How Our Creative Ancestors Influence Our Art: Adri Norris on Stumbling Toward Genius
Stumbling Toward Genius
Who are your creative ancestors, and how can their stories influence your creative journey? Your creative ancestors are those people who make you, you. They build you up and inform your creativity through the things they teach you, even from a distant past. Their legacies inspire you to share their stories with future generations through your art. They are part of what I call your Artist’s DNA. Adri Norris' successful "Women Behaving Badly" series was born out of a desire to share the stories of important women whose stories have largely gone untold. These works are a window into their...
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The Link Between Spirituality and Creative Inspiration Stumbling Toward Genius, With Kim Roberts
Stumbling Toward Genius
Have you ever had a spiritual awakening that opened your eyes to a new or deeper creative practice? My friend Kim Roberts did. Her long-time yoga practice opened her eyes to the deeper dimensions of life, eventually leading her to Paris, where she started painting. Kim is multifaceted, sharing her gifts as a yoga practitioner and instructor, psychotherapist, coach, artist, and writer with the world. She joins me on Stumbling Toward Genius today to share how her many daily practices feed into one another, as well as: Her art-making process and how she opens herself up to express what’s...
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Courage to Write the Book of Your Heart with Heather Stimmler on Stumbling Toward Genius
Stumbling Toward Genius
How do you know when it is the right time to write and publish your book? And then, how do you find the courage to step back from a project that you’ve poured your heart into so you can create a larger body of work? Today, you’ll hear a conversation with my friend, Heather Stimmler from the highly acclaimed website and newsletter. A labor of love, Secrets of Paris has been a trusted reference for original feature stories, useful sightseeing advice, and recommendations. She has been sharing insider information about Paris for visitors and residents for over twenty years. Now Heather is...
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Creating on Your Own Terms with Cory Huff on Stumbling Toward Genuis
Stumbling Toward Genius
Sometimes we get stuck thinking that someone else’s way should work for us, then we get frustrated when it doesn’t. Today, on Stumbling Toward Genius, I talk with my friend Cory Huff about how he is navigating his creativity his way. Cory Huff is Chief Marketing Officer at Productive Flourishing, founder at The Abundant Artist, and serial fiction writer. His background also includes acting in classical theater and narrative storytelling. He's been existing at the intersection of business and creativity for 15 years. In this episode, we talk with Cory about his own creative pursuits like...
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Finishing What Matters Most, Stumbling Toward Genius with Charlie Gilkey
Stumbling Toward Genius
Do you have an unfinished project you’ve been working on for months, years, or maybe even decades? You know, the one you keep putting on the back burner for “some” day. But that day never seems to come? Today, we’re talking with Charlie Gilkey, author of the book Start Finishing about what happens to us when we don’t finish the projects we start, and how we can “start finishing.” Charlie Gilkey helps people start finishing the stuff that matters. He's the founder of Productive Flourishing, author of the book Start Finishing (2019) and The Small Business Lifecycle (2012), and host...
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Initiating Change Through Intimacy with Krissy Shields on Stumbling Toward Genius
Stumbling Toward Genius
Have you ever heard someone say something that felt like a dart to your heart? My guest on the show today, Krissy Shields, had just such an experience when she heard Rev. Angel Kyodo Williams speak about racism at Camp Good Life Project a few years ago. That moment became a catalyst for change in her and led her to host a peer group called Brave Circle. Krissy Shields is a wellness expert and the founder of Maha Mama, empowering families with accessible yoga, nutrition and mindfulness. She has taught in yoga trainings all around the US plus in homeless shelters, prisons and public schools,...
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Art, Sketching and Inspiration in Paris: Stumbling Toward Genius with Marcus McAllister
Stumbling Toward Genius
Today on Stumbling Toward Genius I am excited to talk with one of my favorite people, Marcus McAllister. Marcus is a French-American professional artist based in Paris for the past twenty-five years. In his acrylic paintings and long-term Sketchbook discipline, he layers figures, animals, text, abstract signs, and mystic symbols to create meaningful, dream-like glimpses of his inner universe. I still remember the first time I met Marcus. It was at one of his Sunday Salons at his art studio in Paris. I left that evening with a new friend and two pieces of advice that have made a big difference...
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Carving Out Time For Our Creative Pursuits Infuses Our Vitality with Dallas Woodburn
Stumbling Toward Genius
Who are you writing for? Who counts in determining what we create? Sometimes we get bogged down by the idea of what our audience, peers, or the people in our lives will think of our creative pursuits. That can lead to a muddying of the waters of the creative process. In this episode, Dallas shares how she broke through those barriers to write the books that were in her heart. Listen as she walks us through: How she learned to write for herself to leverage her creativity. The life events that inspired each of her books, and how the therapeutic power of writing helped carry her through grief...
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Life is Better Sketching: Stumbling Toward Genius with Koosje Koene
Stumbling Toward Genius
What happens when you lose your mojo by making the stuff you are told to make instead of what you want to make? Today, we’re sitting down with Koosje Koene to talk about how burnout in her photography business led her to a series of dull “cubicle” jobs. It was then that she started spending all of her free time soaking in her creative pursuits and drawing each day. Now she teaches others how to develop their own creative practice. Listen as she walks us through: Why draw? How sketching challenges us to step out of our comfort zone What sketching has in common with cooking and how both...
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Books that truly change lives with Nicholas Hutchison
Stumbling Toward Genius
Why do you read books? We might read all kinds of books, but not have an intention for our time spent with that author. What if you read books more intentionally? Nicholas Hutchison of Bookthinkers, spends his days reading books with the aim of learning, growing and applying what he’s learned right away. I love that idea, but personally don’t have systems in place for turning bookish inspiration into action. I asked Nicholas how he manages the ideas he reads about and turns them into changes in his life. We also talked about the challenges he’s facing finishing writing his own book, his...
info_outlineAt the end of the year, it’s tempting to just dive into planning for the next year. But if we don’t pause to reflect on the year we had, we rob ourselves of much of the empowerment and joy we earned through our actions. For creatives especially, doing an annual review process can give us the confidence and courage to brave new things. In this solo episode, Cynthia shares why it’s so important to reflect. She also shares some of the major challenges she experienced, some creative wins, including one of the biggest creative projects of her life.