Tim Myers does a bit of everything: he’s a writer, songwriter, storyteller, visual artist, and senior lecturer at Santa Clara University, where he teaches writing. We got together to talk about the nature of creativity, which Tim calls a “sacred mystery,” including everything from the way our childhood creativity is changed by the culture as we become adults, the necessary role of play in the creative process, the transcendent experiences of awe and wonder and how they fuel us, the wisdom of following your gut, and a whole lot more.
Episode breakdown:
01:39 Kids are instantly creative, often play traditionally.
06:50 Creativity influenced by nature, nurture, educators.
15:50 Importance of creativity in education and society.
21:22 Differences between play in childhood versus "professional" adults.
24:56 Nancy switched to teaching, advisor, and writing lit mag.
30:49 Encouraging exploration of language and creative thinking.
37:04 Parents see child, lifetime of giving love.
40:35 Zen story about finding wonder in life.
45:27 Believing in progress through challenging circumstances.
50:34 Art, festivals, play as a primal need.
56:21 Semantic split between "religion" and "spirituality."
01:01:14 Falling in love based on unique personal idiosyncrasies.
01:07:23 Experimenting with writing schedule structure.
01:13:45 Craft is in choosing words for impact.
01:19:22 Writers and feedback.
01:25:00 Tim struggles with generalist vs specialist identity.
01:26:31 Passion for storytelling and visual art emerges.
01:35:38 Weekly writing schedule reduces overthinking and focus on perfection.
Check out the full show notes at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.
Please leave a review for this episode and in it, tell us how play influences your creative process.
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Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in writing.
Creative Pep Talk #26: Be on Your Own Side
Storytelling and SEO with Alison ver Halen
Creative Pep Talk #25: Keep It to Yourself
The Importance of Fun with John Peel
Creative Pep Talk #24: Don’t Rush It
Letting Your Light Shine with Fr. Michael Rossmann
Creative Pep Talk #23: Creating Happiness
Experimental Creativity with Leonie Dawson
Creative Pep Talk #22: Appreciation
Replay: Talking to God with John Roedel
Creative Pep Talk #21: Rest
Creative Pep Talk #20: I Don‘t Know
The Power of Mentorship with Tara Thieleke
Creative Pep Talk #19: Courage
Replay: Coming Out of the Cave with Eddie Louise
Creative Pep Talk #18: Ask
Creative Pep Talk #17: Flow vs. Pressure
Noticing Our Patterns with Kate Chapman
Creative Pep Talk #16: Finding Your Audience
Setting Up Success with Madeleine Holly-Rosing
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