The Daily Writer

In 2008, I almost got a Warner Bros. employee fired.   One day, a friend of mine from church called. He said a friend of his, John, had a daughter, Becky, who worked for Warner Bros. (John and Becky are not their real names.) Becky organized movie screenings for theater reps and asked her father if he knew anyone who might like to see Speed Racer before it was released in theaters.   John invited...

It seems like we spend the first part of our lives learning to give all the correct answers. But what if the creative journey was less about giving the right answers and more about asking better questions? Today’s guest helps us navigate this tension between questions and answers, and also encourages us to explore our curiosity. Dan Drake is the co-host of the Better Questions Podcast, a show that...

I don’t know about you, but I often overthink the creative process. Sometimes we need a guide who can help us simplify things so we can get some traction and make forward progress.  In this post, Michael S. Rogers  shares the lessons on creativity he learned while writing the novel Passing Lincoln . The book features a unique story about a 5-dollar bill that travels through the hands of various ci...

Today’s episode is a little different because we are tackling a heavy topic: mental illness. It’s an issue that affects all of us in one way or another. If you haven’t personally struggled with some type of mental illness, chances are very high that you know someone who has. In today’s conversation, we have a guest who digs deep into his personal experience with this issue and helps point the way...

Someone once said that it takes a village to raise a child. If it’s also true that it takes a village to write a book, one of the most important villagers is the editor.  On today’s episode, I talk with a good friend who also happens to be a great editor. He helps us understand how why editors are such an important part of the book-making process, and how to choose the right editor for your next b...

For many years, “education” meant sitting at a desk in a classroom, listening to a teacher give a lecture. Today that is no longer the case. The world of education, especially for adults, is changing at a rapid pace. I’m thrilled to bring you a conversation with a great educator who helps us think about the future of education and what it means for us, both as learners and teachers. Today I’m thri...

As an artist and a creative, one of the most valuable skills you can learn is how to engage people with storytelling. Stories are the way we process information and make sense of the world around us. I’m excited today to bring you this conversation with a friend who helps us learn from the greatest storyteller of all time: Jesus. Today I’m thrilled to be talking with Doug Phillips, who is the Prof...

Have you ever felt discouraged because you started writing a book but didn’t finish it? If so, you’re not alone. Many writers, myself included, have started writing a book … only to later abandon it. Today’s guest helps us understand how to break through procrastination and finally get that book finished. His name is Jim Woods, and he’s an author, editor, writing coach, and storyteller. Jim unders...

What does it mean to have creative freedom in your life? And what’s more, how do you get it? Our guest shows us how he and his family followed a surprising path to creative freedom, and how he is helping others do the same. His name is Jared Latigo, and he is a personal development consultant who works with individuals, families, and companies in corporate settings. Jared’ s writing has reached mi...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a ghostwriter? It’s a mysterious part of the writing industry that, by definition, remains hidden from view much of the time. Fortunately, our guest today helps shed some light on the world of ghostwriting. His name is Nick Pavlidis, and he is a ghostwriter who specializes in creating professionally-written and designed books to help entrepreneurs, sp...

I’m excited about the re-launch of the Born to Create Podcast, and honored that you’re taking some time to read this post and listen to the episode. I call this a “re-launch” because the first version of Born to Create was simply an audio blog. The new version of the show features interviews with artists, authors, thinkers, and leaders who can help make a difference in your life and your art. In t...

The concept of a sabbatical has nearly been lost in our modern culture. Our technology allows us to stay connected 24/7, and many of us can do our work anywhere there is an internet connection. As a result, we have forgotten how to rest. Sabbaticals are still a reality in some academic settings. Likewise, some lucky pastors also get a sabbatical. But for most everyone else, an extended sabbatical...

One of the core principles that guide my life is the value of learning from different disciplines. All the great creative minds in history drew from various areas of study that informed and enhanced their thinking. If you want to develop a great mind as well, one of the best places to start is by expanding your reading to areas outside of creativity and the arts. In this episode, I’ll highlight te...

A number of years ago, I sat down in my son’s bedroom late at night after he fell asleep. I was in my mid-30’s and intensely discouraged. As I began to pour out my thoughts, they took shape as a manifesto. I included this “Artist’s Manifesto” at the end of my book The Artist’s Suitcase because it represents the core of what I believe about artists. In this episode, I’m also sharing it here because...

I’ll be honest: one of my least favorite aspects of blogging is creating images. Graphic design has never been my strong suit, so selecting and manipulating images has always been something I’ve just tolerated. At the same time, images are an important part of the reader experience. We are visual creatures, and a screen full of text with no images is pretty boring to read. For several years, I str...

I’ve always been drawn to Gothic cathedrals. These medieval works of art represent one of the pinnacles of human ingenuity and creativity. The designers, laborers, and craftsmen worked to build something they knew would outlive them—not only by decades, but by centuries. That’s a stark contrast to today’s creative world, where we don’t normally think in centuries or decades, or even years. We thin...

As a creative entrepreneur, you have an endless number of career choices available to you today. These options can be a real blessing or a real curse. They can be a blessing because you can tailor-fit your creative work to fit your passions, gifts, and interests. But they can also be a curse because it’s easy to get paralyzed by all these options. This has increasingly been my experience the last...

Do you ever feel like your New Year’s goals are a distant memory by the time summer arrives? Me, too. Guilty as charged. There has been more than one summer when I’ve resigned myself to failure and said, “Eh, it’s too late now. Maybe I’ll tackle that creative project next year.” If you can relate, I have a solution you’ll love: the 2017 Summer Creative Challenge. During the month of June, I’m host...

I have been dealing with depression since my late 20’s. I’m now 42, so this has been an ongoing battle with a demon that will be lurking in the shadows until I die. A couple of months ago I went through a wave of depression that lasted for a couple of weeks. In this post, I want to share what happened and what I learned. This is a different post than usual. But if you are struggling with depressio...

Do you ever have trouble staying motivated and productive in your creative life? If so, you’re definitely not alone! My friend Cary recently sent me a question that expressed what many of us feel sometimes. He says: I have plenty of blog, podcast and video ideas floating around in my head. When I actually sit down and write, record, or create a video, I am on top of the world because I am getting...

Not too long ago, I was talking with a friend about the success his and his family were having. He had just received a promotion at work and a substantial bump in compensation. His wife had also gotten a new job and was making twice her former salary. Life was going really well for them. But I confess that the more he talked, the worse I felt about myself. My joy morphed into jealousy as I secretl...

A few weeks ago I spoke to a friend about a creative opportunity. I thought I had a good shot at being accepted for it, but then my friend called me back. I was not going to be considered for the opportunity. At first, I was hurt and a little angry. I moped around the house for a couple of days, feeling sorry for myself.  But on Saturday morning, I woke up and had a stark realization: I was acting...

Relationships are the glue that holds society together. If we’re going to succeed in our families, work, and creative lives, we must know how to relate well with people. However, sometimes things go south and relationships start to crumble in our work environments. It might be a firing, layoff, controversial leadership decision, or some other event that sets you emotionally on edge. When this happ...

One of Aesop’s best-known fables is  The Tortoise and the Hare . The hare challenges the tortoise to a race, confident he will win by a long shot. The race begins and the hare gets so far ahead of the tortoise that he takes a nap. When the hare wakes up, he finds that the tortoise kept moving and won the race! You and I can learn a lot from the tortoise. It may take a while to get where we’re goin...

On the surface, it may appear like artists and farmers have nothing to with each other. But if we look at the process of farming, there is a lot you can learn about becoming a more effective and influential artist. In this episode, you’ll learn how to apply the three steps of farming to your creative work. They will help you develop a long-term perspective as an artist. They will also help you see...