5. You’re not a genius...

... and that’s okay.

If somebody were to ask you outright if you think you’re a creative genius, you’d probably be pretty comfortable saying no (and meaning it). You’re also probably not going to rationally think that this means you shouldn’t be creating anything.

And yet, most of us still have this feeling that our ideas and our work need to be “special,” by which we mean “entirely unique yet universally brilliant.”

This cultural narrative of genius is really not the most conducive to actually creating stuff, though. It’s part of what makes each story idea or writing session or first draft feel like a verdict on our value and significance as people. And it’s part of what makes us feel like we’re proving something with our writing instead of creating something.

This month, tune in to deconstruct the contemporary concept of genius and reframe it with a much, much older one—to see what might happen if we stop trying to be geniuses and start doing genius work instead.

(Plus, my initial thoughts on last week’s SCOTUS decision against The Andy Warhol Foundation, and how genius intersects with legal issues around fair use. You know, just fun, chill summer vibes.)

Apple Pods | Spotify | Podcast Addict | Overcast | Pocket Casts | RSS

Writing praxis tips


For this month’s practical practices (sorry), here are some prompts to help you incorporate a more generative concept of genius into your day-to-day mindset (so you can actually write more powerful work, instead of longing for inspiration to strike).


Creative lineage


  1. Make a list of storytelling influences you know have impacted your work—and that you wouldn’t hesitate to own up to publicly. (Movies, TV shows, and other non-book media definitely count.)
  2. Next, make a harder list: influences you’re aware of, but would be kinda embarrassed to admit. This type of influence might be something ubiquitous in your genre that feels “overplayed,” or something outside your genre that feels like a mismatch to your ideal writing voice.

    (If you’re having trouble coming up with this part of your lineage, imagine you’re doing an interview about your wildly successful book. What are some comparisons you’d be mortified to hear the journalist make, the ones that would get you flummoxed and tongue-tied, even if they were meant as a compliment?)
  3. Bonus points: ask a friend or peer who’s read your work if they were reminded of any other writers (or movies, or TV shows, or whatever). Slot their responses into one of your two lineage lists.
  4. More bonus points: make some sort of tangible gesture to own your lineage in your writing practice. This doesn’t have to be elaborate, unless you want it to be. Try keeping your lists somewhere you’ll see them when you start your writing sessions, or curating a bookshelf that reflects your creative lineage (both the cool bits, and the bits you currently find cringey).

Day-to-day genius


  1. What parts of your daily or weekly routine make you feel creative—like your imagination is “full” and ready for external expression? This might be related to the media and art you habitually consume (i.e., your creative lineage!). But also think about things that aren’t directly connected to artistic expression: people you see, activities you do, food you eat, etc.
  2. Next, make a list of tasks and routines that feel completely disconnected from your creative genius. What tends to drain your feeling of having a full and fertile imagination?
  3. Compare your two lists and look for any patterns. What do the items in your first list have in common? How do they contrast with the items in your second list?
  4. Bonus points: Experiment with ways to expand the list of routines and tasks that feed your creative genius. What elements of that first list could be brought into additional parts of your daily life? What might make some of the tasks on that second list less creatively draining?

Episode resources


Andrea Barrett

Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies, Elizabeth Winkler

Your Elusive Creative Genius (TED Talk), Elizabeth Gilbert

AWF v. Goldsmith (Pt. 1): Misapprehensions, Clarifications, and a Truth Bomb, Katherine de Vos Devine

Classical Roman religion

  • Religion in the Roman Empire, James B. Rives
    Are you the sort of nerd who listened to the episode and now wants to read a whole book about classical religion? Cool. This is the one to read; it’s fairly short, and very accessible while still being academic. (It’s also expensive, but most libraries have it.)
  • Lararia
    A reliable Wikipedia article on Roman house shrines.