Replay: Maggie Smith shares Five Things She's Learned about Creativity – During Times of Upheaval
Check out the first five minutes of her recent class.
“We all have aspects of our lives that make creating difficult: work, or caregiving, or health issues, or burnout. When I look back at my writing career, I see something surprising and even counterintuitive: The more challenging my life was, the more I wrote and published.”
– Maggie Smith, Five Things I’ve Learned about Creativity – During Times of Upheaval
On May 6th, best-selling writer and poet Maggie Smith joins us to share the Five Things She’s Learned about what it means to prioritize your creative practice in ways that allow you to stay productive and feel most like yourself – no matter what the rest of your life looks like.
Maggie is the author of eight acclaimed books of poetry and prose, including the bestselling memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful. Her poem “Good Bones” went viral and has been featured widely, including a reading by Meryl Streep and on Madam Secretary. She has received a Pushcart Prize, a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, and numerous other awards and grants. Maggie writes the popular Substack newsletter For Dear Life and teaches in the MFA program at the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing.
Her class, Five Things I’ve Learned about Creativity – During Times of Upheaval is the last session in a six-part series exploring the often challenging balance between an artist’s creative work and personal life, hosted by poet and teacher Matthew Zapruder.
Maggie’s class offers a reflection on staying committed to your creative practice, even during life’s most difficult moments. Drawing from her own experiences writing through personal upheaval, Maggie shares five key lessons on maintaining productivity and connection to your creative self. You'll leave with inspiration, practical insights, and a renewed sense of how to make space for art no matter what life throws your way.
And: Click the button below to watch Matthew’s introduction to the series, then follow the links at the bottom of the page to explore more and view personal invitations from each guest. Tickets are available for individual conversations, or take advantage of special series pricing for all six sessions.
Thanks for being part of Five Things I’ve Learned on Substack. Visit myfivethings.com to view personal video invitations from more than 120 more writers, thinkers, and artists we admire – and to get special discounted pricing with our Five Things I’ve Learned Multi Pass.