Creativity isn’t Ernest Hemingway sipping red wine and writing in a Barcelona café.
(Well, that’s one version.)
It’s about solving hard problems and inspiring others.
And putting your little dent in the universe.
The hard part is tapping into your creative genius.
This week on The Examined Life Podcast, we’re joined by fashion designer, playwright, author, entrepreneur and teacher (🤯) Jeff Madoff.
We ask the question:
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My top 3 takeaways
Not “caring about the outcome” isn’t heroic — it’s silly
You tell yourself you don’t care if people read your blog or watch your YouTube video. But do you really? Or is it fear and self-protection?
The myth of replication
Reading the latest productivity book or business bio won’t make you successful. You can’t replicate anyone else’s life. You can only learn best practices to find your version of success.
→ Watch the clip
The only permission you need to be creative
Curiosity drives creativity.
If you’re curious about a problem, creativity can help you solve it. But you're the only person who can give yourself permission to be creative.
From our sponsors:
My favorite quote: You will fail. How do you bounce back?
Why this episode matters to me
Jeff and I go waaaaaaaay back.
I audited his course on creativity while I was still on Wall Street.
(Ummm, the 2014 version of Quiet Quitting.)
And while pretty much EVERYTHING about our backgrounds is different — we have one simple thing in common: we deeply and passionately follow what makes us come alive.
It led Jeff to a multi-hyphenate career. And me to RadReads.
Hopefully, these stories will inspire you to explore your own creativity.
And help you deepen your sense of aliveness.
If you want to dig deeper
If you’re feeling creativity stuck, among my favorite books on creativity are:
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
- The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
Love letters from our fans
This text references Khe's coaching session with Joe Hudson on Art of Accomplishment:
Hope you enjoy the episode,
Khe