How to Be a Better Human Summer Fridays: The art of paying attention (w/ Wendy MacNaughton and Laurel Braitman)
40 snips
Aug 28, 2026 
Laurel Braitman, memoirist and Writing Medicine founder, explores grief, caregiving, and creative practice. Wendy MacNaughton, illustrator and Draw Together creator, teaches drawing for attention and connection. They talk about Attention Club, embracing mistakes, simple creativity exercises, reclaiming childhood habits, and sharing intimate work with audiences.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Attention Club Forces Focused Observation
- Attention Club uses paired drawing and writing prompts to force focused observation and connection in short workshop settings.
- Wendy and Laurel created it for TED to show how simple tools reveal surprising stories even inside a conference room.
Mistakes Are Where The Art Is
- Drawing compels slowing down and immersion, so perceived 'mistakes' become the art and path to flow.
- Wendy argues watercolor's unpredictability and letting go of expectations reveal unforeseen, human moments in work.
Switch To Present Tense When Stuck
- If you're stuck writing, switch to present tense and use sensory detail to pull memory into the body.
- Laurel prompts people to describe moments like the last time they were wildly happy using all five senses.
