Creative Lift

In this episode of Creative Lift: "Creating Space: Finding Flow," we're revisiting the ideas offered in season eight. Join me to reflect on our journey through the Illuminary's five rooms - the Studio, Workshop, Attic, Library, and Garden Cafe, in Creative Lift episodes 60-70. Each of these Illuminary rooms offer unique tools and mindsets to support different aspects of your creative process. In this episode, we explore: How each room in the Illuminary serves a specific creative purpose Real-world examples of using these spaces to overcome creative blocks Ways to reframe creative challenges into opportunities for growth Practical strategies for maintaining creative momentum Featured Tool: The Why Game - A practical tool for understanding the root cause of creative blocks. Check out that tool at this link: https://naomi300.typeform.com/to/PJ43egu9 Key Takeaways: Different types of creative blocks require different solutions The importance of identifying the underlying cause of creative resistance How to transform "work" into play to maintain creative flow The value of reframing our creative narratives   Credits: Recorded and edited by Alex Doherty   Episode Links: Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty   Support the Show: If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review Creative Lift on Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast platform. Your support helps others discover these tools for their creative journey.

In today's episode of Creative Lift, Creating Space: Collaborating in the Cafe, we're getting practical about how we might invite feedback in the most helpful way.   Rather than asking someone to tell you what they think of your work, how might you shape a question that makes it possible for them to give you information that will illuminate the next steps of your creative process?   Episode Links: Sign up for Creative Lift tools and resources Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

  In today's episode of Creative Lift, Creating Space: Designing with Collaboration in Mind , we're considering the importance of collaboration in the creative process. How might we outfit physical spaces and design our mindset to make the most of the varied perspectives and possibilities that arise when we work creatively with others?   What approach might we take to sharing our ideas, inviting feedback, and then processing that feedback in a way that furthers our creative work's goal? How might we offer feedback to others in constructive and concrete ways that boost their momentum (rather than taking the wind out of their sails)?   While some parts of the creative process may be served best by working on our own, collaboration is also an essential part of shaping and sharing creative work that expresses your unique voice. Let's lean into some tools and strategies that add energy, flow, and joy to working together.   Episode Links: Sign up for Creative Lift tools and resources Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

In today's episode of Creative Lift, Creating Space: Learning in the Library, we're building on last week's exploration of an expansive library space, dedicated to learning, which houses artistic masterpieces of all kinds. Today, we'll step into that space and learn a reverse-engineering strategy. This strategy will make it possible for you to apprentice with any creative hero in an approachable way. First, spend intentional time studying their work, figure out what makes it so impactful, and then personalize those strategies so that you can use them in your own way, in service of your own creative work.  Roll up your sleeves and try out this powerfully simple strategy that will multiply your creative skills exponentially. Episode Links: Sign up for Creative Lift tools and resources Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

In today's episode of Creative Lift, Creating Space: Designing with Apprenticeship in Mind, we'll explore another essential mindset for creative thinking: apprenticeship. So far in this season, we've considered the importance of improvisation, critical thinking, and reflection, and their related skillsets. We've given each of these thinking modes a specific space in our mind. We've visualized a building to hold these rooms, our creative Illuminary, and considered the look and feel that each room might have. We've noted how these rooms can provide shortcuts into a particular way of thinking, and help us to effectively approach the specific creative work in front of us.   In books like Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon, or Find Your Artistic Voice by Lisa Congon, long-time creatives have emphasized the importance of deeply studying the work of other artists. The goal isn't to copy, but rather to learn by heart, and after that learning process, build beyond what we've learned. In this way, we navigate using the light of those artists who have illuminated the path before us. We're apprenticing with them, even if we can't sit in their studios with them.   Today's room is a Library. Instead of thinking of that Library as a place filled with only shelves and books, I invite you to allow your Library to be expansive. Give it listening rooms, art galleries, and even a live stage. Regardless of what your artistic medium (or mediums) are, you aren't limited to apprenticing with artworks that look and feel like your own. In fact, sometimes you'll learn much more about pacing or tone by apprenticing with an artist who uses those tools in an entirely different way than you do as you create.    Inspiring works of art are all around us. How might we use them as tools of apprenticeship? How might we create an inviting space for ourselves as learners that guides that reverse-engineering and skill development process?   Episode Links: Sign up for Creative Lift tools and resources Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

In today's episode of Creative Lift, Creating Space: Reflecting in the Attic, we're building on last week's exploration of an inner, mental space, specifically designed for reflection.   Today, we'll step into that space and try an activity together called The Emotion Jars. You'll consider the emotional fuel you currently have for your creative work through a hands-on experience. I encourage that you listen to this one with pen, paper, and some colored pencils in hand.   Why consider our emotions in relation to our creative work? In Brené Brown's book, Atlas of the Heart, she describes a survey that she gave as part of her research on shame. Over 7000 participants were invited to list all the emotions they could recognize and name as they were experiencing them. The (shocking) average number of emotions named across the surveys was three: happiness, sadness, and anger. What about shame, disappointment, wonder, awe, disgust, embarrassment, despair, contentment, boredom, anxiety, stress, love, overwhelm, surprise, and the many other emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human?   Through our creative work, we craft experiences that evoke emotion. We open doorways that make it possible for hearts to expand with wonder, and to contract with disappointment. Through experiencing art, people strengthen their emotional range and each artistic touchpoint clarifies their compass. By returning to your song, your story, your poem, your painting, they intuitively feel the slight difference between surprise and shock, or between embarrassment and belonging.  The emotional fuel we use for our work shines through in it, whether it is remembered emotion, current emotion, or sometimes even unacknowledged emotion. Taking the time to ground ourselves in our emotional landscape helps us to see ourselves, our work, and others more clearly, and deepens the impact and meaning of our creative work.   Let's take a look, then, at where your heart is, today, through this activity in the Illuminary's Attic.    Episode Links: Sign up for Creative Lift tools and resources Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

In today's episode of Creative Lift, Creating Space: Designing with your Voice in Mind, we're continuing our series that explores the Illuminary. The Illuminary is a visualization tool that invites you to picture your creative thinking process happening in various rooms. Our goal is to make the abstract and sometimes confusing creative process more tangible, giving ourselves tools to see the way we move through the creative process with clarity and flow. Today's room is the Attic. In this mental space, you're invited to think reflectively—collecting ideas, asking questions, and discovering personal connections. In today's episode, come into my Attic to explore the various possibilities, so that you can then design your own to fit your approach and style. What elements would make an ideal reflection space for you?   Episode Links: Sign up for Creative Lift tools and resources Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

In today's episode of Creative Lift, "Creating Space: Strategizing in the Workshop," we're continuing our series that explores the Illuminary. The Illuminary is a visualization tool that invites you to picture your creative thinking process happening in various rooms. Each room is designed to support a particular mode of thinking. For instance, your Studio is a space for divergent thinking, brainstorming, improvising, and experimenting, where your Workshop is a space for strategic thinking, craftsmanship, and decision-making. Both kinds of thinking are essential in the creative process. However, when you try to do them at the same time, the creative process slows to a crawl as these two approaches wrestle with one another. In last week's episode, we explored the Workshop and discussed how this space might support your creative work. Today, we'll apply that understanding with an activity that invites you to roll up your sleeves, sort through your ideas, and make strategic decisions in your Workshop.   Episode Links: Sign up for Creative Lift tools and resources Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

In this season of Creative Lift, “Creating Space,” we're making the abstract and sometimes confusing creative process more tangible. We're giving ourselves tools to see the way we move through the creative process so that we can ideate, craft our work, gather feedback, and revise our work with more clarity and flow. Today's episode, “Designing with Strategic Thinking in Mind,” builds on the concept of the Illuminary, which I outlined in episode 60. In this imagined space, you can visualize different kinds of creative thinking inside distinct mental rooms. In our last two episodes, 61 and 62, we explored the Studio where you're invited to think expansively—brainstorming, improvising and experimenting. Today, we're heading over to the Workshop, where you're invited to think critically—making decisions, developing ideas, and revising your work. When I spend too much time in the Studio, my ideas spiral out of control, leading me into intriguing, but often illogical territory. When I spend too much time in the Workshop, my work bogs down under the weight of my critical eye.  Even though both rooms are essential, so is the wall between them. Without a wall to separate these kinds of thinking, your inner critic has clear access to throw darts at fledgling ideas. In retaliation, your creativity is likely to rebel and either shut down or tangle storylines into rats' nests. My recommendation is that you firmly close your Studio door, and march across the hall into an entirely separate room where you can envision your Workshop. You'll want to be able to move easily between the rooms—often in one work session, you'll start out in the Studio to generate ideas, head over to the Workshop to begin to shape those ideas, hit a snag and need to pop back to the Studio to brainstorm again, and then bring your solution ideas back to the Workshop to finish the day's work. The more capacity you build in these two spaces, the more fluidly you'll be able to use as you move between them. Let's explore the Workshop, which is filled with practical tools and the can-do optimism you need when you're facing a pile of messy, but promising ideas.   Episode Links: Sign up for Creative Lift tools and resources Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

Today's episode of Creative Lift, "Creating Space: Playing in the Studio," is a hands-on experience of playing in one of the Illuminary's rooms, the Studio. You can think of the Illuminary as an inner creative hideout that is made up of various rooms designed to support your creative thinking process. The Studio is a space for divergent thinking, brainstorming, improvising, and experimenting.   Last week's episode offered a tour of the Studio, and today's episode invites you to experience it. Since this is a hands-on experience, I encourage you to listen to this episode when you have a few quiet minutes to focus and a pen and paper in hand.   Episode Links: Sign up for Creative Lift tools and resources Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

In today's episode of Creative Lift, dive with me into the first of the Illuminary's rooms, the Studio. You can think of the Illuminary as an inner creative hideout that is made up of various rooms designed to support your creative thinking process. The Studio is a space for divergent thinking, brainstorming, improvising, and experimenting. In our episode, we'll explore why play matters, no matter what age you are, and how play facilitates your creative flow and momentum. What kind of environment would work best for you in your internal Studio? What colors, tools, and supplies invite you into a playful state of mind? Your Studio is a place to experiment, even when you have no idea whether a possibility will lead anywhere productive. In this space, making a mess is not only expected, it's celebrated. Don't miss out on next week's follow-up episode! In this season, we're alternating between an episode like this one, that provides a tour of one of the Illuminary's rooms, followed by an episode like next week's, in which we'll play through a hands-on activity together to get a feel for what actually being in that room might feel like. I encourage you to set some time aside next week to join me in the Studio and stretch your playful thinking skills. Episode Links: Sign up for Creative Lift tools and resources Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

In Season Eight of Creative Lift, our theme is Creating Space. Today's episode is titled A Room of Your Own: Why Creative Space Matters. When you think of creative space, what comes to mind? Do you think of your physical creative space? Or does your mind turn to something less easy to define, such as your mental or emotional space? Maybe right now, you're in a season where you feel you have the just-right amount of creative space. Or maybe you are longing for more physical or metaphorical creative space in your life. No matter where you are, this season invites you to take a deep breath, and to look at creative space in a new way. You'll gain tools that help you apply your creative thinking skills directly to your creative process. We all have those stuck places that come up over and over again. What if your creativity was exactly what you needed to reimagine those challenges and overcome them? It's likely that in one place or another, you've heard me speak about the Illuminary. This imagined villa houses many rooms, and each room offers a particular thinking environment. The Studio, for instance, provides you an expansive, playful space where you can ideate and dream. Across the hall, the Workshop holds practical tools to help you craft those ideas and dreams into a shape you can share with others. The Illuminary makes what the invisible—our creative thinking process—visible. By illuminating the shifts we make from one mode of thinking to another, we avoid common creative blocks. By equipping each room with tools that are personalized for our own approach, we learn not only to rely on our strengths, but also create ease in the spaces that are less comfortable for us. Throughout this season, we'll explore the Illuminary's rooms, discuss the essential mindset required for each, and try out activities that help you experience the feel of each mindset. In today's episode, we'll walk through the Illuminary so that you have a map for where we're headed in this season, and I'll share a few stories about how and why I developed this tool for myself and others. I'm very excited to share the Illuminary's tools and creative mindsets with you. They've been transformative for me in my creative process, and I have seen them blast through obstinate creative blocks for others, too. My hope through this season is that through these tools, you will find a renewed sense of momentum and joy as you unlock new horizons in your creative process.   Episode Links: Sign up for Creative Lift tools and resources Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

Much has already been researched, said, and written about the tension between creativity and fear. Even so, I didn't feel this season would be complete without a discussion of creative courage, and why daring is so crucial in the artful life. Brene Brown writes, “The willingness to show up changes us, It makes us a little braver each time.” What if you didn't have to produce perfect work on the first or the fiftieth attempt? What if the point of the game was being willing to show up, and seeing how that act of daring, especially in the face of a challenge, built your overall courage? When I think about living the artful life, I can't help but ask myself: why? Why is this approach to living so important to me? After all, as we've noted throughout this series, artful living could also be called “intentional” living. Yes, transforming work into play, and creating moments of delight, and finding the just-right metaphor to express our perspective, experience, or emotion is absolutely worth the effort. Also, approaching life in this way does, in fact, take effort. Or maybe the better way to say that is living artfully takes extra thought. We are invited to pay attention in a way that brings us joy, that connects us to others, and that creates deeper meaning out of our everyday experiences. In this final episode of the season, Living the Artful Life: Dare Greatly, we'll explore how approaching the artful life with courage can begin with one tiny experiment. My hope is that we may all dare greatly this week, and also allow ourselves to start small. Episode Links: Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

Why is play important in the artful life? In episode 58 of Creative Lift, Living the Artful Life: Permission to Play, we'll chat about some reasons that play may be more important than most of us give it credit for, and how you might give yourself permission to play. We all know that the amount of energy we have when we approach a task is essential. If we experience our task as a slog, it likely will take more time and what we produce will often be of less quality. When that same task is framed as play, it can become buoyant, which speeds up the work, makes the work fun, and also often creates stronger, more inspired results. From cooking to designing our days, play can unlock our creative energy and give us the momentum we need to move forward. What possibilities might giving yourself permission to play unlock for you this week? Visit this link for the show notes. Episode Links: Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

In her book, Present Over Perfect, Shauna Niequist asks, ″What would our lives be like if our days were studded by tiny, completely unproductive, silly, nonstrategic, wild and beautiful five-minute breaks, reminders that our days are for loving and learning and laughing, not for pushing and planning, reminders that it's all about the heart, not about the hustle?″ What would that be like? Today's episode of Creative Lift, "Living the Artful Life: Design for Delight," builds on the ideas we explored in episode 55: Create Story Moments. We'll look at additional ways to be intentional about savoring moments as part of living an artful life. How, for instance, might we find luxury in small, everyday delights? How might we learn to appreciate the simple things in life? The invitation in this episode is to design an evening of delight and live it up to the fullest. The best part is that not only will your delight be FUN for you and whomever you include in your experience, but when you tell the story of your delight-filled evening with others, you'll spread joy and happiness to others, too. What I'm learning is this: delight is contagious! Visit this link for the show notes. Episode Links: Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

What does it mean to “seek the metaphor?” Here's a quote from Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit that puts this hard-to-describe concept into words: Creativity is more about taking the facts, fictions, and feelings we store away and finding new ways to connect them. What we're talking about here is metaphor. Metaphor is the lifeblood of all art, if it is not art itself. Metaphor is our vocabulary for connecting what we are experiencing now with what we have experienced before. It's not only how we express what we remember, it's how we interpret it - for ourselves and others.” ― from The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp What metaphors might elevate your lived experience today and help you see your relationships, actions, and emotions with fresh perspective? What if, instead of saying that you're feeling “okay,” today, you described that state of okay as a specific kind of weather? Would it be blue sky with just a cloud or two, maybe one that looks a bit like a four-leaf clover? Or, would it have just finished misting and now a rainbow is cresting across the sky? When we use metaphor to name our experience, we help ourselves see what might otherwise be invisible. We give ourselves language to understand our experiences more deeply and to communicate more fully with others. In today's episode of Creative Lift, Living the Artful Life: Seek the Metaphor, we'll try out another exercise that invites you to use metaphor to gain perspective. Visit this link for the show notes. Episode Links: Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

In today's episode, Living the Artful Life: Create Story Moments we'll pay attention to the moments that make up our lives and think about how we might intentionally create opportunities for connection and joy. To me, living an artful life isn't so much about what I make or do, but more about the way I pay attention. That phrase, pay attention, reminds me that in each moment I have a choice. How will I spend the precious gift of time and focus? Will I make a choice at all? Paying attention to our stories, and being intentional about creating them, is a meaningful part of living an artful life. Need a practical strategy to get you started? Listen through the end of the episode for a simple starting point. Visit this link for the show notes. Episode Links: Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

This season, our theme is Living the Artful Life and today's episode is titled, “Listen Deeply.” Listening is something we do all the time, but it's also a powerful tool that is easy to take for granted. What if, instead of filling our calendars with pre-determined goals, we took time to listen for the possibilities first? Listening opens up an invitation for surprise, and can lead to self-discovery as well as discovery about the world and others. May we all listen deeply this week, and discover something we might not have noticed otherwise. Visit this link for the show notes. Episode Links: Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

In Season Seven of Creative Lift, our theme is Living the Artful Life. Today's episode is titled, “You've Already Started.” What is the artful life and why might we want to live one? It's important to note that there's a big difference between living perfectly and living artfully. In fact, as we kick off this season, we're giving ourselves permission to let go of the “perfect” life in order to open our hearts to an artful one. Also, we're not starting from scratch. Our lives are already polka-dotted with artful moments. If we pay attention and follow our curiosity, we can connect those dots and see what's been there all along and what's possible next. Visit this link for the show notes. EPISODE LINKS: Find me on Instagram: @naomikinsman Find Alex on Instagram: @ag.doherty

We're wrapping up Season Six of Creative Lift: Ring in a New Year of Creativity. If you've found this episode around the time it was published, 2023 has just begun. In this season, we've been exploring what it might mean to frame our new year as a story rather than a slog. What if instead of deadlines and must-dos, you had an unfolding story to follow? What if instead of a list, you had a map to guide your path, giving you plenty of opportunities to chart your own way? The thing about not controlling everything, though, is that while some surprises are exciting and enjoyable, others present themselves as challenges and unexpected obstacles. As you continue to take your next right step, and follow the creative journey where it leads, opportunities and challenges will arise. Whether you're facing a challenge or an opportunity, you can ask the same question: What if …? What if I tried … What if the opposite were true? What if I asked for support with …? What if the obstacle was the way forward? If the obstacle is the way forward, work can become play. And while that's fun, it's also more effective. We tend to do everything better when we can access playful, joy-filled energy. In today's episode, Lean Into the What If, we'll explore how to use “What if…?” as a doorway into flow.

I often encourage people to play their way to the page, which may sound whimsical, but I mean these words in all seriousness. Words matter, and when we say, “I have to write today,” or “Once I write 1000 words, I can get on with my day,” or even, “My most important task today is to sit down and write,” these words reinforce the idea that writing is work. It's true: writing requires a lot of heart and concentration and even determination. But, think back to when you were a kid telling stories with friends. Or even playing make-believe. Those games required the same of us — heart, concentration, and determination— and yet, if you're anything like me, you couldn't wait to get to those parts of our day when what you had to do was completed, and you could follow your imagination where it led. You still can follow your imagination. You still can play your way to the page, though the pathway is a bit harder to find as an adult. In today's episode, Make it a Game, let's talk about how to make your creative time into a game by shifting our mindset.

What if you could show up at your creative desk with no ideas at all, or with a million ideas, and either way, feel sure you had a process to move you reliably into flow? What would it mean to be able to count on creative momentum? We all face blocks now and then, sometimes major ones, and that reality makes it hard to believe in a world where we could count on creative momentum. On the other hand, most of us would count on making some kind of progress if we signed up for a facilitated workshop. We'd expect the workshop leader to guide us into flow. So, what if we could offer ourselves that kind of facilitated, reliable space? What if we were as confident in our own ability to move ourselves into flow as we were in the skills of an expert guide? It may sound impossible, and sure, sometimes we do need the caring support of someone who is not inside our own heads. That said, if we can shift our mindset a bit, we can find ways to create space for ourselves that uses similar tools to what a facilitator might provide. We can prepare activities, recipes, games, fun supplies, tools, and other enticing resources ahead of time so that when we sit down to create, we're in a safe, possibility-filled space. In today's episode, Equip Yourself for Creative Momentum, we'll talk about how you can build customized tools that fit your specific needs, tools that make slipping into flow much more possible and predictable.

What if you could dream big and move toward those dreams without having to worry about New Year's resolutions? No more rules, expectations, no more painful slog through lists of to-do's toward your idealized self. A call to adventure does present us with challenges, but it also engages our creativity. When a story shows up, we generally know what we'll be working toward. However, there's all kinds of possibility about the how. How will we travel this intriguing, mysterious path? We can see a new project, goal, or possibility as a story to step into. Or, we can see it as yet another deadline with milestones and action items. Our viewpoint makes a huge difference. The shift starts with the position you take as you begin the story. Are you controlling everything, or waiting for the surprising invitation? Shifting our mindset can be powerful, but finding the practical steps to make that mindset change happen can be mysterious. In today's episode, Listen for the Call to Adventure, we'll talk practically about how that call to adventure might show up and how you might approach it as a new story to step into.

It's time for Season Six of Creative Lift! We're approaching the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, and our theme for this season is Ring in a New Year of Creativity! I wonder: if you were to give a gift to that imaginative part of yourself that loves to play and explore and wonder … what would you give them? In this season of Creative Lift, I'm encouraging you to not only give yourself one gift, but a series of them. We'll talk about the first in today's episode, Celebrating Your Year, as we discuss how you can celebrate your year's wins. Remember, even if those wins seem small, celebrating them tells your creative self that their efforts matter. And that boosts your energy and makes it possible for you to continue putting in that effort, no matter what form or size it takes. Let's talk about how you might turn your celebration of this year's wins into a meaningful gift for your creative self.

We're at the very end of NaNoWriMo, and it's time to wrap up the season and our drafting process. Today's mini-episode of Creative Lift focuses on how to bring your plot to a close. Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies.

We're nearing the end of NaNoWriMo, but we're not quite there yet. And this moment can be the one that makes or breaks your momentum. So, today, in our mini-episode, we'll discuss one of the hardest parts of drafting, a moment every writer hits sooner or later in their writing life: What do we do on the day we fall out of love with our project? Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies. 

If you're drafting a novel this month, you've likely hit a moment at some point where you weren't sure how to make your story's logic work. Whether you skipped that scene or are facing it in the near future, today's mini-episode will help you face a logic tangle head-on. Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies.

Here we are, already in the third week of NaNoWriMo. How's the drafting coming along? I hope you're doing well, and hanging in there even when the going gets tough. Speaking of, today's mini-episode of Creative Lift will get you out of a jam if you're wondering how you'll draft onward when you're wondering, “What's Next???” Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies.

If you've taken the NaNoWriMo challenge, you're deep into the drafting process at this point, and chances are, you've hit at least a little bit of friction. Today's mini episode is designed to help you tackle a difficult scene. Our hope is that this conversation and the strategies we share encourages you to draft onward. Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies.

e're into week two of NaNoWriMo, and in this season of Creative Lift, Alex and I have taken on the challenge of drafting 50,000 words in a month. Many of you are drafting, too, so we're offering mini-sessions designed to help you (and ourselves) stay on track. Today, we're discussing How to Overcome Character Overwhelm. Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies.

It's the first week of NaNoWriMo, and the Creative Lift episodes this month are focused on helping you maintain your drafting enthusiasm and momentum as you aim to draft a novel in a month. In today's mini-session, we explore how to move forward when you're thinking, “I know what happens, but not how!” Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies.

It's NaNoWriMo, and Alex and I are drafting our hearts out this month. Are you, too? If so, this episode is for you. It's a podcast mini-session focused on overcoming world-building overwhelm, and designed to help you maintain your momentum. Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies.

It's almost time for the NaNoWriMo challenge to begin. That means, across the world, writers are preparing to draft 50,000 words in the month of November. In the past couple of episodes, we've discussed how to prepare for a month filled with flow. In today's episode, Alex and I are discussing one final, but essential piece of the puzzle: How might you troubleshoot ahead of time, so that when you're mid-month, and possibly tired, you still have a plan for how to keep moving forward. Similar to the way marathoners plan for that part of their run where they know they'll be tired, you can do the same. In today's conversation, Alex and I discuss: • How to capture your reasons for drafting now so you can remind yourself later • Strategies for planning ahead and in the moment • Problem-solving tools for plot tangles and other common issues Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies. It's not too late! You can still create a new character in time for NaNoWriMo, if you haven't yet. You'll find a lively, shortcut kind of process to get to build a winning character in my Skillshare Class: Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.

Are you considering taking on the NaNoWriMo challenge? Whether you plan to draft a novel in November officially, or simply want to think more about the art of drafting and how you can face the blank page with more flow, this episode is for you! In this season, Alex and I have decided to take on the NaNoWriMo challenge, and are sharing our experience as we go in order to keep ourselves motivated and on track … and in hopes of inspiring you to do the same. In this episode, How to Set Yourself Up for NaNoWriMo, we'll discuss strategies that will help you prepare for smoother sailing as you draft. In today's conversation, Alex and I discuss: How to create a loose plan for drafting that leaves room for surprises How to get to know your character in advance Tools for brainstorming scenes and plot points Strategies for building your creative confidence Follow the show link to download the special resource we created for this season: A Little Book of Drafting Strategies. Since November hasn't started quite yet, you still have time to gather ideas for your drafting project. If you want to develop a new character, check out our Skillshare Class: Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.

Welcome to season five of Creative Lift: Dive Into the NaNoWriMo Challenge! I'm Naomi Kinsman, and you're listening to episode 36, How to Choose a Project for NaNoWriMo. In case you've never heard of NaNoWriMo—it's a challenge started by an organization of that same name, in which writers are invited to draft a novel in the month of November. Now you may not be a novelist yourself, or you might be someone who doesn't like to draft quickly—before you skip this season entirely, I want you to know that this season will be packed with tips and tricks for the art of drafting. Drafting takes a special mindset, one you can develop and fine-tune. Imagine if, when you next face the blank page, you didn't have to cross your fingers and hope inspiration would strike? What if you had a mental toolkit to make slipping into the flow state easier? Last season, we discussed revision and explored a variety of tools you can use to shape a story. But before you can do that, you need a story to work with. And to have that story, you need to draft. You can struggle through, or you can stumble through, or you can flow through. My deep hope is that more of us can flow through—and that is what this season is all about. So, if you are curious about drafting, about tackling the blank page, about flow, or about NaNoWriMo, this season is for you. If you listened in last season, you met Alex Doherty, who is the editor for Creative Lift, and who is also a fellow middle-grade writer. When I told Alex I planned to take on the NaNoWriMo challenge this coming November, he said he wanted to do so, too. So, we decided we'd record our conversations about planning for the challenge, and then record quick sessions along the way as we draft in November, to keep ourselves on track, and hopefully to inspire you to draft along with us. If you're listening to this episode when it releases, you'll be tuning in during October 2022, and that means it is perfect timing to prep your novel writing plan for this coming November. If you're listening at any other time, remember that there are no rules that you must draft in any specific month. You can take on a similar challenge at any time. If you're ready to draft, by all means, don't let the calendar or other people's expectations get in your way. In today's episode, Alex and I will talk about how we're choosing our NaNoWriMo projects this year. My hope is that our discussion will expand your view of what's possible and give you permission to make the best use of November's challenge, even if you aren't currently ready to start a brand-new project. For this season, I decided not to make individual RGs for each episode. You have enough to focus on with your own writing project. However, I did create a little book of drafting strategies that you can use on days when you're in need of a little extra mojo. You can download those drafting strategies by visiting the show's webpage, scrolling to the bottom, and signing up for Creative Lift resources. In every CL episode, our hope is that you walk away inspired and encouraged. Hopefully, today's episode gave you some fresh ideas about how to set yourself up for drafting success. Where will you begin? Next week, we'll wrap up our prep episodes with some ahead-of-time problem-solving because November is just around the corner! After that, our episodes will be shorter, and we'll publish two per week, designed to keep you (and ourselves) on track as we draft. Until next week, here's to you and your creativity! Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character

Where do you start with a full novel revision? We're finishing up season four of the podcast, Behind the Scenes of a Full-Novel Revision, in which Alex Doherty, a fellow writer and I have been discussing his full-novel revision. Our conversation has been guided by his questions and goals for the manuscript, and today we're wrapping up the discussion. Alex has started his revision process, using some of the strategies we've discussed in this season, and he has some insights to share. Since we are wrapping up the season, there is no reflection guide for this episode.

How do you speed up and slow down the pace in your stories? And when do you choose to speed up or slow down? What purpose does pacing serve in our storytelling? We're in season four of the podcast, Behind the Scenes of a Full-Novel Revision, in which I'm discussing a full novel revision with my fellow writer, Alex Doherty, a fellow middle-grade writer. In today's episode, we're discussing pace. Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide. The feedback approach we've used in this season references Design Thinking tools and mindsets. If you'd like to explore further how to apply Design Thinking to your writing process, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.

Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, for every writer there's generally room to amplify a character arc in your novel once you've completed a full draft. But what does that process look like, beyond firming up the first scene, the climax, and the final scenes? We're in season four of the podcast, Behind the Scenes of a Full-Novel Revision, in which I'm discussing a full novel revision with my fellow writer, Alex Doherty, a fellow middle-grade writer. In today's episode, we're looking at one of the most important aspects to consider in a full-novel revision, the character arc. Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide. The feedback approach we've used in this season references Design Thinking tools and mindsets. If you'd like to explore further how to apply Design Thinking to your writing process, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.

Even if a story isn't a mystery, there's something about a great question that keeps us turning pages. We want to know: What's the answer? But can a question draw out too long? How many questions does it take to turn suspense into confusion? We're in season four of the podcast, Behind the Scenes of a Full-Novel Revision, in which I'm discussing a full novel revision with my fellow writer, Alex Doherty, a fellow middle-grade writer. In today's episode, we're looking at questions and the role they play in storytelling and pace. Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide. The feedback approach we've used in this season references Design Thinking tools and mindsets. If you'd like to explore further how to apply Design Thinking to your writing process, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.

Aside from interior monologue, are there other ways to clue a reader into a character's thoughts and emotions? How might we keep a reader informed if we don't want to submerge them in a sea of rumination? We're in season four of the podcast, Behind the Scenes of a Full-Novel Revision, in which I'm discussing a full novel revision with my fellow writer, Alex Doherty, a fellow middle-grade writer. Our conversation is guided by his questions and goals for the manuscript, and today we're looking at interior monologue. Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide. The feedback approach we've used in this season references Design Thinking tools and mindsets. If you'd like to explore further how to apply Design Thinking to your writing process, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.

When does a character's voice come to life for you? And if you're struggling to find a character's voice, what strategies might you use to illuminate it? We're in season four of the podcast, Behind the Scenes of a Full-Novel Revision, in which I'm discussing a full-novel revision with Alex Doherty. In today's episode, we're considering how Alex might build on the connection his readers feel with his characters. He wants readers to be in the know about what's going on, while also keeping up the pace and excitement of the plot. This season offers tools and questions to support you in a full novel revision. The goal is that you'll enhance your own desired effect while strengthening your unique writerly voice. Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide. The feedback approach we've used in this season references Design Thinking tools and mindsets. If you'd like to explore further how to apply Design Thinking to your writing process, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.

When you're reading, do you prefer to look at a character from a distance? Do you prefer to be deep in their thoughts? Or somewhere in between? And when you're writing, how do you craft the distance between your fictional creations and your readers? We're in season four of the podcast, Behind the Scenes of a Full-Novel Revision, in which I'm discussing a full-novel revision with Alex Doherty. Our conversation is guided by his questions and goals for the manuscript, and today we're looking at narrative distance.  We're considering how Alex might play with making the reader feel connected to his characters, and in the know about what's going on, while also keeping up the pace and excitement of the plot. This season offers tools and questions to support you in a full novel revision. The goal is that you'll enhance your own desired effect while strengthening your unique writerly voice.   Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide.   The feedback approach we've used in this season references Design Thinking tools and mindsets. If you'd like to explore further how to apply Design Thinking to your writing process, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link. 

Welcome to season four of Creative Lift: Behind the Scenes of a Full-Novel Revision. We're experimenting with an alternate format this season, not to replace what we do here at Creative Lift, but to offer another type of invitation for you.  Sometimes it's helpful to be walked through an exercise, or presented with new ideas, the way we often do at Creative Lift. Other times, it's helpful to hear those ideas applied. That's why we decided to record a behind-the-scenes conversation that applies the tools that we explored last season: Design Thinking Tools for Writers.  One of the biggest ways that Design Thinking reframes the writing process is that it invites you, the writer, to consider how others might collaborate with you in your process. How might you invite feedback in a way that supports you and builds your creative confidence, while staying true to your personal vision for your work? This season will be a case study for that kind of collaborative conversation. I'm thrilled that this season also allows me to introduce you to Alex Doherty, who is not only my collaborator and editor for both Creative Lift and our Writerly Play Skillshare classes, but also a fellow middle grade author. In this season, we'll share a conversation that considers a number of full-novel revision strategies that Alex is working with in his novel, Audrey Gray vs. the PTA. In today's episode, we start by giving you a birds' eye view of Alex's novel and his goals for what he wants to work on with this revision. You'll notice that the conversation is driven by Alex's questions rather than my perspective as his feedback partner.  Here are the key questions we're exploring during this season: How might a writer frame the feedback discussion in a way that supports their goals for their project, and also helps them see their work from an outside perspective? How might they maintain full ownership over the revision process rather than outsourcing that responsibility to their feedback partner? This season offers tools and questions to support you in a full novel revision. The goal is that you'll enhance your own desired effect while strengthening your unique writerly voice.  Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide.  The feedback approach we've used in this season references Design Thinking tools and mindsets. If you'd like to explore further how to apply Design Thinking to your writing process, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character at this link.

What role does intuition play in your creative process? When you use design thinking tools, you bring intention to the way you approach your creative work. Sometimes, that mindfulness can feel like the opposite of intuition. Along the way as I learned design thinking, the question pops up now and then. What role is intuition playing here? Am I trusting my gut enough, letting go of control, allowing the magic of creativity to happen? It's an important question as we wrap up our conversation on design thinking. Yes, these tools are powerful. Yes, if we invite others into our creative work sooner we will have greater perspective. Yes, if we fail faster, we will succeed sooner. And. And, as you use these tools, there are moments when the right thing to do is to let go. Throw the system out the window. Follow your intuition and see where it will lead you. Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide. In this season of Creative Lift, we're exploring how Design Thinking might apply to the craft of writing. If you'd like to explore these tools and mindsets further, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character, at this link.

How do you move a project toward completion? How do you know a creative project is done? This season, we've been talking about Design Thinking, and today's episode focuses on our penultimate topic: Iteration. There are two truths I want to be sure I underline today. First, when we hit this stage in our creative process we're not in the final stretch. We're just beginning the messy middle. Making it to those anticipated words, “the end,” will require cycling back through the problem-finding and problem-solving stages of design thinking many more times. And second, when we do return to those stages, we will not approach them in the same way we did before. Further down the road, ideation happens in a smaller possibility space, taking into account the decisions that have already been made. Picture a loop that gets smaller each time you cycle through this trial and error process. Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide. In this season of Creative Lift, we're exploring how Design Thinking might apply to the craft of writing. If you'd like to explore these tools and mindsets further, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character, at this link.

How do you feel about creative feedback? This is a tough question for me, because often my mind responds one way and my heart responds another. But even that either/or frame falls short of sorting out the complex feelings I have about feedback. And complex feelings bubbling under the surface are a sneaky culprit of creative roadblocks. Since Creative Lift is all about uncovering the core of roadblocks so we can more easily play our way to the page, today's episode shines a light on the tricky feedback question so that we can explore it with our eyes wide open. Listen in, and let's see what we might discover. Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide. In this season of Creative Lift, we're exploring how Design Thinking might apply to the craft of writing. If you'd like to explore these tools and mindsets further, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character, at this link.

You've probably heard the question somewhere before: Are you a plotter or a pantser? But, have you ever considered the possibility that you might not be either of these, in fact, you just might be a prototyper? This season on Creative Lift, we've been talking about Design Thinking, and how to use these powerful mindsets, tools, and strategies in service of our creative work. In today's episode, we'll talk about what a prototype might look like for writers and other narrative artists, and the potential for prototypes to multiply your creative effectiveness. Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide. If you decide you want to try out a prototype yourself, check out our Skillshare course, Design Thinking for Writers: Create a Compelling Character, at this link.

Especially if you're the kind of person who always has a thousand ideas, learning to brainstorm more effectively may seem pointless. After all, if you already have too many ideas, why generate more? On the other hand, what would happen if you could clear away the more obvious ideas and tap into truly innovative ones? What potential might you unlock if you leveled up your brainstorming capacity? This episode is for everyone—whether you're swimming in ideas or desperately in search of them. We all have room to raise the ceiling on our potential. Join me, and let's explore how that might work. Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide.

It's a question I've heard so many times: Should I make this choice or that one? The creative process is filled with decisions large and small. We need a compass to guide our decision-making so that we can confidently move forward in the direction we mean to go. But when we're traveling uncharted territory, what kind of compass can guide us? In this episode, we'll explore one way to define our creative target and to boost our energy and flow. Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide.

Design Thinking starts with empathy. If we were making a widget or any solution to meet an external user's need, we'd want that empathy to begin with the people for whom our solution was designed. But what about art? Is it a solution? And if so, who is that solution designed for? The artist? The audience? I do think that art is a solution. For me, first, art is a solution to a question that will not let me go. Through the process of making the artwork—whether it's a story, a live production, an illustration—I have the opportunity to wrestle with my question. And by the end of the process, ideally, I can come to a place of peace, even if I don't find a complete answer. In today's episode, we'll discuss where empathy can fit into our creative process, and why including empathy as part of our work can boost our creative confidence. Follow the show link to download this week's reflection guide.