Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley
Kate Hanley
Finding the Throughline: Conversations about the Creative Process invites you into the minds of writers and other creatives as they open up about their process, their doubts, and what kinds of changes they’re thinking about making. The questions are mildly invasive, honestly, and the answers are unvarnished…and so refreshing! Whether your creative work is writing, painting, making music, parenting, or simply living, Finding the Throughline can help you get—and stay—inspired. Invigorated, even. For detailed show notes on each interview, visit katehanley.substack.com. And if you’d like to hear these interviews in one ad-free episode (as opposed to broken up into three shorter episodes with a few ads sprinkled in to keep the lights on), become a paid subscriber once you’re there..
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 18, 2021 • 13min
How to Cultivate Grit with Shannon Polson EP: 514
To help us all think about how to go about cultivating more grit I wanted to talk to a pro, so I reached out to Shannon Huffman Polson, the youngest woman ever to climb Mt. McKinley, one of the first women to be trained to fly an Apache helicopter during her time serving in the Army and author of The Grit Factor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 17, 2021 • 10min
Strengthen Your “Keep Going” Muscles EP: 513
One of my better person principles (that I shared last week in episode 509) is that every challenge has an opportunity wrapped up inside it. Even the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad challenges, like, say, a global pandemic. And one of those opportunities now is to strengthen and hone our ‘keep going’ muscles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 16, 2021 • 10min
What’s the Better Person Thing to Do When It Comes to Disagreeing With Friends? EP: 512
You used to more or less be able to decide when you wanted to wade into a potentially heated conversation. Now, whether you're talking about masks, vaccines, or the start of school, you can stumble into them multiple times a day. What's a person who's trying to be a better person to do? Face them head on, or keep the peace? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 13, 2021 • 8min
Better Person Principle #5: Being better is a choice EP: 511
Being a better person isn't a fluke of genetics. Everyone has inherent goodness. Everyday, you’re faced with hundreds of decisions, and it’s in those decisions where you have the potential to move toward better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 12, 2021 • 8min
Better Person Principle #4: There’s a time and a place for everything EP: 510
You don’t have to be a better person ALL the time. And thank goodness for that. Because trying to do anything 100% of the time is a recipe for burnout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 11, 2021 • 7min
Better Person Principle #3: There’s an opportunity inside every challenge EP: 509
Looking for the opportunity keeps your eyes open to what good things might be trying to emerge. And finding those opportunities is what helps you use the simple act of living your life as a personal development seminar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 10, 2021 • 9min
Better Person Principle #2: Awareness is the first step EP: 508
Even though it’s a simple concept, awareness is a pretty rare and wonderful thing, like an orchid in a sea of carnations. Because it’s a lot more convenient to not pay attention to stuff--particularly your own stuff. Being able to see yourself clearly is how you start to make better choices. It’s also an easy and effective way to wade into change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 9, 2021 • 9min
Better Person Principle #1: It’s not about being perfect, or even a good person. Just better. EP: 507
You don’t have to transform yourself into Mother Theresa or Gandhi or whomever your ideal ‘good person’ is. Truly, you just have to care enough to opt for a better choice at your next opportunity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 6, 2021 • 9min
Admit that you’re probably going to stink at first, and that’s OK; in fact, it's the kind of the point EP: 506
One huge obstacle to creativity is your inner critic, which is obsessed with keeping you safe, and will try to convince you that anything new you’re either thinking, doing, or trying to create, is either dangerous--as in, it could open you up to ridicule--or bad--as in, a waste of time. I’ve got a way to short circuit that very human instinct. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 5, 2021 • 10min
How to get inspiration to pursue you like Miss Piggy chased after Kermit EP: 505
Fun fact: the root of “spire” means breath, so inspired means filled with breath, or since if you aren’t breathing you’re dead, filled with life. So even if you don’t care one whit about doing anything creative, inspiration is still essential. Here's how to make it seek you out like a glamorous, love-starved pig. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
