Follow Your Curiosity: You didn’t lose your creative spark. You were taught to leave it behind.

Kathryn Malek is an actor, writer, and coach. Kathryn started focusing on acting and writing as a young adult, studying with apprentices of Lee Strasberg before taking the leap into playwriting. We talked about those early experiences, the ways acting is viewed in our society as performers on demand or as people who “just pretend for a living”—and the truth of what goes into good acting, and how she uses her acting skills as a coach.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

If you're feeling stuck creatively, you may just need a change of scene. It doesn't have to be anything dramatic, though the bigger the change, the more potential!

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, and experience with these ideas! Send me a note at fycuriosity.com, or contact me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!

My guest this week is Michael Broussard, an actor, activist, musician, and artist. His solo show, “Ask a Sex Abuse Survivor,” uses his own experience to demystify and destigmatize abuse trauma while also giving his audience, which often includes fellow survivors, a chance to ask questions and open up about their own experiences in a safe environment. As you’ll hear, it’s a show that’s grown with its creator both in scope and content, and has also branched into the online world during the pandemic, reaching a far wider audience than ever before.

We also talk about living with trauma, processing trauma through art, and how Doctor Who fandom gave Michael a desperately needed social outlet, a chance to embody a role model, and more.

Trigger warning for sexual abuse.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Following on from last time, here are some thoughts on how to give feedback. Why is this important? For one, you really don't want to be the person who stops someone else's creative process. Just as importantly, though, you don't want to stymie yours! It really is THAT important.

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, and experience with these ideas! Send me a note at fycuriosity.com, or contact me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!

Author Lydia Kang balances two careers: In addition to writing adult and young adult fiction, as well as nonfiction, she’s also a doctor. Lydia never thought of herself as a writer, though she was intrigued by writing, until she began to use it to deal with some of her experiences on the job, which eventually led her to try fiction. Her novels include The Impossible Girl and Opium and Absinthe, and one of the things we talk about today is how her nonfiction work has influenced her fiction. We also talk about writing about pandemics, her move from the East Coast to Nebraska, and how her writing and her medical practice balance each other out.

Episode breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

02:15 Lydia Kang and Nancy Norbeck on fading public memory of significant events.

05:45 Predicting future remembrance of the COVID-19 pandemic.

09:30 Speculating on the future of pandemic-related publishing.

12:05 Pandemics’ universality vs. 9/11’s localized impact.

16:10 Deciding on a blog focus.

18:45 Lydia's journey into writing, blogging in late 2000s.

22:30 Combining medical expertise with writing.

25:55 Struggling with professional identity in writing and medicine.

30:40 Family support and balancing careers.

33:15 Writing during COVID-19 and cautious hope for the future.

35:50 Challenges of writing across multiple genres.

40:25 Influence of pharmacology and herbal medicine on her work.

44:10 Working part-time as a doctor, writing the rest of the time.

47:30 Managing overlapping book release dates and schedules.

52:05 Conclusion: Encouragement to leave reviews for authors.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

You've probably never thought about protecting your creativity—but you should. It's one of your most valuable assets and resources, and nobody has the right to take it from you. (No one actually can, but it's easy for us to give it up if we're not careful.)

You can find my conversation with Tracy Matthews here.

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Trudy Cunningham is one of the most insightful and creative people I've ever met. Her background in mathematics and education led her to the improbable position of associate dean of engineering at Bucknell University, which is where we first crossed paths. It's is also why I wanted to talk to her. She later moved to Sewanee, where her husband served as president and she continued to teach. As you'll hear, not only has she steadfastly refused to be told women can't teach math, she's just as consistently stood up for her students' best interests with parents, faculty, and university administrators. Her approach to problem solving is simultaneously practical and creative, and infuses her outlook on everything from teaching to aging. And she understands far better than most what makes people tick. 

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Inspired by a day of viral attention on TikTok, here's a reminder that you matter. Yes, YOU. That means your creative dreams matter, too. If that sounds crazy or alien to you, this episode is definitely for you!

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, and experience with these ideas! Send me a note at fycuriosity.com, or contact me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!

Kimberly Stuart started writing when she became a stay-at-home mom, and hasn’t stopped since. As you’ll hear, her path changed dramatically thanks to a gift from her mother, who was a professional musician. She’s the author of eight novels, and has branched into writing coaching as well. Kim and I talk about the importance of validation and encouragement, remembering that you are not your work, the costs of creativity—and its rewards. We get deep into vulnerability and courage, too.

Check out the show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Do you feel like you have to be "ready" before you start something new? Are you even sure what "ready" would mean? I'm here this week to talk about why "ready" is mostly an illusion, and why you should start now instead of waiting for that illusion to magically become real.

I'd love to hear your feedback, questions, and experience with these ideas! Send me a note at fycuriosity.com, or contact me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.