22 | The Essential Need For Wonder In Our Creativity w/ Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of the New York Times best-selling illustrated collection of nature essays and Kirkus Prize finalist, WORLD OF WONDERS: IN PRAISE OF FIREFLIES, WHALE SHARKS, & OTHER ASTONISHMENTS (2020, Milkweed Editions), which was chosen as Barnes and Noble’s Book of the Year. She has four previous poetry collections, and her writing appears twice in the Best American Poetry Series, The New York Times Magazine, ESPN, Ploughshares, American Poetry Review, and Tin House. On today's show, Jen and Aimee connect over their passion for the natural world, and the unavoidable truth the clock is ticking on that environment. But for both Jen and Aimee, creativity, open-heartedness, and WONDER provide a foundation of hope and could truly change they way we see our own lives, and more importantly, the whole world. In addition, they also discuss: 4:14 - Aimee's experiences with a lack of representation in pop culture and art growing up. 11:14 - Confronting the all-common question of: "How dare you want this?" 13:51 - Aimee's decision to abandon pre-med in favor of the arts. 18:07 - How to avoid becoming a brand. 22:16 - Aimee's turbulent publishing journey. 24:02 - Aimee on "negotiating the line between the color of my skin and the outdoors." 29:13 - Making wonder a habit. 32:11 - The difference between writing poems and essays. 40:34 - Why a lack of wonder makes the world more dangerous. Visit https://jenniferlouden.com/podcastkit/ to get instant access to a collection of audios that will: help you with some of the most common struggles we creatives have to manage including fear of choosing, falling into compare and despair, managing the inner critic (s), and feeling too exposed and vulnerable when you put yourself or your work into the world. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jennifer-louden/support