Today we are going to talk about creativity, and to do that, we are inviting someone on the show who really has helped thousands and thousands of people become more creative in a way that might surprise you. His name is Grant Faulkner, and he is the executive director of National Novel Writing Month and he's the co-founder of a 100 Word Story.

Now you've seen his stories in Tin House, Southwest Review, Green Mountains Review, all kinds of different places, and you've seen his essays in the New York Times, Poets and Writers Digest, and The Writer.

Grant recently published a collection of 100 word stories, Figures and what he does is help people become more creative. He's written a book called Pep Talks for Writers, and he has a new book coming out in October.

I wanted to have Grant on the show because he has helped so many people do something that maybe they didn't think they could do: be creative and write. But in the course of the conversation we go a lot deeper and we talk about why writing and creativity are such superhuman skills, why they will change the way you think, change the way you live, and help you accomplish your goals.

It's a great episode, and I think you guys are going to find it very interesting. Grand and I have a lot of in common things as you will see. Enjoy!

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In this episode, we discuss:

• Are we all creative? Or are there “creative types?”
• Can you learn to be more creative? How?
• What does Grant Faulkner do, and how is he helping thousands of people become more creativity
• What does creativity mean to Grant Faulkner? How do people misunderstand what it is?
• Why is creativity important for everyone?
• What are some exercises you could do to improve your creativity?
• Is it true that “All wealth comes from writing?” Why or why not?
• What's some homework you can do this week to become a better writer? (It's easy!)
• Thoughts on keeping a journal, and why it might be beneficial for your wellbeing (and your career)
• Are there any other “superhuman” productivity hacks that Grant uses to be more productive (surprising!)
• A debate over “big chunks of time” vs. small increments?
• Who are Grant's favorite writers and books?
• Why should you read fiction? Isn't it just a waste of time?
• Where to get in touch and learn more from Grant
• The #1 biggest takeaway from this episode

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Books & Authors:
  • Pep Talks for Writers, Grant's latest book
  • Figures by Grant Faulkner
  • Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari
  • Books by David Sedaris
  • Toni Morrison
  • Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry
  • Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles
  • Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson
  • Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
  • Open City by Teju Cole
• National Novel Writing Month
• 100 Word Story, Grant's Blog
• Tim Ferriss on The I Love Marketing Podcast
• The Cluetrain Manifesto
• Follow Jonathan on Facebook (for long social media posts)
• Our previous episode with David Heinemeier Hannson
• Grant on Twitter
• Grant Faulkner's own website

Favorite Quotes from Grant Faulkner: