substack.com/subscribe

Season 2: The Home SeasonEpisode 28: Ingrid J. AdamsAuthor Ingrid J. Adams joins Meg to talk about finding your own creative rhythm, writing around family life and discovering a creative process that actually works for you.Ingrid is the author of the four-book Descended series, a love story spanning lifetimes that explores reincarnation, fate, free will, soulmates and soul family.In this conversation, Ingrid talks about moving from being a complete 'pantser' to a mixture of plotting and pantsing, writing from the heart while becoming more commercially aware, and what happens when the definition of success keeps changing.We also talk about finding inspiration in the questions that have fascinated her since childhood, the importance of creative community and honest feedback, and the strange experience of finishing an eight-year series and having to say goodbye to characters who have become like family.We talk about- finding your natural writing rhythm- writing around family life- plotting and pantsing- writing from the heart- the commercial realities of publishing- defining and celebrating success- creative inspiration- books that stay with us- creative self-care- writing community and feedback- finishing a long-running seriesFind IngridWebsite: https://ingridjadams.com/Instagram: @ingrid.j.adamsSubstack: Ingrid J. AdamsRead the full interviewhttps://megdunley.com/2026/09/16/interviews-with-creatives-ingrid-j-adams/SubscribeIf you enjoy conversations about creativity, writing and the many ways people make things, subscribe to Creative Momentum with Meg so you don't miss future episodes.MusicMusic for Creative Momentum with Meg by Yvonne Morton. Get full access to Musings with Meg at megdunley.substack.com/subscribe

Season 2: The Home SeasonEpisode 27: Claire Zorn, author, artist and enthusiastic makerIClaire Zorn is an Australian author and artist whose creative work moves between novels, picture books, drawing, painting, weaving and tapestry.In this conversation, Claire talks about why she prefers to discover rather than over-plan her creative work, how music feeds her writing, her experience of synesthesia, and why small, achievable goals can make such a difference when creative time is limited.We also talk about observation, journalling, getting out of familiar routines, travelling for research, and the pleasure of making something without immediately judging it.We talk aboutWriting novels from images, characters and atmosphereClaire's approach to weaving and makingMusic as a source of creative inspirationSynesthesia and seeing colours and shapes in response to musicSmall, achievable creative goalsJournalling and developing a writing voiceObservation and getting out of everyday routinesFinding creative material in unexpected placesMaking without worrying whether the work is good yetWho should listen?This episode is for writers, artists and other creatives who are feeling stuck, curious about working across different creative forms, or needing a reminder that creative work doesn't have to be planned perfectly before you begin.Guest linksWebsite: https://clairezorn.com/Instagram: @claire_zornSubstack: Don't Be Ridiculous By Claire ZornRead the full interview https://megdunley.com/2026/09/02/claire-zorn-on-creativity-writing-and-making/Listen to Creative Momentum with Meg: https://megdunley.substack.com/s/creative-momentum-with-meg-dunleySubscribeIf you enjoy conversations about creativity, writing and the many ways people make things, subscribe to Creative Momentum with Meg so you don't miss future episodes.MusicMusic for Creative Momentum with Meg by Yvonne Morton. Get full access to Musings with Meg at megdunley.substack.com/subscribe