Growing Inspiration

About Growing Inspiration

Welcome to Growing Inspiration, the podcast that nurtures your passion for the arts and creativity! Join me as we explore the vibrant world of culture, from literature and music to the performing and visual arts, travel, and beyond. Each episode is a delightful journey designed for those who appreciate the beauty of art but wish to deepen their understanding without the overwhelm. In Growing Inspiration, I bring you engaging interviews with a diverse range of artistic and creative individuals, delving into their unique creative processes and the stories that fuel their work. Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or just starting your exploration of the liberal arts, our conversations will inspire you to dive deeper into your favorite artistic mediums. Expect to learn about the nuances of classical music, discover new books to read, savor the rich world of food and wine, and explore roots of inspiration. My mission is to cultivate your appreciation for the arts and encourage you to engage with culture in meaningful ways. Why Listen? - Educate Yourself: Gain insights into various artistic fields and learn how to appreciate them more fully. - Inspiration Awaits: Discover new perspectives and ideas that will spark your creativity. - Community Connection: Join a community of fellow art lovers who share your passion for culture. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enrich your life with the arts! Visit my website at http://www.gardenofmydelights.com, subscribe to my newsletter for exclusive content, and never miss an episode by subscribing to the podcast. If you enjoy the show, please share it with friends and help grow our community of art enthusiasts! Tune in to Growing Inspiration and let your creative journey begin!

Publisher

Shana McLean

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Feb 2025

Latest episode

29 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Folklore, Flowers, and Feathers with Illustrator Jessica Roux

   Jessica Roux never set out to be an illustrator — she started as a journalism major at UNC Chapel Hill before realizing that her real passion lived in the sketchbook, not the newsroom. A transfer to the Savannah College of Art and Design opened her eyes to just how many directions illustration could take, from textiles and housewares to editorial work and, above all, books. In this conversation, Jessica traces that path from student to the author of Floriography and Ornithography and illustrator of the New York Times bestseller The Wheel of the Year. Jessica's signature style — muted, old-world, Victorian — draws directly from the artists and movements she loves: William Morris's decorative patterns, the moody earth tones of the Pre-Raphaelites, the intricate detail of Beatrix Potter, and the naturalist studies of Audubon and Maria Sibylla Merian. That same fascination with history, mythology, and folklore runs through her books, including the Victorian language of flowers she explores in Floriography — a thread she traces back through Ophelia's flower speech in Hamlet. We also get into the mechanics of the work: how her process shifts (or doesn't) between passion projects and client commissions, her half-traditional, half-digital workflow, and the unexpected year she spent illustrating for Pottermore. Jessica shares how she balances teaching and public speaking with an increasingly full plate of book projects, including a personal garden memoir, a second collaboration with Wheel of the Year author Fiona Cook, and a sequel to her children's book Thank You for This Day. Links:Website: https://www.jessica-roux.com/Instagram: @jessicasroux Timestamps: 00:05 The Process of Creation 01:01 The Journey to Illustration 03:44 Artistic Influences and Inspirations 06:49 The Process of Creation 09:28 Client Work vs. Personal Projects 12:37 The Impact of Reading on Creativity 15:31 Teaching and Public Speaking 18:38 Artistic Techniques and Media 21:24 Collaborations and Future Projects 24:22 Upcoming Works and Personal Reflections

2. 

   31 Aug 2026

   Authoring the Future: A Conversation with Kara Cunzeman

   Kara Cunzeman has spent her career solving problems across engineering, space policy, and national security, and she has come to believe that the single most dangerous habit in American life is also the most ordinary one: we refuse to look ahead. In this episode, I sit down with Kara, rocket scientist turned futurist and founder of the Federal Foresight Advocacy Alliance, to talk about her first book, Unconstrained, and what it means to think long in a culture that rewards the near term at every turn. Kara describes futures thinking not as prediction but as a discipline of agency, a practice of asking what choices we can make right now so that the path we want becomes the one we are actually on. Her book opens by naming the constraint she finds most consequential: America's relentless short-termism, baked into quarterly earnings, election cycles, performance reviews, and school grades alike. Kara’s experiences convinced her that foresight is not a partisan project. Agreement on where we want to go does not require agreement on ideology. It just requires the willingness to look far enough ahead. Unconstrained launches in Washington, D.C. this December. Find Kara at unconstrainedfutures.com/book. You'll learn: Why futures thinking is not prediction, and what it actually means to think like a futurist How short-termism became structural in American life, and why that is especially dangerous right now What Project North Star revealed about what Americans across the political spectrum agree on when the conversation turns to future generations The SPARK framework and the five-minute prototype, the most approachable entry point in the book for building foresight as a daily practice Timestamps 00:00 - Kara Kunzman’s background as a rocket scientist, futurist, and author 02:21 - Why multidisciplinary engineering and research shaped her problem-solving mindset 05:23 - What a futurist is and why futures thinking should be everyday practice 06:48 - Futures thinking is not prediction, it is agency in the present 08:03 - Why Kara wrote Unconstrained despite a demanding job and young kids 09:24 - The real constraint is short-termism across American institutions 12:51 - Why data alone will not solve the problem of short-term decision-making 14:16 - Trust, misinformation, and why civic disengagement is so dangerous 16:47 - How Kara focused the book using a clear outline and a three-part structure 18:51 - The future is not predicted, it is authored 19:13 - Why so many Americans feel pessimistic about the next 50 years 20:37 - Teaching kids to be thriving humans, not just job-ready workers 22:02 - Project North Star and the surprising agreement on long-term goals 24:25 - Strategy problems, stovepipes, and the need for cross-domain thinking 26:53 - The cost of overemphasizing immediate value extraction 28:12 - The five-minute prototype and other accessible futures tools 30:41 - Making futures practice approachable for parents and families 31:15 - What happens next: copy edits, audiobook, launch, and book tour 32:44 - Why Kara is focusing on grassroots word of mouth over social media hype 33:13 - Why being a hybrid author gave her more control over voice and depth 34:09 - Where to find the book and follow the launch Resources & Links Kara’s book: https://www.unconstrainedfutures.com/book Federal Foresight Advocacy Alliance: https://www.ffaa-us.org/ Connect with Kara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kara-cunzeman-0089063b/

3. 

   3 Aug 2026

   World Building and the Creative Process with Leslye Penelope

   Discover how award-winning author Leslye Penelope blends genres, harnesses inspiration from diverse sources, and organizes her writing process to craft compelling stories. Whether you're an aspiring writer or a seasoned creator, her insights on character development, world building, and staying motivated are invaluable. Leslye Penelope has been writing since she could hold a pen and loves getting lost in the worlds in her head. She is an award-winning author of fantasy and paranormal romance. Equally left and right-brained, she studied filmmaking and computer science in college and sometimes dreams in HTML. She hosts the My Imaginary Friends podcast, co-hosts the Ink & Magic podcast, and lives in Maryland with her feline dependents. Visit her online at https://www.lpenelope.com/. Key topics Leslye Penelope's author journey and her genre-blurring work in fantasy, romance, and paranormal fiction How she approaches world building for different settings The significance of empathy and human experience in writing amid advances in AI Techniques for organizing story development The role of character wounds and motivations in shaping story arcs How to find inspiration in history, culture, and personal curiosity Practical advice for new writers Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction to Leslye Penelope and her literary achievements01:12 - Leslye's upcoming novel, The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglas02:26 - Exploring Leslye’s process for world building in different settings04:01 - Linking real-world industries to story settings and themes05:48 - The importance of human connection and artistry in the age of AI08:27 - How Leslye maintains creativity and sources inspiration from history and culture10:53 - The intersection of disciplines: programming, filmmaking, and writing12:40 - Leslye’s systematic approach to plotting and revision techniques14:11 - Using plotting boards, story vision statements, and character arcs to stay organized17:50 - Delving into character wounds and emotional depth for compelling storytelling21:18 - The back-and-forth process of character, world, and plot development22:43 - Utilizing multiple plotting frameworks and systems to troubleshoot and refine stories24:01 - Leslye’s experience with scripting and fast drafting methods25:39 - Upcoming novel project, a magical HBCU college murder mystery26:39 - Leslye’s involvement in teaching and retreats for writers28:44 - Resources for Leslye’s workshops and retreats29:23 - Advice for new writers: protect your writing time and set achievable goals Resources & Links Leslye Penelope's website: https://lpenelope.com/ Ink and Magic Retreat: https://inkandmagicretreat.com/ Story Genius by Lisa Crohn: https://bookshop.org/a/111423/9781607748892 Save the Cat Plot Structure: https://bookshop.org/a/111423/9780399579745 The Emotional Wound Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Pugilisi: https://writershelpingwriters.net/emotional-wounds-thesaurus/, https://bookshop.org/a/111423/9780989772594 Connect with Leslye Penelope on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslyepenelope/ Join Leslye for her DC area book launch at Mahogany Books National Harbor on August 13th at 7:00 PM: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leslye-penelope-discusses-signs-the-inevitable-undoing-of-zahara-douglass-tickets-1992509801453?aff=oddtdtcreator&ml_sub_hash=m7o5&ml_sub=3060576863949687343

Who has been a guest on Growing Inspiration

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Matt Ferrence
• Tracey Lander-Garrett
• Marc Nieson
• Philip Terman
• Greg Clary

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

416

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 23 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

20

Social presence

0

YouTube

66

Engagement

0