If you’re a writer, or an artist, or composer. Or really anyone doing something creative, you might have been filled at one time with self doubt. It’s very common for even the most successful artists to feel they’re just not good enough. And this can hamper their creativity, sometimes to the point of paralysis.
Our Radiozine guest today, Philip Kenney, has written a book on how to navigate your way out of this mind-set. It’s called The Writer’s Crucible: Meditations on Emotion, Being, and Creativity, which was recently selected as a finalist for Best Non-Fiction Book of the Year by Red City Review.
Philip is a Portland-based writer and psychotherapist, who, over the past 30 years of practice, has treated a number of people going through the emotions and stresses of the creative life. And he’s personally experienced it in his own work as an author.
At the age of 60, Philip made a list of things he was sure he couldn’t do, and set about doing them. Out of that personal challenge came Philip’s first book, the novel Radiance, published in 2012. That was followed by two poetry collections – Days of Magic and Where Roses Bloom. And he recently published an essay in The Timberline Review -- “The Rebirth of Masculinity: What We Can Learn From Harvey Weinstein and Company".
We’re fortunate to have Philip with us now to talk about The Writer’s Crucible, how to overcome self-doubt, the roots of creative work, and the rebirth of masculinity in light of the Me Too movement.
- KBOO