Good Morning Friends,
I hope your Mardi Gras celebrations were fun and safe and now, those of you who practice Lenten observation, are ready to settle in for the next six weeks. Years ago I wrote an article for TWJ Magazine titled, Lent Free that suggests maybe we shouldn't be so quick to toss out our Lenten practices. Check it out!
But enough about me. Please welcome today's guest, a brand-new-to-me-and-our-blog author, Kyle Bernier with his audiobook, Lazy Creativity which is on tour with Audio Bookworm Promotions!
I must say, the title intrigued me so I'm anxious to hear more about this book. Here's what Kyle has to say about it.....
How did you select your narrator?
I was in the unique position of being approached by my narrator, Joel. Joel had found my book and mentioned how he immediately connected with it as a creator himself. Joel narrated the first ten minutes or so of the book to give me a preview of what it might sound and feel like. I immediately knew Joel was the right fit for the book. There was no way in hell I was going to narrate my own book, but after listening to that preview, I knew I’d found someone who would capture my voice closely. I’m not talking about the actual voice, (although we’re not too dissimilar) but instead the inflection and feel for the text. Joel did a great job of capturing my inner voice.
How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
Joel was amazing throughout this whole process. We met a couple times before he started doing the recording in full. He’d record a section and then send over any questions. We didn’t have to change much as he nailed my personality and ‘voice’ right away. There were a couple instances where the translation from book to audiobook got a bit messy. Those instances allowed us to get creative in our edits. There is even an opportunity where Joel gets to break the fourth wall a bit which he mentioned was a new experience for him in his narration career!
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
There were many inspirations for my writing. Too many to name here. I drew from my work with clients in the art therapy realm, as well as from family and friends. This book was highly personal so it was important for me to be able to draw from personal experiences and stories. I talk a lot about my own creative journey and the mistakes I’ve made over the years.
How do you manage to avoid burn-out? What do you do to maintain your enthusiasm for writing?
This is a great question for me to answer as it’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. Burnout is so pervasive and after two years of a pandemic, many of us are feeling it. For me, my creative work has been an outlet and is a form of self-care for me. That doesn’t mean my work hasn’t been impacted. My writing has slowed down a bit as feelings of burnout have increased. To push past this I think of how my work impacts my readers. Like Lazy Creativity, I write a lot about how we can use creativity as a tool for living better and fuller lives. That kind of writing feels good to write and it keeps me motivated. The stories I hear back from my readers about how they are using their creativity certainly adds fuel to the fire as well.
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
I’m not much of an audiobook listener. I’ve done it a few times, but I like the feel of a physical book. I don’t have a Kindle or e-reader either because I don’t feel as attached to the material. I’ve recently started getting into audiobooks in the self-help genre, however, and found it’s been nice listening to them while I’m on the bike, cleaning, or doing yard work.
What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
I don’t do a lot of listening to audiobooks – it’s a personal preference. I absorb information and ideas in a different format. Everyone is different. I’d say find what works best for you. If you’re an auditory learner, audiobooks are great! There is no shame. I think some corners of the reading community look down at audiobook listeners, but that’s an antiquated way of thinking. From an accessibility perspective, do what works best for you and don’t feel bad about it!
What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump?
I write about this a little bit in Lazy Creativity – I write about the different stages within the creative process. One of the stages is the “rest” stage. This involves taking time away from your work to, well, rest. This could be a complete pause of creative work, or can be a shift in what you’re working on. If you’re finding you’re in a writing slump, my advice is to allow the period of rest to happen without fighting it – embrace it. You’ll come back recharged and you may be surprised by ideas coming back to you after taking a step back. The other option is to work on a different project in a different medium. For me this means printmaking, web design, or painting. Exercising different parts of your creative brain can help spark some inspiration for your writing. If you don’t have the luxury of completely taking time off to rest, then play around with what it feels like to do something else in addition to your writing. If you’re in a reading slump, try a new genre or a different format. I recently went to a comic store and bought a graphic novel. That helped get me out of my reading slump. It might be worth a try.
What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Look at the big picture, but don’t let it intimidate you. It was helpful for me to look at each page by itself. Also, if you really want to write a book, you need to adequately budget your resources. I’m not going to tell you you need to only take cold showers, get up at 4:30am each day, and work a 12 hour day. You don’t. I certainly didn’t. I wrote a book on laziness because, well, I can be very lazy. That’s okay if you are too. But, you do need to keep at it. Show up consistently and write even on days you don’t feel like it.
Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
The best advice I can give to authors looking to turn their books into an audiobook is to find a narrator you mesh with. That’s key. They are the voice to your words and ideas. It is important for the two of you to be on the same page. Listen to their work and get a feel for it. I lucked out and found someone who was personally interested in the message. If you have the luxury of doing that, I’d recommend it. It adds a certain level of excitement to the project.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on my second formal book, which is also about the creative process. It will be called Ugly Creativity. Additionally, I’m writing a blog about my own writing process, keeping up with my other mediums, such as printmaking, and playing around with some other potentially smaller-scale projects.
My Top 10 Literary Inspirations
Jenny Lawson
Elizabeth Gilbert
Jonah Lehrer
Carl Rogers
Todd Henry
Kazuo Ishiguro
Catherine Moon
Matt Haig
Manoush Zomorodi
Stephen King
Reasons to listen to this book
Lazy Creativity meets you where you’re at
For inspiration
Perhaps a little more than inspiration, this book can be a creative kick in the butt if you need one
It’s pretty damn funny (I’m very modest)
There is no judgement involved
The narrator, Joel, has a very soothing voice
I walk you through steps for getting started or for continuing your work
It’s for everyone – established creators or for those looking to get started
There are some quick exercises to get your creative process started
I include a list of creative ideas to spark your creativity
Lazy Creativity is the complete guide to owning your creativity in a way that works with you because it’s your creativity. Art Therapist, Author, Artist, and self-proclaimed lazy person Kyle Bernier provides a detailed handbook of the creative process, starting with building a creative mindset, to making the first (literal or figurative) mark, all the way to the creation of a finished project. In his work as an art therapist and researcher, Bernier noticed a strong desire in most people to become more creative, coupled with a strong fear of getting started. The learning curve appears too steep for many people - this book serves as a detailed roadmap for tackling our own creativity from the moment an idea pops into our heads – the proverbial lightbulb moment, to putting finishing touches on a project and transitioning to the next great idea. For established creatives, creative novices, or people looking to pivot to something new, this user-friendly creativity manual addresses roadblocks everyone working to better their creative selves will inevitably encounter and provides empathy, instruction, and motivation for pushing through these obstacles to reach your creative potential.
With a limited amount of resources, time, and energy available, and an increase of stressors, creativity has never been more important to living a bold life, full of beauty. By combining practical optimism with self-aware humor, Bernier encourages us to find and unlock our own creative selves to build a creative life worth living. Recognizing and addressing real barriers to creativity, including anxiety, fear, limited resources, a lack of motivation, and doubt, Bernier outlines his struggles and triumphs with finding his own creativity. He then shows how we can overpower these barriers using what we all already have inside all of us – creativity.
Kyle Bernier is an art therapist, artist, researcher, and author who has spent years living and making creatively. Kyle holds a Master's degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Kyle is currently based in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he works, creates, and writes, when he isn't feeling lazy.
Meet Kyle's Narrator, Joel Simler!Who would’ve thought that the kid sent to remedial reading classes would end up reading books for a living? It’s true, his elementary school teacher sent him to a remedial reading program – but he soon became that kid in class constantly getting in trouble for reading, instead of listening to his teachers.
A lifelong performer by any means possible, be it theatre, music, dance, radio, or pogo stick, Joel finally found a home in audiobooks after getting his degree in Audio Production. Since then, he has sought extensive coaching from industry pros, and records fervidly out of his audio hovel in the Pacific Northwest.
He’s a family man (soon to be dad of two, what?!), a professionally certified ballroom dance instructor, has traveled the US in his 1978 VW bus, and has a propensity for picking up hobbies like no other. Rock climbing/bouldering? ✓ Bonsai tree cultivation? ✓ Playing drums and ukulele? ✓✓ Reading? Huh heh heh, yeah ✓ Skateboarding? Definitely ✓ Baking sourdough bread? Heck. Yes. ✓ Dungeons and Dragons? You know it ✓ Someday he will bake the most perfect homemade pizza.
Lazy Creativity sounds like a wonderful resource to have on hand for instant inspiration. Thank you Kyle and Joel for sharing it with us! Get your copy at one of the following locations....
View the full tour schedule HERE at
Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll stop by weekly for more Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time, take care and God bless!
PamT
