Creative Fuel

As we honor the winter solstice and step into the season of midwinter we're reflecting on what a slower, softer, more introspective time means for our creativity.  This bonus episode is a short conversation with writer Katherine May about rethinking this season and how we might imbue it with a little more meaning.  Resources Mentioned & Places to Learn More Katherine May's books The Electricity of...

Let the abundance of light infuse your creative process. We're entering a new season, and in tandem with the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere - Anna shares a special Summer Solstice Meditation to inspire play, curiosity and, of course, creativity. This bonus episode is a short seasonal reflection on what the summer season means for our creative process. Resources Mentioned & Plac...

Solstices and equinoxes mark a seasonal shift, a change in what’s happening around us. But what does this mean for our creativity? This bonus episode is a short reflection on what the winter season means for our creative process, and is a call to contemplate what creative rest and regeneration can look like in this slower, quieter season. Resources Mentioned & Places to Learn More Anna’s essay “ T...

In a darker, slower season, our bodies crave rest. Yet all around us, it feels like society wants us to speed up. This time of year can be particularly difficult for working artists, and whether or not we make a living from our creative pursuits, we can often feel the need for a slower pace. But in the midst of systemic forces, how do we take care of ourselves? Artist Antoinette Thomas and Outdoor...

Writer Cheryl Strayed draws some thoughtful parallels between grief and a creative state. In our last episode of Creative Fuel, "How Do We Get Through Hard Times?" we took a look at the topic of grief - and other difficult times in our lives that we move through. As always, we covered more in our conversation than we could share in the episode. So for this Dose of Creativity, we'll hear how grief...

There are moments in our lives when we are stopped in our tracks. Moments where something out of our control impacts us in a way that can fee insurmountable. These are moments of sadness, of stress, of darkness, of feeling broken. We may lose someone, we may experience a great change in our lives. Or we may be in a moment where we struggle to find the drive to create like we want to. What do we do...

We’re slated to have a new episode out today, but we needed a little extra time to work on it so we pushed it out a week. We’ll be taking a look at the question “how do we get through hard times?” and this deeper, heavier topic has simply required a bit more space. This short message from Anna is an invitation to slow down when it comes to creative projects. Head over to CreativeFuelCollective.com...

How creative flow was modeled for us when we were growing up has a lot to do with how we seek it out today. And  writer Bonnie Tsui strives to achieve a more balanced approach to her creative pursuits so that her children feel empowered to do the same. In our last episode of Creative Fuel, "How Do We Find Flow" we took a look at the topic of flow. As always, we covered more in our conversation tha...

Creative flow is a desirable but often elusive state. Many of us crave those moments where it feels like everything just comes together and we’re in the zone. But how exactly do we get there? And what can we do to facilitate more flow in our everyday lives? In this episode we explore the flow state with the help of researcher Dr. Richard Huskey and writer Bonnie Tsui. We take a look at the science...

Awe an important emotion that has been shown to make us kinder and improve our empathy, and awe can help us to better tap into creativity. As Florence Williams shares, we don't necessarily need epic sunsets or grand vistas to get these benefits. A practice of microdosing awe helps us to access this important state more regularly.  On the last episode of Creative Fuel, "How Do We Spend Time Alone?"...

Solitude can help the creative process flourish, but how can time alone be generative and not just lonely? When writer Florence Williams’ 25-year marriage falls apart, it sets her on a journey to explore the science behind loneliness. Photographer Alexandra de Steiguer on the other hand has spent the last quarter century actively seeking out time on her own, spending her winters as the caretaker o...

Kaywin Feldman, the Director for the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., points out why visiting art museums can provide us boosts of creativity. On last episode of Creative Fuel, "How Do We Connect With Each Other," we discussed how art museums and other public displays of art can be such powerful bridges between people. And in this short, Kaywin discusses how that relates to experiencing...

We share traits with every single human on this planet. But often our differences define us more than our commonalities. In this episode we explore our empathetic potential, and how art just might be a bridge for creating better connection. Social psychologist Dr. Sara Konrath and Director of the National Gallery of Art guide us through an exploration of art and empathy, and we explore a new publi...

On art and science. In our first episode, "Do We Need Newness for Creativity?" we connected with Christine Liu, a neuroscientist and artist. She had some fantastic things to say about the intersection of science and creativity, something that is at the root of all of our Creative Fuel episodes. Each episode of Creative Fuel start swith one question. In the course of researching, writing, and talki...

We all know that spark of inspiration that easily happens when we go somewhere out of the ordinary, or feel like we're doing something for the first time. Do we need that sense of newness to spark creativity, and what do we do if we can't find it? In this episode we talk to writer Amanda Machado and neuroscientist Christine Liu to learn exactly what's happening in our brains when we have new exper...

To be creative is to be human, and understanding that drive might help us understand ourselves better. Season one launches September 13, 2022. Each episode begins with a central question, and features the expertise of researchers, scientists and creatives. In this first season, we'll explore topics like “how do we connect with each other?,” “how do we get through hard times?,” and "how do we find...