Replay: Matthew Zapruder shares Five Things He's Learned about Maintaining a Creative Practice in the Chaos
Check out the first five minutes of his recent class.
“A central question arose that should be familiar: How to develop and preserve a creative space in the midst of all this chaos, external and external? How to continually adapt my creative practice to what Zorba the Greek famously called with great affection, “the full catastrophe” of a busy life of relationships and obligations? And how to keep the faith, and keep going, with so much instability in the world?”
– Matthew Zapruder, Five Things I’ve Learned about Maintaining a Creative Practice in the Chaos
On March 11th, Matthew returned to Five Thing I’ve Learned to share Five Things He’s Learned about the practical and spiritual techniques that have helped him to keep the faith and to keep going as a creative artist – and how you can better how to adapt your creative practice to a busy life full of relationships and obligations.
Matthew is a poet, translator, professor, and editor known for his captivating literary work. Born in Washington, DC in 1967, he holds degrees in Russian literature, Slavic languages, and an MFA in poetry. He’s the author of acclaimed books like Father's Day and Why Poetry, and co-founded Wave Books, where he edits contemporary poetry. Zapruder was Poetry Column Editor for The New York Times Magazine (2016–2017) and edited Best American Poetry 2022. His latest book, Story of a Poem, is a personal exploration of the poetic process and its connection to everyday life. He teaches at Saint Mary's College of California and plays lead guitar in The Figments.
Five Things I’ve Learned about Maintaining a Creative Practice in the Chaos was the first in a six-part series exploring the often challenging balance between an artist’s creative work and personal life. Drawing from his experience as a poet, teacher, and parent, Matthew shared real, tested strategies for protecting time and focus, navigating doubt, and sustaining belief in the importance of making art—especially in chaotic times.
This spring, Matthew continues the conversation in a series of candid, personal discussions with five brilliant artists at the top of their fields: Amber Tamblyn, Victoria Chang, Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Daniel Handler, and Maggie Smith.
Watch Matthew’s introduction to the series below, then follow the links at the bottom of the page to learn 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.