Struggles, Spellbound, and Surprising Joy
The pressure and play of creative work.
Creative Sparks with Kevin
Quick, no pressure insights and inspiration to help you push past perfectionism, stay true to your vision and market your work authentically. Delivered weekly on Fridays.
📖 Struggles, Surprises, and Small Victories From a First Time Author
My friend Jennifer Mullin is just a few months away from launching her first book showing people how to draw with ballpoint pens! In the process she’s learned that publishing a book is both extremely stressful and extremely rewarding. But there’s a lot she didn’t know going into the process.
I love her candid outlook on becoming an author and creating her book. If you’re looking to publish your first book, definitely check out what she’s learned along the way.
🌋It’s Not Good to Be Jealous But…
This was incredibly beautiful and I’m jealous of Jeffrey Sun’s ability to tell a story. And it was also Jeffrey’s first Youtube video! In it he was questioning whether he had experience all life had to offer. So he went out in search of the extraordinary to Guatamela to watch a live volcano eruption. I won’t give away what happens but do yourself a favor and watch this video.
🐝 Some Fun News About Play
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With so much craziness happening around the world, sometimes you just need some good news to bring you joy. That’s exactly what this Tiktok did for me. Researchers found out that Bumble bees enjoy playing!
Let’s take a lesson from our invertebrate friends and bring a little joy into our lives. How can you incorporate a little bit of play into your life right now?
If you enjoy my work or find it helpful, I'd be so grateful if you considered supporting me with a cup of coffee. Every bit helps and keeps the creativity flowing!
In Case You Missed It
This Week’s Creativity Card
One of my least favorite things about history is looking at it from only one point of view. Our thoughts on the world, cultures, and everything around is skewed by whoever wrote about it. The older I get, the more I realize how this is not a great way to learn about history.
My response
History should take into consideration all sides of the story. The good guys and bad guys are usually determined by the winner. So for US History, we need to learn more about the experiences of those who have been harmed or oppressed. There is more than enough information showing the downsides of how this country was built, but in school all we learn is the glorified version.
That’s not even to mention we need different methods of teaching people. Not everyone is good at learning through lectures or reading so why are those the main methods for everyone? The whole education system could use some reworking, at least in the US.
How would you change how we teach history? Let me know in the comments or restack your story!
💡Fun Fact: By the way, I have a digital deck with over 600 creative prompts covering everything from storytelling to burnout recovery. Want to help test more? Let me know in the comments!
If you found this helpful or inspiring, consider supporting my work by buying me a coffee. And if you're looking for more creative inspiration, check out my book We Are All Creative — it's full of prompts and quotes to fuel your creativity every day!
If you have any ideas for creative sparks leave them in the comments. I’d love to hear what’s sparking your creativity right now.
Until next time, stay motivated and stay creative.
— Kevin
Thanks for the shout out Kevin!