Creative Confidants - Exploring And Encouraging The Origins Of Creativity

Robbers, thieves, guns for hire--and them's just the film producers! 600 Spaghetti Westerns were made between 1960 and 1978. We'll discuss why and how each filmmaker, despite stealing from another, still had their own creative take on the genre.

Less is more.

What happens when you stop experiencing a moment and start documenting it? Do you lose out on a connection and miss the message? Why is it we don't press 'record' at the church or temple, but we feel okay doing it at the creative cathedrals of art?

It's more the rule than it is the exception. For every great idea, there are hundreds of thousands of millions of bad ones. We just don't talk about them because, well, they're terrible! But that's okay, they're also necessary. For every creative breakthrough, there are billions of false starts. 

How two bicycle enthusiasts beat the greatest minds of science in the race to the sky.

In 1979 Robin Warren saw something that thousands of scientists should have seen before him. They didn't see it because they were all convinced it wasn't possible. What imaginary hurdles stand between us and our greatest creative self?

On the occasion of Chuck Berry's 60th birthday, Carl Sagan wrote him a letter. So, of course we wanted to talk about it. 

With his new special, Thank God For Jokes, Mike Birbiglia has perfected the art of the one man show. We discuss how he can spend over an hour keeping us captivated on detours from the main story and how we stay focused on the promise that he'll eventually deliver a single moment.

"Wait, but you said..." Never mind what we said, we changed our minds. Or times have changed. Or the winds have shifted. Whatever the reason, the sunshine doesn't smell the way it used to and sometimes we need to alter course. So why make plans to begin with? We'll tell you why! Or we won't...we'll see how we feel. 

Dishwasher -> Chef -> Author -> Primetime television superstar. You know, the usual trajectory...

Searching for riches? Something to conquer? No matter what leads you on your journey, you'll have to depart familiar shores to get there. 

Ah, criticism. When is a note a note? And when is there a note behind the note? Why, after all our creative efforts, do we still need to be solving these puzzles? We explore some of the craziest notes in TV and Film as well as some of the bizarre criticisms we've received. 

You have a fraction of a second to convince someone that you have something better to offer, that you have a replacement for what they already do with their time. Y'all ready for this? Also, as creative people, we are not called to live from moment to moment, we are compelled to create each moment. 

You may know her as Clementine on HBO's critically acclaimed Westworld, or from other performances ranging from Twilight to State Farm commercials. Angela stops by on a visit to the barn for a Friday Night Special worth checking out. From her advice in practicing sensory work to her permission to play in your creativity, we think you'll like a lot of what she has to say.

Say 'yes' to everything. Okay, not everything. But most things. Actually, even then, that's a lot. So just a few things? Ice cream? What DO you say 'YES' to? And at what point does 'no' make more sense? We'll talk about setting your default to 'yes' in your creative pursuits and opting out after you've played things out in your mind.  Also, a little too little talk about Alanis Morissette.  And Patreon. Go there. Give us a kiss.

Got Goosebumps? You might after this one. We loved exploring more about this childhood favorite of so many of our listeners. And, along with his wonderful sense of humor, he's got some great advice! Enjoy!  

As the master once said, "Do or do not; there is no 'try'." Oh, and while you're busy doing, you might notice that you're not worried about anything...because there's no room for that. This, and other insights about conferences, education and moving right along in this week's episode of...Creative Confidants.

OA is a hit show on Netflix. Whether you're watching it or not, you will likely be inspired by its star and creator, Brit Marling. In this episode we dive into her search for origins and where she gets her source of power.

Speaking of creativity, I'm giving myself a big pat on the back for pronouncing "Sam Shepard" the way others would pronounce "Dennis Quaid." So there! No mistakes, no apologies, nobody knows anything! But seriously, my apologies to Sam Shepard and the entire Quaid family.

New year, new you? Nah. Same you...magnified! In this episode we jump onto the resolution bandwagon, agree to do away with 2016 and welcome in everything new. So how do you do it? How do we do it? What are your self-improvement goals?  Let's clean house and get creative!