What happens when your creative passion feels like it's not loving you back? This week we're diving into a brilliant piece by Kelly's good friend, songwriter and music educator Mike Errico, who compares our relationship with creative work to loving a cat - something beautiful, unpredictable, and impossible to control. Mike asks AI how to love a cat, then translates those tips into wisdom for anyone wrestling with the ups and downs of making art. Whether you're a musician, writer, or any kind of creator who's ever felt like you're pouring your heart into something that seems indifferent to your devotion, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how to nurture your craft without losing yourself in the process.

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Arianna Huffington loves her mom, reading, America, adventure and getting to the bottom of things. She has spent a lifetime asking Why and Why Not? Our conversation zeroes in what any one of us can do to thrive, such that we might have more capacity to contribute. We loved being together, comparing notes, figuring out what leads to what. Please share with everyone you know who needs a reminder that we have agency. (Previously aired)

This episode was made possible by AmeriHealth Caritas and can be viewed anytime you like at PBS.org/kelly.

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A touching eulogy for Walter Barry, written by his son Stewart (“Bear Bear"). This is a beautiful tale of family bonds, of three sons who loved to play sports (even inside the family home to a refrain of “Boys take it outside!”) and of a father who led with his heart and intuition. Walter Barry stuck to his guns even when his values and standards weren’t popular, brought joy with his humor, modeled hard work and humility and kept loving his sons - despite their “defects”.  (Previously aired)

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I had this crazy thing happen one morning trying to get to LAX that I keep reflecting on. Meant to be shared with anyone you think of as one of those people, the ones who go with the grain of life as it happens. (Previously aired)

Please be in touch. Write us anytime about anything — [email protected] — we read every single one.

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Everyone is thinking about war and service. Here’s a conversation with someone who has known many battlefields and paid dearly for his commitment to defend and protect. Retired Colonel Greg Gadson was a kid who dreamed of playing football and who ended up with Super Bowl rings after all. You can watch this episode at any time on PBS. Special thanks to AmeriHealth Caritas. (Please note: this episode was recorded in 2023 and originally aired 10/31/23)

Retired Colonel Gadson’s book is Finding Waypoints: A Warrior’s Journey Toward Peace and Purpose.

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In the space between wanting and receiving, between hope and heartbreak, lies the tender territory of human need. This week, we share an excerpt from Jessica Slice's book Unfit Parent about the night her second child entered the world through another woman's body and how love and trauma can occupy the same breath. Her story moves through hospital corridors and sleepless hours, through the weight of knowing that someone you care about has suffered so you might hold what you've longed for. It's a meditation on the fragile web that holds us all - the friends who bring food and sit in driveways, the hands that help us breathe and the truth that our most broken moments might also be our most beautiful ones.

Check out Jessica's book - Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges an Inaccessible World

https://www.amazon.com/Unfit-Parent-Disabled-Challenges-Inaccessible/dp/0807013242

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In a world marked by division and old wounds, sometimes a single act cuts through the darkness. This week, through the words of Simran Singh, we encounter the story of Aaron Castro and his choice to release decades of hatred and transform his pain into something else. Aaron's story speaks of cycles that can be broken, burdens that can be lifted and the alchemy that turns suffering into sanctuary. It's a meditation on what becomes possible when we choose to heal rather than amplify the hurt around us and a reminder that forgiveness might be less about forgetting the past and more about refusing to let it dictate the future.

Link to Simran's pod that he did with Kelly as guest: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-meaning-in-the-mess-with-kelly-corrigan/id1748199932?i=1000691936504

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Hank Green has spent his career making complex ideas accessible to millions - from creating Crash Course educational videos to co-founding the Nerdfighters community with his brother, novelist John Green. However, when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, he discovered an unexpected creative outlet: stand-up comedy, writing jokes in his journal during treatment that eventually made it to the stage. In this episode, Hank reveals what really keeps him up at night, why he thinks most of us are terrible at predicting the future and how he knows when to abandon a project that's not working. Plus, we dive into his approach to creating for humans versus algorithms and why he believes the most rewarding part of making anything is watching people actually engage with what you've created.

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Shannon Watts thought she had it all figured out - marriage, three kids, and a steady job. But by her mid-thirties, she realized she was living someone else's life. After leaving an unfulfilling marriage and career, she spent years asking herself one crucial question: "What do I want?" That led her to found Moms Demand Action at age 41 after a mass school shooting - despite being an introvert with ADHD and a fear of public speaking. In this episode, Kelly reads a letter Shannon wrote to her younger self, where she shares her "fire formula" for transformation, why pursuing your desires is a radical act for women and how living authentically became her greatest legacy.

Check out Shannon's new book: Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age

https://www.amazon.com/Fired-Up-Spark-Flame-Alive/dp/0593831934

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Kelly dives into a book that's been consuming her thoughts at dinner parties and conferences alike: Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Matthew B. Crawford. It's the story of a guy with a PhD in political philosophy who walked away from a cushy think tank job to open a motorcycle repair shop - and has never been happier. Crawford's book flips everything we think we know about success and asks why we've decided that working with your hands is somehow less valuable than working with your mind. It's an episode about attention, satisfaction and that thrilling "I did it myself" feeling that comes from actually fixing something instead of just buying a replacement.

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