#fycuriositypodcast

[fycuriosity]

I love this quote. I think it’s even better with a little context. “If we listened to our intellect we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go in business because we'd be cynical: "It's gonna go wrong." Or "She's going to hurt me." Or, "I've had a couple of bad love affairs, so therefore . . ." Well, that's nonsense. You're going to miss life. You've got to jump off the cliff all the time and build your wings on the way down.” (Bradbury said it multiple times, each slightly different.)⠀ .⠀ Creative work is a huge cliff. Each time we start a new project, we’re taking that leap, and every time we keep going, even though we don’t know what we’re doing—and we don’t, because every project is something we haven’t done before, even if we’ve done something like it—we’re working on our wings. Need a little boost in the process? Check the link in my bio to find out what’s probably screwing you up and what you can do about it.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ posted on Instagram - http://bit.ly/2VHP7ok

[fycuriosity]

Life is scary. It’s hard. We don’t always know what’s going to happen (in fact, we almost never know for sure—we just like to think we do). Even when we have a vision for ourselves or our work, what we imagine may not end up being what we get, at least while it’s in progress. It may look great at first,and then...not so much. Or it may look awful, and we want to shun it rather than being curious about it. It doesn’t look right. It doesn’t feel right. What were we thinking? Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all. Who wants to weave a tapestry, anyway? Who’s ever going to read this book? Why on earth did I decide to become a dancer, again?⠀ .⠀ It doesn’t matter how much confidence and gut-level certainty we had at the beginning; sometimes it just doesn’t gel in the middle. Things get messy, and we feel lost. Guess what? That’s *normal.* Yes, really. It’s the point where we’re in the cocoon, totally liquefied, waiting to be transformed into the butterfly (and lemme tell ya, there’s no way that caterpillar knew THAT was going to happen!). It’s the stage where only patience, trust, and faith will get us through until the butterfly we were meant to be is ready to come into the world. It’s a little scary and a lot unsettling. But if we hang in there, we’ll come out on the other side more beautiful and accomplished than we ever could have imagined in the first place. Hang in there. Keep the faith. And if you need a helping hand, check the link in my bio for help.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ posted on Instagram - http://bit.ly/2JMLz0S

[fycuriosity]

Forgive me for shouting a little with this quote, which is long but oh-so-good. If I had to pick one quote to live by, it would be this one. In fact, if I had to name one quote I HAVE lived by, it would be this one. When I first read it, it hit me square between the eyes, and it’s never left me. So many times it’s popped into my head just when I needed a reminder that waiting for “ready” is folly. It’s how I went to New Zealand on my own two years ago (and did almost everything I did there). It’s how I ended up talking to Rob Shearman and recording my first podcast episode—which made that whole idea way more real to me than waiting for “ready” ever could have. And those are just the first two examples off the top of my head.⠀ .⠀ Where are you waiting to feel ready? More importantly, where can you do something NOW? Even if it’s just one tiny step, take it. “Ready” will happen when you’re IN the process, not while you wait for things to happen—or after particular things on your list happen. Waiting keeps you stuck. Action works miracles.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ posted on Instagram - http://bit.ly/2ZFyBYp

[fycuriosity]

NEW PODCAST EPISODE! Today I’m talking to Dawn Kotzer, fellow coach and Inner Wilderness Guide, about everything from the power of curiosity in everyday life to how not to “sandblast your soul.” It’s a dense interview, so feel free to take your time with it. I promise you won’t regret it!⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ posted on Instagram - http://bit.ly/2w34mg4

[fycuriosity]

If you think your creativity is optional, and you set it aside for the “important” things, eventually, you forget how much you loved it in the first place. Not entirely, but enough to make the distance seem less painful, less disappointing. Less important. When you do come back later on, and your full love for it returns, you wonder how you ever let it go in the first place. It feels like home. . Friend and fellow coach Dawn Kotzer is my guest on this week’s podcast. She said so many thought-provoking things when we talked, and this is one of them—said to me, about returning to the choir I’ve been talking about here. It really was like going home. Where’s home for you? Where have you been denying yourself that bit of homecoming? How can you carve out five minutes for it today, just for you and the thing(s) you love? You deserve it. If you’re not sure how to believe that, or to get yourself there, visit the link in my bio for some ideas! . . . . posted on Instagram - http://bit.ly/2VlpCbd

[fycuriosity]

Mary Oliver with a dose of truth for a Monday. DO the things that call to you, even if it's just baby steps as you have time. It's so easy to write off the things we love because there's so much on the list already, or because we've been told they're not important, or we think we don't have any energy for them. As Kelly Flanagan said on the pod, they ARE important, and we don't have energy because we're NOT doing them! . Domenic Sciortino talks about making time for your art on this week's episode, too. Check it out on Wednesday--and in the meantime, find five minutes to do something that calls to you. 😄 . . . . . posted on Instagram - https://ift.tt/2HflWob

[fycuriosity]

So how do you deal with perfectionism? For a start, you NOTICE it. That’s enough to give you a chance to step back and ask what’s really going on, and see if you want to do something differently. If you can just be a teensy bit more okay with it not being perfect. If you can give yourself credit for trying in the first place, and continuing, and maybe even recognizing that you can make changes later, but for now, it’s more important to get something done instead. . If you can poke a little fun with it, like I did when I started my current work in progress a few years ago, you can lighten the mood enough to be amused at yourself—and keep going anyway. If that’s too much for now, that’s okay, too. Just remember to be gentle with yourself. The world really won’t end if your first efforts aren’t perfect. In fact, your “mistakes” might lead you in an unexpected direction that turns out to be even better! You might learn from them so your next effort is more in line with your hopes. Anything can happen, but only if you don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. . . . . posted on Instagram - http://bit.ly/2DynLKk

[fycuriosity]

More on why you shouldn’t wait to get started. Nobody starts from perfection. Margaret Atwood doesn’t. Neither did Shakespeare or Michelangelo or Bach. What they DID do is start, and keep going, and keep going, and then revise and edit and make changes until they got to something that was closer than most people get, because most people don’t start.⠀ .⠀ Perfection doesn’t exist, except in the comparison-fueled delusions of our own minds. Lower your expectations (and the pressure with them), and just start where you are. Worry about how good it is later. Enjoy the process of creating for what it is in the moment. The rest of it doesn’t matter at the beginning. The only thing that matters is to DO something.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ posted on Instagram - https://ift.tt/2F9Rp8C

[fycuriosity]

I firmly believe that every one of us has a superpower, whether we know it or not. It could be anything from music to cooking to being a great parent or friend, but you have (at least) one. Kids have a superpower, too, but if they aren't sure what it might be, they can feel lost or left out, especially if all their friends have started to figure out what really lights them up. The cool thing about following your curiosity is that it leads you to your superpower, whether you expect it to or not. ⠀ .⠀ I've worked with kids in formal school settings and 1:1 as a tutor, and curiosity really is the key to unlocking what makes kids tick. That's why I created Find Your Superpower, which lets middle school kids lead the way to their own superpower. My role is to guide and facilitate. I’m a brainstorming partner, a confidante, an ally and source of unfailing encouragement, and a model for intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills. Find out more at the link in my bio: https://bit.ly/FYSuperpower⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ posted on Instagram - http://bit.ly/2UJ2wPG

[fycuriosity]

Welcome to my recording studio, also known as....my closet. It’s not fancy, it’s not elaborate, it has no staff, and there is literally *just* enough room for me. It IS the quietest place in my house (and with two toddlers and two dachshunds downstairs, that’s saying something), and it works.⠀ .⠀ Is it perfect? Hell, no. But perfect really doesn’t matter. If I’d waited for an actual studio, I’d still be waiting. (I recorded my first interview on my iPad in a hotel room, because that’s what I had and where I was!) What are YOU waiting for? What do you think you need that you don’t have? Tell us below and we’ll help you figure out how to get started anyway.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ posted on Instagram - https://ift.tt/2FdZP03

[fycuriosity]

That thing you tell yourself about why you’re stuck, or what being stuck means, or how the creative process should work? Odds are good it’s actually keeping you stuck or throwing you out of the process completely. There’s so much mythology built up around creativity, from what’s “actually” creative to what different moments or obstacles “mean,” and most of it isn’t all that helpful, especially for people who tend to be better than average at beating themselves up for perceived failures or shortcomings.⠀ .⠀ It’s time for a reality check, and a reminder that we’re all human and doing the best we can—and that’s how it should be. Follow the link in my bio to find out more.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ posted on Instagram - https://ift.tt/2O5vAuX

[fycuriosity]

Creative people can be so driven and excited about the projects we want to work on that we forget one of the most important pieces of getting that work done: taking care of ourselves. We get frustrated, or wrapped up in a question or dilemma, or just so excited about progress, that we forget to eat, or sleep, or give ourselves a chance to rest and recharge. If we forget too often, we burn out, and then the whole thing comes crashing down around us. We can’t think. We definitely can’t dream. We think that our creativity has “finally” left us. And then we despair. . It really is okay to take time for yourself (and yes, I *know* the time you spend writing or painting or dancing is time for yourself, but it’s still good to take breaks). Go outside. Watch the birds. Listen to your kids playing (and join them!). Visit a friend. Savor a cup of tea. Read a book. DO NOTHING (yes, really! It’s okay! The world WILL NOT END). Time off is as important as time on, and you deserve it. . . . . . posted on Instagram - http://bit.ly/2LMwDCj

[fycuriosity]

Fear is a funny thing. A lot of the time, it’s not the thing we want to do that scares us. It’s the IDEA of that thing, and the idea of taking the first step. We know where we are right now. We might not want to stay there, but we understand where we are and there’s comfort in that. Moving into something new, on the other hand...that can be terrifying.⠀ .⠀ What do you love to do? What was it like to discover that you loved it? The echo of your voice in an empty theater during a rehearsal, the first stroke of paint on canvas, the first sentence on a page. Or maybe the first time you got on a plane—and then set foot on foreign soil—or the first time you tried to drive a car. Remember how scared you were? And then how great it felt as it all started to feel less alien and more like something you could handle? ⠀ .⠀ Not so scary after all, but we tend to forget that that’s how it works. You don’t have to stop being afraid. Just don’t let the fear stop *you*.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ posted on Instagram - https://ift.tt/2FOBnm8

[fycuriosity]

Sooner or later, everyone slams into a block. It could be fear, or procrastination, or perfectionism. It could be trouble finding time to do the things you love. It could be that you haven’t had a new idea for a while—or it could be that you have too many. Or it could be something else entirely.⠀ .⠀ I’m always looking for volunteers to be coached for the Follow Your Curiosity podcast. If you’re feeling stuck and would like some coaching (on me!), leave a comment below, DM me, or email me at nancy@fycurosity.com. I’d love to talk to you!⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ posted on Instagram - https://ift.tt/2FwmQKl

[fycuriosity]

Simple truth: If you’re here, your birthright is to create. You don’t need anyone else to declare you good enough. You don’t need a degree. You don’t even need to know what you’re doing. The only thing you need is to go DO YOUR THING. Anyone who says differently is lying to you. ⠀ .⠀ I’m not big on quoting myself, but I think this idea is one we don’t hear often enough, so here it is. There’s a story behind this quote, which I wrote about in my 6 Creative Beliefs That Are Screwing You Up series (which you can get at the link in bio!). Suffice it to say that even accomplished, famous folks suffer from the notion of not being good enough, which means you’re in really good company if you’ve fallen victim to the same lie. But you don’t have to stay there. Just do your thing. I promise it’s enough.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ posted on Instagram - https://ift.tt/2GKuqUP

[fycuriosity]

What are you curious about today? What will you be curious about tomorrow? They might be the same thing, but they do have to be. Our culture spends too much time these days on the dogged pursuit of “focus,” when focus might not be what you need. It might be—but we rarely need the same thing all the time. Too much of anything stunts us. Variety and exploration can lead to focus, and vice versa. So what are you curious about today? What do you want to know more about?⠀ .⠀ Think of yourself as the explorer of your life, and see what changes.⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ .⠀ posted on Instagram - http://bit.ly/2J45mZY