No Time to be Timid

Devin Finigan, chef owner of Aragosta at Goose Cove in Maine, is an award-winning chef who never attended culinary school. In our conversation, she shares her unconventional journey into the culinary world, highlighting her passion for cooking, the artistic process behind plating a dish, and the importance of mentorship and travel in her growth as a chef. With unmatched enthusiasm, she discusses the challenges and lessons learned from opening her first restaurant, the importance of nature and seasonal ingredients in her cooking, and her determination to create a unique dining experience. Frankly, Devin could have written the No Time to be Timid Manifesto herself. Prepare to be inspired!

Take Aways

• Persistence is key in pursuing your dreams.
• Community support can make a significant difference.
• Courage is needed to embrace change and growth.
• The journey of entrepreneurship is filled with learning opportunities.
• Dreaming big can lead to unexpected adventures.

Resources

• Learn more about Chef Finigan and Aragosta at Goose Cove here.
   
• Follow them on instagram.
   

And other resources of note:

• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
   
• Eliot Coleman of Four Season Farm
   
• Dan Barber, Stone Barns
   
• Thomas Keller, Per Se

Shannon Cason is a master storyteller -- seen on Snap Judgment, TEDx, and The Moth stages to name a few -- and is the host of the podcast Homemade Stories. In his words, he's also a late bloomer, and with his trademark wit, wisdom, and incredible sense of timing, he shares how the right perspective can turn life's rough patches into life-changing art.

Check out Shannon's website. 

Watch his story Late Bloomer.

Don't miss My Father's Camera.

Learn from his TEDx talk.

And subscribe to his podcast Homemade Stories.

Starting Over with a Creative Life featuring Nell Painter

In this episode, we talk to the renowned historian and bestselling author Nell Painter, who left her wildly successful academic career to enter art school at the age of 65 — an experience she documented in her book, Old in Art School, A Memoir of Starting Over, which was named a National Book Critics Circle finalist. We talk about working with constraints, overcoming unfair criticism, healthy creative addictions like yarn and ink, and we even talk about the role of women without children. At 82, Nell shows no signs of slowing down. It’s an episode you don’t want to miss.

Takeaways:

• Age should never be a barrier to creativity.
• Role models can play a big part in your creative journey, especially for women.
• You shouldn’t listen to other people's views of yourself; it’s what you think about yourself that matters.
• Constraints are opportunities, which is a big part of the No Time to be Timid manifesto.

Resources:

Check out Nell’s website.

Follow her on instagram @nellpainter.

Depending on where you were in 2018, you may or may not remember former Nashville mayor Megan Barry’s story. The Washington Post’s headline said, “Megan Barry Resigns as Nashville Mayor, Weeks After Admitting Affair with the Security Chief” and The New York Times declared, “Megan Barry, Nashville Mayor, Pleads Guilty to Theft and Agrees to Resign.” It was a monumental lapse in judgment that played out on the national stage. Before this public reckoning and while she was still in office, Megan lost her only child Max to a drug overdose. So in one year, she lost two of the things she loved the most — her beloved son and her job as the mayor of Nashville. Grief, shame, and resentment nearly destroyed her marriage. But she found her way back with humility, hope, and a fantastic sense of humor. We talk about how writing her memoir “It’s What You Do Next” helped her process her trauma and heal, and the transformative power of creativity.

Takeaways

• Creativity can help you deal with grief and trauma in a healthy way.
• Writing can be a transformative experience.
• Surrounding yourself with people who know more than you do is the best way to learn.
• Deadlines can be helpful tools to complete your work.
• Grief can be absurd, and humor can help you navigate it; and lastly,
• Creativity is an act of service.

Resources

Learn more about Megan here. Buy her book!

Follow her on instagram @mayormeganbarry.

We all first met Kim as the glowing young bride in the movie “Father of the Bride” with Steve Martin. She’s acted ever since, adding NYTimes bestselling author to her credits with her book “Where The Light Gets In," which chronicles her mother’s battle with dementia. In this episode, we dive into Kim’s own health struggle — losing her voice for nearly two years, an experience that Kim says saved her life. We talk about staying resilient, finding the good in the bad, and tripping on psychedelic mushrooms — a first for this podcast!

Takeaways

• Taking risks in one area of your life can open up opportunities in others.
• If you know your own self-worth, you'll get through the low periods.
• Find out the interesting takeaways from every experience, good or bad.
• Always be open to alternative paths for creativity and healing.

Resources

Learn more about Kim here.

Check out The Moth and tell your own story.

Explore The Store and donate if you can!

And some more worthwhile causes to check out:

• Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation
   
• Alzheimer’s Association
   
• Porter’s Call

We’re launching Season Four this Thursday! To kick it off, I share the unforeseen complications that happened on the way to NYC to celebrate our Signal Award win. Exploding transformers, train trauma bonding, shouting expletives in a public setting, free peanut M&Ms, the love of friends, and the kindness of strangers all make an appearance. As always, what we don’t expect often leads to the most memorable stories!

In this bonus edition, we share some thrilling news! No Time to be Timid is one of eight finalists in the Arts and Culture category of the Signal Awards -- alongside notable shows like Oprah's Super Soul! Please vote for us for the Listener’s Choice award! Voting ends October 17. I also share thoughts on my recent pilgrimage walking a portion of the Camino, particularly how walking and the creative process have the power to transform us. And the words of Mary Oliver make an appearance, too!

Bonus Episode: Eric Masterson Tells his Story of Hawks, Near-Death, and the Best of Humanity

During this season in the United States, we’re repeatedly told about how divided we are as a nation, so I thought it was important to tell a few stories about how wonderful people can be. To illustrate the point, I interviewed my husband, Eric Masterson, who is an expert birder, author, and survivor of a catastrophic hang gliding crash four years ago this week. That experience profoundly changed both of us for many reasons, one being the tidal wave of kindness we experienced. And this episode covers more than kindness. We talk about following passions, holding plans loosely, and taking risks. My husband is a lot of things, and timid is not one of them.

Learn more about Eric here.

Follow him on Facebook @ericmasterson and on Instagram @bellcurvebirding.

And check out the regional Emmy Award-winning documentary, Nightsongs.

I don't talk about politics on my show. I talk about creativity and I interview guests who can help all of us step into our creative selves. But then J.D. Vance started talking about "childless cat ladies," and as a woman without children, I have a problem with that. So I thought it was important to air a story I told on the StoryCollider stage some years ago about my ambivalence towards motherhood and my call to become an artist. The story is part of a larger piece I've been working on called "Be Fruitful and Multiply."  If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it. You can reach out to me at [email protected].

R. Eric Thomas is a creative powerhouse. First, he’s masterful on stage not only as a storyteller, but also as the long running host of The Moth StorySlams in Philadelphia. Second, he writes for every possible medium — he’s a television writer for shows airing on Apple TV and FX; an award-winning playwright; and the author of  several books, including the national bestsellers Here For It, or How to Save Your Soul in America and his latest book, Congratulations, The Best is Over!

Many people first learned about Eric from his daily humor column on Elle.com “Eric Reads the News.” And as of July 1, he’s writing the nationally syndicated advice column “Asking Eric.”

Here's the thing: Eric’s incredible career journey started with a Facebook post that went viral. But he's no overnight success. He was able to capitalize on that opportunity because he’d been preparing for years.

Takeaways

• Opportunities can come unexpectedly, so it's important to be prepared and be ready to seize them — something Eric knows about first hand
• Success usually comes from years of honing your craft.
• Perfection is rarely attainable, so grant yourself some grace.
• Libraries are places of endless discovery, no matter your age.
• And creativity is what brings us hope.

Resources

Learn more about Eric's work including his new advice column "Asking Eric," here.

Check out The Moth and maybe tell a story!

View Eric's Creative Mornings Philadelphia talk (you can see the Facebook post!)