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

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

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

  • Paul McGann: How to Keep Going When Your Dream Doesn't Look Like You Planned (Part 1)
    What happens when the "masterpiece" you expected turns out to be just the beginning of a very different journey?
     
    In this first part of a special release from the archives, I’m sharing the beginning of my landmark conversation with the legendary Paul McGann. Recorded in May 2020 and originally released in August 2020, this was Paul’s first-ever podcast interview. While he has hosted many shows since then, this remains the definitive look at the moment he first "went down the rabbit hole" to discuss his life and career with a fan.
     
    To coincide with the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie, Paul shares the story of his childhood Olympic dreams, his "acting family" business, and the "indifference" of show business. We talk about why the fans are the true custodians of the TARDIS and why stories are sometimes the only thing that can save our morale and tip the scales toward kindness.
     
    I’m Nancy Norbeck, and I’m your Messy Muse Mentor. I help people feel alive again through creativity, curiosity, and play.
     
    In this episode, we discuss:
    • The 2020 Perspective: A snapshot of creative survival recorded in May 2020 during the first months of the pandemic.
    • The Failed Athlete: Why Paul’s first ambition wasn't the stage, and how he navigated the "brutality" of not making the cut.
    • The RADA Turning Point: How a "confused kid" who nearly joined the Navy found his way to the Royal Academy.
    • The Custodians of History: Why the fans, not the actors, are the ones who truly look after the Doctor's legacy.
      • Ready to send your inner critic to summer camp for an hour and just enjoy some creative company? We get together once a month for a relaxed, co-working-style session where you can work on whatever you want—without any pressure to do it "right." Join the Creativity Circle.
       
      Episode breakdown:
       
      0:00 Introduction
      1:26 Paul's first-ever podcast interview (Recorded May 2020)
      3:24 The Liverpool "acting family" business
      5:20 Childhood Olympic dreams and the "brutality" of sport
      10:15 Auditioning for RADA and being a "confused kid"
      13:38 Sharing an agent with three brothers
      19:46 2020 Lockdown: Sanity, cycling, and simple things
      23:02 Rehearsing with the brothers for a West End hit
      33:14 Bruce Robinson's advice: "Just take the next thing"
      39:05 From convention skeptic to fan family
      45:46 The 1996 Pilot and the 5-year Vancouver plan
      54:32 The Power of Stories: Fables, mythologies, and morale
      58:30 Reclaiming kindness: Lessons from the Doctor
      1:13:58 Keeping the secret: The "Night of the Doctor" return
       

      Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre and  Doctor Who.

      Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.

      Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

      If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

      1 hr 31 min
    • Why Adults Fear Play (and How to Reclaim Your Aliveness) | Report from the Creative Closet #4
      What if the very thing you think is "childish" is actually the life skill you need most right now?
       
      In this "Report from the Creative Closet," I’m looking at the fear of uncertainty that keeps so many adults stuck. We discuss why we’ve become so uncomfortable with open-endedness and why we feel like we need a manual for everything—even for taking a break.
       
      I share the "Obsolete Child" philosophy, the reality of the "Imagination Lab," and why reclaiming your sense of play is the fastest way to break the cycle of perfectionism. This isn't about making "art"—it's about remembering how to be a person who is willing to try, fail, and stay curious.
       
      I’m Nancy Norbeck, and I’m your Messy Muse Mentor. I help people feel alive again through creativity, curiosity, and play.
       
      In this episode, I discuss:
      • The Adulting Bind: Why we can't do things well because we won't try until we're already perfect.
      • The Instruction Obsession: What a 3-week break taught me about the difference between adults and children.
      • Adaptability vs. Rules: Why "play" is actually the highest form of problem-solving and resilience.
      • The Power of Permission: How to give yourself the green light to move outside the boxes you've built.
        • Ready to send your inner critic to summer camp for an hour? We get together once a month for a relaxed, co-working-style session where you can work on whatever you want—without any pressure to do it "right." We send the shoulds and inner critics off to summer camp where they're kept busy rather than getting in our way. Join the Creativity Circle.
        19 min
      • Phil Segal: The Producer Who Refused to Take No for an Answer
        What do you do when the world tells you "no" for seven years straight?
         
        This week, I’m talking with legendary TV and film producer Phil Segal. With a 38-year career that includes everything from Twin Peaks and SeaQuest DSV to Deadliest Catch, Phil is perhaps best known to sci-fi fans as the man who fought for nearly a decade to bring Doctor Who back to the screen in 1996.
         
        Phil shares how climbing over a studio fence led to his first job and why he believes a producer must understand every single role on a set to truly lead. We also discuss his current passion, SprueVerse, and why taking ten minutes for your own "creative release"—even if you think you’ll be bad at it—is the key to staying alive in a high-pressure world.
         
        In this episode, we discuss:
        • The Fence-Climbing Incident: How a literal leap of faith launched Phil's career with one of Hollywood’s greatest casting directors.
        • No Means Yes: Why Phil views rejection as fuel rather than a stop sign, and how that mindset saved the Doctor.
        • The "Indelible" Teacher: The power of the people who see our potential before we do.
        • SprueVerse and Scale Models: Why "owning your time" for a hobby like scale modeling is a vital act of creative survival.
          • Ready to send your inner critic to summer camp for an hour? We get together once a month for a relaxed, low-pressure session where you can work on whatever you want—without any pressure to do it "right." Join the Creativity Circle. 
           
          Episode breakdown:
           
          0:00 How to get unstuck through creative curiosity
          1:15 Phil Segal’s early life: A creative kid in a wacky world
          4:30 Moving from the UK to San Diego: A world of possibilities
          7:15 The impact of a great teacher and the legacy of sharing
          13:10 Climbing the fence: Phil’s legendary Hollywood break-in
          17:40 Learning every job: The secret to being a confident producer
          21:30 The 7-year fight for the Doctor Who TV movie rights
          33:45 Dealing with rejection: Why "No means Yes"
          41:00 On-set memories with Sylvester McCoy
          52:10 SprueVerse: Reclaiming joy through scale modeling
          56:30 Why you must own your time for yourself
           

          Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre, writing, and  Doctor Who.

          Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.

          Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

          If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

          59 min
        • The Cost of Being "Good": Rules, Reliability, and Reclaiming Your Aliveness | Report from the Creative Closet #3
          What happens when you spend so much time being "reliable" that you forget how to be meaningful?
           
          In this third installment of Reports from the Creative Closet, I’m exploring the "Be Good" trap. We often learn very early that being predictable and agreeable is safer than being fully alive, but that safety comes at a high price.
           
          I discuss the Traffic Rule Covenant—a look at how we use rules to reduce uncertainty, and what happens when we stop treating those rules as tools and start treating them as our identity. We'll explore the "quiet grief" of adulting, the friction of being "manageable" in professional environments, and why your "rough edges" are actually the parts of you the world needs most.
           
          I’m Nancy Norbeck, and I’m your Messy Muse Mentor. I help people feel alive again through creativity, curiosity, and play.
           
          In this episode, I discuss:
          • The Social Survival Instinct: Why we’ll do anything to avoid being "thrown out" of the community.
          • The Traffic Light Metaphor: Understanding rules as tools for safety rather than definitions of self.
          • The Reliability Tax: Why professional "manageability" often requires us to override our internal signals.
          • The Adulting Lie: Why being a "grown-up" shouldn't require you to abandon your curiosity and play.
            • If you're tired of thinking about answering a creative call but never actually doing it, come join me for an hour and start feeling like yourself again. The Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle is a safe, welcoming, and encouraging environment where we send the shoulds and inner critics off to summer camp where they're kept busy rather than getting in our way. Join us here!
            18 min
          • Katie DeBonville: Reclaiming the Audacity to Create at Any Age
            What happens when you realize that "anything you want to be" actually includes the thing people told you wasn't practical?
             
            In this week's conversation, I’m talking with my good friend Katie DeBonville. Katie is an emerging author whose new book, Grace Notes, explores the intersection of music, memory, and the courage it takes to speak your mind.
             
            Katie shares the story of her legendary stand-off with a high school guidance counselor, her journey from wanting to be first-chair flute in the Boston Symphony to earning a writing degree at 50, and why she believes success is not a zero-sum game. We also examine the "audacity" required to follow a creative calling and why your creative spark never truly disappears—it just waits for you to give it permission to play.
             
            I’m Nancy Norbeck, and I’m your Messy Muse Mentor. I help people feel alive again through creativity, curiosity, and play.
             
            In this episode, we discuss:
            • The Practicality Trap: Why creative careers are often discouraged and how to push back against the "shoulds."
            • The "Emerging" Author: The reality of starting a new creative chapter at 53.
            • Finding Your Story: How the right mentors can help you see the patterns in your own life that you’ve been missing.
            • Creative Community: Why having each other's backs is the only way to beat the "plotter vs. pantser" politics.
              • Ready to send your inner critic to summer camp for an hour and just enjoy some creative company? We get together once a month for a relaxed, co-working-style session where you can work on whatever you want—without any pressure to do it "right." Join the Creativity Circle.
               
              Episode breakdown:
               
              0:00 Introduction
              1:05 Meeting Katie DeBonville: The "emerging author" at 53
              2:53 The blank book obsession and the fear of the first page
              3:51 The First Chair Dream: Ambition vs. Reality in the Boston Symphony
              8:58 The Guidance Counselor Story: Fighting for a creative life
              12:31 Why encouragement changes the data on creative success
              17:07 Sibylline Press: Giving a voice to women over 50 2
              2:40 The audacity of speaking your mind (and the Communion story)
              30:57 Doing an MFA during the pandemic: The right time to commit
              42:26 Finding Your Story: Lessons from three legendary mentors
              50:24 Flash Fiction and the beauty of the 70-word piece
              56:15 Plotters vs. Pantsers: Why there is no "correct" way to write
               

              Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in writing and music.

              Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.

              Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

              If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

              1 hr 3 min
            • Why You’re So Good at Ignoring Yourself | Report from the Creative Closet #2
              Have you ever realized that "adulting" has become a fancy word for getting really, really good at ignoring your own signals?
               
              In this week's Report from the Creative Closet, I’m exploring the eerie reality that we aren't actually "lost"—we just forgot where we put ourselves. I’m sharing why that "force of will" you had as a five-year-old is the key to breaking free from the mask that is currently exhausting you.
               
              In this episode, I discuss:
              • The Pork BBQ Standoff: Why my five-year-old nephew's legendary refusal to try barbecue is a masterclass in creative clarity.
              • The Adulting Mask: The massive energy cost of spending your whole day saying "I should probably" while your intuition is saying "no".
              • Bad Snowflakes: How a simple, ridiculous drawing exercise can drop your persona and bring your energy back to life.
              • The Creative Attic: Why you didn't lose your spark; you just stuffed it into a box in the attic so you could "go along to get along.
                • Ready to send your inner critic to summer camp for an hour? We get together once a month for a relaxed, co-working-style session where you can work on whatever you want—without any pressure to do it "right." Join the Creativity Circle.
                12 min
              • Matthew Jacobs: Doctor Who, The Emperor's New Groove, and Finding Your Fingerprint
                What is the one question that drives every single thing you create?
                 
                My guest this week is the self-described "happy hyphenate" Matthew Jacobs. Best known for contributing to major titles like Young Indiana Jones and The Emperor's New Groove and writing the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie, Matthew joins me to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the TV movie’s release.
                 
                Matthew tells me about his "No Rules" approach to creativity and his fascinating method for finding your "Creative Fingerprint"—the hidden linking tissue between the stories you love and the work you produce. And his definition of creativity is my favorite—ever.
                 
                Whether you're a fan of the Doctor or an exhausted perfectionist looking to reclaim your own creative authority, this conversation is an invitation to stop performing and start feeling human again.
                 
                Ready to send your inner critic to summer camp for an hour and just enjoy some creative company? We get together once a month for a relaxed, co-working-style session where you can work on whatever you want—without any pressure to do it "right." Join the Creativity Circle.
                 
                Episode breakdown:
                 
                0:00 Childhood creativity and early acting origins
                3:50 Transitioning from acting to directing and writing
                7:15 The dream based approach to starting a script
                11:00 Learning the craft by reading professional scripts
                15:30 Why there are no rules in the creative process
                20:10 The power of the childhood "why?"
                24:45 How to find your personal fingerprint question
                32:10 Bringing your unique voice to major franchises
                38:20 The truth about the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie
                45:45 From "The Llama King" to The Emperors New Groove
                50:30 Dealing with creative backlash and legacy
                54:00 Closing thoughts and appreciation
                 

                Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre, writing, and  Doctor Who.

                Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.

                Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

                If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

                58 min
              • The Problem with Being Fine: Why "Okay" Isn't Good Enough | Report from the Creative Closet #1
                Have you ever looked at your life and realized that while everything is "okay" on paper, something is deeply off?
                 
                You aren't alone, and I don't think the problem is you. I think the problem is the invisible pressure we all feel to be "good enough" at everything we touch.
                 
                Welcome to the first Report from the Creative Closet—a new series of dispatches designed to help you move past the "shoulds" of adulthood and reconnect with your own aliveness. In this inaugural report, I share one of the weirdest but most effective ways I know to escape the perfectionism trap: making bad art on purpose.
                 
                In this episode, I discuss:
                • The Falling Down Machines: Why we forget how to learn like toddlers—who fall on their faces and laugh rather than giving up.
                • The 30-Day Experiment: What happened on Day 15 of my journey writing 30 "bad" poems for YouTube.
                • Summer Camp for Critics: How to send your inner critic away on a scary ropes course so you are finally free to play.
                • The Creative Authority: Why doing things "badly" is actually the fastest path back to your real self.
                  • My Promise: I will never tell you that you need to force your way through resistance or ignore your intuition to follow a rigid self-help script. I’m here to provide a sanctuary, not another to-do list.
                   
                  Ready to stop performing and start living? If this resonates, I invite you to join me for a free Creativity Circle. We get together once a month for a relaxed session where you can experiment without any pressure to do anything you don't want to do.
                  20 min
                • Nicola Bryant: Doctor Who, Hypnosis, and the Art of Trusting Your Gut
                  What happens when the role you play on screen starts to close doors in your real life?
                   
                  My guest this week is actress Nicola Bryant, famously known as the American companion, Peri, on Doctor Who. In a story that sounds like a movie itself, Nicola shares how she pretended to be American for three years—both on and off-set—and how that choice affected her career for decades.
                   
                  We explore her creative childhood, her transition from ballet to theater, and her deep interest in the power of hypnosis to help others heal and grow. This is a conversation about creativity, identity, and the courage it takes to finally trust your own gut.
                   
                  If you’re ready to stop performing and start feeling human again, I invite you to join me for a free Creativity Circle—the next one is this coming Saturday, April 25.
                   
                  Episode breakdown:
                   

                  0:00 Intro and childhood creativity

                  4:15 The art of creative cooking

                  8:30 Perception and seeing the world differently

                  13:00 From ballet school dreams to acting

                  17:45 The "act 18" audition story

                  22:15 Realizing the power of acting choices

                  27:30 Embodying roles and character work

                  32:00 The secret Doctor Who audition

                  37:15 Living a double life as American

                  42:30 Navigating career typecasting and snobbery

                  47:45 Getting discovered in the West End

                  52:15 Returning to Peri on audio

                  56:30 The science and art of hypnosis

                  1:00:00 Trusting your gut and the mind body connection


                  Want more? Here are handy playlists with all my previous interviews with guests in theatre and  Doctor Who.

                  Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and join us for the Follow Your Curiosity Creativity Circle.

                  Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks!

                  If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend.

                  1 hr 5 min
                • CPT #126: Tom Hanks and the Art of Not Forcing Your Creativity
                  If you're currently fighting with a project that refuses to behave, you might be trying to force an outcome that wasn't meant to be.
                   
                  In this episode, I share a surprising lesson from Tom Hanks’ performance in Forrest Gump. We often think that being a "pro" means forcing our vision into reality, but sometimes the most professional thing you can do is learn to follow your project’s lead instead.
                   
                  Whether you're a writer, an artist, or just someone trying to get through a messy creative week, this pep talk is a permission slip to stop the "force" and start the "flow."
                   
                  Want more tips? Check out this playlist with all my previous Creative Pep Talks! Every episode stands on its own.
                   
                  If you're ready to stop performing and start feeling human again, I invite you to join me for a free Creativity Circle. (Don't forget to confirm you subscription!) We meet next on April 25.
                  5 min

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

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                You didn’t lose your creative spark. You were taught to leave it behind.