Follow Your Curiosity: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Creativity.

Have you ever looked at your life and realized that while everything is "okay" on paper, you feel like you're just playing a role?   In this week's Report from the Creative Closet, I'm diving into the Performance Trap. We talk about why the modern world is obsessed with optimization and metrics—and how that obsession is actually stripping us of our humanity. From the "proceduralization" of our com...

What happens when you realize the very things meant to connect us are actually stealing your creative spark?   This week, we conclude our special 30th-anniversary archive release with actor Paul McGann. Originally recorded in 2020, this conversation remains a vital guide for anyone trying to navigate a creative life without losing their humanity to the digital machine.   Paul shares his prolific j...

Have you ever told yourself you don’t have a creative bone in your body?   This week, we’re looking at why that belief is a trap—and why it’s almost certainly a lie you were taught to believe. In this Report from the Creative Closet, I explore why we’ve narrowed the definition of creativity so far that we’ve lost sight of our own resourcefulness, adaptation, and meaning-making.   It’s an invitatio...

What happens when the "masterpiece" you expected turns out to be just the beginning of a very different journey?   In this first part of a special release from the archives, I’m sharing the beginning of my landmark conversation with the legendary Paul McGann. Recorded in May 2020 and originally released in August 2020, this was Paul’s first-ever podcast interview. While he has hosted many shows si...

What if the very thing you think is "childish" is actually the life skill you need most right now?   In this "Report from the Creative Closet," I’m looking at the fear of uncertainty that keeps so many adults stuck. We discuss why we’ve become so uncomfortable with open-endedness and why we feel like we need a manual for everything—even for taking a break.   I share the "Obsolete Child" philosophy...

What do you do when the world tells you "no" for seven years straight?   This week, I’m talking with legendary TV and film producer Phil Segal. With a 38-year career that includes everything from Twin Peaks and SeaQuest DSV to Deadliest Catch, Phil is perhaps best known to sci-fi fans as the man who fought for nearly a decade to bring Doctor Who back to the screen in 1996.   Phil shares how climbi...

What happens when you spend so much time being "reliable" that you forget how to be meaningful?   In this third installment of Reports from the Creative Closet, I’m exploring the "Be Good" trap. We often learn very early that being predictable and agreeable is safer than being fully alive, but that safety comes at a high price.   I discuss the Traffic Rule Covenant—a look at how we use rules to re...

What happens when you realize that "anything you want to be" actually includes the thing people told you wasn't practical?   In this week's conversation, I’m talking with my good friend Katie DeBonville. Katie is an emerging author whose new book, Grace Notes, explores the intersection of music, memory, and the courage it takes to speak your mind.   Katie shares the story of her legendary stand-of...

Have you ever realized that "adulting" has become a fancy word for getting really, really good at ignoring your own signals?   In this week's Report from the Creative Closet, I’m exploring the eerie reality that we aren't actually "lost"—we just forgot where we put ourselves. I’m sharing why that "force of will" you had as a five-year-old is the key to breaking free from the mask that is currently...

What is the one question that drives every single thing you create?   My guest this week is the self-described "happy hyphenate" Matthew Jacobs. Best known for contributing to major titles like Young Indiana Jones and The Emperor's New Groove and writing the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie, Matthew joins me to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the TV movie’s release.   Matthew tells me about his "No...

Have you ever looked at your life and realized that while everything is "okay" on paper, something is deeply off?   You aren't alone, and I don't think the problem is you. I think the problem is the invisible pressure we all feel to be "good enough" at everything we touch.   Welcome to the first Report from the Creative Closet—a new series of dispatches designed to help you move past the "shoulds"...

What happens when the role you play on screen starts to close doors in your real life?   My guest this week is actress Nicola Bryant, famously known as the American companion, Peri, on Doctor Who. In a story that sounds like a movie itself, Nicola shares how she pretended to be American for three years—both on and off-set—and how that choice affected her career for decades.   We explore her creati...

If you're currently fighting with a project that refuses to behave, you might be trying to force an outcome that wasn't meant to be.   In this episode, I share a surprising lesson from Tom Hanks’ performance in Forrest Gump. We often think that being a "pro" means forcing our vision into reality, but sometimes the most professional thing you can do is learn to follow your project’s lead instead.  ...

If you’ve ever felt frustrated, angry, or deeply misunderstood during a conversation, the culprit might be a single word you didn’t know was dangerous.   In this episode, I’m talking with equity strategist Danielle Marshall about the power of curiosity to bridge divides and change culture. Danielle shares why asking "What else might be true?" is her most powerful tool for connection and why she de...

If you’ve been feeling like you’re clawing your way up a cement wall by your fingernails just to get through your "to-do" list, this conversation is for you.   I recently realized I was my own worst client. In this Creative Pep Talk, I’m sharing the three-word message I saw on the back of a truck that stopped me in my tracks—and how it helped me save my creative spark.   If you are a perfectionist...

Have you ever felt like you need a "permission slip" to try a different creative path, even when you’re already "successful" in another? In this episode, I’m talking with award-winning screenwriter Leslie Rasmussen, who spent years in the high-pressure world of comedy writing for iconic television shows like Roseanne, The Drew Carey Show, and Sweet Valley High before pivoting to her true passion:...

In this creative pep talk, I'm sharing a personal confession: I realized I was in the middle of nearly burning myself out because I forgot to let myself have enough fun. We live in a culture that wants us to prioritize working all the time and forget that joy is a necessity, not a luxury. I’m sharing the $0 Joy Gift—the tiny, simple things like a piece of classical music or a laugh over $10 alumin...

Paul Pape is a creative problem navigator, TEDx speaker, and author known as “Santa for Nerds.” Over the past 20 years, he has built a reputation as the specialty artist companies like Disney, Universal, and Nickelodeon call when they need something that doesn’t exist or their internal teams can’t build. Working from his Nebraska studio, Paul creates custom collectibles, props, and prototypes with...

“I am here to help people get their power back. I don’t want people’s power.” Whether you know it or not, you have immense creative and personal power. But in a society that often tries to take that power away—or tells you that you should give your power to a "guru"—it’s easy to feel invisible in your own life. In this video, I explore why creativity is actually the fastest path back to yourself....

Dr. Kelly Flanagan is a clinical psychologist whose writing and speaking have resulted in an appearance on the TODAY Show, as well as features in publications including Reader’s Digest  and Success Magazine. He’s no stranger to Follow Your Curiosity, having been on the show twice before to discuss his first book, Loveable, and his first novel, The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell. He chose to write his...

You don't have to earn your own kindness. This episode is a look at why radical self-compassion is the creative lifestyle shift your exhaustion has been asking for. If you’ve been treating self care like a "treat" for good behavior rather than a necessity for your wellbeing, you aren't alone and you aren't broken. In this episode, I explore why radical kindness is a vital act of resistance for exh...

Hi, everyone! I've been traveling, so I'm re-upping what's probably my favorite interview of all time (which is saying a LOT). It's a conversation I think a lot of us probably need right now. If you haven't heard it before, you're in for a treat. If you've heard it before, I promise it's worth a second listen. Either way, enjoy! Original release date: January 31, 2024 -- Tim Myers does a bit of ev...

If you’ve been feeling demoralized by the 24-hour news cycle and the weight of the world, you aren't alone and you aren't broken. In this video, we explore why creating a safe haven for yourself isn’t about denial or being "unproductive"—it’s about reclaiming the aliveness you need to keep going. Most advice tells you to "stay informed" until you're exhausted or "just crush it" despite the chaos....

Segun Akinola is a British-Nigerian composer for film and television. He is most known for his music in the three series of Doctor Who starring the first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker. A BAFTA Breakthrough Brit 2017, Segun’s other work includes scoring Sundance 2019 favorite and World Soundtrack Award nominee The Last Tree, Apple TV+ feature 9/11: Inside The President's War Room, and the BBC's la...

"No thanks. I’m going to play today." This episode is a little different. If you feel exhausted, demoralized, or like a "ghost of your old self," you aren't broken—you are a human being responding to a global situation that feels less stable every day. In this episode, I explore why creative rebellion is a vital act of resistance. This isn't about being productive or making a statement; it’s about...