Keep the Flow

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...

As creatives, freedom is essential—but without discipline, freedom can lead to aimlessness. In this episode, I break down 5 ways to be your own boss and integrate structure into your creative pursuits without losing joy. When you master discipline, your creative career becomes an unstoppable force. 🚀 Get your copy of Necessarily Creative - A Blueprint for a Creative Life: https://book.scottmclemo...

Yes, it's a bit of an announcement. In this episode I unveil my first eBook, Necessarily Creative - A Blueprint for a Creative Life. https://book.scottmclemore.com The episode gets into some of the same subject matter but it's more inspired by the book and not really a summary or presentation of the material. Thanks to Med Badr Chemmaoui for the awesome picture in the episode art. You might like m...

First of all, I'm ok. It's funny how when I post episodes about negative issues we deal with, people assume I'm going through something. I always have a few people who reach out to make sure I'm ok. I'm fine. However, I'm not always fine. None of us are. That's where creativity can actually help. But it's easy to forget that. In this episode I run through 4 factors to keep in mind that can help us...

Creativity is why I started Keep the Flow and launched this YouTube channel. How many subscribers I have, or don't have shouldn't have an influence on what I create, but it's hard not to notice when we have a video that performs well. This week I go over my workflow, how I stay consistent, my struggles and potential perks to having a YouTube channel. As a creator, I'm trying to make sense of why m...

Join my free weekly email The Interval for a rundown of inspiration and updates: https://subscribe.scottmclemore.com When we get so close to our creative work, we can lose perspective. It’s good to have someone who can take an unbiased look at your work. Sometimes we miss things that seem obvious to others. We all make mistakes. Allowing someone you trust to give you constructive criticism shouldn...

Sign up for my FREE weekly email The Interval for inspiration and updates: https://subscribe.scottmclemore.com By becoming more intentional with something we do naturally, it can change the way we look at the world and how we create. In this episode I take examples from Prince covering Radiohead, Steve Martin's book Born Standing Up and Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. BOOKS: Steal Like an Ar...

We can sometimes get into endless debates with ourselves about the next step in our creative process. My own overthinking is usually based in fear or perfectionism and leads directly to inaction. This week on Keep the Flow I get into how all creatives could learn a lot from improvisers and athletes. Learning to make decisions on the fly can get us over the hurdles we set up for ourselves. Follow m...