The Daily Writer

A few weeks ago I saw in a darkened theater with my son Ben. We were there to watch a movie I had been anticipating for two years: The Rise of Skywalker . I enjoyed the movie, but let’s be honest: it was a mess. It was clear that the filmmakers of Rise  were trying to walk back on story points from the previous movie, The Last Jedi  … which had already taken a hard right turn from the story in the...

I was talking to a friend the other day, and he said, “I can’t believe it’s already the year 2020. It seems like it turned the year 2000 just yesterday.” Indeed, it does seem hard to believe that the whole Y2K hysteria was twenty years ago. One of the common themes you’ll hear associated with the year 2020 is the concept of vision. It’s a play on words because “20/20” also refers to perfect eyesig...

In the last episode, we began looking at 7 trends for business writers in 2020. That episode began to get kind of long, so I decided to break it up into two episodes. If you haven’t gone back and listened to episode 122, I encourage you to do that to get the full picture. But to recap, here are the first three trends we talked about: 1. Storytelling needs to be a major part of our communication an...

You’ve probably heard it said that there are two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. I’d like to add a third thing that is certain: constant change in the writing and publishing world. Or, you might say that the only thing that never changes is the fact that things are always changing! This is the case in nearly every part of life and society today. We live in a time of upheaval and...

I live in the Midwest—specifically, just outside St. Louis—and several months out of the year, we have cold mornings. Occasionally, I’ll forget to start my car early and un-fog the windshield. If I’m running late, that means I’m driving down the street with fog or maybe even some ice on the windshield … which is not a good situation. It’s hard to navigate when you don’t have clarity! That’s exactl...

Today is January 1, so happy New Year! It’s a great time for a fresh start. I don’t know what your 2019 was like but mine was honestly pretty bumpy. But I wouldn’t frame it as a bad year — in fact, I’d say it was a very good year in that it was a year of major growth, clarity, and learning.  It’s also appropriate because this is a fresh start for this podcast. This is the introductory episode to t...

Just a note: If you are listening to episodes from Jan. 1, 2020 and on, those episodes will be part of the Smart Business Writing podcast. But if you are listening to episodes before then, those will be part of the Born to Create podcast. I hope you’ll check out the archive episodes of the Born to Create podcast, which consists of episodes 001-119 of this podcast. There are some great interviews a...

You probably saw that this episode is titled “An Exciting New Podcast Direction!” and wondering what that’s all about. I’m going to take a few minutes here on this episode and share with you how this podcast will be pivoting and what you can expect with my new podcast, “Smart Business Writing.” I’ll be back on Jan. 1 with the very first episode of the new Smart Business Writing podcast. You won’t...

On this episode, I answer a question sent in by Francis: Thank you so much for your mails, they're really inspiring. Basically, I'm having difficulties in choosing a career or starting one. I'm still finding it difficult to understand my interest, many career entices me. I love being independent in every aspect of my life so working for someone or choosing a job is not my kinda thin...

On this episode, I answer a question sent in by Brian Mays: Priority is a challenge for me. I am creative in my day job, but I'd love to shift what I'm doing as a professional creative to something a bit more niche. It's tough finding time to roll with that and do the "regular things" as a professional day in and day out. I can't remember doing much portrait drawing i...

On this episode, I answer a question sent in by  Craig Harmann : How do I build (or rebuild) habits that keep me consistent in being creative? To read the full show notes, visit http://kentsanders.net/116 .

On this episode, I answer a question sent in by Catherine Hackman : Do you have any tips for marketing or how to build a platform? To read the full show notes, visit http://kentsanders.net/115 .

On this episode, I answer a question sent in by Mark Revisky:  What is the balance between work, leisure, and creative endeavors? Many times my creative work is separate from those two areas. To read the full show notes, visit http://kentsanders.net/114 .

On this episode, I answer a question sent in by Jessica Ghigliotti: How do you decide which project to work on next? I have running documents for capturing notes and ideas for a few different books I could write. But nothing is going to happen unless I can pick ONE idea to focus on. How do you choose? To read the full show notes, visit http://kentsanders.net/113 .

On this episode, I answer a question sent in by Jacqueline:  Someone has given me unsolicited criticism about a video I put on Facebook. They had some good suggestions but I didn’t ask for their feedback. How do I deal with this situation? To read the full show notes, visit http://kentsanders.net/112 .

On this episode, I answer a question sent in by Michael Rogers: What about juggling the act of creating with the business of creating. How do I live in that tension where I don't get so focused on one that I ignore the other? To read the full show notes, visit http://kentsanders.net/111 .

On today’s episode, I answer a question sent in by Erica Stevens: Does your creativity have to be in ministry or faith related form? Does anyone feel guilty for using their creative gifts in non-church/ministry related situations, and therefore stop being creative or abandon new projects? To read the full show notes, visit http://kentsanders.net/110 .

On this episode, I answer a question sent in by Mark Revisky: How do we incorporate creativity into a habit, as in, how often should I make it a habit: daily, twice a week, etc. How much time should I give to it each time I work at my creativity? To read the full show notes, visit http://kentsanders.net/109 .

When I talk about this podcast or about the materials I create, the phrase I use most often use to describe my audience is “creative entrepreneur.” It refers to someone who is building a business with their creative skills. For most of us, the “creative” part comes a lot easier than the “entrepreneur” part. Creating a viable business is pretty difficult, as pretty much any business owner can tell...

One of the reasons I do a podcast is to deliver value to my listeners. I love the opportunity to create content and help improve people’s lives, businesses, and creative work. But I have to be honest: there is also a selfish element to podcast. I love the fact that having a podcast gives me an excuse to reach out to people who are doing cool work and ask them to be on the show.  That is exactly th...

One of the many benefits of doing a podcast is that you get to talk to lots of amazing people. I learn something from every single guest. I come away from every interview grateful for having the chance to talk with that guest. However, I occasionally have a guest who not only teaches me something new, but inspires me in such a powerful way that I look at everything I’m doing in a new way. Today’s...

Today’s guest is here to help us slow down and find the center. His name is Chad Jarnagin, and he is an ordained priest in the Anglican Communion, as well as an artist and writer. He’s the author of the fantastic new book Learning to Be: Reconstructing Peace & Spiritual Health , which we reference in the conversation. He is also host of the “Learning to Be” podcast, which focuses on slowing do...

When I was a kid, I played with action figures all the times. It was mostly Star Wars figures and other superheroes. As an adult, and especially as a father of a boy who likes all that stuff as well, I have continued to enjoy those stories, characters, and movies.  I have a special interview today with a man who helps brings those characters to life in a very literal way. His name is Christopher H...

When I was in high school, I was heavily involved in school plays and musicals. Although I don’t talk about it much here on the show, I have always loved theater because it brings together so many of the arts into one performance art.  I’m thrilled today to bring you a conversation with someone who has had lots of success in theater, and I’m excited for the chance to learn from him. His name is Sc...

Have you ever looked around at the products you use in your everyday life and wondered, “How did this get created?” It’s a question many people ask, as evidenced by TV shows such as “How It’s Made,” and the many YouTube channels dedicated to showing the creative process behind the products we use. My guest today helps us explore this fascinating world of product development. His name is Chris Bray...