Danielle Krage interviews Dr Eric Maisel. Eric is the author of more than 50 books - many focused on creativity and the creative life - including Fearless Creating, Deep Writing, The Power of Daily Practice and The Magic of Sleep Thinking. He also writes the ‘Rethinking Mental Health’ blog for Psychology Today and is a regular contributor to Mad in America.   In this conversation, Eric shares insights and practical strategies for writers engaged in a creative process, that by its very nature is likely to include anxiety, doubt and uncertainty.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 00:55 The Role of Anxiety in the Creative Process 06:19 Using Breathing and Incantations to Center and Ground 07:36 Accessing Flow State in Small Increments of Time 09:58 The Importance of a Morning Writing Practice 11:54 Harnessing the Power of Sleep Thinking 13:50 Embracing Mistakes and the Doubt in the Creative Process 15:17 Existential Intelligence and the Search for Meaning 25:44 Pushing Back Against Authoritarianism and Mental Health Labels 30:38 Overcoming Self-Censorship and Negative Thoughts 35:56 Strategic Goal Setting and Productivity 38:05 Upcoming Books and Projects   Links https://ericmaisel.com   You can find the transcript at: https://comedymasterclass.com And Danielle’s socials here: https://twitter.com/daniellekrage https://www.instagram.com/dekrage https://bsky.app/profile/daniellekrage.bsky.social