“The tricky thing is that sharing your point of view means that you have to share a part of yourself — and that makes you vulnerable.”
— Dr. Charlie Parrott
This episode’s guest, Dr. Charlie Parrott, is not only a creative himself, but someone who has made a study of creativity.
As an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre & Performance Studies and the Director of a student storytelling ensemble, he devotes much of his day to helping others tap into their own creative energies.
When it comes to nurturing his own creativity, Charlie is a creature of habit. “I do everything in a habitual and sort of ritualistic way,” Charlie says. “I find it gives me comfort, I find it gives me a sense of continuity, a sense of support.”
But he’s careful not to rely too heavily on these rituals.
Too much ritual, he says, can actually stifle creativity. “If we’re too ritualistic and too habituated in our behavior, then we can’t see other possibilities and we can’t see other potentialities,” he explains. “We need a sense of ritual and habit to make ourselves feel secure, but then we also need spontaneity and we need that ability for uncertainty to happen for there to be creativity and growth”
The key, it turns out, is finding a balance.
And this goes beyond just stoking the fires of imagination.
Especially in challenging times like the past year, humans tend to retreat to the comforts of ritualistic behaviors. But without discomfort, we don’t change or learn or grow.
Listen to this episode for a fascinating conversation that explores everything from the discomfort of vulnerability to the hazards of toxic masculinity, and is packed full of tips to help you discover and reveal your own story.
In this episode of the podcast, you’ll discover:
- The value of being comfortable with sharing your story — and how to get over the fear or embarrassment
- The benefits of radical self-acceptance and confronting your ‘shadow self’
- How to close the gap between your taste and your talent
About Dr. Charlie Parrott
Dr. Charlie Parrott is an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre & Performance Studies at Kennesaw State University. He’s the Director of the KSU Tellers, a student storytelling ensemble that has presented at regional, national, and international conferences and festivals.
Highlights:
01:07 Introducing Dr. Charlie Parrott
01:57 “What is your ritual?”
04:07 Dialectical tension
05:55 Embracing discomfort & vulnerability
10:32 Your shadow self
13:55 Toxic masculinity
17:13 How to be comfortable with vulnerability
20:14 Radical self-acceptance
23:54 Practice makes better
24:42 Beauty is embarrassing
27:20 Facing fear
29:36 Finding your artistic voice
31:11 Crafting your story
34:43 Community engagement
Links:
Dr. Charles Parrott
http://facultyweb.kennesaw.edu/cparrot5/index.php
cparrot5@kennesaw.edu
Make Friends with Your Shadow: how to Accept and Use Positively the Negative side of Your Personality by William A. Miller
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Friends-Your-Shadow-Personality/dp/B009NFH47K
Beauty is Embarrassing
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2040281
Special thanks to Emily Milling and the team at The Ultimate Creative and our business manager Erika Macauley.
Music for this podcast was recorded with producer Spencer Garn at Diamond Street Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.
Learn more at www.hollandcreative.io/ritual
Connect
www.hollandcreative.io
daniel@hollandcreative.io
IG: @conversioncopydesign