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PODCAST

Keep the Flow

Keep the Flow is the weekly podcast that looks under the hood of the creative process to keep your creative engine humming.Hosted by Scott McLemore, a drummer and composer living way up north in Iceland. He has been involved in various creative pursuits including working in graphic design and writing about creativity. In this podcast he to shares what he has learned along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

education self-improvement

All Episodes

11:50

The Creative Advice I'd Give My Younger Self (35...

Keep the Flow ·

2026/01/03

I spent years as a musician, designer, and writer making the same mistakes over and over—here's what I'd tell my younger self to save years of suffering.📬 If this resonated with you, you'll love my newsletter. I send one email a week with ideas like this: https://ktfpod.com/#newsletter I don't feel like an expert, but when I look back at 35 years of creative work as a musician, graphic designer, and writer, I realize I've learned some hard lessons that my younger self desperately needed to hear. In

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24:37

Scared of Speaking without a Script? Try This Jazz...

Keep the Flow ·

2025/12/18

I can improvise jazz without fear, so why does unscripted speaking terrify me?📬 If this resonated with you, you'll love my newsletter—I send one email a week with ideas like this: https://ktfpod.com/#newsletter I've been making this podcast with fully scripted episodes for a year and a half because I was terrified of not knowing what comes next. But here's the paradox: I'm a jazz drummer. I improvise music all the time without fear. So why is speaking so different? In this episode, I'm finally

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11:43

Stop OBSESSING Over Making Meaningful Creative Work

Keep the Flow ·

2025/12/04

What happens when you lose sight of why you're creating—and how do you find your way back?📬 If this resonated with you, you'll love my newsletter—I send one email a week with ideas like this: https://ktfpod.com/#newsletter This week I'm feeling lost and questioning what really motivates my creativity. In this episode, I explore three ideas that help when you don't know why you're creating: relaxing into the process, giving yourself permission not to have all the answers, and reframing the ego

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5:54

Feeling Like Your Creative Work Is Pointless?

Keep the Flow ·

2025/11/21

The secret to creative success isn't talent or inspiration—it's something much simpler (and harder) than you think.I used to think creative success was about making something great every time I sat down to work. But after years of composing, teaching, and yes—trying to learn those impossible drum patterns—I've realized something counterintuitive: the specific thing you're working on matters less than the fact that you're working at all. In this episode, I break down the psychological paradox that

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5:29

Processing Loss as a Creative Person

Keep the Flow ·

2025/11/07

This is a special, short episode about how creative people process loss and can move on without ignoring or pushing feelings of sorrow away.Bittersweet by Susan Cain: https://amzn.to/3WwMmarInspired by the loss of my mother, I felt compelled to make this episode as a way to allow those feelings to come into my work and guide me forward.I forgot to mention that there are many kinds of loss beyond losing a loved one. The loss of a pet, the end of a relationship, the loss of a job — any of these

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9:34

Why You NEED a Tiny Creative Project

Keep the Flow ·

2025/11/02

What if the creative work that "doesn't matter" is actually the key to unlocking your most important breakthroughs?Grab a FREE copy of my ebook: https://payhip.com/b/RIqQxAfter 35 years as a professional musician, some of my biggest creative breakthroughs came from projects I almost threw away. In this episode, I'm sharing why thinking smaller—not bigger—might be the secret to unlocking your best work. I'll reveal the psychological tricks that make starting effortless, why side quests often become

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8:21

Why I Stopped Waiting to Be Chosen (And You Should Too)

Keep the Flow ·

2025/10/02

What if the only permission you’ve ever needed for your creative work was your own?The waitlist is open for my upcoming course Creative Resilience:https://ktfpod.com/creative-resilience/crwaitlist.htmlGrab a FREE copy of my ebook: https://payhip.com/b/RIqQxI spent years waiting to be “picked” — for bands, auditions, and even summer gigs. In this episode, I share my own story of setbacks, the shift that helped me move forward, and how you can stop waiting for permission and start creating on your own

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10:01

The Wayfinder: How to Find Your Creative Path

Keep the Flow ·

2025/09/28

Grab a FREE copy of the Wayfinder PDF: https://payhip.com/b/01AdwI thought I was leaving music behind when I moved from NYC to Iceland to start a design firm—but life had other plans. Here's the 4-part framework I developed to navigate back to your creative path when everything feels derailed. Keep the Flow with Scott McLemore is a weekly podcast that looks under the hood of the creative process. https://ktfpod.comFollow me for free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/scottmclemoreHere's my music:

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19:29

Get Out of the Creative Roundabout pt. 2

Keep the Flow ·

2025/09/01

If your creative life feels like you’re driving in circles, this is the episode that shows you exactly how to find the exit.Follow me for free on Patreon: https://patreon.com/scottmclemoreIn this follow-up to my most popular episode, I dig into how to actually break free from the “creative roundabout.” I share my own turning points, the discomfort of saying no, and three practical steps to close the gap between knowing and doing—so you can get unstuck and move toward your next creative level.Sign up

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11:05

The Secret to Staying Focused in Creative Chaos

Keep the Flow ·

2025/08/14

Discover how building your own attention map can help you stay focused, unlock flow, and navigate creative distractions with clarity.Sign up for The Interval, my free newsletter for inspiration in your inbox: https://subscribe.scottmclemore.comIn this episode, I explore how the concept of "attention maps" — inspired by self-driving cars and advice my dad gave me when I first learned to drive — can help us navigate the creative process. Just like learning to rely on peripheral vision while driving,

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9:04

Why Creative Success Isn't What You Think

Keep the Flow ·

2025/07/30

Discover why true creative success isn't about numbers or popularity, but planting seeds that grow into unexpected forests of opportunity and connection. Sign up for The Interval for free inspiration in your inbox. https://subscribe.scottmclemore.comIn this episode of Keep the Flow, I explore the complicated relationship we creatives have with success. I share my personal journey through disappointing album releases, unexpected connections that changed my career, and why I've come to see my creative

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8:35

5 Mistakes Creative People Make

Keep the Flow ·

2025/07/21

If you're a creative person feeling stuck, these 5 mistakes might be the reason your work isn’t getting the traction it deserves.YouTube version: https://youtu.be/ygvR3B_i_i0Sign up for The Interval for free inspiration in your inbox. https://subscribe.scottmclemore.comIn this episode, I’m talking about five common mistakes that creative people—myself included—tend to make. From hiding our work out of fear to tying our self-worth to the results, these are the habits that can quietly sabotage our

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10:47

Unlock Your Creative Flow with These 4 Habits

Keep the Flow ·

2025/06/08

Discover the four essential habits of disciplined creatives that transformed my daily workflow, including preparation techniques, morning rituals, procrastination management strategies, and deep work practices that consistently unlock creative flow and boost productivity.Sign up for The Interval for free inspiration in your inbox. https://subscribe.scottmclemore.comIn this episode, I explore how discipline is actually the key that unlocks consistent creativity, not its enemy. Drawing inspiration

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6:18

How to Turn Constraints to Your Creative Advantage

Keep the Flow ·

2025/05/09

Sign up for The Interval for free inspiration in your inbox. https://subscribe.scottmclemore.comTired of staring at a blank page? In this episode, we explore the counterintuitive truth that unlimited freedom might be your creativity's worst enemy.I break down how constraints—whether it's a tight deadline, limited tools, or self-imposed boundaries—actually spark innovation rather than stifle it.From Shakespeare's quarantine masterpieces to Spielberg's broken shark, history shows us that limitations

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16:20

I Quit Social Media - How to Build a Creative Career...

Keep the Flow ·

2025/05/04

Sign up for The Interval for free inspiration in your inbox. https://subscribe.scottmclemore.comI used to think that quitting social media would destroy my career as a musician and podcaster—but the opposite happened. I didn’t vanish; I started feeling more visible to the people who actually care about my work. In this episode of Keep the Flow, I talk about how you can build a fulfilling and sustainable creative life without chasing followers or feeding the algorithm. I share why I stepped away from

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5:59

We All Have Down Days

Keep the Flow ·

2025/04/09

This week on Keep the Flow, I share a recent experience when I felt completely unmotivated on what should have been a productive day.Instead of forcing myself to work through creative blocks, I discovered that taking pressure off by watching a movie unexpectedly led to one of my best drum practice sessions.I explore the science behind why our brains need this balance between focus and relaxation, share strategies I've developed for working with low-energy days, and explain how this connects to the

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5:40

Stop Waiting for Inspiration

Keep the Flow ·

2025/03/29

As a musician and creative professional, I discovered that waiting for inspiration is the enemy of creativity. By committing to a structured approach – setting aside dedicated time, documenting my process through Patreon, and removing the pressure of perfect output – I transformed my creative practice. Instead of treating inspiration as a rare, mystical force, I realized it's a skill that can be cultivated through consistent engagement. This shift allowed me to move from sporadic creative bursts to

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7:59

Healthy Perfectionism is an Actual Thing

Keep the Flow ·

2025/03/19

In this episode of Keep the Flow, I dive into the tangled relationship between creativity and perfectionism. From personal stories of wrestling with unfinished compositions to insights from artists like Bill Frisell and research on "perfectionistic strivings," I explore the fine line between pushing for excellence and getting stuck in self-doubt. Whether you’re chasing creative flow or learning to let go, this episode is a reminder that sometimes 90% is good enough — and that progress beats

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9:11

Waste Time Wisely - Curating Curiosity Snacks for...

Keep the Flow ·

2025/02/20

Grab my new eBook, Necessarily Creative: https://shop.scottmclemore.comEver feel guilty about falling down a rabbit hole of distractions? In this episode of Keep the Flow, I flip the script on curiosity and show how the right kind of "curiosity snacks" can fuel your creativity instead of draining your time. Inspired by Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s take on mindful exploration, I dive into how creative professionals—especially those who are neurodivergent—can balance focus and discovery. From tweaking your

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14:22

Feel Good Creativity

Keep the Flow ·

2025/02/06

Grab my new eBook, Necessarily Creative: https://shop.scottmclemore.comIn this episode, I explore how creative people can boost both productivity and happiness by embracing Ali Abdaal’s book Feel Good Productivity. We break down the three energizers—Play, Power, and People—and see how they can help us work smarter, enjoy the process, and stay connected. I also share my own approach to gamifying tasks I usually avoid (like booking gigs) and why confidence, agency, and collaboration are essential for

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