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The Day Jeff Realized a Job Would Never Save Him
Maybe because I saw pieces of myself in Jeff Kikel’s story, or maybe because it reminded me how fragile the whole idea of “security” really is, but I felt an immediate kinship to this entrepreneur. Luckily I never went through the same demoralizing treatment he received. The Novelist Who Ended Up in Finance Jeff told…
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The Creative Lie We All Fall For
I thought we’d talk about wizard schools and worldbuilding and maybe a little about Neil Gaiman sprinkled in for flavor. Instead, I walked away thinking about the one belief that I’ve been a proponent of over the last couple of years, but which Ryan challenged for me today. It starts with a phrase we’ve all…
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James Rollins on the Hidden Cost of Creativity
I’ve been thinking about this conversation ever since we wrapped it. When James Rollins joined me for LightMinded Arts, I didn’t want another surface‑level chat about craft or his characters. I wanted to dig into the part most people skip, the emotional and financial cost of living a creative life. What it actually takes to…
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The Leap, the Ladder, and the Lie We Creatives Keep Telling Ourselves
Some people build their lives like spreadsheets, color‑coded and laminated. Others sell their house, throw everything in storage, and fly to Sweden for a job they’re not qualified for because something deep inside says, “Go.” Sabine Hutchison is definitely the second kind. And maybe that’s why her story stuck with me. It isn’t about luck…
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The Moment a Creative Snaps (In the Best Possible Way)
“I can’t keep living like this.” When I sat down with dark romance author Bria Rose, that moment showed up in a way I didn’t expect. She didn’t describe it as a breakthrough or an awakening or a spiritual download. She called it her “villain era.” Now, before you picture her swirling a cape and…
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Riding Tandems, Writing Books, and Escaping the Struggling Artist Trap: Lessons from My Conversation with Teri M. Brown
There are interviews that feel like interviews… and then there are interviews that feel like someone just handed you a flashlight and said, “Hey, you’ve been stumbling around in the dark—want to see where the walls actually are?” My conversation with award-winning author Teri M. Brown was the second kind. And yes, I do plan…
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The Art Isn’t the Problem — It’s the Trap We Build Around It
When I booked an interview with a professional dancer, I had one fear — that she’d ask me to clap on beat. If you’ve ever seen a baby deer try to stand for the first time, that’s me trying to find rhythm. But Alexandra Beller didn’t ask me to dance. Instead, she walked me straight…
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The Money Mistake Creatives Keep Making (and What Sheila Slick Wants You to Know)
If you’ve ever tried to turn your art into income, you’ve probably had this moment: You’re staring at your bank account, wondering how you can be this talented and still this broke… while some 19-year-old on TikTok is selling crocheted frog hats and somehow clearing six figures. Welcome to the creative economy — where talent…
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Escaping the “Struggling Artist” Trap: What Authors (and Creatives) Can Learn from 25 Years in Publishing
Every creative has a version of the same fantasy. You write the book.Or finish the screenplay.Or record the album. And then—like magic—the world discovers it. Readers fall in love. Audiences show up. The work spreads organically. Success arrives because the art is good enough. It’s a comforting myth. It’s also one of the fastest ways…
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How Russell Van Brocklen Turned Dyslexia Into a Creative Superpower: Tactical Lessons for Creatives
Russell Van Brocklen didn’t overcome dyslexia—he weaponized it. In our latest Light-Minded Arts interview, he shared how a first-grade reading level didn’t stop him from thriving, and launching a multi-year educational study funded by the New York State Senate. For creatives trying to escape the struggling artist trap, Russell’s story is more than inspiring—it’s tactical.…
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