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
1101
Listen to Your Body’s Cues EP: 117
You may not realize it, but your body is sending you signals all the time. They’re easy to overlook because we like to let our minds run the show. But when you ignore these cues, you miss an opportunity to recognize what you need and then to give it...
5 min
1102
Don’t Be a Bagel, Be a Croissant EP: 116
Today’s tip is a subtle shift in body position that can really radically change your experience at a networking function. You talk to more people, and you also have more fun. The only downside is that it might make you hungry for carbs. =)
4 min
1103
Be Thankful for the Lesson EP 115
When you fail, or mess up, or don’t get what you want, it is a bummer. But if you look a little deeper, there’s always a lesson in it. While I don’t advocate glossing over the hurt, I do absolutely believe that when you ask yourself, “What is...
3 min
1104
What Marie Kondo Forgot All About EP: 114
I loved “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and gladly dumped every stitch of clothing I own out on to my bed and went to town deciding what no longer sparked joy. But there’s one thing she doesn’t talk about that has been bugging me ever...
4 min
1105
Ask for Help EP: 113
Sometimes circumstances demand that you go it alone, and that’s fine. We all need to be able to take care of ourselves, am I right? But there’s a time and a place for everything, and sometimes that time and place is for asking for help. 
3 min
1106
Add, Don’t Take a Away EP: 112
Today I’m bringing you a tip that will help you increase the nutritional value of your diet across the board without depriving yourself of any “bad” foods. Sounds good right? 
4 min
1107
If You See Spinach, Say Spinach EP: 111
Imagine that you’re sitting in a conference room for a meeting. It’s right after lunch, and people are trickling in slowly. For a minute, it’s just you and one other co-worker. You immediately notice that she has a little piece of spinach...
3 min
1108
The Powerful Tool We All Have But Most Forget E...
Today’s tip can help you think differently about when it’s time to get out there and work for what you want, and when it’s appropriate to take a step back and do something that’s super powerful but not all that well regarded in our society,...
4 min
1109
Vote With Your Dollars EP: 109
No matter how big your social media following is, you are an INFLUENCER via what you buy. Consider this your reminder to use that influence for good. 
5 min
1110
Are You a Tortoise, a Hare, or a Tortare? EP: 108
Everyone has their own pace. YOU have your own pace. Not only is there no shame in knowing and honoring your own speed, there’s power in it.
4 min
1111
Magic Acupressure Points EP: 107
Here are three ways you can take great care of yourself and the ones you love using nothing but the touch of your fingers whenever you’re feeling headachy, stomachache-y, or anxious
7 min
1112
Why You Need to Schedule Admin Time EP: 106
As an adult, there are so many administrative things that need your attention. The reality is that life is a full-time job. And most of us also have other full-time jobs. So when do you get this stuff done without forgetting important details or...
5 min
1113
Own the Fact That You Matter EP: 105
There is some serious stuff going down in the world. It’s a lot to reckon with. It’s awfully easy and tempting to think, what can one person do? But there are at least five major ways you make a difference in yourself, others, and the world at...
4 min
1114
Set a donation goal EP: 104
This idea will help you be more strategic about giving back, whether that’s by donating your money or your time. 
4 min
1115
Stop Hating the Chores EP: 103
Unless you have a live-in household staff, chores are an inescapable part of life that for average Americans add up to a whopping 690 hours a year. Do you really want to hate something that you’re going to spend 690 hours on every year for the rest...
6 min
1116
Let’s Talk About MEAT EP: 102
I am a meat eater, and everyone in my family is a meat eater. I am not here to pooh-pooh it or tell you you should really be a vegetarian or a vegan. I AM suggesting that you make more of your meals each week meat-free, and that you improve the...
5 min
1117
The Benefits of Staring Out the Window EP: 101
I’m going to take a wild guess and say that sitting and staring out the window isn’t exactly hailed as a great thing to do by your boss, but it actually is wonderful for you—and your productivity—in multiple ways
4 min
1118
Why You Should Leave the House EP: 100
Especially in these winter months, it’s easy to overdo it on the hibernation. Leaving the house and going to the thing sounded cool when you first heard about it is how you invite new people, ideas, and opportunities into your life.  
5 min
1119
There’s a Time and a Place for Everything EP: 99
Remembering that there is a time and a place for everything helps you remember that you don’t need to do three things at once: you do one thing, and then the next thing, and then the next. It makes life feel more manageable. 
8 min
1120
Stop Saying “I’m Fine” EP: 98
When you interrupt the automatic reflex of replying to the question “How are you?,” with, “I’m fine” you create an opportunity for something this world needs more and more of… human connection. 
4 min
1121
Ward Off Your Next Virus Before It Starts EP: 97
Let’s make this the cold and flu season where we don’t get taken down for the count by a virus that wouldn’t have been as big a deal if we’d just had stuff on hand to minimize it. 
4 min
1122
Delegate Better EP: 96
Delegating is about more than sharing the workload, it’s also how you empower people. Here’s how to do more of it, and do it better. 
4 min
1123
Transitioning Back into Normal Life After the H...
No matter how you feel about the holidays, they are a giant opportunity to get away from the routines that keep you in a healthy, productive, non-reactive zone. So take a few minutes today to think about the structures you can put in place that will...
5 min
1124
Day 5, Better Than Resolutions Week: The Secret...
This is kind of an obvious tip. But it did not occur to me to set this goal for myself until last year, when I was 48. Sometimes the obvious thing is just too close to see. 
4 min
1125
Day 4, Better Than Resolutions Week: Predict Yo...
Writing a letter to your future self is how you start to focus on something that so most of us forget to think about when we’re wanting to do things differently -- and that is how GOOD we’re going to feel once we’ve done it. And feeling good is...
5 min