When something won’t stop gnawing at you

Apr 5, 2021

What am I doing with New York Times best-selling author Anne Lamott?

I’ll tell you but first, a little back story.

Years ago, I wrote a magazine column for Whole Living, which then got bought by Martha Stewart and became Body & Soul. In addition to the column, I was given a radio show on SiriusXM.

I started interviewing people I admired. I loved it. The radio show was also a podcast at the time.

The radio show and column eventually got canceled, and while I was embarrassed, I also felt relieved, as I stopped liking what I was being asked to write.

It never occurred to me to keep making the show as an independently produced podcast. Partly because the tech was more difficult back then and partly because I believed I had to be chosen by someone else to be legit.

A few years later, podcasts explode and I am like, “Shoot! I did a podcast, I loved it, and now it’s too late to start again. If only I had kept going! Now why bother to start again?”

I know, I know. But I hadn’t written my book yet. I didn’t know how very believable the why bother story is; how we are very sure we know the answer and the answer is don’t.

Every few months my desire to create my own podcast would peek out and say “What about…”, and then I would be very practical and say, “No. The market is too crowded and you don’t have time…”

“But…” my desire would say.

“No!” my practical voice would shout back.

“But I want to,” my desire would whisper, tugging at my heart.

Then my book Why Bother came out and I was a guest on a lot of podcasts. After I was on Better Together, the producer Jeff reached out and asked me if I ever thought about doing my own show.

“You were such a great guest, I think you would be great at hosting a podcast.”

My desire jumps up and down, “Oh my gosh, yes, yes, YES! Say yes now!”

My practical voice opined, “He’s just trying to sell you something. He probably tells everybody this.”

We interrupt this long-winded story to say, Jeff was legit, he became my producer, I finally got over my why bother and our first episode drops April 13th with, yes, Anne Lamott!

The podcast is called Create Out Loud. I interview creative people about how they do their work, how they make money, how they come back from big disappointments, how they switch disciplines, follow their desires, get their ideas, balance their creative desires with the rest of life, and lots more.

You can listen to the trailer here and would you consider subscribing? That helps the podcast get discovered.

And if you like the trailer, could you share it with your creative friends and on social media, if you hang out there?

I’m very proud of what Jeff and I are creating. I’m trusting my instincts and my goofiness. I’m asking the hard questions of the people I really want to learn from, all in hopes of helping you create out loud.

Can’t wait to hear what you think!


Want to get your bother on starting now?

Read the first chapter from my new book for a jolt of fresh perspective and possibility, and a radical reframe on what to do when you are feeling lost, blah, unmotivated, or burned out, in any area of your life or for any reason — even success!

Jettison Self-Doubt and Lose the Itty-Bitty-Shitty Committee and Make Your Thing Now

From the national best-selling author of The Woman’s Comfort Book and Why Bother.

Made for writers, artists, mail art makers, knitters of sock puppets, creative entrepreneurs, photographers, Tarot readers, and anybody who needs to make stuff they love.

I’m not one of those creepy people who make it hard to unsubscribe or email you again nine years after you’ve unsubscribed. Giving me your email is like a coffee date, not a marriage proposal.