We know it when we see it from another artist, don’t we? The work may be powerful but it makes us avert our eyes and leaves us with a nagging feeling that the artist rushed the work and perhaps exploited their own experience. Or the work possibly feels undercooked, defensive and petulant, maybe even whiny. How do we avoid these pitfalls in our own work?

Today’s episode makes the argument for continual self exploration and self-knowledge to strengthen your artistic output.

To find out more about our upcoming workshops, check out our Artist Services page on playfulsubstance.com.

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There is nothing like a blizzard for giving you some space to think. This week, I have been thinking about how and why artists succumb to negative thoughts and behaviors. This lead me to think about healthy habits in my own practice- those that I have implemented and those that I am consciously trying to develop. So far, I have come up with a list of 7:

* Cultivate Self Awareness

* Lean on the Wisdom of Your Discipline

* Embrace the Stress Cycle

* Feed Yourself

* Take Your Work Beyond Catharsis to Craft

* Don’t Pick It Up, Don’t Lay It Down

* Give Yourself Credit for Experience and Humble Yourself for Future Growth

I am positive this in not a definitive list, but it is a conversation starter! Do you have habits you can add to this list?

If you are interested, here are some useful links from this week’s episode:

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

Iconoclast: Dave Chappelle and Maya Angelou

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Today we are talking a bit more about story craft, specifically looking at what might be hidden inside repetitive images, language or anecdotes in your narrative.

It happens to all of us- we find ourselves drawn to some kind of repetition and we cringe when we enter rewrites. How many times am I going to use this phrase or riff on this same image/idea?

How many times, indeed!

Join me in the search for meaning in a peanut butter sandwich!

As promised, if you are interested in getting tickets for Jerry Palooza on March 6th, you can find tickets and information at our.show/jerry-palooza. It’s going to be a seriously good time!

And don’t forget to check out some new and exciting things over on playfulsubstance.com. You’ll find all kinds of information there and we are building more resources each week.

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Is this week all about yelling “GIT OFFA MY LAWN!” accompanied by Jazz Hands?

Maybe.

This interview snippet with Carrie Coons has been making the rounds on the socials among my theatre friends and I think that the whole concept of celebrity needs to be discussed openly and WITH our audiences.

It may sound like sour grapes- and maybe it is- but celebrity fuels so much of the business and the business has shrunk so much that we will reach a breaking point unless we talk to our audiences about why this is happening. If you are wondering why there is nothing new under the sun and why entertainment is stagnating you need only look as far as your own purchasing habits to see what’s what.

If you want something new and exciting, you will have to go out on a limb and find it. You will have to risk not liking something! I promise, a bad movie, play or concert can fuel more spirited dinner conversation than a good one and isn’t that conversation part of the reason we subject ourselves to new experiences anyway?

I am sure this topic won’t go away, but neither does your power in the marketplace. Try something new.

Speaking of which, our Memoir Writers’ Group starts March 26th. You can find out more HERE. Tickets for Jerry Palooza go on sale Monday, February 16th! Check out playfulsubstance.com for updates and info!

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What?

Fair. I don’t think I’ve been getting enough sleep so this ay take a few passes to make sense.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the central question behind your piece and how having a clear question gives you an honest to goodness quest for your story.

Oh, man. That’s good. I wish I would have thought of that line when I was recording this episode. Quick! Somebody write that down! Oh- I just did.

Right. Not a lot of sleep lately. ANYHOO…

A good central question can help you put your story, your character arcs, your plot points, and necessary actions all into alignment. It can help you peel away that which is cool, but superfluous, and send your characters into definitive action inside the given circumstances. Without the question, you have nothing to discover. You already know it all. Where’s the fun in that?

Speaking of fun, if you are interested in our upcoming online memoir programs, our Writers’ Groups, or our upcoming events in NYC- make sure you check out our fancy new website at playfulsubstance.com. We are putting in new updates and features every week so keep coming back for more!

I think it is time I took a proper nap. I’ll be back soon.

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And Caesar fiddled while Rome burned…

But Billy Joel still swears we didn’t start the fire.

Maybe the only thing anyone has gotten right is that it was always burning since the world’s been turning. We are not the first or the last to experience social/political or even environmental upheaval. The question is, what do we need to survive and thrive once the smoke clears?

Today we are going to talk about the pitfalls of leaving off your artistic practice just because we seem to be taking that proverbial hand basket to hell sight seeing tour.

I’m being flip. But let us not lose sight of how the act of creation is an act of hope- hope that we will understand, hope we will find answers, hope we can find common ground, hope that this will all make sense in the fullness of time. (But sooner would be better than later!)

Art helps us hold on to ourselves and to see our predicaments from multiple perspectives. It puts us in a problem saving state of mind which feels a whole lot better than in a hopeless and panic ravaged state of mind.

So how do you create when the world feels like it is collapsing?

If you are looking for artistic community, maybe Playful Substance can offer you space to feel like a person again. We have some workshops, groups and events coming up everything from Memoir programs, our ongoing Writers’ Groups for playwrights and screenwriters, and soon we’ll be releasing details about our next special reading event in early March! Check out our new and growing website at playfulsubstance.com find out if any of our programming is right for you.

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On its face, dialogue seems to be the thing you need to write your script. However, dialogue is actually the last step in constructing your story. Dialogue is the reflection of the inner work you’ve done on the characters and the circumstances of your story. The best dialogue is where character, intention, context and action all meet.

Our virtual Open House for Playful Substance’s Writers’ Groups is on January 20th, 2026. If you’d like to grab a spot and sit in, fill out this form and we’ll be sending out links next week.

If you are tuning in after January 20th, no worries! Our Writers’ Groups operate year round. You can peep some details at playfulsubstance.com or email me, Bree O’Connor, at [email protected].

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One cannot have radical honesty without self awareness and an audience will demand both.

If you are interested in learning more about Playful Substance’s Artists Services, check out our website. If you want to attend our virtual Writers’ Group (for playwrights and screenwriters) Open House on January 29th from 6:00pm- 9:30 pm, make sure you fill out THIS FORM to get the link delivered to your inbox!

If you want to talk to a real life person, you can email me at [email protected] or you can book a 15 minute Zoom consultation with me!

If you want to support our ever expanding work, you can become a subscriber below!

Unreliable Narrator/ The Imperfect Impulse is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit breeoconnor.substack.com/subscribe

My mother didn’t really let me complain when I overate. She would just sigh and say, “Looks like your eyes were bigger than your stomach.”

A couple of lazy weeks at the end of the year often seem like they would be perfect for non-stop creativity. If they are… you are blessed! Enjoy them! If you are finding yourself coasting on fumes and drowning in emotional exhaustion, this episode is for you.

You may want to walk out of this season with some major movement on a creative project because you have time off. If that is not as easy as you thought it would be, this episode is a reminder that rest and repair are the foundations of creative energy. This time can be unexpectedly challenging. Remember that the long game is about caring for the vessel- You. You are the vessel and creative output cannot happen if you are in need of repair.

Check in with yourself. Tune your system to be aware of habits, triggers, and patterns that arise during this time. Awareness converts itself to agency. You may not walk into 2026 with all those pages you were expecting to write, but you may end up with something better- discoveries that you can build upon both personally and creatively in the coming year.

Wishing you all the best this holiday season.

Until 2026.

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Larry (Lawrence) Crabtree, my favorite dance teacher of all time, used to say, “Take your butt with you! Remember, don’t leave your butt behind!”

25 years later, I cannot walk up the stairs or carry a package without hearing his voice in my head.

Anyhoo… today’s Imperfect Impulse is all about the body’s role in creativity. It’s complicated- so complicated that I cut out about 20 minutes of intellectual side-quests in order to arrive at my thesis; no matter your medium of expression, your relationship with your body impacts your work. Cultivating an awareness of your body, your habits, your strengths and weaknesses can provide you with deeper insight about yourself and others.

I’ll be back for one more show this month and then we will return in 2026.

Remember to share with your fellow artists if you find this podcast helpful!

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