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The Cure for Creative Block w/ Hallie Bateman & Molly Wizenberg
Description
236 What if the secret to a sustainable creative life isn’t thinking bigger — but thinking smaller?
In this heartfelt and wide-ranging conversation, Illustrator Hallie Bateman, memoirist Molly Wizenberg, and host Nadine Kenney Johnstone explore the power of tiny containers: daily journal comics, glimmers, four-panel sketches, letters, lists, and small true stories.
They talk about:
- Why children naturally learn through words and images — and why adults often abandon that balance
- Creative resistance (and why it doesn’t mean you’re broken)
- The relief of giving your thoughts a place to land
- How constraints can unlock magic
- Falling back in love with your work after seasons of doubt
- And why retreating from daily life can change everything
From postpartum depression to IVF, from manuscript meltdowns to rediscovering joy through humor, this episode is an honest look at how creative practice can sustain not just your art — but your sanity.
You’ll hear how small, repeatable acts of attention — a daily comic, a 100-word love story, a page of “I remember” sentences — can become the foundation for books, healing, and creative renewal.
If you’ve ever said “I’m not an artist,” struggled with resistance, or forgotten that loving your work is even an option, this conversation is your invitation back.
Because sometimes the smallest forms hold the biggest transformation
Join Nadine, Molly, and Hallie in Spain from Oct 26-Nov 2 for Tiny True Stories and Sketches: A Micro-Memoir Retreat. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just wanting to preserve impactful memories on the page, remember that every story—no matter how small—is worth capturing.
About Nadine:
Nadine Kenney Johnstone is an award-winning author, podcast host, and writing coach. After fifteen years as a writing professor, she founded WriteWELL workshops and retreats for women writers. She interviews today’s top female authors on her podcast, Heart of the Story. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the Chicago Writer's Association. Her latest book, Come Home to Your Heart, is an essay collection and guided journal. She has been featured in Cosmo, Authority, MindBodyGreen, Natural Awakenings,Chicago Magazine, and more. She writes a regular column about mid-life reclamation on Substack.
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