Your Next Chapter

Season 3, Episode 11 What if a lot of creative suffering comes not from the work itself, but from the stories we tell ourselves about the work?  In this episode, I'm covering The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz through a creative lens and discussing how the principles can help you protect your peace and your creativity, too.  If you've ever overanalyzed feedback, spiraled after critic...

Season 3, Episode 10 In this episode of Your Next Chapter, we’re diving into the fascinating neuroscience behind reading fiction and why books may be one of the healthiest things we can do for our nervous systems. Listen in to hear about: • The link between reading, stress reduction, and nervous system regulation • How fiction strengthens social reasoning • What happens in the brain while reading...

Season 3, Episode 9 In this episode of Your Next Chapter, I’m exploring the deeper purpose of stories through two incredible novels: Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller and The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. We’re talking about: • Why fiction matters so much • How stories shape empathy • Why books are often feared throughout history • Access to stories and censorship • The...

Why do some books, songs, and artists take off… while others don’t? It’s easy to assume it comes down to talent or quality, but that’s only part of the story. In this episode, I’m breaking down the real drivers behind popularity in art, from exposure and promotion to timing, luck, and privilege. Because understanding this changes how you see both your own work—and everyone else’s.

Season 3, Episode 7 Why do we like what we like? It’s easy to write something off as “not for me.” But if you look a little closer, there’s often something deeper underneath. In this episode, I’m unpacking the idea that our taste in art isn’t always objective—and sometimes, our reactions say more about us than the work itself. From personal insecurities to creative comparison, this is a conversati...

Season 3, Episode 6 What if overthinking is the very thing blocking your creativity?  In this episode, I'm exploring the connection between your body and your creative process, and why trying to think your way into better work can actually make things worse.  From piano to yoga to writing, I've noticed the same pattern: the moment I overanalyze, I lose the flow.  Listen in to hear about...

Season 3, Episode 5 You don't have a discipline problem; you have an environment problem.  In today's episode, I'm breaking down how technology is designed to fragment your focus, and what you can actually do about it.  From phone habits to notifications to deep work (concept coined by the book Deep Work by Cal Newport), this is a practical guide to protecting your attention so you...

Season 3, Episode 4 In this episode, I'm breaking down the four types of boundaries that every creative person needs: mental, emotional, relational, and time.  Because most people don't lose their creativity due to a lack of talent; they lose it when everything else takes priority.  If you've been feeling scattered, drained, or pulled in too many directions, this episode will help y...

There are seasons where creativity feels easy. And then there are seasons where it feels heavy.  In this episode, I'm talking about to do when you're tired, not necessarily of creating but of everything that comes with it. The waiting, the uncertainty, the feedback, the time it takes to bring something meaningful into the world.  If you've been feeling worn down or discouraged, or j...

Season 3, Episode 2 As humans, we're drawn to what's visible. The big launches, the early success. The people who seem to be crushing it right away.  But what if that's usually not what lasts?  In this episode, I'm sharing a moment from one of my yoga classes that completely reframed how I think about creative work, and why going all out in the beginning can actually work again...

Season 3, Episode 1 At some point, more information stops helping and starts holding you back. In this episode, I’m talking about what happens when you take in too many resources while trying to grow creatively. Courses, books, podcasts, advice… and suddenly, instead of clarity, you feel confused, stuck, and disconnected from your own instincts. If you’ve ever found yourself second-guessing everyt...

Season 2, Episode 12 Confidence is often misunderstood, and it might be the very thing holding you back. In this final episode of the constraint series, I’m joined by my friend Kristen Arnett, confidence coach and founder of Meant to Be Me, who walks us through what confidence actually is (and what it isn’t). If you’ve ever felt behind, overlooked, or lacking the confidence to go after your dreams...

Season 2, Episode 11 If you’ve ever told yourself “I’m not ready” when it comes to pursuing something creative, this episode is for you. In this third installment of the constraint series, I'm unpacking one of the most convincing and socially acceptable reasons we delay our creative work: readiness. It sounds responsible, but often, it’s something else entirely. Listen in to hear about the di...

Season 2, Episode 10   Money can be one of the biggest barriers in a creative life and it's also one of the least honestly discussed. We love to say “just start” or “just create,” but access matters. Money impacts your time, your training, your tools and your opportunities. At the same time, having money doesn’t guarantee success, and plenty of people with access never follow through. In this...

Season 2, Episode 9 In this episode, we’re kicking off the Creative Constraints series by tackling the most common barrier of all: time. If you’ve ever said, “I just don’t have time to create,” you’re not wrong. Time is limited, layered and often already spoken for. Between work, family, health and everyday responsibilities, creativity is usually the first thing to get pushed aside. But this episo...

Season 2, Episode 8 We often hear that there's room for everyone in creative fields, but the reality is that markets are limited, opportunities are competitive and only so many names can be at the top at one time.  In this episode, I get candid about market share, visibility and the emotional side of competing in artistic industries. I explore how comparison can either motivate or crush you,...

Season 2, Episode 7 In creative industries, someone is almost always deciding what gets chosen, funded, published or seen. These people, known as gatekeepers, can open important doors but can also feel like impossible barriers.  Listen in to this episode of Your Next Chapter as I chat about who gatekeepers really are, why subjectivity plays such a big role in the arts and how to keep going when ap...

Season 2, Episode 6 In both yoga and ballet, there is a simple principle. Where you look, your body follows. In this episode, I reveal how your focus shapes your direction, not just physically but creatively and emotionally as well.  This discussion looks at attention, fear and possibility, and how small shifts in where we put our gaze can quietly change the trajectory of our creative lives. If yo...

Season 2, Episode 5 We're often told that locking into one pursuit young is the key to success, but research and real life tell a more complicated story. In this episode of Your Next Chapter, I explore early specialization, creative pressure and why starting later or taking a nonlinear approach can lead to deeper, more sustainable creativity.  Using examples from dance, athletics and the arts...

Season 2, Episode 4 In this special February “Love” episode, the final of the series, I'm joined by my friend, author and advocate Jessica Nicely. In this powerful conversation, Jessica talks about resilience, reinvention, and what it truly means to love your life. She shares how she moved forward after a traumatic childhood* and the courage it took to write a memoir about her life. Jessica a...

The idea of the tortured artist has been longstanding across cultures and time, but it's also deeply misleading. In this episode, I talk about how your physical and mental health support creativity and vice versa.  Join me as I discuss how small, sustainable wellness habits can improve clarity, energy and creative progress without becoming overwhelming. If you've ever felt disconnected f...

Season 2, Episode 2 Creativity doesn't thrive in isolation. In this episode of Your Next Chapter, I share the importance of supporting others in creative fields and how community can strengthen rather than dilute your own work.  Listen in about allyship, generosity and how to handle the beast of comparison. If you want to build meaningful creative relationships without losing your voice or mo...

Season 2, Episode 1/The Love Series We often focus on fixing our weaknesses instead of building on what already comes naturally. In this episode, I dig into the idea of Ikigai and how understanding your strengths can bring more clarity, confidence and ease to your creative life.  This conversation looks at skills versus strengths, why we sometimes overlook what we're good at and how identifyi...

Season 1, Episode 10 Not all passion leads to fulfillment. In this episode of "Your Next Chapter," I explore the differences between obsessive passion and harmonious passion. You'll learn to recognize the signs of the former, how short-term productivity might lure you into a trap, and how to reconnect with a more balanced, life-giving approach to your creative work.  This episode is...

Season 1, Episode 9 It is easy to look at early success stories and feel behind or discouraged. But creativity does not belong to any single age or season. In this episode of "Your Next Chapter," I explore the idea that the timing of your creative life matters less than the depth you bring to it. We talk about why comparison steals joy, how life experience can strengthen creative work an...