The Creative Life — with Jim Kroft

Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Jim Kroft Podcast"

Do you have the courage to write badly?

In this episode, I dive into the messy, liberating truth that to create something meaningful, you first have to give yourself permission to be bad.
Inspired by comedian Steve Martin's playful approach to songwriting, we'll explore how embracing imperfection can free your creativity—and why intentionally writing badly might unlock your best work yet.
Questions we explore:
  • How can deliberately creating 'badly' overcome creative blocks?
  • Why does embracing imperfection lead to authentic creativity?
  • How can playful experimentation rejuvenate your artistic spirit?
Highlights:
  • 🎲 Courage in Imperfection
  • 🎭 Rediscovering Levity
  • 📈 Kaizen for Creatives
  • 💔 Forgiving Yourself
  • 🎨 Ritualising Play
Thanks for the support as always, everyone! Jim

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What is The Creative Life — with Jim Kroft?

🎙️ The Creative Life — with Jim Kroft

This podcast is for creatives who’ve chosen the long road.

Each week, I take one aspect of the creative life — a breakthrough, a challenge, or a tool that’s helping me — and share what I’m learning from the inside.

I started the show because I couldn’t find what I needed: a companion for the real challenges of making art while building a life around it.

The podcast swings between the psychological traps we face and the practical tools that keep me going. It moves between mindset and method — but always comes back to how we keep showing up.

I’m Jim, your host. I’ve lived a long life in the arts — full of meteoric highs and humbling lows.
Here are a few stops from the journey:

🎸 Released 7 records — from major labels to van tours
🎥 Filmed 6 feature docs, screened at 200+ festivals
🧠 Built a creative business in Berlin since 2013
✍️ Top 1% on Substack for weekly consistency
📈 Raised nearly €100K for refugee & Ukraine war efforts
🎧 The Creative Life has hit the Apple Podcast charts

Thanks for being here,
Jim

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