Courageous Creativity

Creators on "The Courageous Creativity Show" redefine success and purpose not merely by traditional metrics like applause or fame, but through a deeper commitment to authenticity, impact, and personal growth, especially when navigating life's challenges.

Here's how they express this:

Redefining Success

• Provoking Thought and Resonating with Audiences: For playwright Jeanette Hill, a play is successful if it makes people think or provokes discussion, even if they don't agree with the content. Similarly, if a character resonates with even one person, it's a success. The goal is for people to leave thinking, even if they don't have a good time. Jeanette believes that if the audience "got it" when they leave, that's what she's striving for. She recalls a time when people in a restaurant were arguing about characters and events from her play, indicating its success in sparking discussion and relating to their lives.

• Inspiring, Healing, and Transforming: Jeneen Hammond's motivation is to tell stories that inspire, heal, and transform, emphasizing the power of one's own story and voice. This mission to help communities tell their stories, as seen in her nine-month project in Pennsylvania, highlights success through collective impact and revival. Jeneen views herself as a "steward" of stories that come from "Divine orchestration," highlighting a purpose beyond personal gain.

• Authenticity and Vulnerability: The show emphasizes that genuine conversations and authentic work are key to impactful connections with the audience. Tarnisha Small, for example, found her voice and confidence through acting by embracing vulnerability and letting go of the fear of failure. Jeneen Hammond notes that writing from an authentic space, truly reflecting oneself, can be scary but leads to impactful stories.

• Emotional Connection: Success is often measured by the emotional connection a story creates, whether through laughter or tears. Jeneen Hammond herself knows a story is on an emotional track if it makes her cry or laugh.

Finding Purpose Amidst Challenges

• Drawing on Personal Experiences: Many guests transform personal challenges into their purpose.

◦ Grief and Navigation: Angel L. Henderson shares that navigating life after losing both parents requires immense courage, making her journey of building her own voice and seeking counseling a display of strength.

◦ Overcoming Self-Doubt and Trauma: Tarnisha Small's journey into acting was sparked by a friend's perception of her potential, helping her overcome low self-worth and shyness. Tamina Ward uses her experiences with childhood teasing, abandonment, and generational trauma to inspire young adults to break free from their past burdens. She intentionally "dropped the pack" of past hurts. Jason C. Louder's stories, like the one about "Baba Tunde the Grio," often focus on themes of love, hope, faith, and overcoming self-doubt and trauma.

◦ Healing from Pain: Jeanette Hill discusses how her play "Clean Sheets," which garnered a perfect score but theaters were afraid to produce, addresses cultural hurts, aiming to move from a "scab to a scar" for societal healing. She emphasizes that there's "no honor in pain" and that unresolved hurts can manifest as anger or other negative behaviors.

• Embracing a Divine Calling and Stewardship: Jeneen Hammond believes her writing comes from a "Divine orchestration" and views herself as a "steward" of these stories, emphasizing a purpose beyond personal gain. This resonates with the idea that every person has a "Divine calling and assignment and purpose."

• Proactive Creation and Entrepreneurship: Instead of waiting for opportunities, creators like Tarnisha Small choose to write and produce their own films to create roles for themselves and others, recognizing the need to be entrepreneurial. Jeneen Hammond developed "The Dreamer's Village" to help people revive their creative dreams and learn to monetize their gifts, emphasizing taking ownership of one's God-given dream and not waiting for external validation.

• Mindset and Resilience:

◦ Learning from Setbacks: Jason C. Louder views challenges as "learning opportunities" that can push one forward. He uses financial challenges in the acting industry as a motivator for learning and growth.

◦ "Just Do It": Portia Cue and Winston Wilson encourage creators to "just start" their projects, regardless of how big or small, and not wait for perfection or validation. Portia gives the example of Lita Renee Brown and Dour Ashwood producing their own micro-miniseries, "Pressure."

◦ Consistency and Persistence: Jeanette Hill, a prolific playwright with over 100 plays, exemplifies consistency, writing "all of the time." She advises writers to keep notes, save all writing, and not let "writer's block" stop them, encouraging "what if" exercises and knowing that "there's no such thing as useless writing." She also notes that her stride was not hit until she was 72, emphasizing the importance of showing up every day, authentically, and doing what you're supposed to do, regardless of external validation.

◦ Daily Practices: Guests maintain well-being through practices like gratitude journaling, meditation, exercise, and daily creative activities. Tarnisha Small starts her day with prayer, meditation, and gratitude journaling. Winston Wilson practices daily gratitude, focuses on top priorities, and engages in creative activities. Tamina Ward emphasizes that mindset fuels courage and resilience, and that even when physically limited (like her knees for running a marathon), mental focus can drive capability.

◦ Allowing for Breaks: Tarnisha Small advises taking breaks when feeling frustrated, as the industry isn't going anywhere, allowing for a fresh perspective. She also learned to not fear failure, which had held her back.

◦ Borrowing Belief: Tomina Ward suggests that when an individual's belief system is low, they can "borrow that belief" from good people in their circle.

• Community and Giving Back:

◦ Sharing Resources and Wisdom: Jason C. Louder stresses the importance of sharing resources within the creative community, noting that "we cannot exist without one another." Tamina Ward is compelled to "speak life" into young adults and educators, sharing her "wealth of knowledge" to help them avoid past mistakes and break generational trauma. She believes human beings are "the original AI" through storytelling.

◦ Pouring into Others: Winston Wilson, the host, expresses that his core value is helping others succeed and that talking to people and connecting with them is a key motivator. He daily calls someone he hasn't talked to in a while to offer support. The show itself aims to inspire at least one person to expand their path. Jeneen Hammond's "Dreamer's Village" provides a supportive community for individuals to revive and monetize their creative dreams. John C. Smith, a lifelong friend of the host, exemplifies how strong, long-lasting friendships provide unwavering support and positive influence in life and creative pursuits.

In essence, creators on "The Courageous Creativity Show" believe that true success stems from creating work that is authentic, impacts others positively, and allows for continuous personal growth and healing, driven by a deep sense of purpose that often transforms personal adversity into a powerful mission to serve and inspire their communities.

https://winstonawilson.com

Listen on:

Episodes

Monday Jan 15, 2024

How Wolverine helped my childhood and informs my personal productivity.

Monday Jan 15, 2024

When I was growing up, the character Wolverine from the X-Men resonated with me. I like many growing up was filled with rage. I was bullied incessantly and at any moment felt like I could burst and go berserk (Wolverine's greatest fear). I know this episode is a departure from my typical topics, but I wish to give you some insight into why productivity and having a modicum of self-discipline are important for my life.

Wednesday Jan 10, 2024

Caesar Wilson’s monologue

Wednesday Jan 10, 2024

In 2023 Caesar Winston Wilson performed "The Broken Wings of Young Black Male" by Winsphere Jones. At the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival. This was for the annual Doctor Doris Derby Monologue Competition. He did this while serving as an intern at this year's festival.
We are so proud of him.
To learn more about the festival, please check:
https://Atlantabtf.org
and
https://winstonawilson.com

Tuesday Jan 02, 2024

Jeneen shares how she and we can continue on our creative ”Journey”.

Tuesday Jan 02, 2024

It is such a pleasure to have Jeneen Hammond join us on the CCshow. I've had the pleasure of experiencing her show "Journey" on more than one occasion. Her spirit and love for us will be an inspiration to everyone. Don't forget to become a member of the site for the full video version as well as many cool creative content,
https://www.jeneenhammond.com/
My Website:
https://winstonawilson.com

Sunday Dec 17, 2023

The Making of Lyrics, part one. The music.

Sunday Dec 17, 2023

I created a song to represent the first episode in my making of the "Lyrics" series. In the video, I share that I begin with what is the "Inciting Incident" that drives the story,
Check out the video and subscribe for more.
https://youtu.be/XCAsBoqH6bE

Thursday Oct 19, 2023

Portia returns and we talk about the future (and A.I).

Thursday Oct 19, 2023

I've known Portia for many years. She has personally been there for me as an actor in one of my staged readings. Since then I've followed her journey and her relentless focus on spirituality. I'm so honored to have her join our conversation.
She is one of the most intelligent and insightful people I know.
Check out her website.
Join my website for the video version and exclusive content.

Sunday Sep 17, 2023

Do we need to create stories about our children? Thank you Leroy Barrett.

Sunday Sep 17, 2023

Leroy shares his powerful journey with us. This was one of the most provocative conversations we’ve ever conducted. This film not only has a stirring title, (Dying to Learn) but also teaches a lesson about trauma. Brother Leroy Barrett is an incredible filmmaker and educator. You will feel moved by his commitment to our young people and his love for film.
Website:
www.RosesNowVisions.com.
https://youtu.be/GcxdataD3b
https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt11410154/?ref_=m_recent_view

Sunday Aug 20, 2023

You are a brave Creator. Join the Courageous Creativity Community.

Sunday Aug 20, 2023

I've been so proud to talk to creatives of all types. They have honored me and our audience with us all that they have learned and overcome. I've learned something that seems obvious, all of us have something that we've gone through. Many that have been part of our conversations are strong and use the power of creativity to help themselves and the world. I'm so looking forward to our future and our ability to create safe spaces for all of us.
https://www.risingtidescharity.org
https://linktr.ee/winstonawilson

Sunday Jul 09, 2023

Don’t wait for anyone to let you in. Keith Franklin shares his journey of courage and collaboration.

Sunday Jul 09, 2023

We are so thrilled to have Keith Franklin join the Creativity Cocktail Podcast. He exemplifies what it means to have courageous creativity. His story is about collaboration and a genuine love for the art of theatre. Check out his performing art company and subscribe to our wonderful show about creators and their journey! Thank you so much, Keith.

https://www.newafricangrove.com/about
httpS://www.instagram.com/creativitycocktail

Sunday May 28, 2023

How do we live a life with Creativity and Spirituality? Anjil gives a plan.

Sunday May 28, 2023

Anjil Jeter is one of the most caring and talented individuals I know. She shares her heart as she continues her journey. In this conversation she will an authentic blueprint about her life and the future. Thanks for coming back to the show Anjil.
https://www.risingtidescharity.org
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4307996/

Please subscribe and share your feedback. We are proud of this podcast as it will be coming up on four years.

Wednesday May 03, 2023

My Son Caesar Winston Wilson has graduated and I’m so proud. He is my heart.

Wednesday May 03, 2023

My Son is such a wonderful person. In this conversation he shares his journey and his view on his future. He has been my focus and I get a bit emotional in this podcast. Please help me celebrate this wonderful milestone of his college graduation.

WINSTON A. WILSON

My purpose in my life is to serve our community by giving my energy and focus on improving everyone’s life around me. I do this through the talents God has given me and through the passion of execution. .