Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Finding the Throughline: Conversations about the Creative Process invites you into the minds of writers and other creatives as they open up about their process, their doubts, and what kinds of changes they’re thinking about making. The questions are mildly invasive, honestly, and the answers are unvarnished…and so refreshing! 

Whether your creative work is writing, painting, making music, parenting, or simply living, Finding the Throughline can help you get—and stay—inspired. Invigorated, even. 

For detailed show notes on each interview, visit katehanley.substack.com. And if you’d like to hear these interviews in one ad-free episode (as opposed to broken up into three shorter episodes with a few ads sprinkled in to keep the lights on), become a paid subscriber once you’re there.

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Education
Self-Improvement
How To
1001
The Power of NOT Talking EP: 265
Sometimes you have to keep your mouth shut. It’s the only way you can listen. But it’s often not easy to do!
5 min
1002
How to Handle the Haters, an Interview with Har...
Journalist and author Harriet Marsden is used to dealing with haters. As evidence, an anonymous reader sent Harriet a copy of my book (How to Be a Better Person), with a very passive aggressive note, and Harriet had the good humor to snap a pic and...
11 min
1003
Ask Better Questions EP: 263
When you ask an open-ended question, you’re going to get a much richer response and invite whomever you're talking to into a true dialogue. And I’m guessing that you may not realize how many dead-end questions you might be asking.
6 min
1004
Acknowledging What’s Happening in the World EP:...
I know we all need places to turn that aren’t roiled by turmoil right now, and that you come to this podcast for inspiration and ideas. But being a better person also means making the world a better place, and I can’t not acknowledge that the...
4 min
1005
Become a Different Kind of Watcher EP: 261
Cultivating your ability to observe things is a crucial piece of reining in your attention. Today I'm going to talk about how you can build your observation skills by watching the clouds. If you can learn to watch the clouds, you can learn to watch...
4 min
1006
Easy Practice to Build Your Listening Skills EP...
Today I’m talking about how to strengthen your listening muscles. Because not listening is something many folks who have taken my survey name as the top thing that they struggle with when it comes to being a better person.
5 min
1007
How a Productivity Expert Hones Her Focus EP: 259
I’m excited to talk to Paula Rizzo, author of Listful Living and Listful Thinking, about how to stay focused on what matters when we have so very many things to distract us.
13 min
1008
Dramatically Reduce Your Distractions in Only 2...
Our attention was already scattered before corona hit, and now it’s like an order of hashbrowns from Waffle House--it’s scattered, smothered, covered, and chunked. One thing we can do to bring it back is to reduce the number of attention-stealers...
9 min
1009
Refilling Your Attention Deficit EP: 257
This week I’m talking about attention, because a) our brains are all over the place and b) that scattered feeling is at the root of so many of the things we’re struggling with now.
7 min
1010
Notch Taker-Downers (According to You) EP: 256
5 min
1011
Just Keep Breathin’ and Breathin’ and Breathin’...
8 min
1012
Herbs Are Like a Hug for Your Health EP:254
16 min
1013
What If Better Sleep Were As Simple as Flicking...
8 min
1014
MIsadventures in Online Shopping, and Wrestling...
11 min
1015
Beware the Brightside EP: 251
5 min
1016
Reframe the Bad EP: 250
6 min
1017
Leisure Is a Skill EP: 249
8 min
1018
Let that Stuff Go Already EP: 248
7 min
1019
Before You Burnout EP: 247
6 min
1020
Confrontation Nation: Expert Tips on Having Dif...
Bestselling author of "Difficult Conversations" and 20-year member of the Negotiation Project at Harvard Sheila Heen comes on to share some pointers on how to have these tough talks--including those that involve calling out or calling in racism.
17 min
1021
Confrontation Nation:Things to Say EP: 245
Today I'm giving you four phrases to keep in your back pocket for when you get into difficult conversations/disagreements with folks that will help steer you away from getting into an "I'm right," "No, I’m right?" dynamic.
6 min
1022
Confrontation Nation:Embrace Your Influence EP:...
This episode is especially for all my fellow conflict avoiders. And the big idea I want to explore today is that each of us has influence. And when we avoid controversial subjects because we’re afraid of getting into ig, we violate one of the tenets...
6 min
1023
Confrontation Nation: We Can’t All Be Right EP:...
There’s a principle we can grasp onto that will help us navigate tough discussions, and that is that it is impossible for everyone to be right. So stop trying to prove your point.
10 min
1024
Confrontation Nation: What’s the Better Person ...
You used to more or less be able to decide when you wanted to wade into a potentially heated conversation. Now you can stumble into them multiple times a day. What's a person who's trying to be a better person to do? Face them head on, or keep the peace?
7 min
1025
Day 10: It’s All About Stamina: When You Can’t ...
Doing the things that help you stay strong isn’t an all or nothing proposition. And when you can’t do a lot, doing a little is a great second place option. (Featuring many listener-submitted things to do that help you keep going.)
5 min