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Topics We Explored:
- A challenge faced by many creators living with chronic illness and disability is accepting the reality of when things don’t go according to plan
- One of the problems of living a creative life and pursuing an unconventional path is that the normal markers for success look different for you than they do for others
- We all have the same hours in a day as Beyoncé, but definitely not the same level of support
- Able-bodied people often don’t realize how much it takes for someone with a disability or chronic illness to do the things they view as “normal” or easy
- How can we better communicate with the people in our lives when we need a break or are running out of energy?
- Esmé’s Challenge: write down EVERYTHING you do in a day. Everything. You are doing way more than you think you are.
“One of the problems of living a creative life and unconventional path is that the normal markers people would use for success may not be there.” — Charlie Gilkey (Tweet this)
Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done by Charlie Gilkey
- The Academy
- Momentum App
- Esmé Wang
- The Unexpected Shape Academy
- Adam Grant
- Brené Brown
About Esmé Wang:
Esmé Weijun Wang is a novelist and essayist. She is the author of the New York Times-bestselling essay collection, The Collected Schizophrenias (2019), and a debut novel, The Border of Paradise, which was called a Best Book of 2016 by NPR. She was named by Granta as one of the “Best of Young American Novelists” in 2017 and won the Whiting Award for nonfiction in 2018. Born in the Midwest to Taiwanese parents, she is the founder of The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy for ambitious writers living with limitations. She can be found at esmewang.com and on Twitter @esmewang.
At the center of our business is The Unexpected Shape™ Writing Academy, an alternative to an MFA in nonfiction without the MFA price. We offer a three-month program that addresses each phase of writing, from prewriting to publication; we have at least one donor who has sponsored two students and has shared the story of her mother, whom she named the fellowship after, widely online. A few of the classes are available for sale a la carte. The Unexpected Shape™ refers to the unexpected shape our lives take when faced with limitations such as disability and chronic illness. We also offer two online, self-paced courses: Rawness of Remembering (restorative journaling through difficult times) and Dream Hunting with Limitations.
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