Keep the Flow

I can improvise jazz without fear, so why does unscripted speaking terrify me? 📬 If this resonated with you, you'll love my newsletter—I send one email a week with ideas like this: https://ktfpod.com/#newsletter I've been making this podcast with fully scripted episodes for a year and a half because I was terrified of not knowing what comes next. But here's the paradox: I'm a jazz drummer. I impr...

What happens when you lose sight of why you're creating—and how do you find your way back? 📬 If this resonated with you, you'll love my newsletter—I send one email a week with ideas like this: https://ktfpod.com/#newsletter This week I'm feeling lost and questioning what really motivates my creativity. In this episode, I explore three ideas that help when you don't know why you're creating: relax...

The secret to creative success isn't talent or inspiration—it's something much simpler (and harder) than you think. I used to think creative success was about making something great every time I sat down to work. But after years of composing, teaching, and yes—trying to learn those impossible drum patterns—I've realized something counterintuitive: the specific thing you're working on matters less...

This is a special, short episode about how creative people process loss and can move on without ignoring or pushing feelings of sorrow away. Bittersweet by Susan Cain: https://amzn.to/3WwMmar Inspired by the loss of my mother, I felt compelled to make this episode as a way to allow those feelings to come into my work and guide me forward. I forgot to mention that there are many kinds of loss beyon...

What if the creative work that "doesn't matter" is actually the key to unlocking your most important breakthroughs? Grab a FREE copy of my ebook: https://payhip.com/b/RIqQx After 35 years as a professional musician, some of my biggest creative breakthroughs came from projects I almost threw away. In this episode, I'm sharing why thinking smaller—not bigger—might be the secret to unlocking your bes...

What if the only permission you’ve ever needed for your creative work was your own? The waitlist is open for my upcoming course Creative Resilience: https://ktfpod.com/creative-resilience/crwaitlist.html Grab a FREE copy of my ebook: https://payhip.com/b/RIqQx I spent years waiting to be “picked” — for bands, auditions, and even summer gigs. In this episode, I share my own story of setbacks, the s...

Grab a FREE copy of the Wayfinder PDF: https://payhip.com/b/01Adw I thought I was leaving music behind when I moved from NYC to Iceland to start a design firm—but life had other plans. Here's the 4-part framework I developed to navigate back to your creative path when everything feels derailed. Keep the Flow with Scott McLemore is a weekly podcast that looks under the hood of the creative process....

If your creative life feels like you’re driving in circles, this is the episode that shows you exactly how to find the exit. Follow me for free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/scottmclemore In this follow-up to my most popular episode, I dig into how to actually break free from the “creative roundabout.” I share my own turning points, the discomfort of saying no, and three practical steps to close...

Discover how building your own attention map can help you stay focused, unlock flow, and navigate creative distractions with clarity. Sign up for The Interval, my free newsletter for inspiration in your inbox: https://subscribe.scottmclemore.com In this episode, I explore how the concept of "attention maps" — inspired by self-driving cars and advice my dad gave me when I first learned to drive — c...

Discover why true creative success isn't about numbers or popularity, but planting seeds that grow into unexpected forests of opportunity and connection. Sign up for The Interval for free inspiration in your inbox. https://subscribe.scottmclemore.com In this episode of Keep the Flow, I explore the complicated relationship we creatives have with success. I share my personal journey through disappoi...

If you're a creative person feeling stuck, these 5 mistakes might be the reason your work isn’t getting the traction it deserves. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/ygvR3B_i_i0 Sign up for The Interval for free inspiration in your inbox. https://subscribe.scottmclemore.com In this episode, I’m talking about five common mistakes that creative people—myself included—tend to make. From hiding our work...

Discover the four essential habits of disciplined creatives that transformed my daily workflow, including preparation techniques, morning rituals, procrastination management strategies, and deep work practices that consistently unlock creative flow and boost productivity. Sign up for The Interval for free inspiration in your inbox. https://subscribe.scottmclemore.com In this episode, I explore how...

Sign up for The Interval for free inspiration in your inbox. https://subscribe.scottmclemore.com Tired of staring at a blank page? In this episode, we explore the counterintuitive truth that unlimited freedom might be your creativity's worst enemy.  I break down how constraints—whether it's a tight deadline, limited tools, or self-imposed boundaries—actually spark innovation rather than stifl...

Sign up for The Interval for free inspiration in your inbox. https://subscribe.scottmclemore.com I used to think that quitting social media would destroy my career as a musician and podcaster—but the opposite happened. I didn’t vanish; I started feeling more visible to the people who actually care about my work. In this episode of Keep the Flow, I talk about how you can build a fulfilling and sust...

This week on Keep the Flow, I share a recent experience when I felt completely unmotivated on what should have been a productive day.  Instead of forcing myself to work through creative blocks, I discovered that taking pressure off by watching a movie unexpectedly led to one of my best drum practice sessions.  I explore the science behind why our brains need this balance between focus an...

As a musician and creative professional, I discovered that waiting for inspiration is the enemy of creativity. By committing to a structured approach – setting aside dedicated time, documenting my process through Patreon, and removing the pressure of perfect output – I transformed my creative practice. Instead of treating inspiration as a rare, mystical force, I realized it's a skill that can be c...

In this episode of Keep the Flow, I dive into the tangled relationship between creativity and perfectionism. From personal stories of wrestling with unfinished compositions to insights from artists like Bill Frisell and research on "perfectionistic strivings," I explore the fine line between pushing for excellence and getting stuck in self-doubt. Whether you’re chasing creative flow or learning to...

Grab my new eBook, Necessarily Creative: https://shop.scottmclemore.com Ever feel guilty about falling down a rabbit hole of distractions? In this episode of Keep the Flow, I flip the script on curiosity and show how the right kind of "curiosity snacks" can fuel your creativity instead of draining your time. Inspired by Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s take on mindful exploration, I dive into how creative pr...

Grab my new eBook, Necessarily Creative: https://shop.scottmclemore.com In this episode, I explore how creative people can boost both productivity and happiness by embracing Ali Abdaal’s book Feel Good Productivity. We break down the three energizers—Play, Power, and People—and see how they can help us work smarter, enjoy the process, and stay connected. I also share my own approach to gamifying t...

What a thrill to be able to chat with the incredible illustrator Chris Piascik on the latest episode of Keep the Flow! We get into his background in graphic design, the importance of creating what you like and being intentional with your work. YouTube: https://youtu.be/nIu6sYOPOZA Keep the Flow is a weekly podcast hosted by Scott McLemore that looks under the hood of the creative process to keep o...

Grab my new eBook, Necessarily Creative: https://book.scottmclemore.com How to Work Your Inspiration Muscle... - and stop taking things for granted As we get older, things that used to blow our minds become... unremarkable. But can we take steps to exercise our inspiration muscle and learn to notice more? I'm so glad you asked! That's exactly what I get into in this episode with 3 ways to stop tak...

Grab my new eBook, Necessarily Creative: https://book.scottmclemore.com Stop Asking the Wrong Questions In this episode of "Keep the Flow," I dive into the common struggle many creatives face: the tendency to ask ourselves the wrong questions. If you've ever found yourself trapped in a cycle of self-doubt and negativity, you're not alone – I've been there too. As a musician and creative profession...

Grab my new eBook, Necessarily Creative: https://book.scottmclemore.com Why You Need to Make Your Story Part of Your Creative Work When we tell our own story it has multiple benefits. It allows people to connect with our work. It gives us an opportunity to communicate facets of ourself that can be therapeutic and provides us with a vehicle to understand ourselves. Keep the Flow is a weekly podcast...

Grab my new eBook, Necessarily Creative: https://book.scottmclemore.com Sometimes we can forget that the work we do is important. We can also get so fixated on our original ideas that we try to force things to conform to that vision instead of allowing outside forces to naturally shape the work, whether that’s through unforeseen circumstances or our collaborators. This week on Keep the Flow, I ref...

Grab my new eBook Necessarily Creative: https://book.scottmclemore.com Creatives can access their heart drive for deeper work. Another way to think of our subconscious is a more easily accessible “heart drive” which stores the feelings and memories that inform our ideas. Creative people access the heart drive all the time, but usually without realizing it. A more intentional approach using these 5...