2020 is here! What did you achieve in the 2010s? Tempest and Aleen talk about why they dislike this question, and interrogate what "achievement" really means. They go on to discuss how they're reframing what an accomplishment looks and feels like, and their creative goals for 2020.

Originality

32: Comparison is a Killer

This week, Rosemary Orchard joins Aleen and Tempest to talk about the writing process. They discuss productivity topics like getting over barriers to creativity, not holding yourself to impossible standards, and establishing a writing ritual that works for you. Also, perhaps a writer’s most important question: do you trust strangers to watch your stuff in coffee shops?

31: Being Transparent About Hating the Process

Conferences are essential places to meet new people and expand your creative community, so in this episode Tempest and Aleen talk about their recent experiences at XOXO and why creating intentional community spaces at conferences like it matters. They also dive into the focus of many talks at the festival: getting attacked online, and how people with different connections and followings experienced different outcomes when those attacks hit.

30: The XOXO Episode

It's time to talk about the F word: failure. Aleen and Tempest tackle mistakes and how to frame those experiences to be productive instead of destructive. They also discuss seeking constructive criticism from trusted sources, embracing the "happy little accidents" Bob Ross taught us about, and why Angry Birds 2 is an example of all the wrong ways to look at failure.

29: Pantser, Plotter, Architect, Spy

You might want to grab your friends for this one, because Tempest and Aleen are talking about building small communities. Tempest talks to Alethea Kontis, Monica Valentinelli, Stina Leicht, and Shveta Thakrar about their own collective and how they lean each other for support and motivation. Along the way they discuss when and how to create a space where everyone shares a similar worldview, trusting your community, productive work parties, and why there should be somewhere you can say those things you can't say publicly.

28: 50% Art Stuff, 50% Life Stuff

Where is the line between inspiration and appropriation? In this episode, Aleen and Tempest talk about learning by copying—and what questions to ask yourself to ensure that your final product isn't still a copy. They also dive into the nuances of drawing from different cultures, how to interrogate what really interests you about that culture, and what to do when you mess up.

27: Once You Know the Rules You Can Break the Rules

Tempest and Aleen get back to the future (well, the present) with a new episode about the value of habits — and how and why they don’t work for everyone. They’ll discuss the importance of sticking with routines — and when to stop being productive long enough to do the things (like eating) that keep you productive. Also, “pantsers” vs. gardeners; how routines that prepare your brain can help you reach a more creative place; how to use bite-sized goals and rewards to keep working; feline obstacles to productivity; why “grit” is super annoying; and the importance of taking time to step back, look at the big picture, and be kind to yourself.

26: Everything is Really Difficult

This week, Tempest and Aleen talk about how to stay creative under the mental toll of life in America in 2019; the importance of friends, family, and community to sustain your creativity; using data to figure out what works for you, without judgment; when you should or shouldn’t listen to “experts” about how to create better; and why it’s good to ask for help when you need it. (Even, or especially, in the form of cat pictures.)

25: You Are Not Alone

Get your shovels, because this week, Aleen and Tempest are discussing how to bury the dreaded “shoulds,” and focus instead on what you _want_ to be doing. Also: The importance of saying “no” to things; the powerful motivation of avoiding a 9-to-5 job; how to find a word count goal that works for you; your invitation, listeners, to tweet at Tempest and Aleen; and Aleen coins the phrase “app midwife.” All of this, coming to you live from, uh, the middle of October!

24: Bury Your Shoulds

Today the spotlight is on Tempest! Learn about her recent trip to Egypt, where she got the idea for her novel, and hear her epic retelling of Antigone.

23: Avoiding Patriarchal Nonsense

This time around, Kelly Sue DeConnick joins Tempest and Aleen to talk about learning from critique and criticism (and practicing how to take the feedback), how people perceive the series Bitch Planet, and the importance of collaborative relationships.

22: I Am Hugely Motivated by Spite

We're baaaacccckkkkK! We use our triumphant return to talk about why the show was on hiatus, getting through stressful times, saying no, and letting go of The Shoulds.

21: Irrational Brain Weasels

"Drawing is a form of expressing story without using words," says our guest Grace Fong. In this episode, Tempest, Aleen, and Grace explore how artists tell stories, how they add to existing stories, why mind palaces are important, and how travel contributes to it all.

20: Creating a Fake World People Can Believe In

In a world and an era when everyone is vying for attention, how do you you stand above the crowd, make yourself heard, build an audience?

19: You Don't Have to Be an Expert

Sometimes you feel you've got to Run away you've got to Get away from the day-to-day things surrounding you The things you make Seem to go nowhere And you've lost your light For you try and try but just can't write!

18: Turn on the Fountain of Words

The most common question creative people get asked is, "Where do you get your ideas?" That's what Originality is all about: exploring the wheres, hows, and whys of creative genius with K Tempest Bradford, Aleen Simms, and a diverse assortment of guests from a variety of fields. Hosted by Aleen Simms and K Tempest Bradford.

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Originality

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