S2:E7 Creative Stress Test: A Humorist's Guide to Letting Go

artwork courtesy of Bob Eckstein

We're always looking for advice from writers in the trenches, and in this episode of Write Away we got plenty from New York Times bestselling humorist and cartoonist, Bob Eckstein. We talked about his latest book, The Elements of Stress and the Pursuit of Happy-ish In This Current Sh*tstorm. Our conversation was full of do's and don'ts for any creative pursuit, and we can't wait to share with you.

You'll get great advice about:

• Turning your burning questions into writing projects that also enrich your life and even give you a speaking platform (see Bob Eckstein, actual snowman expert)

• Approaching rejections, because that's part of the game

• Finding your creativity during any stressful time, COVID or otherwise

• Getting to the "funny" in your writing (hint: it's not always a beeline to the punchline)

IMPORTANT LINKS FROM THE SHOW

• Check out Bob Eck stein's latest book, The Elements of Stress and the Pursuit of Happy-ish in this Current Sh*tstorm and his other books, too!

• Subscribe to Bob Eckstein's e-newsletter by shooting him an email eckstein@pipeline.com

• Follow Bob on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

• Consider supporting indie bookstores by ordering your books through bookshop.org. And if you're an audiobook person, libro.fm supports indie bookstores, too.

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EPISODE RECAP

New York Times bestselling humorist and frequent New Yorker cartoonist Bob Eckstein is a writer, artist, NYU adjunct professor, and an international snowman expert - and those are just a few of the hats he wears.

We could talk with Bob for days about his adventures and his advice about writing, publishing, the creative process, and just about anything else. This time we focused on how artists (including writers!) can manage stress and stay creative with so many demands on their time against a backdrop of apocalyptic foreboding. We talked about rejections - anybody in the game gets 'em, but it's how you weather them that matters. And how writing projects can start with a question, then go into research, then enrich your life in ways you may never have imagined.

We hope you enjoy this episode, and let us know if there’s anything you want to hear about later this season!

Until then...