About this episode
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 balanceCreative resistance (and why it doesn’t mean you’re broken)The relief of giving your thoughts a place to landHow constraints can unlock magicFalling back in love with your work after seasons of doubtAnd why retreating from daily life can change everythingFrom 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 transformationJoin 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,
