Daphne Cohn is all about stories. She literally asks questions for a living.
She interviews artists and makers for The Creativity Habit™ Podcast: the practice behind the art, the story behind the artist.
Daphne also conducts Story Sessions: helping artists sell more art.
The art market, online and off, is saturated, noisy, and competitive. The way to create real, lasting connection, build trust, and rise above the noise is through personal, honest, stories. Story Sessions uncover the stories that inspire, connect, and, ultimately, lead to more sales.
She’s also creating a community in response to the question: How do we meet a world gone mad with love and creativity?
I first encountered Daphne years ago, when we were swimming in the same online circles. I participated in a summit that she organized. I don’t remember much about it, or her, except a feeling.
Years later that feeling made me really nervous to reach out to her to ask about being a guest on her podcast, The Creativity Habit™. Because that feeling that I experienced so many years ago was one of lack of alignment.
Something wasn’t aligning right, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Well, a few months back I got to have not just one conversation with Daphne for her podcast, but two. Two two-hour conversations. Which were wonderful.
I felt like I’d met a long-lost sister. A kindred spirit. A deep, soul connection that I rarely find in another person.
Daphne edited those two conversations down and published them as a two-part episode on The Creativity Habit, and gave me permission to republish them here on The Creative Sandbox Way™. (Find them here and here.) And that interview stands out as one of the most profound podcast guest interviews I’ve ever had.
Daphne is a creative force. She draws people’s stories out of them, and connects the dots in those stories, in a way that is pure genius. She’s a true story whisperer.
And she’s also very open about her own story.
That lack of alignment I sensed years ago? We talked about it. We talked about all of it. No holds barred.
Have a listen, and let me know what resonates most with you about Daphne’s story.
In this episode we talked about:
- What led Daphne to start a podcast & an online community
- The crisis of conscience that caused her to feel out of alignment in her business
- Why having conversations with creatives is so important to her
- The idea of creativity as a personal choice
- How children can receive artistic or creative scars
- The fear surrounding sharing ourselves with others
- Confronting fear by taking action
- Practicing self-compassion
- Our something cools
Mentioned In This Episode
Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (aff link; or click here for a non-aff link)
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, by Elizabeth Gilbert (aff link; or click here for a non-aff link)
Imagine: How Creativity Works, by Jonah Lehrer (aff link; or click here for a non-aff link)
Ania Archer’s Episode
Self Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, by Kristin Neff (aff link; or click here for a non-aff link)
Melissa’s Something Cool: SmartMouth (aff link; or click here for a non-aff link)
Daphne’s Something Cool: 1 Giant Mind
Connect with Daphne Cohn
Quotes
“I continued to do it [her coaching business] for three years because it was profitable and it was working and at the same time, internally I knew this isn’t right.” – Daphne Cohn
“I started interviewing all these different creatives and having conversations with people who had chosen different paths, who were guided by a different light, by a different compass, who thought differently than most people.” – Daphne Cohn
“There is something about being able to dive right into what is most important to a person in their life or at least one aspect that is so important that they have devoted so much of themselves to it and it expresses so much of who they are.” – Daphne Cohn
“There is something magical that happens when someone feels seen.” – Daphne Cohn
“We tend to undervalue our stories.” – Daphne Cohn
“The shortest distance between two people is a story.” – Melissa Dinwiddie
“I no longer do art on commission, I no longer do art for sale. I make art for the joy of it.” – Melissa Dinwiddie
“We think somebody has to give us that title, but the truth is, even if they do, it doesn’t actually mean anything until we claim it.” – Daphne Cohn
“Sharing of oneself is just hard and yet we are so desperate for it.” – Daphne Cohn
“Love is extremely courageous.” – Daphne Cohn
“Only when you confront that fear and take action on it will it dissipate.” – Melissa Dinwiddie
Enjoy!
Listeners Wanted!
Has the Creative Sandbox Way™ podcast made a difference in your life? Would you like to be featured on the podcast?
I love sharing listener stories, so if you have a story of how listening to the podcast has changed your life for the better in some way — big or small — I want to feature you in a Listener Spotlight.
Here’s how it works:
1. Just log into iTunes and leave a rating and review. (If you don’t know how to do that, you’ll find step-by-step instructions at melissadinwiddie.com/itunes-review).
2. Then copy and paste what you wrote in your review into an email, and send it to me, along with why you want to be featured in a Listener Spotlight, and how the podcast has made a difference in your life. You can email me at melissadinwiddie.com/contact.
That’s it!
If I pick you for a Listener Spotlight, we’ll have a relaxed, fun conversation, and the recording of our conversation will be part of a future episode! How cool is that?
Want a creative kick start?
Check out my book!
What would change for you if you could totally revel in the joy of creating? You CAN, with The Creative Sandbox Way!
You’ll learn:
- Melissa’s 10 fool-proof guideposts that have helped thousands get joyfully creating.
- 5 reasons why creative play is good for you, AND for the world (it’s neuroscience, baby!)
- Why “I’m not creative” is always a lie, and how to bust it.
- How to turn creative blocks into friends.
AND you’ll get creating right in the book itself.
“It’s one part field guide, one part creative practice—and I loved it. The Creative Sandbox Way is an adventure packaged as a book.”
~Chris Guillebeau
NYT best-selling author of The Happiness of Pursuit and The $100 Startup
Hear ye, hear ye! This is to serve as official notice that all links to anything for sale, be it books or courses, are likely to be affiliate links. What this means is that if you click through said links and make a purchase, although it won’t affect the price that you pay, a few coins will jangle into my coffers, enabling me to buy a packet of hard gluten-free biscuits to feed myself and my husband for another day, or perhaps a pen with which to create some artwork. Or perhaps they will contribute toward paying a fraction of my web hosting bill, so that this blog and podcast can continue to exist. Thank you kindly for your attention.
Thanks for Listening!
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Now go get creating!
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