WEBVTT
1
00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:16.460
Hello, I'm Roxane Gay. Welcome to Radio Headspace and to
2
00:00:16.539 --> 00:00:19.480
Monday Morning. I am your guest host for the week,
3
00:00:19.579 --> 00:00:22.039
and I am thrilled to be spending this time with
4
00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:25.000
you all. If you aren't familiar with my work, I'm
5
00:00:25.050 --> 00:00:29.489
the author of several books, including Bad Feminist, Hunger, and Opinions.
6
00:00:30.140 --> 00:00:33.439
I'm also an editor and a professor at Rutgers University.
7
00:00:34.140 --> 00:00:38.490
Writing and being creative have brought me so much joy,
8
00:00:38.609 --> 00:00:42.409
so much satisfaction, a real sense of purpose throughout my life.
9
00:00:43.109 --> 00:00:46.210
And when we all tap into our creativity, I believe
10
00:00:46.270 --> 00:00:48.530
it can do the same for all of us. So
11
00:00:49.049 --> 00:00:52.560
this week is all about how to bring and foster
12
00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:56.859
creativity into your life. I'll cover things like why creativity
13
00:00:56.960 --> 00:01:00.250
is so essential to the human experience and how to
14
00:01:00.289 --> 00:01:03.310
bring ideas to life, and of course, how to navigate
15
00:01:03.369 --> 00:01:06.959
creative blocks. Today, we're going to start with unpacking why
16
00:01:07.019 --> 00:01:10.939
creativity matters and why this week applies to everyone listening.
17
00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:16.519
I started writing when I was four years old. And
18
00:01:16.599 --> 00:01:20.140
at the time, I would draw little villages on napkins.
19
00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:22.290
And I couldn't tell you why it was napkins, but
20
00:01:22.750 --> 00:01:25.469
there we are. And I would write stories about the
21
00:01:25.510 --> 00:01:28.450
people I imagined living in these little villages. And I
22
00:01:28.489 --> 00:01:30.790
just loved it because I loved reading. And I read
23
00:01:30.829 --> 00:01:34.689
from a very early age. And being able to tell
24
00:01:34.790 --> 00:01:39.329
stories to make things up was just incredibly satisfying. And
25
00:01:39.349 --> 00:01:42.750
it was fun. Reading and writing brought me great joy.
26
00:01:42.810 --> 00:01:46.750
And they still do to this day. I am not
27
00:01:46.870 --> 00:01:50.269
an angsty writer. I love doing it most of the time.
28
00:01:51.170 --> 00:01:56.280
And I love just being able to articulate my understanding
29
00:01:56.310 --> 00:02:02.090
of the world and to share that with readers. One
30
00:02:02.109 --> 00:02:04.709
of the greatest things my parents ever did for me, well,
31
00:02:04.769 --> 00:02:07.670
two of the things, when they noticed that I loved reading,
32
00:02:08.009 --> 00:02:10.650
they took me to the library every Saturday. And they
33
00:02:10.669 --> 00:02:14.169
also got me a typewriter, which of course dates me,
34
00:02:14.770 --> 00:02:18.250
but they gave me the tools that would help me
35
00:02:18.370 --> 00:02:23.569
do the thing that I loved. And I absolutely credit
36
00:02:23.610 --> 00:02:27.069
them with allowing me to believe that becoming a writer
37
00:02:27.129 --> 00:02:32.610
was possible. The most enjoyable part is ideas. When there
38
00:02:32.689 --> 00:02:35.729
are no boundaries, there are no limits. It's just me
39
00:02:35.909 --> 00:02:38.550
and the page. And I don't know what something is
40
00:02:38.590 --> 00:02:40.949
going to be yet. I'm not working under any kind
41
00:02:40.969 --> 00:02:44.530
of deadline. It's just for me. Writing allows me to
42
00:02:44.569 --> 00:02:48.310
have good mental health. I definitely, when I'm not writing,
43
00:02:48.389 --> 00:02:50.810
when I have too much time away from it, it
44
00:02:51.219 --> 00:02:55.979
completely affects my mood. And so writing is this space
45
00:02:56.060 --> 00:02:59.560
where I get to do anything, where there are no limitations.
46
00:02:59.620 --> 00:03:02.659
If there are limitations, I get to use my imagination
47
00:03:02.740 --> 00:03:05.819
to figure out creative ways to overcome those limitations. And
48
00:03:06.340 --> 00:03:08.430
I encounter them all the time. You know, I deal
49
00:03:08.439 --> 00:03:12.210
with writer's block as much as anyone. But there is
50
00:03:12.250 --> 00:03:17.129
something incredibly satisfying in finding a workaround. And even doing
51
00:03:17.169 --> 00:03:22.250
that work, which can be thankless and frustrating, is also
52
00:03:22.310 --> 00:03:25.539
gratifying at the end of the day because I'm doing
53
00:03:26.099 --> 00:03:29.639
the thing that I feel most called to do. Creative
54
00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:32.020
outlets are incredibly important for all of us, no matter
55
00:03:32.039 --> 00:03:35.560
what we do with ourselves. It allows our imaginations to
56
00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:40.030
remain nimble and elastic. I find that when I spend
57
00:03:40.090 --> 00:03:46.050
time with creativity and it's not goal-oriented, when I'm just experimenting,
58
00:03:46.090 --> 00:03:49.800
when I'm just trying something, It makes me more invigorated,
59
00:03:50.060 --> 00:03:51.840
and it gives me the energy I need to get
60
00:03:51.900 --> 00:03:57.530
back to work. But it's also something that helps me
61
00:03:57.939 --> 00:04:02.250
to think more clearly, to act with more purpose, because
62
00:04:02.289 --> 00:04:04.289
I know I have this outlet where I just get
63
00:04:04.330 --> 00:04:08.229
to try different things. And it's incredibly gratifying, and I
64
00:04:08.289 --> 00:04:11.750
want that for everyone. The sky's the limit when it
65
00:04:11.789 --> 00:04:15.169
comes to figuring out what your creative passion is. If
66
00:04:15.210 --> 00:04:18.410
you don't know, just try things. Maybe take a class
67
00:04:18.589 --> 00:04:22.470
in flower decorating or cake decorating at the local community college.
68
00:04:23.029 --> 00:04:26.660
Look at, you know, creative arts like knitting, crochet. Those
69
00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:29.339
are like, you know, basic things, but they're also not.
70
00:04:29.620 --> 00:04:32.620
The most important thing you can do early in your career,
71
00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:35.100
or quite frankly, at any stage of your career, is
72
00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:37.560
to make sure that you have a project that's just
73
00:04:37.620 --> 00:04:40.620
for you, that's outside of work, that's outside of your
74
00:04:40.660 --> 00:04:46.300
family obligations, that's outside of your career. exercise routine, your parenting, whatever.
75
00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:50.089
My wife, Debbie Millman, who's an artist herself, talks about
76
00:04:50.110 --> 00:04:53.569
this all the time, self-generated projects. What is the thing
77
00:04:53.589 --> 00:04:55.689
that you're going to do for you, even if you
78
00:04:55.730 --> 00:04:58.730
don't know what it's going to become? And that will
79
00:04:58.930 --> 00:05:02.379
sustain you in so many ways. I can't recommend it enough.
80
00:05:03.310 --> 00:05:06.079
That's it for me today. Tomorrow, I'll be back to
81
00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:09.180
talk about finding your creative voice. I'll see you back
82
00:05:09.240 --> 00:05:22.480
here really soon. Thank you.
1
00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:16.460
Hello, I'm Roxane Gay. Welcome to Radio Headspace and to
2
00:00:16.539 --> 00:00:19.480
Monday Morning. I am your guest host for the week,
3
00:00:19.579 --> 00:00:22.039
and I am thrilled to be spending this time with
4
00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:25.000
you all. If you aren't familiar with my work, I'm
5
00:00:25.050 --> 00:00:29.489
the author of several books, including Bad Feminist, Hunger, and Opinions.
6
00:00:30.140 --> 00:00:33.439
I'm also an editor and a professor at Rutgers University.
7
00:00:34.140 --> 00:00:38.490
Writing and being creative have brought me so much joy,
8
00:00:38.609 --> 00:00:42.409
so much satisfaction, a real sense of purpose throughout my life.
9
00:00:43.109 --> 00:00:46.210
And when we all tap into our creativity, I believe
10
00:00:46.270 --> 00:00:48.530
it can do the same for all of us. So
11
00:00:49.049 --> 00:00:52.560
this week is all about how to bring and foster
12
00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:56.859
creativity into your life. I'll cover things like why creativity
13
00:00:56.960 --> 00:01:00.250
is so essential to the human experience and how to
14
00:01:00.289 --> 00:01:03.310
bring ideas to life, and of course, how to navigate
15
00:01:03.369 --> 00:01:06.959
creative blocks. Today, we're going to start with unpacking why
16
00:01:07.019 --> 00:01:10.939
creativity matters and why this week applies to everyone listening.
17
00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:16.519
I started writing when I was four years old. And
18
00:01:16.599 --> 00:01:20.140
at the time, I would draw little villages on napkins.
19
00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:22.290
And I couldn't tell you why it was napkins, but
20
00:01:22.750 --> 00:01:25.469
there we are. And I would write stories about the
21
00:01:25.510 --> 00:01:28.450
people I imagined living in these little villages. And I
22
00:01:28.489 --> 00:01:30.790
just loved it because I loved reading. And I read
23
00:01:30.829 --> 00:01:34.689
from a very early age. And being able to tell
24
00:01:34.790 --> 00:01:39.329
stories to make things up was just incredibly satisfying. And
25
00:01:39.349 --> 00:01:42.750
it was fun. Reading and writing brought me great joy.
26
00:01:42.810 --> 00:01:46.750
And they still do to this day. I am not
27
00:01:46.870 --> 00:01:50.269
an angsty writer. I love doing it most of the time.
28
00:01:51.170 --> 00:01:56.280
And I love just being able to articulate my understanding
29
00:01:56.310 --> 00:02:02.090
of the world and to share that with readers. One
30
00:02:02.109 --> 00:02:04.709
of the greatest things my parents ever did for me, well,
31
00:02:04.769 --> 00:02:07.670
two of the things, when they noticed that I loved reading,
32
00:02:08.009 --> 00:02:10.650
they took me to the library every Saturday. And they
33
00:02:10.669 --> 00:02:14.169
also got me a typewriter, which of course dates me,
34
00:02:14.770 --> 00:02:18.250
but they gave me the tools that would help me
35
00:02:18.370 --> 00:02:23.569
do the thing that I loved. And I absolutely credit
36
00:02:23.610 --> 00:02:27.069
them with allowing me to believe that becoming a writer
37
00:02:27.129 --> 00:02:32.610
was possible. The most enjoyable part is ideas. When there
38
00:02:32.689 --> 00:02:35.729
are no boundaries, there are no limits. It's just me
39
00:02:35.909 --> 00:02:38.550
and the page. And I don't know what something is
40
00:02:38.590 --> 00:02:40.949
going to be yet. I'm not working under any kind
41
00:02:40.969 --> 00:02:44.530
of deadline. It's just for me. Writing allows me to
42
00:02:44.569 --> 00:02:48.310
have good mental health. I definitely, when I'm not writing,
43
00:02:48.389 --> 00:02:50.810
when I have too much time away from it, it
44
00:02:51.219 --> 00:02:55.979
completely affects my mood. And so writing is this space
45
00:02:56.060 --> 00:02:59.560
where I get to do anything, where there are no limitations.
46
00:02:59.620 --> 00:03:02.659
If there are limitations, I get to use my imagination
47
00:03:02.740 --> 00:03:05.819
to figure out creative ways to overcome those limitations. And
48
00:03:06.340 --> 00:03:08.430
I encounter them all the time. You know, I deal
49
00:03:08.439 --> 00:03:12.210
with writer's block as much as anyone. But there is
50
00:03:12.250 --> 00:03:17.129
something incredibly satisfying in finding a workaround. And even doing
51
00:03:17.169 --> 00:03:22.250
that work, which can be thankless and frustrating, is also
52
00:03:22.310 --> 00:03:25.539
gratifying at the end of the day because I'm doing
53
00:03:26.099 --> 00:03:29.639
the thing that I feel most called to do. Creative
54
00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:32.020
outlets are incredibly important for all of us, no matter
55
00:03:32.039 --> 00:03:35.560
what we do with ourselves. It allows our imaginations to
56
00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:40.030
remain nimble and elastic. I find that when I spend
57
00:03:40.090 --> 00:03:46.050
time with creativity and it's not goal-oriented, when I'm just experimenting,
58
00:03:46.090 --> 00:03:49.800
when I'm just trying something, It makes me more invigorated,
59
00:03:50.060 --> 00:03:51.840
and it gives me the energy I need to get
60
00:03:51.900 --> 00:03:57.530
back to work. But it's also something that helps me
61
00:03:57.939 --> 00:04:02.250
to think more clearly, to act with more purpose, because
62
00:04:02.289 --> 00:04:04.289
I know I have this outlet where I just get
63
00:04:04.330 --> 00:04:08.229
to try different things. And it's incredibly gratifying, and I
64
00:04:08.289 --> 00:04:11.750
want that for everyone. The sky's the limit when it
65
00:04:11.789 --> 00:04:15.169
comes to figuring out what your creative passion is. If
66
00:04:15.210 --> 00:04:18.410
you don't know, just try things. Maybe take a class
67
00:04:18.589 --> 00:04:22.470
in flower decorating or cake decorating at the local community college.
68
00:04:23.029 --> 00:04:26.660
Look at, you know, creative arts like knitting, crochet. Those
69
00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:29.339
are like, you know, basic things, but they're also not.
70
00:04:29.620 --> 00:04:32.620
The most important thing you can do early in your career,
71
00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:35.100
or quite frankly, at any stage of your career, is
72
00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:37.560
to make sure that you have a project that's just
73
00:04:37.620 --> 00:04:40.620
for you, that's outside of work, that's outside of your
74
00:04:40.660 --> 00:04:46.300
family obligations, that's outside of your career. exercise routine, your parenting, whatever.
75
00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:50.089
My wife, Debbie Millman, who's an artist herself, talks about
76
00:04:50.110 --> 00:04:53.569
this all the time, self-generated projects. What is the thing
77
00:04:53.589 --> 00:04:55.689
that you're going to do for you, even if you
78
00:04:55.730 --> 00:04:58.730
don't know what it's going to become? And that will
79
00:04:58.930 --> 00:05:02.379
sustain you in so many ways. I can't recommend it enough.
80
00:05:03.310 --> 00:05:06.079
That's it for me today. Tomorrow, I'll be back to
81
00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:09.180
talk about finding your creative voice. I'll see you back
82
00:05:09.240 --> 00:05:22.480
here really soon. Thank you.
