Stumbling Toward Genius

One decision to say yes more led Kelly Beck to drive across the US on a giving mission. But this one mission grew to so much more. Kelly’s story is an extraordinary example of how one move that is deeply aligned with our values can open up a whole new pathway for ourselves and others.

Who knew that a state of wonder is a powerful skill when it comes to resiliency? Author and guide Jeffrey Davis discovered that the wonder that made him a poet and world traveler also had a role to play in his resiliency as a business owner and author. Listen in as he shares the ways he stumbled in writing this book and his simple practices to stay on track.

Have you ever wondered why it's so difficult to finish your creative projects? Why do you have so many great ideas but getting them across the finish line feels beyond your abilities? From helping hundreds of people through their creative stumbles, I have an idea of why it's so hard to stay focused to the finish line. I have a model in my ebook, Cross the Finish Line that can be a way of understanding why we so often fail to complete projects that matter. We'll delve into it here. Hopefully, this will help you banish the idea that you are a creative loser.

When you see an illustrated journal, it’s almost like peeking into someone’s mind. Denver designer Marty Gregg has one of the most complex and interesting visual journals I’ve ever seen. In this episode, we look at how he uses modeling and journal sketches to design work for his clients and to design a life he loves. This interview is also available on video. Find it and the show notes at OriginalImpulse.com/podcast.

Have you ever done the NaNoWriMo challenge? That’s National Novel Writing Month, and it happens every November. The purpose of the challenge is to get 50,000 words out onto the page. In this solo episode, I share my experience and ideas for how to make this month of writing a success - on your own terms.

Art making is a mysterious thing. Those of us who are called to make art can’t not do it. And yet, we’re often terrified to share what we’ve made with the world. I spoke with Lisa Sonora and she said some things about art-making and daring that might accelerate your own bold moves. 

Lisa recently launched a new shop filled with her cheeky and delightful designs called Magic Gratitude. We explored magic and its place in artmaking. 

If you’ve ever struggled with the courage to put your work out there or battled with being isolated in your creativity, this is the episode for you. Lisa and I have been mastermind buddies for years now, and this will give you a peek into what we talk about when we go into the heart of why we make art.

Do you suffer from having too many creative interests? You want to write, and make art, and sing, and dance. Yet you're not a one-person band. Your time and energy is limited. How do you manage all your creative desires?

I feel the same way. I've always danced with a lot of different interests. In this solo episode of Stumbling Toward Genius, I share how I am currently working with all the things I love and want to make. It's not what you would expect from a creativity coach!

Cara Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 19 books in the Private Investigator Aimée Leduc series, set in Paris. With more than 400,000 books in print, the Aimée Leduc series has been translated into many languages. Cara's most recent book, Three Hours in Paris, is a departure from her popular series. We talk about what it was like to step outside of her usual writing mode to launch into historical fiction. This is an inspiring conversation for anyone who loves Paris and wants to write.

When embarking on a creative project, people often say they need something I can’t give them. Permission.

I’m not the authority or the all-knowing one who metes out permission. Permission comes from inside. As adults, we decide how we devote ourselves to our creative projects.

While I don’t think permission comes from someone else, I do believe that role models help us see what’s possible. Permission can come from seeing how someone else boldly carves out their own path.

I felt this sense of permission the minute Kristoffer Carter crossed my path almost ten years ago. There is something about him, from his unabashed energy to his ability to connect with anyone, anywhere, that inspired me. Some would call it "unfiltered".

In this episode, we talk about his book, Permission to Glow. He shares four permissions and how he is still on the edge of practicing them daily. We also discussed:

The difference between performing and embodying your message

How Kristoffer found his path to joy through consistent spiritual practice

And much, much more.

Sometimes, when we’re just starting out with a creative dream, it’s hard to know what we need. We may not be tackling a big project like a book, or a series of articles or essays. So our writing life can feel amorphous, like it’s not real. It exists inside us as a desire, but there’s not a lot of structure in the world to give it shape.

We have to give it shape. I like the idea of designing our own curriculum. One that suits our needs, meets us where we’re at, and helps us to feel a sense of focus and containment. I’ve always thrived in a learning environment, and the idea of a course of study that I design and work with always helps me. Does this idea of designing your own writing course resonate with you?

In this solo episode of Stumbling Toward Genius, you’ll get ideas about how to design structure around your creative work, whether it’s writing or art-making. You’ll also hear about what I am working on this fall and how I am coping with the daunting thrill of it...