Fools In Wonderland

Harley's got two big announcements. No spoilers here. Available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and FoolsInWonderland.com!

Meet Amber Wheeler Bacon. She talks with us about being part of an organic creative community, picking up a practice after years of letting it hide, and a little nostalgia about the old days knowing Trauman. She's a writer and teacher who lives by the beach in South Carolina. Her work has appeared in more places than we can name here, she's won numerous prizes, and is currently working on her second novel. You can find out more about her work at amberwheelerbacon.com.

Everyone pauses or moves on from creative projects. Some frivolous; some deeply important. Trauman and Harley think through some feelings of guilt, shame, embarrassment, impatience, or failure in response. Living in peace with unfinished creative business is essential for your future projects and practices. #foolsinwonderland #creativefailure #failforward

Episode 3!! There are parts of every creative process that feel boring. Sweeping the studio floor. Practicing scales. Woodshedding. Ordering supplies. Nothing sexy here, but without them, your craft will suffer. We talk through some ways to embrace the mundane elements of creative practice.

In this episode: Perfect is the enemy of done. Done is the engine of more. Discouraged Perfectionism? Harley falls victim to perfectionism as he contributes a song to a conference album. Done vs. Finished. It's okay to love the less sexy parts of a creative process. Harley's first attempt at pre-writing wasn’t fully forthcoming; he rebounds with a breakthrough. Harley learns to write songs as a kid. The idea of “playing the fool” as a creative strategy. "Woodshedding” as a creative practice.

We share our creative anxiety about our first episode. Harley describes the album he's working on. Trauman talks about an audience of one. He reflects on the challenges of a job that demands fresh creativity every day. Harley explains how procrastination can masquerade as learning and discipline. Harley warns against "discouraged perfectionism." We agree that good is the enemy of done. Trauman recalls the poet who taught him that writers simply write. We hear a parody ad from Crippling Anxiety. [Full transcripts available on our website.]

This is a podcast about chasing creativity. Everyday creativity. Every day. We struggle to live the most creative lives we can. We don’t have the answers. Only conversations. we’re packing our social feeds with a mixed bag of creative fuel, inspiration, updates, and resources. We hope you follow us there and become a part of a community of support, insight, and challenges.